Jack & Back Update

Yes, I'm VERY late in updating everyone on the Jack & Back. I can give all sorts of excuses, but I'll spare you and just try to update you now - 2 months later. Almost everyone I profiled for the Jack & Back was able to complete the ride. We had one unable to complete the ride due to a knee injury. It was a tough decision to make after training for months building up to the ride, but it was definitely the best decision. Bev, blew us all away! I knew she could complete the ride, but wow, she really put a lot into it. She rode her best average ever on day 2 of the ride! I wish I could put into words how exhilarating it is complete such a challenge, something you thought was so daunting in the beginning and then prove to yourself you CAN and DID do it (with flying colors)! You start with a hard 20 mile ride in the beginning, thinking you'll never be able to ride 150 miles, then you reach a point where you wouldn't think of riding anything under 20 miles. I mean, that becomes just warm up ride. You look forward to the days you have time to ride 30 - 40 - 50 miles. You look for days you can leave work a little early and get in a ride. You dread time change in the fall, because of the precious daylight you lose. The weather man becomes your best friend when he/she says it's going to be sunny and 60 degrees! You can now call yourself a true cyclist. No, we're not elite athletes, we're your neighbor, your aunt, your uncle, your mom, your dad, sister, brother, etc, etc.....we're cyclist and we love to ride.

Ride Safe

I have to say that we have been blessed, over the last 2+ years since Trace Bikes opened only three of our riders have been involved in a accident. Even more thankfully neither accident involved a car. A little scratched up and bruised, two cracked helmets, one cracked rib, one pair of bib shorts torn and one broken shifter, but everyone was able to walk away. Unfortunately I can't say the same thing for a gentleman I heard about riding in Leiper's Fork a few weeks ago. As I understand it, a truck turned into his path, the cyclist of course hitting the truck, but the worst was the truck did not stop, he actually drug this gentleman until someone in a car was able to catch up to him and make him stop. The driver of the truck was unaware of the cyclist, had no idea that he had just killed someone. My heart goes out to everyone involved, as I am sure the driver did not set out with those intentions when he left his house that morning. All of this to say, please, please, please be aware of your surroundings when you are out there on the road. Think of it as "defensive riding". We all know that by law motorist are supposed to give cyclist 3ft when passing, we all also know that as cyclist we have no control of the auto coming up behind us, passing us and sometimes giving us the universal "hello".

There a few things you can do to help protect yourself; (1) Be aware of the traffic around you. (2) Assume that the auto that just passed you, may not have seen you especially if you are approaching a turn or an intersection. (3) If you are riding side by side with someone, move to a single file line as soon as you hear a car. By law you don't have to do this, but "Bubba" and/or "Bubba's" girlfriend does not care what the law says. The speed limit may be 35, but the driver may be going 50 - 60. (4) If you are using a mirror to watch the traffic behind you, do not let that replace you physically turning to look before you move into the traffic lane. (5) Wear a helmet! I am always surprised at how many people who ask, "Do I have to wear a helmet?". No, you don't have to wear a helmet, but imagine your head is a watermelon, now imagine that watermelon hitting the asphalt with the force of a 150 - 200 lb vine driving it to the ground. I think you get my point. (6) If you do wreck, please replace your helmet before your next ride. You may not see the damage to your helmet, but the integrity of the material has been compromised and may not protect you the next time. (7) If you are passing a parked car, beware of the door opening. Again the person in the car may not know you are there. (8) As a cyclist you are bound to the same rules of the road as a motorist, this means stop signs, traffic lights, etc. If the light is red, you need to stop too. I know this interrupts the ride, but I'd rather be a little slower getting home, than not getting home at all.

Now, go ride, be defensive and ride safe, there are more rides ahead of you, don't let a careless mistake take that way from you, your family or your riding buddies!

Jack & Back Progress

I can not tell you how impressed I am at every one's progress during their training for the Jack & Back! I have seen an impressive amount of miles and dedication come from each of the women I have been riding with. At this point I think I will be the one at the back of the pack, they have been riding much more than me. :-) I will try to get an update of their averages, etc., I hope they are as proud of their accomplishment as we are. We only have a few more weeks to go before the big ride, some of the women have a couple of big rides planned before then, the HOW100 and the Sunrise Century.

Jack & Back 2008 Training

Meet a few of the women who are training for the MS Society Bike to Jack & Back 150 with Team Trace Bikes and who have agreed to let me monitor their progress along the way.

I have asked each one of my volunteers to fill out a short questionnaire, here are a few of their answers.

Name: Rebecca H.
Bike Make, Model, Yr & Size: Trek Madone 5.1 WSD 2008 52cm
How long have you been cycling? April, 2003 (5 years)
Do you do anything else such as swim, run, weight training, etc.?Yes, Golf, Tae-Bo & Softball
What motivated you to start cycling?I have always had a bike - since my first powder-blue, banana seat Schwinn, to my BMX dirt bike, to the obligatory Mtn bike in college and my first Trek road bike in 2003. I decided to start "cycling" because my brother had ridden for years and worked in a shop, and this really cute guy I met was also a cyclist. So I bought a bike from my brother and married the cute guy!
Why did you sign up for the Jack & Back?It's a rite of passage, I think, and the time had come! Also it seems the Jack & Back is the cycling event that non-cyclist are most familiar with, so it will garner me some street "cred" with some of my co-workers!
Do you have any goals for the J&B?(1) Finish (2) Not finish last (3) Not obsess about my avg speed
What is your avg ride like now? Not less than 17-20 miles, generally between 25-35 miles with a few 40-50 mile rides. Usually 14.5 mph, with a 16 mph all-time high. I try to ride no less than 2 times a week, ideally 3-4 times a week.
What is your longest distance ever ridden and when? 62.1 miles, 2007 3 State 3 Mountain Challenge, Chattanooga, TN - it was shockingly "easy" for that long of a ride!
Do you like to ride in a group or alone? Both. I get claustrophobic and uncomfortable in a pack, especially if I'm in the back of a big group. I also have difficulty maintaining a constant speed, so I'm often hanging out in no man's land - OTB of the fast group and just ahead of a slower group! I am finding that riding in a group does in fact increase my speed overall, but I also like being solitary and getting lost in my head while I ride.


