May 4, 2012

World Records Broken!

Women's Overall 24-Hour Velodrome 445.78 miles*

Women's Overall 12-Hour Velodrome 244.12 miles*

Women's Overall 200 Mile Velodrome 9:45:17*

Women's Overall 100 Mile Velodrome 4:42:54*

Thanks to my sponsors:

Bianchi Bicycles

Vuelta Wheels

Bell Helmets

Back in 1993, after I broke the 24-hour velodrome record, I hoped that I would never have to do it again. It was difficult; more difficult than 24 hours on a road. The mind-numbing monotony of going around and around on a 335.75 meter track, trying to stay in an aerodynamic position. I recall going up and down the banks in 1993 just to break up the tedium.

My hopes were realized for eighteen and a half years. Then on a warm Italian autumn day in 2011, Anna Mei broke my record. Actually, she broke two of my records: the 12-hour velodrome and the 24-hour velodrome. Excited for her in her accomplishment, I sent her a message on FaceBook; that began a new friendship. I watched the videos and I read the reports of her record ride. I started to feel an itch...

I was slowly recovering from a knee fracture that I sustained in February 2011; I certainly was not in top form and not sure if I could ever be again. The injury was devastating...and what about my age? I am 52 years old.

Dara Torres and Diana Nyad come to mind. Valerio Zamboni had just won Race Around Ireland and he is in his fifties - there he was, out there making it happen. The voice in my head: "It's you against NO.". I can do this. I had been working hard all last year recovering; I raced three 500-mile races during the year to build myself back...Dara, Diana, Valerio...okay, I am going to go for it!

A week before the attempt, I began monitoring the weather. It looked like rain the day before and clearing on Friday, the scheduled start day. We woke up on that Friday to drizzle and wind; I was hopeful that the weather would improve as the forecasters had said. At 7:30am the track was dry, but the wind continued to whip. My husband held my bike as I clicked into my pedals...three, two, one, go! I was off.

I could write about the scenery, but it did not change. I could write about the terrain, but it did not change. I could write about the road conditions, but they did not change. I could talk about the wind, but it did not change: a constant 15-20 mph blast.

The wind persisted all day; the foam blocks in the corners blew into the lane and into the infield keeping the crew busy. When night fell, so did the temperature. It dropped to 46 degrees F. I had to stop to get warm clothes. There I was with a carbon Bianchi bike, a carbon Vuelta disc wheel, a Bell TT helmet and a bloated jacket. Okay, the jacket didn't slow me down too much.

Mentally, the hardest part of this event were hours 19, 20 and 21. At the beginning of hour nineteen there are only six hours to go. Wait, six hours! Holy cow! Okay, I can do this. "Seana, God blessed you with this opportunity, feel it, savor it.". Instead of looking at the entire six-hour chunk, I considered only one hour at a time. Each hour I divided into twenty minute segments. Once I got to hour 22, it was a lot easier...I knew the end was close. The rising sun brought strength and renewal.

As I would come around to the pursuit line, where the officials and crew were stationed, Alberto and Pat were yelling. Alberto, "GO! Go! You got it ! Your are the champion!". Pat, "Go, Go, Go! A half a lap and it is yours!". After I had the record, I told myself, "You are going to leave everything out here!". My lap speeds improved. I really wanted to stretch, to change positions, but I stayed aero and pushed as hard as I could.

I ended up with 445.78 miles for 24 hours. I also broke the 12 hour, 100 mile and 200 mile records.

Crew

Pat Enright

Alberto Blanco

Ira Sheftman

Officials

Cindi Staiger

Mike Deitchman

Brent Hawks

John Leake

Rose Costin

"Just one word Seana: Smile . Smile inside your self when you will start, smile when the sun will make it warm and will rise. Smile when the night will be in your eyes, smile when the pain will be close to you. Smile!!"
- Anna Mei

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October 8, 2011

The Furnace Creek 508 -

The Climax of a Recovery Year

My training began in January for this year's racing. I had not been in serious racing mode for about 10 years, it felt really good to be back into it. The focus of the year would be the Furnace Creek 508 as this would be the 20th anniversary of my first race there. These plans were short-lived.

I walk my four dogs every morning on our twenty acres; they run loose and play. One morning near the beginning of February, two of them were wrestling/running. I turned to see them coming toward me, but I had no time to move. They bowled into me, there was a pop and a lot of pain as I fell. I was about 1/4 mile from my house and it took me an hour and a half to crawl back. I assumed that I tore my MCL because my leg flopped to the inside. I did not go to the doctor because I figured I just needed to stay off of it to let it heal. I got around on crutches.

After about four weeks, I tried to ride again. I was able to ride on my Computrainer, but not outdoors, I could not successfully pedal over the top with my injured leg. After six weeks, I finally rode outside with some discomfort; it is hilly here and I must stand on the pedals at times. By now, it was near the end of March. My injured leg had no muscle and looked like my 90 year-old grandma's leg. I decided to make a short-term goal... the Davis Double in May. I had six weeks to get into condition to go two hundred miles on the bike.

I finished the Davis Double in 13:20; not the best time, but not too shabby under the circumstances. I decided that the next goal would be Race Across Oregon at the end of July (baby steps, you know). I had six weeks to prepare and my injured leg was still quite atrophied...but 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'.

I managed 400 miles of the 500-mile long RAO. I had to stop, but the conditioning that I built from all of the climbing made me stronger. My injured leg was still substantially smaller that my other leg, but it seemed to be okay. I set my sights on the HooDoo 500. I was determined to finish this race regardless of anything!

