Camp Day to Day!

Ultra Link’s Mother of a Camp:
Where? Devils Fork State Park, Salem SlC. 3/11-3/18

Day 1 (Sunday): Met Shotell Gauthier (‘Texas’) at the Greenville airport at 10pm. Arrived at 12:30am, the driver of the shuttle had no more clue than we did on how to get to Devil’s Fork, but we made it.

Day 2 (Monday): Morning exercise 8am (well, some people made it..me, Shontell, and Denise ‘Junior’, all overslept! Ooops, not a good first impression). First team ride 10am did an easy 2.5hr ride. Then in PM did 1.5 hr lead out drills. It was great day!!

Nice spot for morning exercises, ey??

Although we had to WALK there (I log it as an extra workout!!, I mean come on, it took like five whole minutes EACH WAY).


From the left it's: Denise 'Junior', Jen, behind Junior is Anita (the team 'assistant'), and to her right is Genevieve 'Gege', in the black in the back is Julia, and hangin' on the back is 'Texas' Shontell!




Day 3 (Tuesday): Morning exercises, which were great once I woke up (warm up, Yoga, and stretching as a group). Team ride on the Rossman Hwy starting at Rocky Bottom. We did 2-3x LT up a 20min climb. It was awesome, hard, great weather! We ended with over 5 hrs of ride time. I was fried by the end!


I don't know if you can read this, but the plywood sign says, "Marie's Flea Market" which was a huge pile of trash on a porch, but I thought it was so nicely accentuated w/ the Confederate flags! God Bless America!!!

Post long ride relaxation, and Pot luck!


Cheers all around for team bonding!!!

Day 4 (Wednesday) : Morning exercises, breakfast then one short ride at 9:30 to allow time to go to Greenville, and meet the local Cervelo dealer, and get internet/cell phone connection. Then a pot luck when we got home.

And we took time for the ever famous team shots!! Note: these are the ones that DIDN'T make the final cut...so PERFECT for the 'Ol blogareenie...

Look at Shontell's tounge....she's the little one in the middle! How cute is that!

This one almost made the cut, except for grouchy Shontell on the end!

"I was spoken to on the rock!"

Again, Shontell w/ that tounge!

It's contageous!

After all the monkey buisnaz on the rocks. We spent some time getting to know the Greenville Cervelo dealer!! It was an awesome shop, the whipped us up our favorite coffee beverage, and chatted about the local ride/race scene. Some of the girls will attend the Sat moring ride, where there is a group for EVERYONE...an A group, B group, C+ group, and C group...man all those options, it would be hard to decide!!

Here's a nice shot of Jen and Erin! How nice to have you husband here to share this great time!!



Day 5 (Thursday): The ‘Mutha’ of a ride. Ended w/ almost 105mi, I think that’s 4bazillion kilometers, and 16miles of climbing, and tons of long rollers everywhere. Ride time was like 6hrs 15min. It was epic! Great terrain here, we rode up to the Blue Ridge. Long day, but great training!

So here we are climbing, and climbing.



Funny story: Julia made a small error in distance of the climb. We all thought it was 15k climb from this one turn....so over intense Kele here, hits the corner and IMMEDIATELY goes into her LT effort she had planned for the climb...unfortunately 15k later, I slowly realize I'm NOT on the climb...and then we hit the real climb!! Sweet, just like a race, I hit the climb tired. It was so funny, when the rest of the girls caught me after what I thought was the end of my effort, I threw a tantrum, "We've done 15k, we're done, what are you guys doing?"...I was so mentally ready to turn around...little did I know I was at the BASE of the climb!


I had to work hard for that smile!!

And finally, we're done! Awesome, now that it's over...

Then had a second Potluck, and just hung out getting to know eachother. Then we watched this awesome documentary called ‘The Long way Round’ w/ Ewen McGregor and Charlie Boorman, about these 2 guys who travel around the world on their motorcycles.

Here are our very professional head shots!!


Day 6 (Friday): Julia gave us the day off from morning exercises, so I slept till 9:30! We rode at 2:30. A nice lesiurely pace, w/ more lead out practice!! It was perfect weather again! Nice final ride!

What a great week, I'm so excited about this group! Great diversity, and depth, and commitment! Thanks to Julia, Ultralink, and Cervelo for making it happen for us!!

Team Ultralink's Mutha of a Camp!!

Yea!! I am sitting in the Grenville's, S.C. airport it's 5:40am...finally I am back in civilization. I have been enjoying a week of awesome riding, getting to know my new teammates, having multiple pot lucks, laughing as much as possible, and all in all gearing up for what looks to be a great season!

