K-Log

Changes to the website

2011-11-03T14:02:00.002-04:00

You will be seeing major changes to the website in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

October National Team Camp

2011-10-14T20:32:00.000-04:00

Warmth in the air, cruisy bike rides on the beach path, sunsets on the ocean...benchmark testing, race simulations, track hack...ah yes, the many sides of track camp. We're 12 days into our October national team camp. 2 more to go. That's two more sunsets. How many more laps is that?

Elite Track Nationals 2011

2011-10-04T11:08:00.000-04:00

Well, that was a quick championships. Maybe after coaching the marathon that is master's track nationals...racing elite track nationals seems simple ;) Shoot, I mean, somebody carried my bike around for me all week - how easy is that (thanks Mr. Baranoski!)? Granted the thing only weighs 6.89 kg, but still, it makes life easy!

As usual, track nationals were up and down. This year there was not as much of a focus going into them for me as in years past, so I wasn't quite so sure what to expect. But, I confident I could pull off some good rides. I competed in three events - the individual pursuit, the scratch race, and the points race.

The pursuit was a solid third place finish for a bronze medal. I was unable to defend my national title from 2010, but being beaten by the rainbow stripes of world champion is not much to be disappointed in. Congrats to Sarah Hammer and also Beth Newell who, in addition to having an outstanding pursuit, had an absolutely outstanding week.

Skipping to the points...my nationals points race voodoo curse lingers on. Somebody please pull the pins out. They've really been in there long enough. Infection is starting to set in. Enough said.

And then back to the scratch, which was definitely the highlight of the championships for me. 3 world champions past and present were in the field - lots of horsepower. The scratch race is one of my favorite events because anything can happen. And it did - I was able to counter-attack a good early move and gain a lap solo on the field with 15 laps to go in the 40 lap event. There was no rest to be had once gaining the lap as attacks fully capable of regaining the lap immediately went off in search of doing so. I quickly realized it was only going to be me to minimize their distance up track, so to the front of the field it was to settle in to pursuit-like mode. I was able to successfully pull back the threatening breaks and minimize the last strong one by myself before the sprint set in with 500 meters to go when I hung in as close to the front of the group to make absolutely certain I would not loose my lap. Yeah, I was pretty jazzed. This win is actually my first mass-start national championship as an elite rider; all others have been in the individual or team pursuits. Pretty neat stuff.

Now that the championships are all wrapped up, I go straight into a national team camp, also here at the Home Depot Center in California. More from camp.

Recapping and Moving Forward

2011-09-22T15:52:00.000-04:00

While USA Cycling is recaping the September camp (read the recap of the Colorado Springs camp here), I'm getting ready for the elite track national championship trip, to be followed up by meeting back with the ladies for an October team camp. News from LA to come!

September Track Camp - What it means to be an Olympian

2011-09-13T21:57:00.002-04:00

After a hop, skip, and jump around the USA via the friendly skies tomorrow, I'll be back home from our national team track camp in Colorado Springs. Good time being on the track again with the ladies, of course. Great supplemental oxygen session at the Olympic Training Center, great conference calls on some really interesting topics (which reminded me how much I miss school and being immersed on a daily basis in ex phys!). Also a really empowering afternoon of Olympic Ambassador Training.

The Olympic Ambassador Training program was started for the Athens Olympics to help Olympic hopefuls ease into the technical aspects of becoming an Olympian with presentations given that include information like details of the Olympic Village, how contact with the media works (did you know there will be 20,000 official members of the media in London???), even how to correctly hold the American flag during post-event celebrations. I had a bit of a heads-up on some of the information having attended the 2007 Pan Am Games, a continental version of the Olympics held the year prior to the Games, but there was still good information to be had and it was definitely a good reminder of what it really means to be an Olympian.

Maybe my most poignant reminder of what it means to be an Olympian revolved around the idea of being a role model and demonstration key aspects of character. One question posed to us was if we remembered when it was that it "clicked" that what we wanted as a goal in our lives was to become an Olympian. For me, the answer was simple - the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. When Kerri Strug landed that final routine - that was it. Overcoming the odds, accomplishing a feat that wasn't supposed to happen. Doing it for herself, her teammates, her coaches, family, friends, country, everybody along the way - amazing. What a magical year that was. So many role models for me. The US women's soccer team with that drop-to-your knees and proclaim excellence kind of win - heart. Carl Lewis and Jackie Joyner Kersee coming back for one more round - dedication (Carl Lewis' sister, Carol Lewis, an accomplished Olympian herself, was actually one of our presenters). Michael Johnson and those golden shoes - confidence. Even Muhammad Ali lighting the torch - perseverance. The chant of U-S-A - the reminder that the Olympics is the one time we can forget our differences and cheer as one. Yes, 1996 was my "click."

