Play Time in WV
It was finally time for HPC p/b Altarum team camp last weekend at the Raw Talent Ranch (Lost River Barn) in West Virginia - yay! I was looking forward to this weekend for a while because I've come out here a couple of times before, and I know that life at the barn consists of nothing but loooooong rides, goooood food, and that's it. Perhaps a post ride massage from a team mate if you're lucky. In the pleasure of good company, anything more would have detracted from the experience. J-dub kept us entertained with her crazy adventure tales of what life is like in redneckland (I didn't know that getting bit by a crazed prostitute could hurt worse than getting bit by an crazed dog...now I am wiser.) Bellie and Kristi kept us well fed with their amazing skills in the kitchen (and now I understand why Michelle is starting to get called "Mama" instead of Bellie). Susan kept reminding us to push it HARD on our rides. Jen was fun carpool companion and roomie. Kate kept me "honest" riding hard up all those mountains. And Jay gave me some fine, lung-busting "motor-pacing" on the Saturday ride and is the best tour guide EVER. Because he always tells you that it's much longer to the top of a climg than it actually is. Then you feel like superwoman when you get there sooner than expected, even if it was only because Jay was being generous. It was a gas of a time.


When J-dub (something like 6'3"?) used Bellie's (5'0"?) "woman-specific" (aka - really short) pump, it was highly entertaining. For reference, these black "leg-warmers" that Bellie is sporting, are actually just knee warmers.

The cherry on top of this weekend was finally getting my new team bike, the Specialized Tarmac SL, built up and dialed in in time to test out on the fun, twisty switchback decents in the mountains of WV. Mine is Spanky because she's full of flair. Seriously, she's amazing! I can't believe how fast and tight she corners and how she jumps at just a hint of power. It's like a wild horse just ready to rev. It looks just like any other bike, so I was really surprised that what must be slight changes in the design/geometry could make such an amazing difference in how the bike accelerates and corners. I was a little reluctant to part with riding my trusty old steed, but I'm already over it. I can't wait to try Spanky out in some fast crits!