Too late to Get up to Date

I cannot believe that the last post to my blog was about Lewis and Clark Ultra. In just a few days we will be capping off our ULTRA racing season for 2009. September 12, 09 Hugh will set off for his 4th Ring of Fire race. The race this weekend will bring me full circle as it was my first 12-hour time trial just last year. I am looking forward to the constant demands of the course and riding my bike for 12 hours. I am also looking forward to seeing other racers and friends I've met through supporting Hugh and racing myself. A number of our local friends will be out on the course this year as well, Mike Olson and his daughter Teresa are teaming up for 12 hours, Rachael Parker will be going for the full-on 24 hours. Lisa Belair is hitting it with the knowledge she can push herself hard for 12 hours. (A seriously underrated contender). There still maybe others from the neighborhood signing on by race time.

But hold on. last weekend we were racing too. It was my first stage race, naturally unconventional, as it was the Crossover cyclecross stage race in Eugene, OR. I took 3rd in master women B, Hugh took 3rd in master men B and Kolben Prebel took 5th in men's B. That was definitely a great way to kickoff the cyclocross season, with great courses, pleasant weather and super camaraderie.

LACULTRA 12/24 report from Hugh Gapay

Riders turning out for the Lewis and Clark Ultra were greeted by one of the North West’s nicest days of the year. The temperature on race morning was mild, the skies were clear and the sun was shining brightly. The parking lot at the Hockinson Middle School was buzzing with pre-race activity as the thirty-eight twelve and twenty-four hour riders readied themselves for battle.
The Lewis and Clark Ultra was held in Brush Prairie, WA. On May 23rd. The second annual event is the second of three races comprising the UMCA’s Ultracup Western Triple Challenge, the Davis 12/24 Challenge and The Ring of Fire are the first and third races respectively.
The day loop is 140 miles with a reported 5700 feet of climbing. This loop starts in Brush Prairie and winds its way through the rural countryside finally reaching the Columbia River Gorge and the mighty Columbia River. As riders leave the Columbia River Gorge they are faced with a gradual climb up the Wind River highway eventually reaching Old Man Pass, the longest climb on the loop. After climbing for about five miles riders are treated with some long descents and some of the most spectacular views of Mt. St. Helens available in the area. At Cougar the route begins to turn back to the south through the rolling countryside bringing the riders once again back to Brush Prairie.
The night loop is a short, but not so sweet, ten miles with a reported 480 feet of climbing. There are some short but steep climbs scattered over the ten miles which ends with a screaming downhill that dumps you about three blocks from the start finish at the middle school.
Glenn Johnson started thirteen twenty-four hour riders including the father son team of Mike and Jed Bingle, twenty-one solo twelve hour riders including five women and two two- person teams. The racing was fast and furious from the start. Chris Ragsdale and John Caton were the first two riders to complete the day loop. However both of these riders would suffer race ending complications. Caton rode until 8 p.m. and then withdrew due to illness. Ragsdale rode until just after midnight when he reportedly fell asleep while riding and ended up in the roadside ditch. Fortunately Ragsdale was not injured but he would not return to the race course. This opened the door for Hugh Gapay to ride into first place. Gapay would hang on to defend his championship posting 342.3 miles. John Pearch rode to a second place finish with 323.1 miles. Sandy Earl was the lone woman in the twenty-four hour race and rode a predictably strong race racking up 302.3 miles for her victory. Mike and Jed Bingle rode 372.1 as the sole 24 hour team.
The twelve hour race was hotly contested in the men’s division. Todd Duncan would hold on to win this race, posting 214.9 miles with Mick Walsh hot on his heals. At race end there were only two miles separating these two racers. The women’s division of the twelve hour race had some strong competitors as well. Martha Walsh was able to defend her title as women’s twelve hour champion riding 190.7 miles with Angela Horton Gapay a not too distant second. Julie Leasure and Thomas Walker won the two person 12 hour race posting 205.3 miles.
Overall the second annual Lewis and Clark Ultra was a huge success. The field more than doubled in size from the first event in 2008. Glenn Johnson had an enthusiastic group of volunteers that helped make the race go off without a hitch. There were a good number of folks that stayed awake to the bitter end and as always the camaraderie and cooperation that are the hallmark of our North West ultra events was in no short supply.

