Alberto's California Summer

12 hours after I turned in my final paper I was on a plane back home.  I got to Berkeley and turned around two days later to go to....a bike race!  What a surprise!  However, this wasn’t a race I was participating in.  I was going down to the High School Mountain Bike State Championships with my high school team.  I was going to help them out and also help the league put on the races.  I had a blast that weekend and spent most of it on my mountain bike.  I had been missing dirt riding after all the road in Walla Walla.  I was stocked to get dirty again!  I also met Mackinzie who will be going to Whitman this year and is planning on joining the team!!! YAY!!!  I believe she finished in the top 5 of the girls Varsity race!  She’s fast!

helping at Stat Champs

After that first weekend I rode my bike a ton and started getting back into shape for the summer part of my season.  I did a race down by Monterey in the 3/4 combined category and got my butt kicked.  Turns out the racing is a bit faster down here... I ended up going off the back and then throwing up.  Not good.  I decided to pull out and get in better shape before I raced again.

Fast forward a month and I was on the line for a Cat. 4 crit.  I was in a bad position on the final lap and ended up mid pack.  While the result wasn’t good I was happy with how I felt.  The next week I was at another crit and managed to finish 7th.  I’m really happy with this result because there were 48 people in the field and I produced a good final sprint (not my strength).  The final straight was probably around 300 meters long.  I came out of the final turn around 10th passed a few people and didn’t get passed by anyone!  This is one of the first times where I’ve done ok in a sprint so I’m happy with the modest 7th.

Menlo Park GP

A weekend after that I was toeing the line at the Albany Crit.  The race is about half a mile from my house and goes around my old high school!  This was my priority race for the summer and I was hoping to get a good result.  The course was a very tight 4 corner crit with a slight incline.  The finish line was on a slight descent as was the last corner.  It was going to be a hairy finish.  I got a bit distracted and ended up having to start at the very back.  Not good for a tight course like this.  As soon as we started we were strung out.  Hardly ever more then 2 or 3 wide.  There were around 60 people in the race so I needed to move up a lot!  It took me two laps to get to the top 20 or so and I stayed there for the rest of the race.  The rest of the race was just trying to conserve energy (being as close to the front as possible without doing much work).  I took one pull and followed a couple of attacks but that was it.  With 3 laps to go it stated getting pretty fast and nasty.  I fought for my place and managed to be in the top 10 with half a lap to go.  There was a solid attack on the back straight and I jumped without thinking about it.  Around 6th through the second to last turn.  Moved up a bit on the short downhill straight.  Came out of the final (downhill) turn in 4th place FLYING.  I was probably going 2mph faster than everyone else.  I then sprinted with everything I had and moved up to 2nd place using my momentum.  The guy who attacked with half a lap to go was still in front of me and I was catching him!  Unfortunately he still got to the line before me.  It’s frustrating to be so close to a win but I am still very happy with second in a big race like that.

2nd place!

Tired but happy

After the Albany Crit my racing was done for the summer but I continued to ride my bike a lot.  I had almost forgotten how amazing the roads and trails in the Bay Area are.  There’s and abundance of tight single track, flowy descents, brutal climbs and breathtaking views.  I explored new corners of the area I call home and found a few new favorite roads.  All in all it was a great summer of riding and racing!

Flume Trail in Tahoe with Dad

This past June, Charlie Walker (longtime Whitman Cycling supporter, parent of a Whitman alumn, cycling enthusiast), ran an "Ironman" length event in Annecy France. According to Charlie, he "made it within regulation, but my time of nearly 17 hours surely left the community in no doubt of where my loyalties reside!" 


Awesome job, Charlie! Thanks for your submission and your never-ending support of the team!

Charlie running the marathon portion of the event.

Seattle!

Hey Everyone!

First of all, a big thanks to Whitney for keeping the summer updates going and I hope everyone is having a nice summer!

I've been in Seattle for the past 5 weeks interning at the Infectious Disease Research Institute. Lizzy is also in Seattle for an internship and a summer class and it has been awesome having her here to ride with! Besides spending time in the lab and in class, Lizzy and I are quickly becoming Seattle locals (at least we like to think we are). We're basically pros at getting around Seattle by bus and I feel like I’m even starting to act like a normal commuter - I don’t look out the windows anymore and make sure to keep my eyes glued to a book (or now my phone since I can watch the Tour de France!). I can also swipe my bus card without having the error light beep at me. Between riding the bus and working, Lizzy and I have found time for cycling though!

We have had many an adventurous ride so far - exploring a park with a wooden boardwalk, getting lost in Bothell after riding said wooden boardwalk, taking dinner to the Ballard Locks (who knew that Ballard is a neighborhood, not a town?!), and getting lost riding around Lake Washington in Bellevue - or maybe it was Kirkland... 

