Several of the PRC girls will be at the Central Iowa Triathlon Kick Off hosted by the Des Moines Triathlon Club. PRC will be there in force! Handing out flyers to our events and spreading the word of all things PRC. The event will be at the Walnut Creek YMCA in Windsor Heights from 9am to noon. There will be an expo, lots of people selling stuff, and a ton of cool folks just lurking about. See you there!

Have you created your profile on the Specialized Rider's Club yet? If not... what are you waiting for? It's free! You'll be able to comment on all the PRC girls' pages, in fact it'll give you a whole crew of local cyclists to chat with in your area, hook up on rides, and just spout off about two-wheeled anything. And if you sign up to the premium you'll get a jersey and a whole lot of swag from the BIG S!

Check out our pages: Jane - Jen - Kelli - Maria - Emily - Ana

If you're living north of Texas, odds are you're living in snow. Icy cold that's not as cycling friendly as we'd like it to be. So, if you're like us you're looking for other ways to "train". Work on your handling skills with this Weird Bicycle Game. See if you can score more than 5000!

Q: Why couldn't the bicycle stand up on its own?
A: Because it was TWO TIRED!

Oh the jokes... the jokes.

Dear Donny,
Thank you, thank you, thank you...

...for a website that is updated daily and much cooler & hip than even pro team sites, for getting rid of your furniture and allowing us to turn your living room into our sweaty training area, for storing our bikes, trainers, rollers, shoes, etc between practices (sorry for all of the hair ties, sports bras, smelly body sprays and tampons you now collect in your bathroom), and for getting us kick @$$ sponsor money towards our uniforms, entry fees and other expenses - we have truly awesome sponsors because of you!! Thank you for the sports drinks you provide during practice and the awesome chocolate protein shakes you have waiting for us after, for giving us a chance and for the assistance you have provided Category 4 riders with no race resumes (like me!), for designing some of the coolest and most punk jerseys out there, and for being a great friend and always having an ear to listen to our life crisises (which are very seldom bike related). Thank you for your help getting us the awesome S-Works bikes we're loving and for tons of awesome gear (even the new Chrome bags!), for the bike fittings and continued bike maintenance and lessons you've given, and for the awesome photo shoots and upcoming spring training camp you've arranged. Thank you for your effort getting our events organzied, getting us licensed and all of the paper work that you have done before we even ask, for always having your camera there even though we all complain about the pictures you post of us, and even though there is a lot more left off this note, basically thank you for the crazy dedication and energy you give our team 24/7!!! It's amazing! Thank you for being a part of the small family we have built over the past few months. We couldn't do this without you and we can't wait for the season to get underway!

Thank you Donny! You're truly appreciated!

Love,
Kelli and the girls

Can you guess what the PRC crew will be using as their team race bags? 1. Environmentally safe, unbleached, hand bags made from the skin of the tattered eldery. 2. Whatever sucker is willing to happily carry our crap around. 3. No bags needed. We got Star Trekian teleporters to "beam" our stuff around. 4. We'll just tie bob sleds to our bikes. 5. Sick Chrome bags embroidered with the PRC logo.

If you chose 5... then you're probably correct. Though we're still researching option 1.

Today is February 22nd, 2008. The headlines today are filled with amazing bits of news. J-Lo gave birth to twins. Hillary got stomped in Texas. The weekend temps are slated to go above freezing. It's Snoop Dogg's birthday*. And the girls of Punk Rock Cycling partner with the wonder crew at Visionary Services Inc. To honor this great and wonderful occasion (Snoop Dogg's birthday) we'd like to tell you all about VSi, then run the same discription through the Snoop-inspired Gizooglizer.

Visionary Services, Inc. (VSi) specializes in developing Internet and Intranet systems with an emphasis on data driven systems. VSi offers development on both Linux and Windows operating systems and can also provide full hosting services on the Linux platform.

Whether you are new to Internet/Intranet development or have an existing system we are ready to partner with you to help you maximize the impact of your technology dollars. Visionary Services, Inc. has been in the software development industry since 1992 and has evolved and changed to keep up with the current technology trends. With over twenty IT professionals on staff, VSi has a broad range of talents and skills to assist our clients with a broad range of IT projects.