A Year in Review

Its’ been over a year since I left the Forest Grove United Church of Christ and my responsibilities as a minister. I spent a few months recovering from the stress and trauma of that work experience. Then I spent time and money discerning new professional options. In May of 08, I took to bicycling regularly as the one thing I new I thoroughly enjoyed and could do well. I continued to explore professional options in the fields of human resources, Non-profit social programs, and youth services. I soon learned the Portland market demands “HR certification” which I thought to pursue, but was not totally committed to doing. And despite my experience in dealing with people of all ages, and families as they are or aren’t, without a M.SW I wasn’t being considered for the jobs I wanted. My search and efforts weren’t yielding much. So, through out the summer it was more rewarding to focus on sharing life with my children, doing plenty of biking and camping.
When the kids went back to school I returned to job searching in earnest, and again my efforts bore little fruit. By the end of the year jobs were hemorrhaging from the market and I would find maybe 3 positions every week to peruse and by January less than that. Hugh and I finally found a way to adjust our lives to being a one-income family. I seem to only have headaches now when I am sick instead of everyday, and the children are much happier. Hugh works more and rides less, but now his needs are met like a “real” patriarchal man, which he is NOT.

During this year I have consistently cycled, outside when the weather permits or at times through snow, sleet and rain when our cycling team captain calls us out for a team ride in January. I have been working out at the gym 2-3 times a week, not just to be fit, but also to get stronger as a cyclist, and it’s paying off. My favorite gym workout is Pilates, which I now teach 1-2 x a week.
As I was not working or attending meetings at night, I was able to join my family for the short track series at Portland International Raceway, http://www.portlandracing.com/info.html, on Monday nights. That was the beginning of my current competitive efforts. To be committed to placing, be it in the top 20, top 10, or a podium finish, has become a priority and being competitive is all together something new.

Providing support for my husband on numerous ultra marathon cycling races had spurred my interest many times. Now it was time to try a 1- hour time trail race myself. I trained/rode sometimes with some local friends: Dave Burnard, Mike Olson, Amanda Houston and Greg Peak,. through the summer, in preparation for the Ring of Fire http://www.raceacrossoregon.com/roftt. I got 165 miles, 2 saddle sores and two extremely numbed and pained feet.
For the 2008 Portland cyclocross season Hugh and I pulled together some local friends and with the support of Hammer Nutrition, http://www.hammernutrition.com/ and participated in the Cross Crusade Series with matching Hammer kits. You can check out the team and some race reports at http://www.olsonshammer.blogspot.com/. While this was not a registered OBRA team I sure appreciated the support and encouragement we provided and still give one another.

Because of Mike Olson’s support for Hugh’s ultra cycling efforts. I was able to sign up for the UMCA’s Northwest’s Triple Challenge http://www.ultracycling.com/, beginning with the Davis 12/24 Hour TT Challenge in early May. I rode 178.5 miles there. The second race came 3 weeks later, just outside of Vancouver WA. http://www.lacultra.com/. There I logged 181 miles in 12 hours. The series ends with The Ring of Fire on September 13, 09.

At the end of 08, I joined my husband, Hugh, on a newly formed, registered and sponsored team that Jeff Tedder pulled together called Hammer Velo. We do team rides on weekends if we’re not racing and there are opportunities for mid-week workouts, rides, races and socializing. This has been a hoot. Not only does the team push me to ride faster, I am learning so much about how to road race and having an incredible amount of fun and pride doing it with the Hammer ladies who are kicking ass everywhere! As Hugh puts it, “Oh to be a Hammer Velo lady.