Lizzy and I raced a crit in Burien, WA on the 4th of July - it felt awesome to race again! There was even a parade afterwards that Lizzy and I were going to stick around for until we realized that we had to wait another 30 minutes for it to start. So instead we grabbed the tickets we were given for free food and went in search of the cafe advertised on the card. Instead we found staging for the parade which is just as entertaining, if not more so, than the parade itself. Among the parade crowd were little girls in fancy dresses, a truck shaped like a foot, and a number of BURIEN DANCE GANGS! The groups looked like they were getting ready for battle and as Lizzy and I were driving out of the staging area we heard sirens and figured the police had been called in to break up a fight.

We have also started TRACK RACING! Right now we are racing during the beginner night (which you are required to attend along with a track class) before you are allowed to race in the regular, categorized races. Track racing is so much different than road - the races are short and fast and besides getting my legs used to all of the sprinting, they have to get used to riding a fixed gear bike! There are a number of officials and veteran racers out every Thursday to help us learn the sport and it is a relaxed atmosphere with great people! Our new friends include a Whitman alum, two mothers who race cyclocross, and a boy about 10 years old that is beginning his “comeback” year of racing after taking a year off. Stanley (Lizzy’s bike) and Little Tommy (my bike) haven’t been too happy with us about this new type of racing. They either end up fighting in the back of the car when we are trying to drive to the track or complain when we steal their pedals every week for our rental bikes. Little Tommy usually forgives me after we go on a nice long ride though. He’s also been in a good mood ever since his namesake, Thomas Voeckler, won TWO stages of the Tour de France.

Lizzy and I will definitely keep you updated on our adventures in Seattle, but we want to hear from YOU as well! Racers, alumni, team supporters, parents - send in your summer bike adventure stories and pictures to either Whitney (griggsws@whitman.edu) or me (blustme@whitman.edu) and we will upload them to our blog!

I’ll leave you guys with a couple of pictures I’ve taken the last few days...

Love,

Molly

Little Tommy enjoying a merry-go-round. 

Little Tommy and Unnamed Bike (Stanley is currently at the hospital) chillin' at a beach. The beach looks like it's in the middle of nowhere, but guess what!? If you turn around you can see the Space Needle and the Olympic Sculpture Park! We are almost downtown in this photo!

SO MANY TRACKS! Luckily we don't have to ride over these... 

MORE TRACKS!

SO MANY TRACKS!!!

P.S. I've never actually posted a blog before... so if the pictures come out weird or something, I apologize!

Cheney-Rock Lake RR and Riverbend Crit

This past weekend, Whitney Griggs headed to Spokane to race in his first set of Inland Race Series races. On Saturday, out of Cheney, WA, Whitney was set to race in the 4/5 field for 38.5 miles over gentling rolling terrain. On Sunday, out of Post Falls, ID, the Riverbend Crit was a 1.1 mile loop with a gentle incline and short descent. Heading up with Allegro Cyclery, Whitney and the Allegro Cyclery riders (Kaler, Samantha, and Steve) were lucky enough to have a kind homestay that opened his house to us for Friday and Saturday nights.

On Saturday morning, the riders woke to rainy downpour with temperatures in the mid 50s, but by the time of the first race start (10 AM), the weather had cleared and the temperatures had increased mildly to low 60s. With a low headwind, the Category 4/5 field started and was lead on a quick warmup lap around the block before the lead car made the correct turn and the race actually began. For 8 miles Whitney was able to hang with the field, but due to a tactical error and lack of strength, Whitney got dropped off the pack and was forced to chase for several miles. At mile 14, Whitney quit the race due to a knee issue that had been bugging him since January. Patrick Lewis, a CWU rider in our collegiate conference, also made an appearance and had an excellent race, finishing 4th overall.

Of the other riders, Kaler Marshall, racing as a Cat 1/2/3, managed to make it into a 8 man break that eventually shrunk to 4 people and managed to stay off the front from 40 miles to the finish (78 miles total). With about 2k to go, there was a jump in the 4 man break, and Kaler managed to react in time to become part of a 2-man break. Although Kaler sprinted for the win, he came in 2nd, a very good result for having just upgraded to Cat 2 and racing against veteran Cat 1/2 racers.
Steve had a good race, sticking with his Masters 60+ field until late in the race, when there was a sudden kicker and some of the riders in his field rode off the front.
Samantha completed the 2nd road race of this season, but due to an upset stomach and rebellious legs, she was not very satisfied with her race.