So... if any of you need web work done don't be afraid to call the crew at VSi. You can visit their website here. Now, let's run that same bit of information through the Gizooglizer and see how Snoop might tell the story.

If you is new ta Internet/Intrizzle develizzle or hizzle an exist'n syzztem they is ready ta get wit you ta hizzelp yo maximize tha impact of yo technology dollars so you betta run and grab yo cell. Vizzznary Services, Inc n bomb baby bomb. has bizzy in tha software develizzles industry since 1992 n has evolved n changed ta keep up wit tha current techno trends. Wit over twenty IT professizzles on stizzay VSi has a broad range of talents n skills ta assist their clients wit a broad range of IT projects like old skool propa.

WOW. If that doesn't convince you to contact Visionary... we're not sure what will. Check them out today!

*Snoop's birthday is actually October 20th. We're just really, really prepared.

Kelli is feeling a ton better, she's kicked the flu, and is back in her psuedo cubicle plugging away for the betterment of us all. Kelli sends thanks to everyone who dropped her a "get-well" line.

So... different topic, we're looking for the brilliant ideas from all 8 people who read this website. Where should the PRC squad hold their spring training camp? California at Specialized? Texas at Hell Week? Indiana at Maria's Alma Mater? Alberta because it's just not cold enough here? Kosovo? I've heard Kosovo is ablaze with beauty this time of year.

BREAKING AWAY. 1979
The rivalry between trailer trash townies and collar-up college kids sets the scene where four friends try to figure out their future after high school. Luckily, Dave (Dennis Christopher) knows exactly what he wants. He aspires to be one of the world's best bicyclists. Just one obstacle: The best racers are Italian wad-bags, and Dave is an adorably romantic moron. He races around Bloomington, singing opera, speaking Italian, and stumping his parents with his newfangled Italian ways. But it is filmed in Indiana, and Indiana rocks. Indiana I’m all for you, I.U.!

Quote to remember: “I want American food damn it! I want French fries!”


AMERICAN FLYERS. 1985
Kevin Costner plays Marcus, a renegade-bicycle-racing-doctor with a ludicrously big mustache, who returns home to discover that his younger brother David may suffer from cerebral aneurysms, the same ailment that killed their father. The two brothers resolve years of tension in a few short sentences and join forces to form a 2-man wrecking crew at the Hell of the West stage race in Colorado. The two kick some major soviet and 7-11 butt along the way, plus they ride Specialized bikes and that’s just killer-cool.

Quote to remember: “Enough of this Sunday stroll. Let’s hurt a little!”

RAD. 1986
Rad doesn't really have what many people would call a "plot." Nor does it have three dimensional characters. Or for that matter, any sort of character development, at all. In fact this movie contains none of the key elements required to meet any current definition of the word “story”. But y'know what? It doesn't matter, because it still rules the fudgin’ universe! Lots of neon pants and plastic mag wheels make this a must own.

Quote to remember: “God, what I wouldn't give to go ass-sliding with you right now.”

Looks like Kelli caught a virus of some sort and has been feeling a bit under the weather. We're sure she'll be back in the saddle soon, until then... rest up Kelli... we miss ya!

Leave a GET WELL comment for Kelli above.

It's February here in Northeastern Wisconsin. That means two things: it's both time to start riding my bike more often, and too cold to go outside. I know what you're saying, "Quit being such a girl! Suck it up and go outside!" Well, with the skin flaking off my frostbitten left ear, I can swear to you that I've tried. Gone are the days of long rides in the crisp air and bright colors of the country side. The trainer days are really upon us now.

It's not easy. The trainer holds so many more hurdles than just finding the time to ride. There's the boredom, the "other kinds" of pain, the numbness, and having to readjust just about everything that can be adjusted on your bike. The first day I had to ride the trainer, I only lasted about a half hour before I got off my bike screaming and went for a jog. The next day I was able to last a little longer and settled on a compromise with myself: ride as much of the time I was supposed to on the trainer and jog the rest. Eventually I could get up to four hours the trainer, and as the temperature continued to drop, walking out to get the mail became a challenge and an hour long jog an impossibility.

The trainer builds a whole different kind of endurance; it builds your endurance to things that just really suck. There is not one aspect of riding the trainer that is enjoyable; however, it is a necessary evil. Riding the trainer is better than not riding your bike at all, and in the summer it's nice to not have to ride around some town you don't know trying to find somewhere to warm up when your start time is in an hour (or less).

It's getting harder and harder to get on the trainer now, but that means that the trainer days are coming to an end. "You can only go halfway into the dark forest before you start coming back out," reads a Chinese Proverb, if you can forgive my being overly dramatic. It may not seem like it, but Spring is coming upon us with the same stealth as winter had come. It's already mid February and the first races of the Midwestern season are just a few weeks away. Soon, we will be riding through puddles and feeling the wind on our faces again. Until then, as you spin out those disheartening trainer hours, remember your winning moves, hopeful breaks, and time suspending sprints from last year. Keep on grinding, for this year there will be more!

-Jen

We know so many parents that can't get to the bike races they would have liked because they need to watch their kids. For many, babysitters are difficult to arrange, they're expensive, and they often require much more time and work in shuttling the kids around.

So we have made the commitment to have babysitters on hand at all of our PRC events! What this means for you moms and dads is; for only $3 per child you will have a babysitter watching over and interacting with your kid(s) while you race. Your kids are no longer an excuse, pack'em up, bring them along, and let us watch over them. We'll bring toys, games, snacks, and for some of our events we'll even do some kid bike races. Punk Rock Cycling is hosting 10 events in 2008. Mark your calendars.

PRC Training Duathlons hosted by the Elder Corporation:
April 3rd, May 1st, and May 29th.
Water Works Park, Des Moines, IA

Race Like A Girl Criterium Series:
April 24th, May 22nd, June 26th, July 31st, and August 28th.
Union Park, Des Moines, IA

Punk Rock Cyclocross:
September 27th & 28th
Pleasant Hill, IA

We look forward to seeing all of the families out there.

We are SUPER EXCITED to announce that the winner of the Valentine's Dinner with Kelli and Jane is our most favorite USAC Race Official, Mark Guthart! It nevers stops amazing us just how awesome Mark is. He works so many of the races here in Iowa, he's always friendly, he's always excited, and he's always super-super nice.

Mark took the dinner auction with a bid in the final seconds of $405! He'll soon be joining Jane and Kelli for a dinner at a swank downtown Des Moines restaurant. He'll get himself a PRC tishirt made of only the finest cotton. Swag from Rasmussen Bike Shop and Specialized, plus a hand written letter of thanks from Kelli and Jane, each letter scented with only the finest perfumes that Walgreens has to offer.

Thanks again to everyone who threw their name into the auction. We really appreciate all the support and kind letters we recieved along the way. If you were one of the unfortunate souls who lost on the auction but you'd still like to help out in some way please contact us at this email.

Thanks again Mark! We'll be seeing you soon.

Get it? Guest of ANA!?! Whatever.

On a cold Saturday the crew crashed the bike shop for a few after-hour beers, then took some awesome sponsors out for Mexican food at El Aguila Real, then met up with a whole posse of people at Star Bar. All to help Ana get integrated with the rockin people in our community of cyclists!

If you were there, odds are we got a photo of you mocking a tattered orphan and insulting the elderly women.

Everyone has recieved their road bikes from Specialized. The PRC girls will be riding the S-Works Ruby SL, the top-dog rig from Specialized designed just for women. Wheels and components are all Shimano Dura-Ace. S-Works tires, and Specialized Designs for Women saddles and handlebars. The bikes are weighing in between 15.5 and 16.5 pounds. Each member of the team is required to assemble their own bikes, it's very important for everyone to learn how our bikes work... and we snagged some photos of the process.

Check out the bike building gallery!

Both Jane and Jen have worked their butts off this year in order to get themselves upgrades to Category 2 riders. Jane landed hers a few weeks back and we just heard from the Wisconsin officials that Jen will be racing as a 2 as well. Everyone here is SO STOKED! :)

Congratulations ladies! You're hot #### now, so it's time to rock #### now!

All9Yards has posted its Iowa Cup calendar. I, for one, am so pleased to see separate Women's Open and Women Cat 4 categories. This gesture not only acknowledges women's increasing presence in the sport, but encourages it by giving beginning women their own forum for competition. Thanks to all you race promoters on board with this approach.

Score for women's racing!

-Jane

Since Ana, our lovely teammate from California, knows so few cyclists here in town, she can't put faces to names when we describe to her what a fun cycling community Central Iowa has. So, for us, that means its time to plan a get together!!! And trust me, Ana is worth getting to know!

Saturday, Feb 9 (sorry for the short notice, but we just planned it). Star Bar at 8pm.

We're half way through our auction! The winner will be getting a free Valentine's dinner with Kelli and Jane and plenty of cool stuff from Rasmussen Bike Shop and Specialized. All the earnings from this auction will be used to help offset some of the entry fee costs that the girls on PRC will have. Please consider making a bid.

View the auction here.

It's crazy to actually think back on the chain of events that led me to cross nationals: from telling a friend I was planning to go over the summer and immediately thinking, "why the hell did I just say that?" to conversations with Joshua about getting experience and having to start somewhere, to an internet announcement that all my plans had fallen through, and being rescued by one life long friend and one acquaintance, to a multi-day trip through Midwestern scenery covered in ice, and the most comfortable back seat I've ever slept in.

Read the full race report here.

Prior to spring last year, bicycle racing was a complete mystery to me. An “echelon” had always referred to a position or rank within a hierarchy. I kind of knew what a peleton was just by watching the Tour...which I had only recently become interested in (and yes, it was because of Lance). Thankfully Dave Mable straightened me out on the echelon and peloton thing so that I felt comfortable (kind of) signing up for that first race. That was the first and only Waterworks race last year. I came in almost DFL...but that didn’t matter to me one bit. I was hooked. I just loved being out there. So I signed up for more races and tried to train as much as I could. I had no training plan, but I learned just by showing up and racing. I learned about strategy from the guys who showed up last year for the practice sessions in the Race Like a Girl series. Race strategy is absolutely fascinating. From now on, watching the Tour will be way more exciting.

I also knew nothing about the technical side of the sport. I remember after one TNWC I was having sushi with a group of people when Donny and Nick Frey starting talking about...um..well..I think it may have been wheels, but it also could have been about the space shuttle. I had absolutely no idea (and I had only had one glass of wine). I turned to my friend, Kim Hopkins, sitting next to me as asked “Are they speaking English?” She didn’t know either. Sure, I could change a flat...usually. Sometimes I’m not strong enough to get the tire on the rim, but I know what I am supposed to do. I could put oil on the chain. But that was as much as I knew about the mechanics of the bike.

Then I joined the Punk Rock Cycling team. And wow have I learned! I now have an understanding of heart rate zones, critical power, wattage. REST WEEKS! And something even more fun! I got to build my own bike this past weekend. Our frames and components finally all came in. (The wheels came in bags! I have wheel bags! Women LOVE bags!)

I spent much of Sunday putting everything on the frame: brakes, shifters, cables, handle bars, saddle...even the derailleurs and chain ring. And it wasn’t nearly as complicated as I thought. Sure, there are some adjustments I can’t do. Donny will have to do the bike fit. And he had to help me with the tires that I couldn’t quite get over the rim. But now I know the basics of how it all works. It isn’t such a mystery to me anymore. It is so liberating! I can’t wait to get it out on the road and hope it all holds together!

Maybe next time I’ll understand a little more about what Nick and Donny talk about.

-Maria

Nebraska Cycling News is our neighboring state's best news source for all things cycling . We were published under the appropriately titled, "What's Hot" category. You can view the entire article here.

When you're done reading that, be sure to check in on Kelli and Jane's auction. The two are hosting an on-line fundraiser to help pay for some of the costs of their cycling season. The winner will be treated to dinner with the two. Check out the auction here.

According to Wikipedia "granola" can be used as a slang term describing a person who is hippie-like, a modern bohemian, environmentalist, or leftist in outlook. The term "Granola" is often used derisively by political Conservatives to describe Liberals as being mostly "fruits, nuts and flakes". Also vastly seen as a style of dress, independent of an individual's political or philosophical ideology.

So... with that bit of humor and Super Tuesday rolling in tomorrow we thought it'd be a good time to post a proper granola recipe. This one coming straight from Ana's kitchen.

DRY INGREDIENTS:
4 cups of Old Fashioned or regular Oats
1/2 cup chopped/sliced/slivered almonds (or any nut you want to put in)
1/3 cup Flax Meal
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon

WET INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 - 1/2 cup maple syrup (or you could use honey or brown sugar)
1/4 cup Canola oil
1/4 cup Orange Juice (or you could do water or Good apple juice)

ADD IN END:
1 cup raisins

Add the raisins after the granola has been cooked.

Preheat oven to 250.

Combine all dry ingredients (not including raisins) in one bowl and all the wet ingredients in another. After thoroughly mixing both add them toegether and mix well. Spread into a large baking pan or cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Put in oven and bake for 1hr 15 minutes, STIRRING EVERY 15 MINUTES.

If this sounds like too long for your oven then you could preheat the oven to 300, bake for 10 min, stir and then bake for another 10 before taking it out but I think it works better when you cook it for longer and at the lower temp. You can leave out the flax meal (ground flax seeds) if you want, it won't make a difference, I just like it cause it adds a bit more fiber and some good fats. -Ana

Based in Indiana, TrueSport is one of the most viewed websites in the Midwest. TrueSport features information on cycling teams as well as a thorough race calendar for all regions. The nice folks at TrueSport took some time and caught up with DQ for an interview. You can view the complete article here.

Valentine’s Day is coming up quick! And we're giving you the chance to win a very special Valentine’s dinner with Kelli and Jane. These two women are amazing, intelligent, talented, gorgeous, and ready to have dinner with the lucky winner of this auction.

Jane has been competitive in cycling and multisport for 5 years now. She is the current National Duathlon Champion for her age group as well as a multiple state cycling champion. And in 2008 Jane will be setting her sights to compete at the US Elite National Time Trial Championship in Orange County, California!

Kelli may be new to cycling but she has shown a ton of promise! In 2007 she won her age group at the IronGirl Duathlon in Bloomington by over four minutes. Kelli has been extremely dedicated to her training throughout the winter and in 2008 she’ll be looking to advance through the cycling ranks and hopefully land some victories along on the way.

Between the two of them, these women will spend close to $4000 in entry fees and travel costs this year. Which is why we’re holding this fundraiser. You see, all of the proceeds from this auction will go towards the overall expense budget for the women of Punk Rock Cycling, and the winner of this auction will surely be playing their part in making sure these girls can get to the races they have scheduled.

Here’s what the lucky winner of this auction will get.

1)Free dinner with both Jane and Kelli at a swank, downtown Des Moines restaurant. (Dates & times to be arranged with the winner).
2)A Punk Rock Cycling t-shirt… made of cotton!! Mmmmm, cotton.
3)Sweet schwag from Specialized Bicycles and Rasmussen Bike Shop.
4)A hand-written thank you letter scented with only the finest perfumes Walgreens has to offer.
5)A very flattering and well written article detailing how amazing you are. Which will be posted on the Punk Rock Cycling website.

This amazing prize pack could all be yours, so don’t wait, place a bid today!

Okay, so it’s Lighten Up Iowa time around the state. I was cajoled into joining our office team after the team leaders concluded that my workout hours would give them the needed hours to be successful. I finally relented when our administrative assistant even offered to plug my hours in the online workout log for me. My 20ish-hour/week base means the rest of the team doesn't even have to work out. They can just sit on their (expletive deleted) and eat ding dongs.

But I should have never agreed to such (expletive deleted). Participants get bombarded with charts encouraging the whole popular diet culture. Manipulate and monitor your diet for calories, and eat according to some (expletive deleted) chart that somebody else made. Oh, the pressure to artificially structure a relationship with food.

I’ve spent a lot of time in countries where people eat more intuitively. They’ve been conditioned to believe that the purpose of food is to enjoy, to nurture. You eat when you’re hungry, you stop when you’re not hungry any more. As my teammate Emily puts it, “It’s a amazing how well you’re body controls your weight when food is friend.”

Diets are coercive and restrictive. Relationships of any kind based on coercion and restriction is going to fail. Our relationship with food is no different. Of course a diet is going to fail. It's going to fail like (expletive deleted). In the case of an athlete, performance is probably going down right along with it.

My dear athletic friends, food is your friend and nourishment! Nurture your body's craving for nutritious, healthy and sometimes indulgent food. If you restrict and coerce, your body will retaliate when you ask it to perform. Your body deserves better than an adversarial relationship with nourishment. Love your body and the accomplishments it helps you achieve!

-Jane