So, I’ve committed to developing as a cyclist for a year now. I am told that the kind of strength and skill I’m going for takes about 2 years to achieve so I am well on my way. I am frequently aware of the compromises or change in priorities this new commitment requires. For example I’m spending very little time engaged in social activism, asserting spiritual principles and the like and don’t have to invest in every relationship that presents itself as I felt obliged to as a minister. Best of all because Hugh’s been at this ultra cycling for a number of years we have found a way to keep the whole family involved and everyone takes pride in being apart of the same team no matter who is riding or racing.

Olson's Hammer Represents at Davis 12/24 HR Challenge

While no one is really claiming team affiliation to Olson’s Hammer right now, I’d see we totally “represented” at the 2009 Davis 12/24 Hour TT Challenge. This event is the 1st in the UMCA's Western Triple Challenge. It was not on my list of race events until Terri Gouch suggested I go for the Triple Challenge. Mike Olson agreed to come down and provide support for Hugh so I could race. It was a good thing, as usual, to have Mike on board as Hugh had 4 or 5 flats. Fortunately, I don’t think there were any other significant mechanical issues.



Anyway, I started the day off in my beautiful Olson’s thermal jersey. As it was not raining when the race started and the forecast was for showers, it was well suited for the cool morning. I kept it on until the 1st checkpoint where I wrung it out and put on a short sleeve jersey, hammer arm warmers and a RAIN JACKET! This suited me well until I got off my bike. Then I put on my team jacket for the rest of the night.

Hugh started in his thermal Hammer jersey and ended with it on 24 hours later. However at some point his top layer became his Olson’s jacket. But when did a race ever become about the kit?

Someone asked me how long I thought it would take for Hugh to pass me once we got going. I started 30 seconds in front of him, slowed for a photo op and Hugh came by 40 seconds later. While I didn’t see him again until I was done racing I saw some of the same support vehicles throughout the day, which means I stayed ahead or not far behind some of the same riders all day long. I impressed myself and others passing several people going up Cobb Mountain. I felt good with my steady and sometimes strong pace on that 8 -11% 8-mile climb. Did I mention it was raining? Raining, steady rain, at times it was more of a down pour. At that slow pace I was bothered by drops of water descending from my Hammer cap onto my computer. I tried wiping the moisture from the bill but just could not keep up, then I noticed the never-ending raindrops just beyond the rim of my helmet. Fortunately I was not cold. I had on my mid-weight winter tights and heavy booties, which served me well.

At the racer meeting, just before the 1st rider was sent out, Lee Mitchell, the race director, suggested we enjoy the race saying, “You only have one life, don’t waste it.” So I decided to be happy when it started to rain 40 minutes into the race. If I wasn’t smiling on the outside, I tried to keep a smile on the inside and frequently thought how happy the land must be. Somewhere before the first check point there was a superfine tail wind for about 6 miles and focused on its benefit to keep my mind off the rain, which I expected to come to an end anytime. Forget about it, I think the rain stopped around 10:00 pm. before resuming for the end of the 24 hour race.

I stuck with my Hammer fuel formula of six scoops Preputium and 2 oz Hammer gel mixed with water. While this is suppose to be a 4 hour bottle, it worked out well as a 6 hour formula to which I occasionally added a V-8 and a couple of Double shots. I drank Heed and water, but needed far less than I expected due to the lack of warmth and sunshine. Hammer Nutrition did me right once again!

I finished my 12 hours with 178.5 miles getting nearly 14 more than the low end of my goal and 2.5 less than the top end. Once I hit 9 hours I surprised myself thinking, “oh no, I only have 3 hours left.” Because my goal was 12 hours, I was ready to quite at 6:30 pm. Once I hit my time and slowed down for my return to the start/finish I was ready to be off my bike. Besides enjoying myself throughout the day, and practicing gratitude for rain for 11 hours, I ended the race without saddle sores and 0 flat tires. All these things combined made it a positive experience.