I must start by thanking Ultralink (specifically Alan and Lily) for all their support, that is enabling all of us to continue our love of cycling! And, of course, Cervelo for these awesome machine's (Carbon Soloist), I am in love!! If you haven't tried a Cervelo, you REALLY don't know what you are missing!! And it brings me one step closer to my idol, Jens Voight (I hope I spelled my idols name right...huge fan I am)...cause that's what HE rides!! I've decided I'm now going to be called, 'Jenssica'...let's see if I can fit that on my drivers license!!

So who are these famed Ultra Link riders you may ask? Well...
The girls are as follow:
Genevieve Gagnon 'GeGe’ (from Quebec city, French is her primary language, has a sweet hair cut and color, solid National Canadian team rider), Denise Ramson ‘Junior’ (from Kingston Canada, she’s been a speed skater for 13years, and she’s 16), Julia Farrell ‘Mutha’ (the Manager, the one who put this all together for us, a high school Physics teacher, in Toronto, experienced all around rider), Jen Stevenson ‘Serious’ is a Civil Engineer from Ottawa Canada, rode w/ Biovail last year, and tends to be serious on the bike, but great girl(she brought her husband Erin, who put my Power Tap back together for me, and all around nice guy), Shontell Gauthier ‘Texas’ a Louisiana girl, who now lives in Austin, a rockin’ sprinter and hard core Enduro Mtn biker background, and Me. That’s the 2007 Team Ultra Link roster, remember those names!!!!

Ok, I'll give race Details

So, you may have noticed I haven't mentioned MY racing. Well....it was awesome!! Awesomely tight, awesomely fast, awesomely bumpy, awesomely tacticle....and I did my best. Unfortunately, not quite enought to make the finals. But I loved it! I now know I need more training, and need to commit 100% to a move early, need to study the race more, understand it more, so you can make good quick decisions!

The other Endurance girls are doing fabulous! Christin is soooo good at following direction from Colby, she did great in both the heat by taking a lap, and the final rode smart and very strong!!! Neva had a PR in the Pursuit, even w/ a babble at the start...and today in Scratch heat she took a flyer and held off the feild w/ 3 others, moving to the finals. Christen lead for the last 6 laps and finised 9th...a super strong ride!! Can't wait to see the final!!

Right in front of me is the Men's final Madison, what a beautiful race, definately my favorite!!

Liz rode strong in her Kerin's, and now is enjoying fries and beer!! Let the celebrations begin!!

more shots later! Thanks for all the support everyone has sent me!!

More Manchester!! Mike's shots!

Here's Wiggins and Hoy...both Olympic Medalists from Britan...Wiggins on the left fell off his rollers blacking his eye and required 7 stitches...did'nt slow him down, He won Individual and Team Pursuit here, and Hoy took 2nd the Sprint competition, and will do the team sprint and Kerin tomorrow!






Two of the fastest Swedes in the World in HISTORY...Backstadt and Murdin...hear the interview on Fixedgearfever.com







And now you see HOW Liz lost 1/2 her backside!



What tha?? Mike quit playin'!!!!





Here's the World Sprint Champ 1/2 lap before he crashes out




And the new top secret bike of Boss's...shh Mike snuck in and stole a shot...again it can be seen on Fixedgearfever.com

Manchester update!!

Sorry guys, I know it's been forever since I blogged....but internet is crazy expensive $80 for a week...not in my budget..so I"m scamming off the Press area in the velodrome....but my batery is about to die so I'll just add all my pictures and explain later...
I'm having a great time, soaking it all up! Wow this is a whole new level!!
Cherrio in the plane! Thank goodness Christen is ready for a water landing!










This is how they transport TONS of bike equiptment...it's the train game....uh oh though, there's trouble...

Walking tall in the airport!













Christen's look says, "Bring it", Kele's look says, "Bring What??"
















Here's the entire crew...from the back is Des, Viggo of Denmark, in the front Colby's being silly, then it's Christen , Neva, Liz, and Me!










Crash? Where? Shake it, yea, shake what's left of it! Liz went on to a 6th place 500m TT the next day...AWESOME job Liz!!! That's what all the dedication and traing does!















Hard to see, it's the girls on rollers warming up...and Colby

Palos Verdes, a great place to be!

The last few days have been full of getting to know the Anderson's (the family who have opened thier home and family to me), riding, sleeping, taking pictures, planning, and soaking up California.

Terry Anderson (my host father) took me on a Night sight seeing tour too....it'a amazing to look at LA at night...








Oh yea, Gail Anderson (my host mother) and I went shopping today. What fun to have help, and good advice w/ shopping. Mom wanted me to get some new clothes for my trip, THANKS MOM!!

