Cycling – Starla Teddergreen

Adversity and Evolution

August 6, 2021February 9, 2022Starla Teddergreen

With 50 meters to go I choked back tears.

It had been well over a year since I last crossed a finish line, and I was blindsided with emotion. At the beginning of 2021 I was unsure if I would get here again, to take to a start line, and then cross a finish line. My first race back, my 3rd ever MTB race, and I was finishing in 2nd. Yeah, I was choking back tears, realizing this moment meant a lot more to me than I ever could have anticipated.

Crossing my second finish line this year, I was consumed by the same emotion, just seconds away from uncontrollable sobbing. The third time across the finish line was special though. It was unlike any finish line I have ever crossed. It left its mark on me and I’ll forever be changed by it. More on this in a minute.

The pandemic has upset all of our lives, plans, dreams, and our goals. Many have suffered loss and continue to do so, and it’s far from over. But, we have also found ways to adapt, and even thrive. With a pause on racing in 2020 and no start to the international road calendar this year, I have had the opportunity to take a step back and redefine what it means to me to be an athlete. This was not an easy process. I’ve nearly always been part of a team, and lined up at local crit races, all the way up to world tour and international races, with a job and a team goal most of my 15 year racing career. It took time away from racing for me to realize that it is not the team or the start line that defines who I am as an athlete, but my own ability to push myself, and see what more I can get out of myself on a daily basis.

I cycle because I love it, and because it empowers me to do other things that in turn hopefully empower others: to inspire and encourage kids and adults to develop bravery and determination through sport and adventure. I like to lead by example. Instead of sitting on the sidelines in 2020 and 2021, I mapped out my own challenges and adventures, stepping way outside my comfort zone, and competing on new ground.

That third race was Co2uT, a 190 mile gravel (and sand, rocks, mud, and potholes) race in the Colorado and Utah desert covering the longest distance, most elevation gain, and longest time on the bike I’d ever done. I finished in 3rd place for the women 11th overall, in less than 10 hours.

Getting to the start line was admittedly the hardest part. I felt like I was racing my bike for the first time, entirely out of my element. I’ve lined up to more crits and stage races than I can count, and rarely would I experience nerves or concerns at those starts. I’m used to being focused and excited to execute my job. This was completely different; I could not have felt more green. My nerves leading up to the race were felt throughout my household. I have never done more research preparing for a race in my life, nor have I had more doubts and questions.

Was I riding the right bike?

Aero bars or no?

Am I on the right tires and running the correct tire pressure?

Hydration pack or vest, or just bottles or both?

How much food and what type should I consume?

How often?

Should I be prepared to go the full distance, or rely on aid stations?

How long will it take me?

Will I make it or will I have to bail out and distance down to a shorter course?

These were all the questions and doubts I was struggling with. I had never tested or pushed my body like this before, and I honestly had no idea how I would respond to such an ask both physically or mentally. There was plenty of self doubt, and I questioned why would I do this to myself, and how would I cope should I fail.

I’m glad I never had to answer that last question! I never really thought that I would have to, because I’m not one to give up even when I probably should. But, this was so new to me I feared it may be a possibility. I could give a full race report, but what it comes down to is this: I showed up, believed in myself, I never gave up, and over the course of the race, I fell in love with the experience. I came across that finish line holding back sobs, because I knew I had leveled up as an athlete, pushing myself into new territory and out rode fear that day.

Since Co2uT, I have crossed a finish line a few more times winning the 107 mile gravel race at the FoCo Fondo, and finishing Ned Gravel with an injured hamstring. Ned Gravel was a race I was just happy to finish, and was ok with that. The day was about the experience, putting in the effort, pushing through the discomfort, making the most out of my choice of bike (I experimented with a hardtail mountain bike, and learned it wasn’t the right choice for me.), enjoying the beauty and challenge of the course, and remembering the big picture of what the day’s ride was preparing me for later in the season.