It was great to see some folks I’d met before, Susan Holt, racers David Holt, Sandy Earl, Greg Gesser and others. I also met some new people both racers and support crew including, the Emde crew, (Michael Emde rides the same at hour 21 as at hour 1, AMAZING!) and Joan Grant of Sunnyside, CA who is coming up to solo this year’s Race Across Oregon. Most wonderful of all the people I got to spend time with over the weekend were my husband, Mile Olson and our son, Stephen who provided support for Hugh who never wearied as he peddle away 386 miles in 24 hours. The Olson’s Hammer Team had an outstanding showing at the first race of the Western Triple Challenge. I took 1st in my division and 5th over all. Hugh took 5th over all in his.

We’ll be back at it again this weekend at race # 2 in the series, the Lewis and Clark Ultra. http://lacultra.com/

Home Sweet Home

I had excellent company on my recovery ride today. Stephen road his cross bike, perhaps for the first time since cross season and Alia confidently mounted the trail along behind my cross bike. We headed north toward Mountaindale. A storm was just arriving with a little wind and spit for rain. By the time we turned west we could feel the cross wind but there wasn’t any increase in precipitation so I continued to take us north. I explained to the children what a great tail wind we were having since we couldn’t feel it at all. It was another story when we turned around just before the timber piles. The wind halved our speed and intensified the chill of the rain and imminent storm.
Getting home was more of a challenge. Alia’s occasional whimpering due to cold and discomfort frequently sounded like a flatting tire. Stephen had trouble keeping a straight line with the wind gusts and passing trucks but continued to use multiply gears to get up the inclines and push into the wind. While I kept my heart rate down my anxiety grew for my children as the fierceness of the wind and rain increased. We made it ~12 miles in an hour.
Immediately after getting his bike and helmet put away Stephen crawled under his comforter. Before taking her helmet off Alia ran warm water over her hands to no avail. She then turned on the gas stove and sat there petting the dogs until I offered the warmth under my shirt for her cold hands. Because of the winter like storm, on this first Monday of Spring, we should have gone out earlier or not at all. While we were peddling Alia said, “Good idea MOM!” In an attempt to sway her mood I replied with sincere gratitude. To which she clearly stated, “I was being sarcastic!” Once we got home they quickly forgave me.

My First Road Race

After wanting to do at least one of the Banana Belt series’ races for the past three years, I’ve done it. I’m registered for the whole three race series. I raced in Cat 4 along with 5 other Hammer Velo women teammates. They scheduled the Master Women to start five minutes after Cat 4, but as we we’re lining up they delayed Cat 4 to race with the Master Women, putting about 36 women on the course. There was a mystery rider in the pack who I’ll mention later.

We had a team plan to stay in the front and set the pace, fast. I didn’t come up with that, but I was all for trying to stay in the front, if I could. My goals were to do my best to contribute to the team strategy and to stay with the pack. I took a turn at pulling twice maybe three times. One of our teammates, Lindsay led most of the race. She really claimed it. I was able to help her a couple of times, but only for ~ 1 minute. Another mate, Anna got up for quite awhile and pulled strong on lap three. I found myself at what seemed like the back on a number of the climbs. I can see this changing as I continue to train, ride and race, especially with my team. Anyway we were definitely an encouragement to each other. Mid-way through lap three, maybe even sooner there was a big break away group. Lindsay and Anna were there. SallyAnn, Jennifer and I worked with others nearly drawing them in, but it never happened. This second group started shrinking, I stayed on until the climb before the descent to the damn. From then on I was alone.

SallyAnn was riding consistent and provided a wheel for me to follow a few times when I was slowing. I was able to hang on to the pack at least once by meeting up with Jennifer at a crest and moving up in a descent. Sadly we lost Christy early on. Her chain dropped and tending to that caused her to drop off the pack. Having missed out on racing Jack Frost, Christy made up for with a 30 mile TT at Hagg Lake.

It was a really good experience and I expect it will be even more fun with better weather. It was cool, the ground was wet, which I understand from my friend, Martha, can be good making for less road resistance, but the rain brought a chill. The many neutrals we were required to take were a significant frustration.