End of Summer...and the Quick Turnaround

2011-09-06T19:34:00.001-04:00

Not but a handful of days after the end of the track racing season in Pennsylvania I turned around and headed out to Colorado Springs, CO to start working towards the fall/winter track season. I am now training in Colorado with the national women's team pursuit squad putting in miles in the mountains and of course time in team pursuit formation on the track. Between epic road rides - 4 1/2 hours in 40+ mph winds, up mountains, down mountains...a small lack of oxygen...maybe a brief crash in the dirt... - drilling home technique and speed in 4 1/2 hour track sessions, and meetings with the masterminds of their fields to discuss ways to improve as an athlete, things are kept entertaining!

Thank goodness we lowlanders can get some oxygen tomorrow - a supplemental oxygen workout at the Olympic Training Center. Now my chest can rest...no really, my intercostals are sore!

End of Summer

2011-08-29T14:42:00.003-04:00

This past weekend marked the unofficial end of the summer with the conclusion of the Valley Preferred Cycling Center's World Series of Bicycling. Good news is it's still a long fall and winter on the bike! Thanks everybody for coming out and cheering. Keep up the cheering from afar these coming months!

Friday Night Media

2011-08-14T18:40:00.001-04:00

From the Valley Preferred Cycling Center's recap article: "The women’s field was packed with international talent, but it was a hometown girl that rose to the top. Kim Geist, out of Emmaus, PA, nabbed the omnium win with victories in the points race, 10 lap tempo, and elimination....."

And read The Morning Call here.

*Picture CyclingCaptured.com

Thanks to My Sponsors

2011-08-08T13:13:00.010-04:00

At a time when giving and finding sponsorships is difficult from the end of the business and athlete both... I'm very thankful for shipments. Thanks Beljum Budder.

And I try to represent well (August issue of Bicycling magazine). My pair of D2 Super Track custom shoes features in the photo as much as the bike (!).

As always, thanks to 24/7 Fitness Clubs and DeFeet for the continued support as well.

KimGeist.com Coaching - Medal Haul at Master's National Track Cycling Championships

2011-08-01T16:49:00.027-04:00

The Valley Preferred Cycling Center hosted the 2011 Master's National Track Cycling Championships this past week in PA. Among a record-setting numbers of riders of any national track championship ever held, KimGeist.com Coaching athletes were able to win national championship jerseys and medals in all events contested!

Kate Veronneau - Women 30-34:
1st - Individual pursuit (setting a personal record (PR) that was the fastest time among all female competitors across all age groups)

READ ABOUT KATE HERE.

Christine Fennessy - Women 35-39:
1st - Scratch race
1st - Match sprints (setting a personal record that was the second fastest time among all female competitors across all age groups)
1st - Best All-Around Rider
3rd - 500m TT (PR)
4th - Points race
5th - Individual pursuit (PR)
5th - Team pursuit

READ ABOUT CHRISTINE HERE.

Lorraine Lipfert - Women 50-54:
2nd - Team sprint
3rd - 500m TT (PR)
3rd - Match sprints
4th - Scratch race
4th - Individual pursuit
5th - Points race
5th - Team pursuit

Sallie Urffer - Women 50-54:
2nd - Team sprint
3rd - Points race
5th - Scratch race
5th - Match sprints
5th - Team pursuit

And the entire crew:

Photos Cycling Captured & Sallie Urffer

KimGeist.com Coaching - National Championship Podium in Norway

2011-07-25T10:22:00.003-04:00

This past weekend KimGeist.com Coaching athlete Hans Petter Engelstad placed on the master's podium at the Norwegian National Road Championships in the time trial, placing second by only 0.2 of a second after 1.5 hours of double-checking timing equipment by the officials of the event!

As a marked man, Petter was able to also finish a solid 5th in the road race event at the national championships.