I’m starting to find my groove and confidence in this new sport of gravel and endurance racing. The confidence is not to be mistaken for confidence that I will win or even finish every race though. It’s confidence knowing that I will take to the start line, be challenged, support other riders through their ride, and I will enjoy the experience and adventure of it all.

For those of you that are curious about how I ended up answering all those questions in my Co2uT race prep, below is the list of gear, nutrition and product that has worked for me in that race and others so far. It is ever evolving but I hope it helps someone in their own adventures. Please reach out if I missed anything or if you have specific questions.

Bike

Bike: Specialized S-Works Diverge (modified with no dropper post) Handle Bars: Enve SES AR Bars Tires: Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss 700×42 Power Meter: Sram AXS Power meter spider Pedals: Time ATAC XC 12 Titanium Carbon MTB Pedals.

Equipment

Helmet: S-Works Prevail II Vent Shoes: S-Works Recon Lace Gravel Shoes Bibs: Specialized Women’s RBX Adventure Bib Shorts w/ SWAT™ Jersey, Socks, Gloves: I like to switch them up depending on weather Glasses: Julbo Rush Reactive performance lenses Hydration Pack: USWE outlander 2 Hydration pack and USWE Pace 2 running vest Nav Computer and HR Strap: Wahoo Element Bolt GPS / TICKR HR monitor Performance: Whoop Saddle Bag: Orucase Saddle Bag HC 25 Dry Case: Q36.5 Smart protector holds my phone, cash, key, mask.

Nutrition and Body

Nutrition is individualized and you need to find what works best for you, the best time to experiment is in training, please never try something new on race day. The Feed is my go to resource for nutrition, they source the best products for athletes, do all the testing and research, and then share that knowledge with you, it’s a great way to try new product or subscribe to products you love. You can buy a sample of 1 or a whole case, its easy, they have fantastic customer service and other resources and they provide a tone of info about each product and the best way to use it.

On the Body: Live Momentous PR Lotion helps buffer lactic acid so you never feel that burn, Chamois Butt’r Anti Chafe, Post race Clean up and Laundry Detergent, Zealios Sun Screen.

Race Day Nutrition: Evening before and after race SIS REGO Cherry Juice Night Before SIS Sleep Plus Morning of Race Kyoku Superfood Shake, Swiss Rx Nitric Oxide, Enervit Pre Sport. During in my pockets Enervit Liquid Gel, Enervit Isotonic Gel, Clif blocks I like Salted Watermelon, Ginger Ale and Margarita, Maurten Gel 100, Neversecond C30Energy Gel. During in my Hydration pack and Bottles CarboRocket 333 Half Evil all in one Endurance Drink I mix one serving of the Half Naked Unflavored and one Serving of the Cold Brew + Caffeine in my hydration pack, this is where I get the majority of my calories from, I will mix one bottle of unflavored in my first bottle and my second bottle is plane water. Depending on the distance of the race I will bring single serving packets of Carbo rocket I love the Tart Cherry and or Skratch Labs Sports Hydration Single serving packs.

Depending on distance and race day temperatures ill mix it up and add other foods like pickles to help cut the sweet or salty chips, a baby can of coke, or a bar like JoJe Bars white chocolate coconut blondie is my goto, or Betty Lou’s Bars apple Pie is my favorite.

Social Media. Love, Hate or a Slave to it.

December 28, 2020Starla Teddergreen

We use social media for different reasons, frequent some platforms more than others, and might engage a little, a lot, or… nonstop. For some it’s work. For others its a way to express themselves, stay connected, or a way to fill the empty void of space and time, or a way to not be alone with our thoughts.

If I were to take a poll on how you use social media, what platforms you gravitate towards and why, the answers would be as varied as are our ages and personalities. Social media is something different to each of us, and will be something different through different times in our lives. I remember the days when we were just social, but in recent times we rely on social media to stay in touch, to keep up with what is going on in the world, to remain relevant, to share a laugh, or to find warm fuzzies. We all know there is an ugly side as well, and it would be easy to leave this part out. Realistically though, we have all likely been attacked, bullied, called out, or cancelled. I personally refuse to engage in the negative aspects. There are enough loud voices screaming, and I’m not one of them. When I strongly believe in something, posting or commenting on social media is not the platform for me. If I must get involved I personally reach out to have a conversation, and gain understanding. If its a bigger challenge, I vote, I take it to my congressperson, to my community leaders, and participate where change actually happens.

I realize as a professional athlete I have a special platform. I have chosen to do good with it, and to me that means I need to set a realistic example, share honest content about who I am as an athlete, and as a person. As an athlete I represent sponsors who support me. Their support makes this all possible, and I only work with sponsors whose product or service I believe in so I’m never struggling to come up with authentic, honest content. I choose to include my dogs, my husband, teammates, and friends because without them my story would be incomplete. I use Instagram to tell my story and document my life, so I have something to look back on when I’m having rough days, to put things into perspective, and remind myself why I work so hard, and continue to be grateful for the opportunities I have.

With what I share, I aim to set a positive yet realistic example. It’s not all bikes and heavy weights all of the time. It’s not only good days. I’m not anyone special, nor do I strive to be an influencer. I’m just another human working really hard to fulfill a dream, live a life with little regret, and hopefully inspire others to do the same.

Here we are

April 3, 2020April 3, 2020Starla Teddergreen

About a month ago I was waiting to make a big announcement.

A couple of weeks ago I watched my international race calendar fall apart. First, three stage races in China, then Italy. There was a small bit of hope amongst the team that the Tour of Thailand would still be on, but travel of any kind did not feel safe. I started focusing my efforts towards US races I could drive to, and I started accepting invites to ride for composite teams for upcoming stage races, building out a crit/gravel/MTB race season in my head to supplement until things were back on track. I competed in my first 2020 gravel race and won, then, as you know, all were cancelled.

With this news I went through a rollercoaster of emotions, but the one that sticks out and was the most surprising was a sense of relief. I had no idea just how much anxiety I had been experiencing around racing and training until racing was taken away. I have come to realize as I have had the time to process that my head has not been in a good place for a while.

Our family has been through a lot and I have spent the better part of 6 years feeling anxious, selfish, and fearful, that I would regret my choices no matter what path I went down.

To explain, my husband has a genetic disorder called Fabry Disease that is robbing him of his life. Fabry is the reduction of, or the total lack of a single enzyme in our bodies that breaks down lipids. Over the course of decades, the lipids build up in many parts of the body, and the kidneys and heart are most often affected first. He was diagnosed a few weeks before we met nearly ten years ago, and as the years have passed it has greatly effected his quality of life, and we have spent a lot of time in hospitals and a lot of time holding our breath waiting for the next blow.

In 2015 I was racing for Fearless Femme. We were sitting at a coffee shop having finished up a team ride, and were discussing team stuff. Phones were not allowed, but I had mine hidden in my lap receiving updates as Gino was going in for a kidney biopsy. I was upset with myself for not being there with him, and I was scared for him and for the test outcome. Eventually I had a meltdown and told the team what was going on, and apologized for not being present as my mind and my heart were with my husband.

This would be a common theme over the next 6 years. My head and heart have constantly been pulled in different directions, struggling to be present as I struggled to reconcile with the choices I was making.

As Gino’s body continued to be brutalized by this disease, decisions to continue to train race and travel became harder and harder to make. The conversation was to live a life with no regrets but this felt impossible, not spending every precious moment I have with Gino would lead to regret, not pursuing my life’s passion of sport would be a regret. It was a constant guilt-ridden battle to find balance. Together we made decisions, made sacrifices, and fought for Gino’s life.

In 2017, Gino’s kidney function had dropped to 9%, and while most people require dialysis at the 20% threshold, he fought through it and never did dialysis. Through reaching out to our network he was fortunate to receive the gift of life through a living donor kidney transplant from a coworker. Gino is a fighter, and an incredibly driven individual. Within a week after the transplant, he was back to running his company from home, and I was back to getting out for short rides mostly to allow myself to have a good cry, but also to create hope.