It was a really neat experience providing the service of the lead car for the Master 4/5 men. I was getting tired as drove along in my WARM car. Having the company of our son and the responsibility of leading the racers kept me alert thought. It was pretty cool to see Hammer Velo men up front the whole race. Dave seemed to lead most of the race and Hugh and his friend, Jake, lead a breakaway at the end. Too bad they did not take 1, 2. Alia and Stephen did support with Hugh for Cat 3 in the morning. Then Alia joined Mile and Theresa Olson and Shari Tedder at registration while Stephen and I were on the course in the afternoon. It was a great day for our whole family.

Just to Mess with Us?

Here’s my story about the mystery rider who is strong and could be great, no doubt, if she cared to learn how to race or ride with others. Measuring ~ 6 feet or more and weighing 200+ lbs., this woman messed with us for nearly 2 laps. She rode what looked like a sturdy bike with fenders and dangling mud flaps.

I hope I am not the only one to comment on a woman in the Wm Cat 4/ Master Wm. with the #295. She seemed to ride intentionally reckless. I don't see her in the results, but I know she was in the race. While I never saw her push anyone or ride into anyone's wheel or bike, she would swerve back and forth in the middle of a bunch and worse so if people tried to ride around her. Trying to get in front seemed to bring on retaliation where as she would ride all the more recklessly. When asked to hold her line so that riders could pass she made it so you could not get by without going over the yellow line and mouth off saying she had no intention of letting someone by just cause they said, "On your left." As her ability to keep with the pack diminished her dangerous riding became less of a hazard.

So I suppose she has as much right as anyone to ride in OBRA events since she really did not make physical contact. Just the same it was more like roller derby with her than a cycling event let alone a road race where everyone wants to finish with bike and body intact.

Is this par for the course in road racing?

Beautiful People Living Beautiful Lives

I may be the last person I know who bikes in Oregon to join OBRA Chat, but just in case you missed Rick E Martin’s public notice there on Friday, I want to include it here.

"Here's something funny for you all....it's been 22 years with no 
car....commuting, racing, epic rides ect. 
I went out and got myself a car, haven't ridden my bike since the 
september bta commute, gained 50 lbs. Few people have hardly recognized 
me, and well, I'm done! Burnt out, I can't even get myself back on the 
bike. 
Money is tight and well my wife and I are buying a farm in the molalla 
area and we're going to do some organic farming and build a cyclocross 
course for some people to come out and enjoy, train, eat good food and 
pretty much...chill out. 
I will go back to doing my long epic mtn. Bike rides. (Oakridge here I 
come!) 
I have hair on my legs again and it's awesome! 
It's was fun while it lasted! 
So no.....raam will have to happen in another life."

A Skin Suit?!

Whoa, Check out the Hammer Velo kits. We will sure stand out in a crowd. With the crazy colors, patterns, the flash and the STRIPES I feel very costumed and its COOL! Alia is pumped to have her team jersey too. I have shorts and a short sleeve jersey too, but the skin suit feels great!

Connecting with RAO and ROF Racers Near and Far

What a great week for reconnecting with far flung friends. We heard from Al Smudz, RAO winner, 2007 & 08 and super nice guy from Michigan and David Holt, who is not only a helpful and encouraging man, but also a new Sebring record holder, this week. Word is, while qualified for RAAM, AL has his sights set on Furnace Creek 508, a race through Death Valley October 3. Someone close to me believes Al could very well be the big winner this year.

Al was the previous over all record holder at Sebring 24 w/489.8 in 2008. Al reports that David road 490 miles Feb. 14/15, 2009 with the support of his wife Susan. Al lent support while riding the 12 hour race as a training ride and then joined Susan. Now I’m not sure, but I believe David is in the 50+ category and holds at least one other 24-hour record.

Glenn Johnson’s not been riding much but is working hard to make LaCultra a great ultra race just over the border in WA. May 23-24.

It’s about time to see or hear from Ricky Martin, the happiest solo racer at 2006 RAO. He was looking to race RAAM in 2009, but I haven’t seen or heard from him for a while. I heard through the grapevine that Urs Koenig, the man who is too often called a machine because of his steady, strong and consistent riding is preparing for this year’s RAAM. The truth is I don’t know Urs except how he looks on a bike and how amazingly steady he rides. Just the same, he will be exciting to follow on this year’s Race Across America.