On Sunday morning, the riders this time woke to sunny weather with promise of good weather all day. After a couple of wrong turns (what race weekend is complete with these?), the riders eventually made it to the course, which circled around a Buck Knife manufacturing/retail center. After a couple of warmup laps, Whitney decided his knee was feeling good enough to race, so he registered and got ready for his race. In his 45 minute race, Whitney stuck with the pack until 3 laps to go (of 22 laps total), when he decided to attack for a prime. After failing to win the prime (got 3rd), Whitney pulled off but failed to catch back onto the end of the pack and was forced to chase back on for the next 3 laps. By the end of the chase, he had almost managed to catch back up with the main pack, but due to the final sprint, failed to finish with the pack. Despite this, Whitney said he had a good weekend and was happy to just not have crashed or had knee pain. He was also excited for Patrick, the CWU racer, who managed to take 3rd in the crit and get more of those much-desired upgrade points. In addition, Patrick managed to win several primes and get lots of swag, including a cool bike decal, coffee, and at least one t-shirt.

Hope to see you on the road.

Whitman Cycling

Bend Don't Brake

This past Memorial Day weekend, Molly Blust, Whitney Griggs, and Kaler Marshall (a local Walla Walla rider) headed to Bend, OR to race Bend, Don't Brake, a local OBRA race. Because Molly lives in Sisters, OR, only a short distance from Bend, her family was kind enough to offer their house as a homestay for Whitney and Kaler. Upon arriving late evening on Friday night, Kaler and Whitney were treated to the first of several home-cooked meals. The next morning, after getting up at 6 AM, a late-start by normal race weekend standards, Kaler and Whitney prepared to head to Bend for the actual bike race. Although Molly smartly decided against racing due to issues with asthma, she came along with Kaler and Whitney to spectate and help out as needed.

Upon arriving in Bend, it was a slightly chilly 55 degrees with little wind. As Kaler's Category 1/2 race approached, the sun started to come out along with a mild wind. Because Kaler's race was approximately 90 miles, Whitney and Molly volunteered to hand Kaler bottles and food at the feed zone. Although Whitney had to leave the feed zone early to go get ready for his race, Kaler managed to stick with the Cat 1/2 field for 6-7 laps. After his 8th lap, Kaler lost count of his laps and accidentally left the course, resulting in a DNF. Despite this, Kaler said he had a good race, especially for just upgrading from Cat. 3.

Before Whitney's race, there was a beginner's talk at which Whitney was reminded of important race strategies, such as don't attack off the front too early, take turns to reel in breaks, make sure to stay well fueled and hydrated, and ultimately just have fun.

When Whitney's race finally started, the sun had retreated behind some clouds and the wind had picked up significantly, leading to an interesting race. Although Whitney attempted to stay towards the front of his Cat 4/5 field, he was quickly relegated to the back due to overly-aggressive riders forcing him backwards. Despite this, Whitney stayed with the pack for an hour and a half of his 2:16 race (35 miles out of 49.5) and finished 31 out of 56 starters. In addition, Whitney was happy to just finish the race because as he said, "The Cat 4/5 field was SO sketchy." There were 3 crashes which Whitney managed to avoid, but supposedly there were also interesting road handling skills demonstrated by other riders such as skidding a rear wheel when a sudden braking maneuver was needed and riders purposely riding cross-wheeled (resulting in inability to react to sudden swerves or other dangerous events).

Ultimately, the race was a success for Kaler and Whitney, with no one crashing.

The following two days, Molly, Whitney, and Kaler explored the rides near Sisters, OR, going on a ride up and over McKenzie Pass and on another ride at the base of Black Butte. On these rides, Molly, Whitney, and Kaler were joined by Tom Blust, the dad of Molly. The bike rides were amazing weather, with clear skies and plenty of sun. On the McKenzie Pass ride, several miniature snowball fights evolved as they passed through 15 ft high snow banks. There was also a nice descent with multiple switchbacks.

Thanks again to the Blust family for the homestay. We were spoiled by all of the food that you provided us. Whitney also wanted to thank you in particular for learning how to slackline, because that was something he has wanted to learn for several years now.

Hope to see you on the road,
Whitman Cycling

Summer Days

Hey everyone,
The school year is now officially over with Whitman graduation occurring yesterday and we are sad to see our graduating seniors (David Hancock, Elana Congress, and Rachel Hoar) leave us and enter into the "real" world. They were all valuable presences on our team and their presence and advice will be sorely missed.

Alberto helping out at mountain bike race

Although the road racing season is over for many of our riders as they enter the summer and enjoy a well earned vacation, several riders are ramping up their training again, unencumbered by classes and homework.  Alberto, our mountain-bike expert, has already jumped back into the mountain bike scene by helping out at a local mountain bike race in California. For those in Washington and Oregon, there are a series of races (Bend Not Brake, Inland Race Series, and others) which our Washington riders are looking forward to participating in. Our collegiate season was filled with great memories for all involved.

As the summer progresses, look for updates to the team webpage.

See you on the road.

Whitman Cycling