As we ticked off medical milestones things never got back to normal, but we had a new normal that was ours. We relaxed a little because we had to, and after encouragement from him, my attention and energy went back into training and racing for me, and continuing the success and growth of Gino’s company that provided security for us and his employees.

The stress, the worry, and the anxiety all had it’s effect on my training and racing, and for that I have guilt and regret, but I was doing the best I could at the time. When I was racing I kept telling myself to be present and in the moment, to make the most out of it because if I did not give it my all then this time away from Gino was wasted, all the sacrifices made leading up to this point, wasted. When things were not under threat and I was able to focus, I had glimpses of what my true potential could be. I saw what hard work and sacrifice could achieve.

In 2018 Gino was under great stress with work and was experiencing chest pain, after putting the company first for way too long, and days after his company was acquired, he had an angiogram and found that the main artery of his heart was 99% blocked, not because of unhealthy life choices but because the progression of his disease. They placed a stent that would fail a year later, requiring double bypass surgery.

Here we are today almost three months out from surgery. The world is in crisis and we are watching things unfold behind the relative safety of our devices. On a day-to-day basis not much has changed for us in terms of our health behavior. Ever since the transplant, we have taken all the necessary precautions of constantly sanitizing our environment, washing hands, avoiding crowds, and avoiding people who are sick, because Gino has to take daily meds that suppress his immune system.

We are both high risk. I have Asthma and an autoimmune disease. No one would know any of this by looking at either of us, and that is what is so scary about this pandemic. Everyday we see people choosing not to take it seriously or make the right decisions to protect themselves or the vulnerable in their communities. We are doing everything in our power to stay safe and keep others safe, so we are self isolating.

In this time I have gone through all the emotions for different reasons, as I’m sure everyone is experiencing right now.

I could go though the list of why I have fear, feel anger, sadness, frustration, and so on, but most of you are here because I am a cyclist and I share my experience as one. As a cyclist, watching the season crumble was really hard. Finding meaning in my training when I have no idea what I am training for took some time to reconcile, and looking at my bikes while not being able to ride them outside stopped me in my tracks one afternoon, and I just cried. I had to ask myself Why? Why do I train? Why do I compete? Those questions led me to here, to reflect back over my career, through all the struggles, sacrifices, and emotions.

Being an athlete is all I have ever wanted to be. From a young age I developed the mentality that I must push myself, and must achieve more than I could before, always growing, and never being satisfied with what I am currently achieving. That want – that need to be better is what makes me feel alive, and having the ability to keep pushing and fighting to achieve is what makes me happy, and grateful.

The feeling of physical or mental breakthroughs is unparalleled, pushing myself against my own goals to achieve or competing against others is a way to measure the work I have put in, but it’s also the relationships and community that comes with the traveling circus that is bike racing. Being an athlete has defined the majority of my life, so when I ask myself why, it’s because it is what make me feel alive, it’s what I love and without it I’m not sure who I would be. Professional athlete or not I believe I will always be an athlete, and will always strive to improve.

With no outside competition in sight, I continue to train because I love it. I love feeling fit and strong, seeing my body change, and witnessing what it is capable of achieving. I have given myself new goals and challenges all while staying the course for one day returning to the start line with my community.

The greatest thing that has come from this forced break from competition is the mental break and the anxiety of decisions needing to be made. Being away from Gino is gone since we are now together 24/7, and we are in lockdown. That has been fine, and good, and we certainly eat at home a lot more now.

I can’t remember the last time I felt this at ease around my training because it’s not tied to any upcoming races or travel. I am simply training again because I love it. My hope is that when competition does resume I will have a healthier mental relationship and preparedness with what I can take on, and be able to go into every race with focus not only for myself but for my teammates and all those who have supported me over the years.