We look forward to seeing David Holt at the Davis 24 hour challenge in early April. Before that we look forward to hearing how George Thomas and Terri Gouch’s newest race, The Hill Country 600 near San Antonia, Texas March 14 – 15 goes.

For me the race scene is local. This weekend the Banana Belt series begins out at Hagg Lake. I am nervous about it, but also excited to be racing as part of Team Hammer Velo.

Hammer on …

Ultra Marathon time Trialers Show Up at Jack Frost TT

I had fun racing the Jack Frost TT, but there were other highlights about Sunday’s event I am excited to share. Pulling into the venue we spotted Sandy Earl, female ultra racer extraordinaire. Minutes later Bill Nicolai, Hammer Nutrition’s photo and testimonial celebrity and 60+ ultra marathon racer. While we were warming up another outstanding and very fast ultra marathon cyclist, Kenneth Philbrick, came by. It was great to see and visit with these wonderful people. The circle of ultra marathon cyclists is small and at every event the racers and support crew tend to get tight relying on one another.

I know this because I’ve been supporting my man, Hugh on what is now considered short and not so hard ultra races of 300 miles way back when to more recent RAAM qualifying events. He’s modest about it, but it is pretty dang cool that he has ranked 5th in the UMCA (www.ultracycling.com) two years in a row and somewhere around top 10 the year before. There were other ultra marathoners out there including Hammer Velo’s team captain, Jeff Tedder, who has team experience with ultra marathon racing, and yours truly. I did the Ring of Fire, a 12-hour TT last fall and am looking forward to the Lewis and Clark Ultra (LACultra, www.lacultra.com) this spring and the Ring of Fire in the fall. I mention these races because I hope that my Hammer Velo teammates will consider doing these races and/or Race Across Oregon (www.raceacrossoregon.com/) as individuals or teams.

So finally Sunday provided a great experience to gather and race with my new teammates and see some of the people who I’ve come to value and respect through Oregon’s ultra marathon race scene. It was a fun race and a fulfilling day.

2009's First Race

It was a nice day for a bike race. The whole family headed to Vancouver, WA for the Jack Frost TT. It was my first time along with Hammer Velo junior teammate, Kolben Prebel. I found it to be surprisingly fun. Hugh beat his 2005 time by 2 minutes.

I was anxious about being able to push myself and ride hard throughout the 12.4 miles. I kept in mind something Dave Burnard told me last week while we were on a ride. Such a short race was not about riding tempo, but going all out, anaerobic, all the way. I didn’t think I would be able to do it on my own, but when I was on the course hearing my hard swift breath, I knew I could keep it up. “Recover when it’s over.” I told myself. I was pleased that I kept my speed consistent 21-19 mph and my heart rate high all the way. I did it and that made it fun for me.

From the Trainer to Rollers; Winter Riding is More than Weekend Rides with the Team

From the Trainer to Rollers; Winter Riding is More than Weekend Rides with the Team

I have been using rollers for about a year now. I have never worked out with a bicycle training tape, but I like to ride with the company of the stereo. I have never done a spin class either but ride hard on our rollers pretty regularly. I used to use a trainer and would often read and pedal. It was fine for general health but the dual-purpose workout would not have sufficed for serious training. Recently I suggested to Hugh that I would bring the trainer back in and pull out the trainer tire and wheel for the winter so that I could also read. He, however, reminded me how mildly I worked out on with the old trainer compared to how hard I work one the rollers. I think I sometimes forget the affects of reading and the vintage of the trainer. Nonetheless, I appreciated having and using the trainer over the past 12 years. And now I would not be using rollers if it weren't for Hugh.

When I first started I could not use my water bottle, but now I can wipe my sweat with a towel and drink from my water bottle while on the e-motion rollers manufactured in North Plains, which are far more stable than traditional rollers. One of the good things about the e-motion rollers is that there are bumpers, variable tension settings and it doesn’t take long to develop the skill to stand and pedal. Just the same, even with the bumpers it can be very precarious on them. I have taken a few spills, dives or catapults to the floor bruising my legs and denting the wood floor. But because of the accessibility, opportunities and challenges of riding on rollers, I really like it. Without the variables of outside riding, I can more easily be in tune with my specific physical condition and mark improvement with balance.

