Cycling
I started cycling in 1995 as a way to get back into 
shape. I had no idea how addictive it could be! Shortly thereafter, I joined a local mountain bike club, Mid-Atlantic Off-Road (MORE). I learned SO much in such a short period of time, I decided to try my hand at racing the following year, and loved it! (Click on the image to view my 2001 race resume).
A little bit of background on myself, growing up, I had two horses and rode them competitively. I owned a quarter horse (Jake), and a thoroughbred (CB). With my quarter horse, my favorite was competing in timed events (barrel racing) then the thoroughbred, I loved to jump. I was a member of the local pony club and we competed in three-day events in which I was introduced to cross-country events. This was following a map on an open course, where you raced through open fields and jumped numerous natural-looking objects. Jake LOVED to gallup through the open fields so much, I had to use a kimberwick bit on him to help control him! I tried doing cross-country with CB, but he was a little spooky. I remember one time, I was getting ready for a jump, but at the last minute, he veered off to the side, I think I hit the jump, then got stuck in the stirrup.
Cycling was an easy transfer of skills for me, and I learned a bike was a lot cheaper to maintain than a horse.
In 1997, I made the move from Virginia to Colorado, and immediately jumped into cycling, but soon I realized it was way more competitive than racing in Virginia! It was fun, and the women's field were actually a good size. I quickly learned, that to be good at mountain biking, you need the element of road riding. So, I raced in a crit or two, then looked for a team to join, because I learned, road is completely different than racing mountain bikes, the element of strategy comes into play. I joined the Boulder Women's Cycling Team, which at the time, was one of the few all exclusive women's teams in the area. I learned A LOT from skills clinics and practices. Eventually, I earned the upgrade to Category 3, then Category 2! At the same time, I was racing Expert-level in mountain biking. It was all about balancing my time with training, working, and finishing my bachelors degree.
For 2008, my racing days are limited as I will be supporting the Blacksheep Juniors Cycling team.
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