Until then, I will be at home, riding indoors as not to take the risk of an unnecessary accident putting myself and family in further harms way, and putting unnecessary stress on an already stressed medical system. I will continue to support my local community by not going to scheduled appointments but still paying for them. We are ordering necessities from local businesses, and grossly over tipping those who are risking infection while shopping for and delivering goods to us at home. We are planting a garden to become more self sufficient, and running our dogs a lot so they let us sleep in longer. We’re cooking – so much cooking! We are reading actual books made of paper, and are facetiming with friends on the regular. I am coaching Gino back into physical health now that all restrictions from January’s open heart surgery have been lifted. He is on his MTB on Zwift, and even though he hates it he is doing it, we are also working on his functional mobility and working up to strength work. I continue ride on Zwift and am continuing with strength workouts as well, and have even brought back running in to the program. I’m avoiding time spent online, and focusing on being present and enjoying time with loved ones.

I hope you all can find a bit of peace in these turbulent times. Stay safe as you look out for the safety and wellness of your communities, understanding that things are not always as they seem. You never know who is vulnerable, or who is struggling. Be mindful, loving and caring because it will take all of us together to get through this.

2019 #longlivesupermint

January 23, 2020Starla Teddergreen

A look back at a season to remember

We kicked off the season with HB Supermint Team Camp – Media Camp and VOS Stage Race in AZ, where we broke away, crashed, broke a lot of wheels, chased, stood on the podium, won and enjoyed our time together.

Next stop Redlands CA for the Redlands Cycling Classic. We held on for dear life as strong winds tried to rip us from our bikes during the Time Trial. We had some crashes and Podiums and experienced sacrifice and incredible team work throughout the following stages.

Next Stop was the first stop on the USA crit Series Calendar in El Paso TX. Strong winds and nightfall made for an interesting race. Lilly got away in an early break with one other rider, and the field worked hard to bring them back and everyone thought it would happen. But then, LeighAnn jumped across and the gap went back out. Harriet and I would spend the rest of the race covering attacks until Harriet was taken out in a crash. The timing and getting caught up in the crash worked out for me as it allowed me to pull the plastic bag that had tangled in my front wheel… With a little help from our friends we both got back in, and Lilly and LA went one-two, and I took the field sprint for 4th. Lilly would take lap leader and USA crits overall leader for the series opening race.

More stage racing on tap as we headed to Arkansas for Joe Martin Stage Race. What an absolute blast racing hard with this group of ladies at what I would consider the best version yet of Joe Martin! I have raced many versions of JMSR over the years and hands down this year’s courses were the most challenging and provided teams with the best opportunities to truly race hard and challenge each other. We walked away with two podiums, 8th overall, many lessons learned, and so many laughs were shared with these wonderful humans.

Next stop Alabama for Sunny King. We were defending champions, with Lilly winning out of a break last year in the rain with now teammate Harriet. We raced a strong race this year, just missing the podium with Lily sprinting to 4th out of a late race break started by Whitney, who rode an incredible race along side Julie, Harriet and myself. Even though we raced a strong race, I believe we can always learn and get better. I went back to watch the race that was live-streamed to learn from how we rode as a team, how other teams rode, and to see the race from a different perspective. In the final laps I knew we needed to keep the pressure on as shown below. When I saw this part of the video I got a bit choked up. I want to thank Brad Sohner for the acknowledgment and kind words. Supermint is a team unlike any other I have had the honor to ride for. Every single rider is willing to sacrifice themselves for one another and I truly love animating the race and giving my everything for these ladies. So thank you Brad for the coverage and phenomenal support of women’s racing.

More Crit racing on tap and the second stop on the USA Crits Calendar in Athens, Georgia. We had a small but strong crit loving squad of Julie and myself. Having placed 4th in the first race of the series we knew it was all about points, so that is what I went for all night while trying to stay out of all the crashes. Mission accomplished! What an honor to stand on the top step at the 40th edition putting on the USA Crits overall leader’s jersey, and to be able to share the moment with my husband Gino (UGA alum!) and teammate Julie!