Only two women entered HooDoo, I was the only one to finish; I broke the women's course record and set the women's 50+ record. I was happy with my time, but I know I can do better (next year perhaps?). After finishing this, I was confident that I could race at the 508 without a DNF (did not finish), although I still lacked strength in my injured leg.

Before the 508, I finally went to the doctor about my injured leg. It was NOT a torn MCL, but I was diagnosed with a tibial plateau depression fracture; this has caused a misalignment in my leg that I am still dealing with . The only permanent solution is a partial knee replacement. Unless the pain is too great, I will not have this procedure done for a while.

I felt pretty good for most of the 508. I rolled throughout most of the race in the top ten. Mentally, I was okay, but felt frustrated that I did not have the speed that I am used to on this course. I consoled myself knowing that I was improving and doing pretty darned well after starting from scratch in March. In the last 100 miles or so, I developed some sort of respiratory condition, I call it asthma for lack of a better word; I was wheezing and could not get enough oxygen. At that point, I just hoped I was far enough ahead and going fast enough to not get too stomped before the end. It was quite disheartening getting passed by rider after rider, but I stayed strong mentally (in the past, I might get very upset, perhaps age has its advantages!).

I ended first place in my division and my time was faster than my time of 20 years ago!

Thanks to my crew: My husband and son, Pat and Austin Enright, and ace crew guy Mark Colton.


More Photos...

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August 26, 2011

The Hoo Doo 500, Racing that Rocks!

I had a fantastic race! I broke the women’s course record and set the women’s 50 + record. Not bad…

This southern Utah course winds, climbs, twists and descends in the most breathtakingly beautiful areas in the country. Deep canyons walled by striated layers from times past flank riders as they pursue the goal of racing 500 miles as fast as they can. Racers experience extreme weather conditions and extreme altitudes on their way to the finish line. The countdown to the race began early on 8/26, and the solo race was off at 7:00 am.

I rode 60 miles of the first 100 miles in RAAM 1993 when I had Muffy Ritz chasing me through California, Arizona and Utah.. I have fond memories of this part of the country and it was nostalgic to be back. During the first part of the Hoo Doo race we saw heat and headwinds; proper pacing and hydration gets racers through these difficult conditions. There was only one other woman racing, Daniella Genovesi from Brazil. She seemed to succumb to the extreme weather conditions; the last time I saw her was during very scary thunderstorms in the Bryce canyon area. She did not finish.

I recall a particularly steep little climb at the top of the hill before Escalante, I was listening to Lady Gaga’s Highway Unicorn, entertained by this, the climb was bearable:
“She's just an American riding a dream… She's a free soul burning roads with a flag in her bra”
(Also, thanks to the advice of John Howard, I had a bailout 26-tooth cog, so my low was 42x26 instead of my usual 42x23.)

After riding toward the back at the beginning of the race, I found myself in third position after time station 3 in Escalante; I was 24 minutes behind second place. This surprised me! Adam Bickett and Joel Sothern were in front of me, that was it!
The next big climb came at bedtime and went over 9000 ft. I struggled. Adam struggled too. I passed him, he passed me, then I passed him. After Torrey, he fell off the planet in my mind. I did not see him again until the next morning. In the meantime, I was in second position but the storms continued; just outside of Loa, a major deluge. There was so much rain, I was soaked to the bone before I could get my rain jacket on!
The sun rose on the relatively flat roads going into Panguitch, that is where I saw Adam again. He passed me at such a rate that I could not match his speed; he was flying. That was the last I saw of him until breakfast the next day. I probably fell off the planet in his mind.
The long climb up to Cedar Breaks was marked with lightening, thunder and rain. I was unsure of the nature of the climb, so I rode quite conservatively. Finally the top came. But much to my chagrin, the clouds opened up with hail! I said to myself, “If this starts to hurt, I will get in the van for a few minutes to let it pass”. Well, it did, and I did. I was soaked and cold; it looked like the worst of it was passing so I changed clothes for the descent. Not a mile on the bike and again, hail. Only this time it was piling up on the road! I kept going, but now I had slowed to a scoot as it was too slippery to roll over the deep hail. Finally after less than a mile of this, the road cleared and I could ride. But I could not go very fast, I was in pain because of the cold. I had to stop again to change into dry clothes. The descent to Cedar City should have been fast, but I was miserable and slow.

After Cedar City, I was feeling pretty good again. I switched on Gaga and got into the groove. I enjoyed the next 40 miles. But then came the darkness of night and the descent to Snow Canyon. I do not see well at night and I am not a fast descender. This was a very long 30 miles; I lost a lot of time here. I finally got to Snow Canyon, but with mixed emotions, I was not looking forward to navigating to the finish line without my crew. I am pretty much needy and dependent when I have not slept for over forty hours.
I had no confidence in my navigational skills; when I got out of the canyon and into the residential area, I slowed way down to find anything familiar. I was frustrated and I had a huge lump in my throat and I was ready stop to call for help. Then I saw a light in my mirror! Another rider…hurray! I thought he was in the voyager division; I followed him at the allowed distance through the residential area and into the business section. When I thought we were close enough to the finish line to not break the rules, I came alongside of him and I found out he was Brad House, racing in the solo division. We crossed the line together. I ended up tied with Brad for third place overall.

Overall, I enjoyed this race. My crew was my good friend, Ira Sheftman and my new friend Wayne Rosenthal: they were terrific! I am hoping to be back next year! I rode my celeste Bianchi equipped with 10-speed Campagnolo components and Vuelta Corsa team V wheels with Michelin rubber.

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July 2011

Race Across Oregon