What makes it the +ACY-ldquo+ADs-big show+ACY-rdquo+ADs? Photo By Jon Devich Some days it is because the result is pivotal for a later selection, and it is do or die.+ACY-nbsp+ADs Win.+ACY-nbsp+ADs Make the break.+ACY-nbsp+ADs Get the pick.+ACY-nbsp+ADs Other days it is because you feel like a million dollars and your friends are … [Read more...]
Chicks Dig Scars
Cycling creates scars.+ACY-nbsp+ADs It is inevitable, but life creates scars too.+ACY-nbsp+ADs Each scar carries its own story and its own message. When looking at some of my acquired scars over the last couple of years, some bring feelings of triumph, and some still bring that stinging pain of … [Read more...]
Preparation for the Tour of the Gila
How do you prepare for the Tour of the Gila?+ACY-nbsp+ADs Good question.+ACY-nbsp+ADs I will let you know when I figure it out. Altitude. Winds. Heat. Snow. It+ACY-rsquo+ADs-s got it all, and we have only done two stages so far. You can go up to altitude to acclimate.+ACY-nbsp+ADs You can try to do VO2 max efforts while only … [Read more...]
Alison Starnes on Cycling: Therapy or Work?
Therapy versus Work. Cycling is social, and if you know me, you also know I have the tendency to talk quite a bit.+ACY-nbsp+ADs Sometimes a a couple of bikes and a friend is the best therapy there is. However, sometimes it isn+ACY-rsquo+ADs-t about therapy.+ACY-nbsp+ADs It is about work. I become engrossed in my task, my … [Read more...]
Pro cyclist Alison Starnes: The wind has its reasons.
The wind has its reasons.+ACY-nbsp+ADsAJg-nbsp+ADs It isn+ACY-rsquo+ADs-t seen, but it is felt. Yesterday, the wind had a specific purpose as it swept down from the north, clearing out the clouds briskly and introducing a new season.+ACY-nbsp+ADs Well, hello, Spring.+ACY-nbsp+ADs Happy Spring.+ACY-nbsp+ADs First day of Spring.+ACY-nbsp+ADs- … [Read more...]
Alison Starnes on Cycling: What I have learned lately
Spending time with my sister has taught me a thing or two the last couple of weeks.+ACY-nbsp+ADs She is still the best training partner, although she does have to do two other sports after riding with me.+ACY-nbsp+ADs That just leaves me plenty of time to capture the day. What I have learned lately+ACY-hellip+ADs 1. … [Read more...]
There is a reason why I do this sport.
There is a reason why I do this sport.+ACY-nbsp+ADs There are moments and days that I question that, yet then there is that moment of clarity.+ACY-nbsp+ADs I am reunited with teammates, with friends, with passion. Today was a beginning at the Merco Cycling Classic.+ACY-nbsp+ADs But on the asphalt was not where I kindled … [Read more...]
That’s a Wrap. Best. Team. Camp.
And that+ACY-rsquo+ADs-s a wrap. Team Camp is complete. Swiss Miss, Me, and the Joshua Tree. Match made in heaven. Photo by Greg Erwin. Although it was a chaotic week of hard riding, challenging drills, and extensive learning, it was a resounding success.+ACY-nbsp+ADs The best team camp ever. Period. My … [Read more...]
Alison Starnes. Our Real World. Team Camp.
Real World. 13 girls. 1 house. Palm Springs. Bicycles. Photo of photo captured by VeloImages Although the schedule has been quite regimented at team camp, there still has been time for plenty of laughter and learning.+ACY-nbsp+ADs We have been visited by some of our major sponsors here to increase our … [Read more...]
National Girls and Women in Sports Day #NGWSD
It is National Girls and Women in Sports Day.+ACY-nbsp+ADs Who would have thought? Why are sports so important for women? Sports build confidence, character, and responsibility.+ACY-nbsp+ADs Sports demonstrate to a young girl that she is strong, capable, and worthy. Sports shaped my childhood.+ACY-nbsp+ADs Sports took … [Read more...]