Back to Stage racing! Our next stop was Tour of the Gila in Silver City NM. My entire racing career I swore I would never race this race, and would retire happy. Then last year Supermint told me I was going, and it quickly became my favorite stage race of all time, so I was super excited to return again this year with the team to ride for these fantastic women who achieved two podiums and 8th in GC. This was a fantastic race for me because I was able to ride with a super focused goal and that was to protect Jess so that meant make it over all of the climbs with the pack and sprint her into the finish to not lose time on GC and I did. It was an honor to ride for her.

The team went on to race Tour of CA achieving most combative rider and 3rd on a fantastic sprint stage finish.

Back at home I took on the famous PDX Ronde finishing it in its entirety was a check on the bucket list for me, one that I never need to do again. By the numbers: 70.9miles pedaled • 5hr 21min rolling time • 347 TSS • Temp high 95 • 8143 ft of climbing up to 21% grades.

Stop number three on the USA crits Calendar, Winston Salem rated one of the toughest courses in the Series. Followed by the only one day UCI road race in the US. 90 degree temps, sweltering humidity, and the largest field we have seen, including international teams that were in the US for the UCI race. We went in with a lot of cards to play and options as race leader: Lilly was in the lap leader jersey, and team being so close in team competition, we wanted the race to be hard so we made it so. I was focused on point sprints and the finish to maintain race leader. The team rode fantasticly, countering off the sprints where I took full points on every one, attacking and attacking to keep it fast and bouncing back from crashes. However,on the final lap a crash in the front of the field with two turns to go lost us our chance to contest the sprint for the win. Lily collected me in the chaos to chase the leaders who slipped through, and I came in 7th with team mates coming in close behind to move us up in to the team lead. What a team effort.

Next up Winston Salem Cycling Classic UCI 1.1 Road Race. it’s a fantastic feeling when a plan comes together, and the team takes home the win. Julie and Harriet did the heavy lifting, covering moves in the first half of the race then Whitney and I took over the second half until we were both taken out in a crash from the front bunch on the last lap that landed us both in the hospital, luckily Lilly and Leigh Ann made it through making the final selection and LA powered away to a solo victory taking home the win for Supermint for the 2nd year in a row.

All the pretty colors and swelling, but no one has time for that! There is more crit racing in our future. Next stop DC and the Air Force Cycling classic, and the official kick off to crit season. It’s hard going into a race knowing you’re not at 100% but you still have a job to do, and people are counting on you. Injury is frustrating, and I rode the best I could for my Supermint teammates. Whitney was a rockstar teamie all weekend, and helped me through dark times in Sunday’s race. It’s the small words of encouragement that can pull you back up, help to refocus from the pain to the job at hand. Harriet delivered two fantastic podiums and 2nd overall after Lindsay, Liza, Julie, and Whitney rode tremendously strong races.

The hand was not getting any better, and the body was hurting pretty bad but I was not going to let that stop me, after all it was Tulsa Tough time. Stop number 4 on the USA crit Calendar in Tulsa OK, and Gino was there! With a sold out field of a 120 starters it was a heck of a kick off at blue dome with super fans, super host kid, and Supermint all over the podium! Harriet took 3rd after a massive lead out from Liza, Whitney, Leigh Ann and Lilly, Lily maintained lap leader, I snagged all the points to extend the lead in the overall series and the team extended our lead in the team competition, taking home all the beer.

Tulsa Tough Day 2 The team rode a flawless race up until the end with Liza Whitney, and myself covering moves and making the race hard. From an early attack I found myself solo off the front early on then joined by one other rider. We worked together until the chasing field brought us back, then I went again to keep chase for another lap, then we countered and countered. In the final laps I attacked, then attacked again until I had daylight from the field with 4 to go. With Roxsolt on my heels, we took turns pulling, with two riders bridging and the field in chase. Butcherbox would make contact but the field was on us. Inside two to go, I made my final attack leading into Sound Pony hill where Liza took over until the leadout train of Leigh Ann, Lilly, and Harriet formed at the front. With one lap to go, unfortunately both Harriet and Lily went down on the last lap, unable to contest the sprint. Bike racing is not easy, but we keep showing up and giving it our all for each other.

Cry Baby Hill – I honestly can’t recall what happened but I know we raced hard, got into the break had some bad luck and wished we had finished on the top step. You know we gave it our all, and put on one hell of a show.

After Tulsa, and went home and got the bad news I knew was coming. My thumb was fractured despite initial x-ray and now the bone was displaced due to continuing to race on it despite braces and taping the hell out of it when I raced. (that pin was in there from a fracture years ago as a bike messenger) Now I had a tough decision to make keep racing or give it a rest. I did what any bike racer would do, I packed my bags and headed to Nationals.

If you watched Criterium Nationals live you would have witnessed Supermint truly racing our hearts out. We laughed, we cried, we attacked, we crashed, we attacked some more and then Lilly came away with 2nd.

If you watched Road Nationals, you also would have seen another spectacular battle. Every day on the bike is an opportunity to learn, get stronger, and to believe in yourself a little more. Supermint may not have landed on the podium at Pro Road Nationals, but we all rode a race we can be proud of. Spending the day driving the break, I knew as the laps counted down that even if I got caught I was doing the work to best set my team up for a shot at the title while they did the same, covering move after move in the chase.

BC SUPER WEEK !!!!!!! It’s so good to be racing on the West coast!!!!!!! We kicked things off with a win! We attacked from the gun until a break of 7 got away, including Leigh Ann and Lilly. While Lily did the heavy lifting in the break Julie, Liza, Whitney, Lindsay, and I covered attack after attack until we were down to 7 laps to go. The break was close to catching us, (when a break laps the field things can get messy…) so we got to the front, Liza, Whitney and Lindsay did a 6 lap lead out decimating the remaining field. From the break Lily set Leigh Ann to take the win, and I took the field sprint. So incredibly proud of this team and how we raced.

Day 2, I got the day off. I think every athlete should spend the day as a member of the staff to truly appreciate what it takes to make a team run smoothly, and to see the race from another perspective. I truly enjoyed supporting my teammates and staff.

A crash two laps in neutralized the field, and created chaos in the pit as mechanics rushed to swap out broken bikes and wheels. Harriet and Lindsay were involved, but restarted with the field. The race was aggressive, and team covered the moves. With 6 laps to go they took to the front to set pace, the back of the field started to come apart, and with 3 to go Leigh Ann took home the gambler prime and returned to her position in the Supermint train. In the final corners we were bested, and the defending champion took the win.

Day 3 Delta UCI Road Race: Not how I thought this day would go.

It was an incredible honor to stand on my first UCI podium. It was not the plan. The race was aggressive from the start and a break formed early on. I bridged across on the hill to work with Whitney to drive and attack the break, setting Lilly up for the sprint. Teammates Leigh Ann, Lindsay, and Harriet covered moves in the field while Liza and Julie supported us in the feed zone, even executing a perfect bike change for Harriet. The team was working perfectly together. Then, things went sideways when Lily went down inside 800 meters to go. I went from leading out to sprinting in a blink of an eye, to racing for the podium, and am happy I could salvage things by getting on the podium for my Supermint teammates.

Day 4 New West Grand Prix: Leigh Ann landed another podium for the team salvaging an unfortunate turn of events.

New West is a fast course with a steep uphill continuing to climb on one side of the course, then a steep fast decent into the final turn with a continued down hill to the finish. The team covered and attacked in this 40 lap race, and as the laps came down so did the rain. With the weather, the field fell apart from crashes and splits in the field. We were left with Leigh Ann, Liza, Lindsay and myself. Leigh Ann followed a late race attack with three to go and took the gamblers p