Happy Birthday To Our Sponsor, Darrell Brown!~
Posted Friday, January 30, 2009 by the Pulchritudinous Women of PRC
Happy Birthday TODAY to our team sponsor, Darrell Brown! Darrell has a local safety inspection company called 'RBS Safety' and we're happy to have RBS Safety on board again for the coming season. Thanks for all you do for PRC, Darrell! We really appreciate it and hope that you have a wonderful xxth birthday today!!(See - lucky you Darrell, we didn't even post the number!!)
Today, Friday, from 12:15-12:45pm, you can listen to Punk Rock Cycling's Kelli Mente and Sara Broek on KFMG 99.1FM. We'll be talking about our team, our goals and our upcoming race season.Tune in and click HERE to listen online. Good luck to both of you!
Thinking about a season of mountain biking? You are?! That's great. Take some time to check out the Era, the competitive XC mountain bike from Specialized completely designed for women. They've put together a great website with a ton of tech info, videos, and photos. (And fellas, they've got a ton of info on the Epic too). CHECK IT OUT!
Answer To 'Your Brain On PRC'~
Posted Wednesday, January 28, 2009 by the Pulchritudinous Women of PRC
Here's a little brain teaser for anyone who's interested. My 1st letter is in RASMUSSEN but not in ELDER CORPORATION. My 2nd letter is in SPECIALIZED but not in SHIMANO. My 3rd letter is in VISIONARY but not in CHROME. My 4th letter is in FIREHOUSE but not in PAPA JOHN'S. My 5th letter is in RBS SAFTEY TRAINING but not in OAKLEY. And I am a member of PRC… who am I? Think you know? Leave your answer in the comments!The answer that we were thinking of was: 'SPAUR' (Alaina Spaur)
Thanks to all for playing! Happy Wednesday!
LIVESTRONG Indoor Training Last Saturday~
Posted Tuesday, January 27, 2009 by the Pulchritudinous Women of PRC
Thanks to everyone who joined PRC for the LIVESTRONG indoor training ride last Saturday at Jordan Creek. It was a great time and very nice to have others to train indoors with.“It was so freakin' cold on Saturday, so riding on my trainer with at least 70 other riders at Jordan Creek Mall was a great way to get my workout in. It was such a neat event! Most of us were riding shoulder to shoulder for 3 hours and it was definitely warm in the mall...you know that smell of a spinning room when class is over? Imagine that at Jordan Creek Mall. We definitely drew some attention, which was the whole point of the event, so I would say it was a success. Go Livestrong!” - PRC’s Emily Schappveld
“For not being overly promoted, the LIVESTRONG event at Jordan Creek Town Center looked like it was a big success. People of all ages were there on rollers and trainers, enjoying their Saturday as they rode their bikes for a great cause. And I know the riders did their duty in raising awareness of the LIVESTRONG mission. Shoppers would stop, stare, and gather around our big group—in awe of our ability to ride more than 45 minutes in one place, let alone for three hours in the middle of the mall. It definitely got people talking! I had a great ride. It was so much better than my usual Saturday rides. Thanks to Melissa for coming out and keeping the PRC girls company!” - PRC’s Sara Broek
Check out a few of our pictures HERE from the training ride.
Can you eat 6 Saltine crackers in one minute? (Emily can't, see above) Can you fold a piece of paper more than 8 times? Can you take off your leg warmers while riding a bike? Can you go on a slow training ride with Lou? Give us a challenge and we'll see if we can do it. Only one catch... if we complete your challenge, you've got to give us a prize that we value at a minimum of $100. So, what do you got?
I ♥ Cycling. We all have our reasons for loving the sport of cycling. Keely loves that she can make a few social network connections while she kicks some serious booty on the road. Keri loves cycling, even when she’s preggers, because she knows she’ll have a rockin’ bod after she pops out little Bo. Cycling pretty much equals life for Chris because spinning and working out is her bread and butter and so on.Some like it because it is relaxing, others because it’s invigorating. The true reason I love this sport: Spandex.
Yes, that’s right, spandex. There is nothing like the tight, stretchy fabric hugging a perfectly formed male derrière to take your mind off a broken heart. I won’t lie, I often will make an extra effort to wake up ridiculously early (well, in my standards) in hopes that I will catch a glimpse of a cute butt. There’s nothing like it.
What’s most unfortunate, however, is that I loathe the same thing that I love. When I pull those spandex shorts up around my waist, the fact that I recently went down a pant size seems to fly right out the window and in sinks the acute awareness of my newly formed thunder thighs. Damn those elastic bands.
Cycling women around the world, I know you feel me.
This Saturday, January 24th, join members of PRC and ride in support of the Live Strong Lance Armstrong Foundation to help them raise money for cancer research. Note: They are NOT asking cycling participants to raise money. This is a free event. They are doing the large group indoor ride to help draw public attention to the cause.The ride will be noon-3pm on Saturday the 24th in the center of Jordan Creek Mall (West Des Moines). This event will be promoted on radio, newspaper, and TV news with a party-like atmosphere. Star 102.5 will do a live broadcast from the ride noon-3pm. Bring your bike, stationary trainer (or rollers), and sweat towels. A bike bottle and water fills provided. Bring your own drinks/mix if you prefer. You do not have to ride the whole time.
We hope to see you there!
*** Participants must enter the mall on the lower level, center entrance and take the bikes straight to the center court level where they will ride. The mall wants no bikes walked around in the mall. Please be sure all trainers have rubber feet or whatever is necessary to protect the mall floor from scratching.
*** Participants must enter the mall on the lower level, center entrance and take the bikes straight to the center court level where they will ride. The mall wants no bikes walked around in the mall. Please be sure all trainers have rubber feet or whatever is necessary to protect the mall floor from scratching.
After rescheduling from a snow storm in December, last week we had our sponsor holiday party at Rasmussen Bike Shop. Lots of food, drinks, smiles and laughs were shared amongst PRC and our awesome sponsors & friends. Thanks to all for coming! We certainly look forward to working with you in the upcoming 2009 season. Without your support, PRC wouldn’t be possible.Click HERE to see a few pictures from the evening.
My Happy PlaceI have Seasonal Affective Disorder. I self-diagnosed this condition the day after Christmas. I was in spin class. It was 50 degrees outside. I asked myself “why the heck am I in spin class?” The sun came out just as class was over. I raced home, crammed a sandwich down my throat, found all my cold weather cycling gear (50 degrees is cold weather to me, as I am not near as tough as Steve Fuller and do not go out when its any colder), and got on the bike just to ride around town. I rode downtown and back home. I was a few minutes away from the house when I realized I had a silly grin on my face the entire time. I recall in previous years that first ride of the spring when it’s warm out and the sun is shining and I am downright giddy to be on my bike. In the summer time when I am stressed out, anxious, or otherwise unhappy, I get on my bike, and by the time I get back, I am fine.
I have realized it is the combination of warm weather, sunshine, and the bike that I need. The trainer or spin class gets me a good workout. Sure, there are the endorphins that do make you feel physically good, but not a cure for the full blown disorder. The sunshine is nice too, but when it is sunny and minus 15, it does nothing to help my mood. WebMD advises light therapy, exercise, or antidepressants for treatment of this disorder.
I hate being cold. Even if I was as tough as Steve, I would not enjoy biking outside when it’s cold. That, I’m afraid, would take all the fun out of it for me. I had intentions of learning to ski this winter, but it has been so cold outside I don’t even want to walk from my car to the house.
Next year I think I will schedule a midwinter cycling excursion somewhere sunny and warm. I am really hoping for an early spring this year, but in the meantime I will sit on my trainer in front of a light box and pop happy pills…
I sit here at my desk thinking of what to write for the PRC Punk periodical, and my mind quickly wanders to the movements inside my ever growing belly from the soon-to-arrive baby boy "Bo." (Thanks to all who suggested baby names).I look outside, knowing it is bitter cold, high of -5 today, and I think of all the new things I want to incorporate into my Pilates class tonight and also into my training. I am seven and a half months pregnant and training not only for PRC racing, but also the HyVee triathlon, RAGBRAI, and how can you forget Dam to Dam (Ouch)! Each are great motivators to getting back in shape after the birth of a baby, but for me, each have been even bigger motivators to stay active DURING my pregnancy. Throughout this pregnancy I have continued to spin, lift weights and practice yoga and pilates. For those of you who have either not attempted to, or don't think doing yoga and pilates will help your conditioning pregnant or not, I have news for you: you are missing out.
In addition to strong legs, to be a fast, smart, efficient rider you need a strong core, be mentally focused, and flexible. Pilates and yoga can help with each of these. I have had people tell me that when they go for a run after yoga they feel like their gliding! So if you're looking for a way to spice up your indoor winter training and don't necessarily want or need to log more hours on your trainer, check out a pilates or yoga class.
Trust me, you won't regret it.
It’s always a bag of mixed feelings when someone tells us that PRC just isn’t meshing with their life anymore. Recently Ana got engaged to her boyfriend of a million years, Terrance. And her amount of school work has been consistently getting deeper and deeper. So, with sadness, Ana has told us that she will be unable to be involved with PRC for the 2009 season.
This was a heartbreaker. Ana, we love you so much and wish nothing but the best for you. You’ve been an incredible teammate, role model, supporter, and have always been willing to bust your ass for this team. Thank you for all you’ve done… we look forward to seeing you rock in all the other areas of your life as well.
We’ve put together this slide show of all of our best Ana photos. And for prime-time cheese factor- our recommendation is to open up THIS LINK in a separate window. Then come back to this page to watch the slide show.
ANA NELSON
2008 State Criterium Champion (C4)
2008 State Road Race Champion (C4)
Despite her joy to have her photo taken, Ana hated being recorded on video...
I like nothing better after a long, hard workout than a delicious protein shake. Donny used to make fabulous post-workout shakes for us last year, but try as I might, I cannot duplicate it. My shakes definitely tickle my tastebuds, but they always taste the same. I try and I try to make them different, but for some reason, I just can't manage to break away from the norm. I am always stoked for my trips to Hy-Vee to pick up ingredients, thinking that I am going to come across a flavor that will make my shake taste like it has never tasted before, only to return home disappointed with the same bananas, frozen fruit, soy milk, and vanilla protein powder that I had before.I want to know what the rest of you fellow athletes are doing. What are your favorite concoctions?
A great article and pictures were posted on the Kansas Cyclist website. "Kansas Cyclist is the web's premier resource for cycling in the great state of Kansas", so of course they've got an itchy typing finger to write about PRC . Click HERE to check it out. 
With the new snow fall this weekend, I had a chance to finally put my new Christmas gift to the test - cross country skies. Emily told me there was a group heading up to Big Creek today so I grabbed some warm clothes, packed up the equipment and headed North. I easily found the groomed trails and was quite surprised/impressed to see the parking lot full of skiers. It was a great day for skiing.Over the next two hours, I learned several important tips. So much to think about but just takes time, patience and practice...
#1. Concentrate on a quick pop from ski to ski, then relax and glide when you arrive on each ski.
#2. Slight bend in your knees while pushing off and exaggerating the glide to increase speed.
#3. Poling should start just before the kick. Your forward arm/pole should move with the opposite side foot/ski.
#4. Keep hands low and point your thumb down as your arms swing forward. Avoid excess rotation of the upper body; arms and shoulders should only move forward.
#5. When you come to a hill, do a short, choppy run while lifting each ski at an angle to get enough speed. I definitely need some perfecting on this part.
Oh, and one final tip... Just because your skies are advertised as 'wax-less', doesn't mean they don't need to be waxed; bummer. Sounds like false advertising to me!
Anyway, wow, I definitely had a great time and it was fun to have other skiers out there. It was a great leg workout and a nice winter break from the trainer. Thanks to all for the skiing tips today and special thanks to Terry for the sweet Christmas gift, to Tom for the groomed trails and to Pete Jensen for allowing me to chase him around. If you don't have skies, I would definitely recommend a pair. After just 2 hours, you'll have a great workout in. For the first time, I might actually look forward to fresh snow this winter!
P.S. Emily, time to sign me up for the Des Moines XC Ski group... I need more practice but I think I'm hooked! Groomed trails at Raccoon River would be very convenient.
Maria has received 19 more Christmas cards than Heather. Heather has received 17 less than Keri. Sara has 8 more cards than Emily. Keri has received 5 more than Sara. Heather and Sara have received 44 card between them.How many Christmas cards does each girl have?
ANSWER: Maria: 35, Heather: 16, Keri: 33, Emily: 20, Sara: 28
It's your day!! Alaina, it was great to see you last night at our sponsor holiday party. Hope your school day is going well so far. Have a great 17th birthday and we hope the coming year brings you all of the joy and success you deserve.
(Oh what was it like to be 17 again???)
Have a great day Alaina!!
Have a great day Alaina!!
We've put together a gallery of photos from the 2008 year. Some riding, some racing, some being sultry, and some being goofy. Ok, a lot being goofy. If you've got a moment go ahead and check out the gallery HERE. And let us know your favorite pic from 2008!Our photos came from everyone, everywhere. But a big thanks to Chris Maharry and Steve Fry. You two really got some great shots of us through the year!
This past weekend, I drove up to Minneapolis to find some snow. I used to live in Minneapolis, so I always enjoy going back….frequenting Whole Foods, REI, Vertical Endeavors, and the Room and Board Outlet.The trail network is outstanding, so I took advantage of getting in some great cross country ski training. While I was skiing on Saturday, I was thinking to myself “Wow, it is really great here. Why on earth did I ever move back Des Moines?” On Sunday morning, I woke up, turned on the news, and the headline was “Minneapolis, MN – Bitter Cold.” The wind chill was -21 degrees. At that moment, I remembered the sole reason why I didn’t stay…it’s too freakin’ cold! It took me back to my first winter in Minneapolis, when the temperature did not rise above 0 degrees for three weeks straight. I am pretty sure I melted into a cold weather depression for most of that winter. The day after my last day of work, I jumped right on plane straight to Austin, Texas.
Now, if the right opportunity came, I think that I could manage to suffer through the bitter cold winters, but until then, I am pretty content here in Iowa where it is just a little bit warmer…I just wish we had a little more snow.
Wow, cycling is a great sport…The wonderful sport of bike racing has benefitted me in so many ways other than the obvious. Sure, its made me mentally strong, kept me in shape, and made my leg muscles real big. However, there's a whole other aspect to the sport that I am very grateful for… The great people I have met and the wonderful connections I have made.
I have been with this sport for many, many years; ever since tagging along with Dad to the bike shop when I was in diapers. But, I fell in love with it when I started racing at age 12. The sport of cycling and the community within have literally watched me grow-up, from a tiny 12-year old to a college kid.
The connections I have made are endless. The friends I have made are unforgettable. They have supported me on and off the bike, and I couldn't be happier. My parents and teachers have always preached "Network, network, network…it's not what you know but who you know." And damn, networking comes so easily as a bike racer!
Without my wonderful connections from cycling my cousin wouldn't be married to a former bike shop manager, I wouldn't have had amazing senior photos, my sister would've been out a charming wedding photographer, and I wouldn't have been offered several internships, jobs, etc…
Bottom line, I have met some wicked-cool people that have made an impression on my life some way or another. People that care. People that want to see me succeed…
I'm very excited to begin the new racing season with a new team full of great girls whom I can't wait to get to know better!
In the meantime, thanks to every cyclist I've ever met that's made a lasting impression…
Here's a little brain teaser for anyone who's game.Maria received 19 more Christmas cards than Heather. Heather received 17 less than Keri. Sara has 8 more cards than Emily. Keri received 5 more than Sara. Heather and Sara have received 44 card between them.
How many Christmas cards does each girl have? Think you know? Leave us your answer!
Happy New Year PRC Fans!! Ready or not, 2009 is here! Below are some of our New Year Resolutions. Feel free to share yours with us…Emily - To be able to track stand for at least 15 seconds
Heather - I resolve to bike more and bitch less
Chris - to stop doing things half-assed
Sara - Eat healthy, learn all the cycling race jargon, keep up with all the hot shots on the Ritual Ride, finish top 5 in at least one road race, beat my Hy-Vee tri time and save money to buy a Ruby
Keely - to have more fun on the bike and love my bike more this year than I have any other year
Maria – to race with no mechanicals or crashes in 2009 (or at least fewer)
Kelli – learn how to use my new cross country skies and find more time to ride
As I was running around in circles on the track yesterday, passing the people on the dreadmill, it was obvious that the snow was too deep for anyone sane to brave the elements -- So only Fuller and Lou were out (sorry if I missed a couple of other nut jobs). The track and the hamster wheels were packed, there were even people hovering like vultures over road kill on a busy highway waiting for their crack at the mill... and it's not even tourist season yet.One day is all we have left of being surrounded at the gym by the people we love, the people who show up looking like they just rolled out of the rack because they did and the gym is their second home and family. Soon there will be the 2 month resolutionaries in all their fancy pants, matchy matched tops and million dollar shoes on their two left feet. It's time to mentally prepare for the fight in the parking lot over the closest spot to the door, share the locker room bench that usually looks like a yard sale of all your belongings, and we mustn't forget to sign up a week in advance to get a bike. The good news is A. the economy sucks so there will be fewer of them B. our gyms rely on those 'donors' to pay for the upkeep, salaries and machines (they lose money on people like me, Maria, Kelli, and all the other girls, Lou included) C. The best news however is that one or two of the tourists will love the climate enough to trade in their couch-potato home for a new home on the treadmill, spin bike and/or weight machine next to yours.
Now's your chance to make an impression on a non-biker, good or bad. If you want our sport to grow, share your love and passion with the green newbie tourist with the big doe eyes. A little encouragement goes a long way, especially from someone they surely look up to. The world would be a better place if everyone rode a bike http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkaMR_-HAKE .
As for the rest of them, don't worry, they'll be gone by March 15.
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