Name: Cindy B.
Bike Make, Model, Yr & Size: 2007 Trek 1000 WSD, 57cm
How long have you been cycling: One year
Do you do anything else such as swim, run, weight training, etc.? No, but I should.
What motivated you to start cycling? A friend had been cycling for a couple of years and started talking to me about it. I had always loved riding a bike so it sounded like fun to me.
Why did you sign up for the J&B? I am a very "event oriented" person. To have a goal like the Jack & Back, motivates me to ride and train.
Do you have any goals for your cycling or for the J&B? I just want to get stronger; be able to get up those hills and still have breath at the top!
What is your avg ride like now? 20+ miles, 13-14 mph, 2x a week
What do you think your avg will be for the J&B? Day 1 13 Day 2 13
What has been your longest distance ever ridden and when? Jack & Back 150, October 2007
Do you like to ride in a group or alone? A group.



Name: Bev F.
Bike Make, Model, Yr & Size: 2007 Trek 1600 WSD
How long have you been cycling? Since 03/2008 on a road bike w/clipless pedals
Do you do anything else such as swim, run, weight training, etc.? Last winter I was going to the YMCA 3-4 times wk to do weights and cardio workouts like the elliptical, stationary bike, treadmill. Now I am cycling 4 times a week.
What motivated you to start cycling? I have always loved cycling, since I got my first bike at the age of 6. It's a great way to see new places, explore new roads and you can see, smell and hear so much more than when you are driving. I figured it would also get me in better shape.
Why did you sign up for the J&B? It's a win-win situation, it will keep me motivated through the hot summer to keep riding and setting new goals for my cycling and it's a good cause.
Do you have any specific goals for your cycling or for the J&B? I want to increase my avg sped to 15 mph this year and be able to ride longer distances - as for the Jack & Back, my hope (goal) is to finish!
What is your avg ride like now? 13-23 miles, 13.7 avg, 4 times a wk
What do you think your avg will be for the J&B? Day 1 14 mph Day 2 13 mph
What has been longest distance distance ever ridden? 40 miles, 3 weekends ago
What are your thoughts about participating in the J&B in general, any fears, anything you are particularly excited about? I am very excited - I have set a goal for myself and have 3 months to make sure I am in shape to accomplish it. I've never set such a lofty physical fitness goal for myself, I am anxious to prove I can do it. No real fears since I hear from lots of people who have previously participated that the ride is very well supported.


Name: Anna G. (soon Anna S.)
Bike Make, Model, Yr & Size: 2007 Trek 5000 54cm
How long have you been cycling? Jan. 2006
Do you do anything else such as swim, run, weight training, etc? Yes, I try to get 2 runs, 2 rides, 2 swims and 1 lift in each week. However, lately I have been running and riding more and not swimming as much.
What motivated you to start cycling? I seriously sprained my ankle and could not run for a couple of months, so I began spinning which led to me wanting to ride outside.
Why did you sign up for the J&B?My bike team was going to be part of it.
Do you have any specific goals for your cycling or for the J&B? I would like to do a century. For the Jack & Back I would like to be able to avg. 17 mph.
What is your avg ride like now? 30 miles, 16 mph, 2-3 times a week
What do you think your avg will be for the J&B? Day 1 17mph Day 2 17mph
What has been your longest distance ever ridden? 62 miles, April 2008
Is there anything about cycling that intimidates you? I am not very technical, I need to learn how to ride curves and downhill better!

What is your cycling ability?

I was recently posed an interesting question, "Do you think women get in over their heads or underestimate their ability?". I didn't need to take any time to even think about this question, my instant response was they underestimate themselves. Now, I am not an expert on women and cycling by no means, but I do come in contact with a lot of women who do cycle and that is just what I have seen. I get to meet strong competitors, those who just want to lose weight and get in shape and those who just like to ride for the fun (and physical fitness) of it.

Beginning in July Trace Bikes will begin our second year participating in the MS Society Bike to Jack & Back 150, we will train a group to participate and finish this ride. Our group is at 37 members right now, 15 of those are women and 10 of those women have never completed such a ride or distance. I have to say that last year (2007) was my first ride of 150 miles, before that my longest ride had been 62 miles and that had only been one day, not riding a long distance two days in a row. I was nervous about being able to do it myself. I fully expected to be miserable on the second day of riding and struggle through the miles. I was pleasantly surprised to find the opposite happen. I was tired when I finished, but I felt wonderful and I was so proud of myself for completing the ride.

My hope through this blog is to show how capable all of these women are in completing such a ride. I am not expecting these women to go blazing fast and set new records, that is not what this is about, this about proving to yourself what you can do. This is about the physical and emotional changes that I have seen in women as they face the walls that hold them back, the hills they thought they could never climb and the rides they never thought they could complete.