Killin' it at Palos

I was pretty nervous as we lined up at the start for the 2010 Palos Meltdown (Sport Category) mountain bike race. It was 10:30am and hot. Not killer humidity, but just enough sun to bake us. Teammate Jen Mosley was looking tough with an ace bandage covering a wound she had sustained in a triathlon the week before. Gutting it out, Jen had raced with blood streaming down her leg. We both hoped that this race would prove to be less eventful!

— Ronit Bezalel

Monday August 16, 2010 Race Reports

DINO Xterra Triathlon: Comedy of Errors (With A Happy Ending)

Just because it sounded fun, after not having raced a triathlon in 8 years, and only hitting the pool once in the last year, I decided to do an Xterra triathlon in Logansport Indiana this weekend. So, how’d it go? Here are some of my thoughts along the way.

— Jen Mosley

Tuesday August 3, 2010

Ups and Downs (and back ups!) at Wilderness 101

Wilderness101 is a 101 mile mountain bike race in central Pennsylvania in the Allegany Mountains. It is the 5th race of eight 100 milers for the National Endurance Series (NUE).

Julie & I arrived after getting stuck in construction after the 10 hour drive on Friday. As we are preparing our two drop bags for the race Jeremiah Bishop, Christian Tangney and Kelly benefits rider Nick Waite are having a pow-wow by our car. They are all strategizing how to beat series leader Jeff Schalk. Jeremiah mentions that he will be at aid station 2 the 40 mile point in less than 2.5 hours… Julie and I just start laughing.

These races have a great laid back feel. We are at the start point at 7:00 AM ready to go, the announcer who has been rambling for 30 minutes says, “Is anyone still in the bathroom? No? Okay, have fun everyone! The race starts NOW!”

— Gerrerd Abrams

Monday July 19, 2010

3rd at Soldier Field

Laps 1-5: I’m riding scared (noob). Atrocious bike handling (noob) costs me tons of positions as I repeatedly gap myself out of the turns (noob). I go from the top 15 down to the bottom half of the field in record time (noob).

Next several laps: I try to remind myself that I am not a Cat 5 noob anymore and I finally settle in, get in a rhythm and attack the turns with confidence ( + ). I start to work myself back up towards the front on the windy backstretch ( + ). I completely miss a rider breaking off the front (noob). Later, I see another rider bridge (+). I inexplicably forget about the breakaway (noob).

2 laps to go: A rider shoots off the front, I chase and then attack until the finish. It sticks. (+++++). My heart nearly explodes as I cross the line in 1st place… no wait, 3rd place. Yeah, I really did forget about the two guys off the front (noob).

I sweat all over the podium girls (+).

— Jamie Sanchez

Tuesday June 29, 2010

HAC Mountain Crew Makes a Big Showing at the WORS Subaru Cup

Last weekend, members of the Half Acre Cycling mountain bike crew headed up to Mt. Morris for the WORS Subaru Cup and a weekend of racing and fun. Overall, HAC represented 17 times throughout the weekend across all three events: XC, short track and Super D. We raced with heart and when the mud settled, we took home three medals and a little sunburn.
(photo: Amy Dykema)