You can tell a cyclist who uses rollers when you see them on a long race. Their form is beautiful. I hope that the affects of training on rollers will be apparent to those who see me racing the miles away this spring and summer too. But I'm not just relying on; see you outside.

Olson's Hosts Group Rides

Since it is too cold in the morning and gets dark to early, we are going to try some rides during the day. Starting tomorrow I will be going out Tuesdays at 1:00 and Thursdays at 10:00 for a brisk ride of about 1 to 2 hours depending on the legs. Anybody wishing to join us just meet at the shop prior to those times. The pace will probably vary between 17 to 20 mph, slower in the hills. Hope some of you can join us.

1904 Elm Street
Forest Grove, OR 97116
Phone: 503-359-4010

Team Update

What’s become of Olson’s Hammer? There is plenty going on. For starters, Mel Lueck continues to take a spin class in Hillsboro and works hard with her trainer, Aaron Frye, at Forest Grove Health & Fitness. She is strong, lean and preparing for what might be next on her competitive cycling frontier. I can’t wait to get out on the road with Mel. She love’s cyclocross but holds back a bit due to fears of injury. On a road bike I believe she would really fly.
That leads me to another team member, Darrell Beck, who is encouraging Mel to buy his old road bike. I am eager to learn about his new bike. It sounds like Darrell could use some winter riding partners. I hope to get some rides in with him too. Another bike that is just waiting for Mel to take ownership of is the Jake the Snake Teresa Olson raced a few times during the last cross season.
Teresa got a really cool new, Salsa cross bike for Christmas. She tells me she’s been using her trainer a bit and is thinking about doing some road races this spring. Teresa too would appreciate some group rides this winter.
My friend, Rachael Parker, recently ran a 20k in Forest Grove. Running is Rachael athletic passion and she has inspired me to run a bit for cross training. Sadly, I just can’t seem to commit to any running events with her. On the other hand, Rachael is interested in trying out some road racing this year. Like me, she is concerned about pack riding. So again another Olson’s Hammer member who would appreciate going for a few group rides this winter.
Following Hugh Gapay, Kolben Prebel and I, joined the newly formed Hammer Velo team. There will be more about the entry that follows.

Change in Team Affiliation

I have decided to ride with a newly formed team, Hammer Velo, for the upcoming spring/summer cycling season. Jeff Tedder organized the team and is the coach. During the cross season he approached Hugh about being a part of a new team of serious and competitive cyclists. Boy, Hugh has come a long was as he told Jeff he was interested. Now that is a big step, Hugh has gone from riding, alone, to riding with his Jake Rosenfeld, Dave Burnard, Mike Olson and Forest Grove friends to joining a team that requires participation in team rides.
I too wanted to have some riding companions to develop my riding skills and strength. I joined ZteaM at the invitation of my friend, Martha Walsh, and was looking forward to other Portland area women getting on board. That has been slow in coming and so I decided to jump ship and ride with Hammer Velo. I've met a couple of the women on the team and look forward to meeting the rest soon. Just the same it is a strange thing to join a team without any of the women members being my acquaintances or friends. It is pretty cool to again be on a team with my husband. We’re planning on alternating Sat. and Sun. rides between us. Kolben Prebel, one of 3 junior’s, tries not to miss any of them.
There are ~30 men, ~8 women, and 3 junior boys on the team. Team members are expected to participate in at least one of the weekend rides. Saturday’s ride is 2-3 hours of hard fast riding. I haven't made it to one of those yet. The Sunday ride is for endurance and is a bit slower. This Sunday I think will be a century ride. Jeff leads an interval (spin) class on Wednesday nights for the team too. We do ours at home.
We'll be getting our new kits soon. Specialized, River City Bike and of course, Hammer Nutrition are the our team sponsors.