Self promotion is OK on Valentines day RIGHT??

So, today I love .....ME!
I'm such a dork, but for those looking for MORE info on my dorkiness...here is a link to all my Fixed gear fever articles thus far...make sure you read Christen's and Neva's too....but, of course, AFTER you read MINE!!!
http://www.fixedgearfever.com/modules.php?name=Search (hmm, I cannot link directly to my stuff, so you have to enter my name in the search box...sorry for such a HASSEL, I know!!)

I'm just kidding....I just read theirs first, and was really interested....and that's why I want you to read mine...

Happy Valentines day everyone!


Oh baby, tough guy...Mike in 1999 (maybe), his roomate drew on a tatoo w/ MY name and a rose....we just were ment to be, and he knew it then too!!! hee hee...funny picture huh? Yea, I told him that color was HOT...well, LIVE AND LEARN! Sorry Mike!

New TT series in Seattle area!

Hey guys did you hear about this?? Neal Goldberg, of Footworks Physical Therapy is putting on a 5 time trail series! AND the overall prize is $1000 to men AND women, and tons of super cool prizes for other categories!! Holy Cow!!

The first one is April 1st, and then it's once a month through August.

The first two courses are flat 13mi courses.
The third one is a hill 16mi loop.
The last two are 'relatively flat' 29mi courses.

How awesome is that??!!

For more info go to http://footworkscycles.com/timetrial

WE need a good TT series, cause EVERYBODY loves time trials as much as I do, right??!! Hopefully, I'll be home for them!! Cause, I want a shot at $1000 smackaroos!!

New bike!!

Mike recommended this for me to ride in the 3k!!

I'm stoked!! Not sure where we'll hang it in the garage though....

Sweet California!!

Yes, I'm back...in L.A...well actually, Rolling Hills Estates (Palos Verdes)...but anyone from anywhere but here...pretty much LA works.

Wanna hear the latest travel adventure I had? Good.

Once again, I'm in the airport headed down to California w/ NO IDEA where I'm gonna be staying...I did have the address and phone to a hotel near the track (MOM)...

So, I land and there are several voicemails from Neva Day, who has been working hard to find me a place...and viola....Terry and Gale (he is a member of the South Bay Wheelman's team) volunteered to host me...he'd recieved the email about noon, and I arrived about 4....AND when I arrive in the Taxi, he cannot get a signal to run my card, and I don't have enough cash, so Terry pays for my Taxi....

so in review, Terry woke up this AM like any other Monday....and now he has a house guest (he and his wife, son Kyle, and daughter Kayla?, dog Teddy, and cat Idontremember) for a week, and the first thing he does is give me money...Thank you, is an understatement.


We immediately went for a ride. Terry does super long races...Bru-oh goodness-I don't remember what they are called...the word is french for ticket, because you have to get your ticket stamped at every check point...Brulet, Bordeau, buggilywuggily, not that's not it...anywho...he set me up on one of his bikes, and off we went.



Nice view for breakfast huh??!!



Teddy is a beautiful dog!!

Panama-Spider-Monkey

Fearsome huh!!!!????

Natro-path....should be NASTY-o-path

Why is it all things 'Natural' and 'good for you' are NASTY?? Hmm, like the fight of good and evil, Gandolf and Soromon....Western and Eastern medicine....

What the heck am I rambling about? Well, I've been fighting the forces of evil living in my lungs as Broncho-hackoness....and I went to my Western med MD/ARNP/PA whatever and got the standard cure-all anti-biotics, but funny thing is except a new raging yeast infection, my symptoms are all the same (just kidding, I don't even have those parts).

So I decided to go see my Acupuncture-ist, Natropathic, Herbal Medicine, overall greatest clinician I've worked w/....Peter Schmidt from Inewmed...so he filled me with needles, listen to me (KEY), and gave me this NASTY crap you have to take in WARM water....and get this the name of it is...no joke..."Ding Chuang Tang" seen below....







I seriously thought it was a joke name, but no! And it has some VERY legal stimulant in it, so he said don't take it after 3....but, of course, I totally forgot....went home, had a cup of coffee, my nasty Ding Chung Tang cocktail...and went straight to bed...Is that bad??

BUT, I feel WAY better....like all the way better...Damn nasty crap...that just means I'll have to take it again some time...Thanks Peter (can't you guys come out with like 'Bubble gum' flavor Ding Chuang Tang??? It would sell like wild fire)...

"I'm gonna come at you like a Spider Monkey"...Talladega Nights

How fun is it to get a box full of National team kit stuff??? Way fun!!! And Colby told me I needed to break it in a little, so I started right away!





"Going into turn 2...."





"Waiting for the next move...."

Yea, I think it'll work!!

Mike wouldn't let me wear it to bed...

At work, on Friday my awesome co-workers decorated the gym w/ 'Good Luck' signs, and streamers w/ the flag on them. They all signed this flag w/ good luck wishes, and had a pot luck. And, they got this tray of cupcakes decorated like the Flag w/ "Good Luck Kele" in the middle!!! It was sooooo awesome! They are such great people, and I hope they know that kind of support REALLY means a lot to me, really really really really!!! Thanks so much guys...I'll give 'em hell!

READ Fixed Gear Fever!!

They are chronicling our trip to Manchester! They've done 'interviews' w/ some of us, and that will continue through the races. Scott Patton is flying there to follow the racing (he and Mike are roomies, cute huh!)...so help support those supporting women's TRACK cycling!!!! We need more people like this!! YEA Fixed Gear Fever, thank you so much!!!

www.fixedgearfever.com (Mom)

The Latest and Greatest in my lil' life

So, this week I've spent time on the rollers, leading a clinic for the Starbucks Women's team, RRing, lifting, Pilate's, trainer, Fixie, drove to Burnaby and did some track training then racing sleeping then training again, back down to Pilate's...

While on the Burnaby track I noticed odd little 'Wrinkles' in my tire (which I have been riding since July SOLEY). Seen here:








I asked Jeremy Storie what he thought, and he said a lot of unfamiliar words involving tread, beading, casing....and somewhere in there I gathered a negative tone..."So I shouldn't race in them then?" was my short way of saying, "I have no idea what you just said, all I need to know is are they safe....please answer in words three letters or smaller"....it was "NO" so I ran out to my car for the only other wheel I own, and have never ridden! Swap it out. Seen here:








...and head out....first red flag should have been me crashing trying to get on the APRON..yes, NOT THE TRACK, but the apron....slip bang boom bang, but I hopped up hoping no one saw and kept going (of course, Jeremy saw)....then I headed out to the blue line, yet noticed something was very different (Colby will be glad to hear I noticed ANYTHING at all on my bike, remember the Barrel)...but I did, so I tried to do some flick like motions testing the steering, which seemed way off...then heard the pace line I was intending on jummpin into coming so I headed to the rail...but only for a millisecond, because some alien force (otherwise known as a shitty road tire on a steep wooden track) pulled my front wheel out and I slid all the way down the track on my right hip (can you say STRAWBERRY)...the worse part is (no don't worry my bike is FINE) was I took out some poor guy on my way...and I didn't see him racing...I'm really sorry!!

So I changed my shorts (no not for THAT reason), there was a huge hole in the hip. Put back my 'HORRIBLE' tire and raced w/ no problems! The moral is ride your equipment to the nubs, ignore all sensible sounding advice. And bring extra shorts!!

I also want to Thank Heather and Rob McMurtry (prob not spelling that right) who opened their home to me, I slept great!! And they have a really cute Bugel (beugal, beau-gull...none are correct I know...but he was really cute!)


BTW, dedication runs in our family....after a very full day at work, Pilate's, mike hit the trainer for 3x 20min Lactate Balance Point work...watching Red Dwarf!

Greg Giraldo!

So last night Mike, Nathan Smith, Amy (a friend from work) and Doug (her boyfriend), and I went to Giggles (a local Comedy club) to see Greg Giraldo!

It was great! The opening two guys were moderately funny, luckily the second one was 'easy on the eyes' so the fact he wasn't stuningly hilarious was easier to accept!

But Giraldo was hilarious. Maybe a little to vulgar at times, but very quick and smart humor! He does a bit about Lance Armstrong, and TOTALLY rips on cycling...that it's not a REAL sport...he compares it to pogo stick, and hula hoops...and he says because Lance only had one testicle, that was more of an Advantage, Giraldo thinks if Lance had a 3rd testicle THAT would be a more realistic CHALLENGE!


Afterwards, we bought his CD and he signed it! And I was quick to let him know my husband and I were avid cyclists!! Then we took a picture...from Mike's phone...it's not that good but whatever.


Then we went for some yummy Indian food after! A great evening, like NORMAL people!

Manchest here I come!!

Oh yea baby!!! I found out Monday, that I'm going to Manchester for the final World Cup race....Wow, I'm so excited!! The other girls going are all awesome people, so it will be great!

Here are a few pictures of the last day of Worlds Trials:






That's all for now. Except a huge thank you to all that have written/emialed me w/ congrats!! It means so much!! Now I've gotta race well!!

Nite