Weekend Racing in Pics

2011-07-19T13:38:00.009-04:00

This past weekend I competed on the track at the World Series of Bicycling at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center as well as on the road in the men's and women's races at The Arsenal Criterium in Philadelphia. Some pics:

Photos CyclingCaptured & Bob Wellmon Photography

KimGeist.com Coaching - Junior Women take National Championship Podiums & MTB World Cup Win

2011-07-14T07:47:00.012-04:00

This past week the USA Junior National Track Cycling Championships were hosted at the Superdrome in Frisco, TX. KimGeist.com Coaching athlete Bailey Semian came out with podium finishes in each event contested in the women 15-16 omnium:
3rd - scratch race
3rd - match sprint
4th - 500m TT
5th - points race
4th - omnium

Also this past weekend, Victoria Gates came out on top with a win in the junior women's race at the Windham World Cup mountain bike race in Windham, NY

Geist on track again, aiming for London

2011-07-07T16:16:00.001-04:00

Click HERE to read the article from The Morning Call.

KimGeist.com Coaching - National Podium

2011-06-27T09:06:00.006-04:00

This week Augusta, Georgia hosted the US Junior National Road Championships. KimGeist.com Coaching athletes were able to show the hard work put in so far this season by coming out with good performances among large fields.

The week was highlighted by Bailey Semian taking a well-deserved 2nd place podium finish in the junior women 15-16 time trial, just four seconds off of first place.

Other finishes include:

Victoria Gates - junior women 13-14 (field of 28)
8th place - time trial
11th place - road race
14th place - criterium

Bailey Semian - junior women 15-16 (field of 29)
10th place - road race
20th place - criterium (result doesn't tell the story - attacking solo in the closing kilometers takes guts!)

Back to Racing + KimGeist.com Coaching News

2011-06-22T07:21:00.006-04:00

This past weekend marked my first races back coming off of my break time. Nothing like racing during week #1!

First, it was opening night Friday night at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center for the World Series of Bicycling. The hype started early with a press conference on Thursday afternoon:
The racing went pretty well considering it was week #1. I ended up finishing second in the omnium (overall placing after 4 races) and had fun being back at it: *photos VPCC & CyclingCaptured

Also this weekend I competed in the BLP2209 Grand Prix in New Jersey and, after competing in the men's race, was able to sqeak out the win in the women's race from a breakaway of six riders. Quite a taxing day!

KimGeist.com Coaching News:

Hans Petter Engelstad qualified for the UCI World Cycling Tour UWCT Final (world master's road championships) this past weekend through a high placing in the Gran Fondo Eddy Merckx in Huy, Belgium. The world's are to be held in September in Stavelot, Belgium.

KimGeist.com Coaching Athlete Highlighted in Fitchburg Longsjo Classic Promotional Video

2011-06-15T17:22:00.002-04:00

"It's not too often you meet two young people who you can genuinely say are the future of the sport. Victoria Gates and Anna Milton are both incredible young talents. They're dedicated, serious, intelligent, positive ambassadors for cycling. If you're looking for inspiration, look no further. Watch Anna and Victoria race in the 3/4 women's category at the 2011 Longsjo."

Click here to watch the video! Click here to learn about the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic.

Less Than 15 Months to Go...

2011-06-09T12:11:00.003-04:00

...and it starts today. After 7 1/2 weeks of "break time" which included two solid weeks completely off the bike and the rest in unstructured training, the off-season for 2011 is officially over and the build-up for 2012 has begun.

I wrapped up the off-season with a short vacation. It was very busy. Much baked good, ice cream, fried food, and cheesy sandwich goodness was had. Food is how all good vacations are measured, are they not? Hey, you've got to turn the nutritionist switch off every once in a while ;)

So, it is back to the bike, back to the gym, back to the focus. I'll be playing the next couple of weeks low as I get back into the swing of things, but the calendar will start to fill in soon enough. Most likely first up will be the Valley Preferred Cycling Center's World Series of Bicycling. Seems that I'm the latest highlighted rider on the VPCC's Facebook page.

KimGeist.com Coaching - A Big Memorial Day Weekend in Somerville

2011-06-01T07:40:00.002-04:00

KimGeist.com Coaching athletes had great showings this weekend at the Memorial Day weekend classic, the Tour of Somerville in Somerville, NJ.

- Christine Fennessy sprinted to an outstanding 5th place finish in the women's pro race among a star-studded field. Read about it on Cyclingnews.com here.

- Zach Semian, strength and conditioning athlete, finished in 2nd place in the men's junior race.

KimGeist.com Coaching Weekend Rundown

2011-05-24T07:40:00.003-04:00

1st place - Bailey Semian in the junior 15-16 at the Jersey Shore Time Trial

1st place - Zach Semian, strength and conditioning athlete, in the junior 17-18 criterium stage of the Tour of Syracuse Stage Race, NY (and 2nd overall finish in the general classification)

2nd place - