Team,
The first race is fast approaching and EACH RIDER should spend some time with your gear and bike and go over them to make sure all bolts are snug-tight and everything is working right.  Please find the pre-race check list attached. It would be good to have most of the items on it on hand. You may not use all of it but it will be good to have. You may want to double-check your gear before you pack it into a bag. You may want to triple check number-plate, shoes and helmet.
We handed out clear glasses and if you did not recieve some, ask at the race and you shall recieve. I suggest all riders get used to wearing them to protect your eyes and save delays in a race due to splatter.

Getting there:
All riders should arrange for their own transportation to the race. Riders need to coordinate their own rideshare if a parent is not taking you down or you are not driving yourself. There are enough cars going down for everyone: you just need to get yourself into one of them by calling around to friends on the team and make sure you have a time and place to meet.  A roster is also attached for your reference. Directions and race info are available at http://www.norcalmtb.org/race/2009_CCI_Information.pdf
I recommend arriving at the race venue at 8 AM to allow time for pre-riding the course and some riders may need to pick up their race #.

Preparation:
Riders need to bring filled bike water bottles for race-feedzone mixed with their preferred drink, or we will have on hand gatorade drink mixed from powder, which is good race fuel. Put YOUR NAME and  RACE-NUMBER on the up facing part of the lid of your water bottle with a sharpie if possible (or write your number on a strip of duct-tape on the up facing part of the lid)  so we can see who's is who's when peering down into the cooler and we don't hand you someone elses grape cytomax drink (ick).  If you don't have your race number yet we can do that part race morning.

What to expect:
For those who are not familiar with the race scene, when you drive into the race area, you will park in one area and walk to the seperate "pit area" with bike and gear. This is where riders parents and coaches linger throughout the day, as well as walking around to spectate and possibly help in the feed zone handing water bottles to our racers. (there are three different races, and we will be allowed 2 pit crewmembers per team so we will have 12 positions for feed personnel over the course of the day.

Start Your Engines:
Forty minutes before each race, the riders for that race will be dressed for racing and ready in the pits with their fully prepped bike and first lap bottle on hand. An assigned ride leader will take them through warmups on the bikes. Some will ride stationary trainers, (especially if it is raining). this schedule should allow time for riders to also get to the start in time to line up in a good position.  Of course, this guided warmup is optional. Riders are free to prepare how they like.
Please let me know if you need help arranging a ride.
please let me know if you have any questions.

thanks

Hey Team,

I would like to see the riders start to add more days with riding to the scheduled rides for about the next three to four weeks. They will not be organized, team led rides, but you can pair up with a buddy and go out and spend additional hours on the bike. Not hard riding, just riding. This will help develop a strong aerobic base.  Simply spending more time on the bike riding across town to school, or going up in the hills and playing is good enough. Try to make it so you are on the bike five days a week, including team rides, for an hour to two hours if your schedule allows it and it does not get in the way of good grades.

Now is not the time of year to get seriously out of breath multiple days in a row. That would wear you down, not make you stronger.

Try staying seated on most of your climbs to build seated leg power. Concentrate on pulling up on your clip in pedals as much as you push down. Practice it every ride and eventually you will automatically do it.

Also you should concentrate on pedaling speed, or leg speed. While riding across town, look at your right knee and it should come up to the top of your pedal stroke more often than one time a second. About 90 rpm's is a good rate, although it is hard to calculate while riding. Just be thinking that your legs should be kicking through rapidly, and your legs are turning fast enough that you can pull through the top of your pedal stroke with power. You can tell if you are not spinning fast enough because you will not be able to speed up at will without shifting. This is referred to as being "on top of the gear".

Hydrate throughout the day, everyday, but don't overdo it.

And eat healthy with nourishing foods. It will give you results you cannot achieve on a "hollow diet".

Have fun and  be safe!

Adam

Riders, coaches and parents,
This weeks afternoon practices will continue with the normal riding schedule. tues/thurs 3:15 at the public library.
Scattered showers are OK; Steady rain will cancel the practice.
If  the rest of the day is not enough time for someone to study for finals, they will be excused from practice.

While I am on the subject of attendance at practice rides, If anyone is regularly missing practices, I would like to know that there is a legitimate reason beyond just " I didn't feel like going".
Being on a team means you are committed to your practices and only things like educational needs, health needs, family needs or previous commitments should interfere. There are always exceptions but please remember that many people put a great deal of time and energy into volunteering for the team so these practices can happen and casually skipping rides is disrespectful of those people and their efforts. It is also not fair to the riders who make sacrifices to show up.
Most team riders are eager for the practices but others are more relaxed and I want to let everyone know where I stand on the subject of missing practices.  If riders attendance is lacking, I will implement a policy based on absences to cause them to decide if they are serious about the team practices, or not. And if they are not, they don't belong because too many people work hard to be there and make it happen.
If someone is feeling lazy, sometimes a little nudge to get them to go on a ride will get them out the door and they usually will not be sorry they went, because it is usually fun, and that is why we do it.
thanks
Adam

Dear Team,
For the second year, the YMCA at Hamilton has graciously allowed us to use their facilities for spin classes.  We used spin last year on rainy Sundays when we could not get on the trail.  Adam will determine when we will spin instead of ride.  However, in preparation for the inevitable rain out, I have attached the forms that the Y requires.  Yeah forms!!!!  There are two that must be filled out – a General Releases and Waivers & a Registration Form.  You can just bring them to the spin class when you attend or give it to me at a Tuesday ride.

Also, in case you are interested in joining the YMCA, I have attached their fee schedule and class schedule.  It is not required that you join but since they are so generous in donating their space I told them I would pass on the information.  It really is a good facility and perfectly located if you live at Hamilton or in the Ignacio area.
Ride On!
Rob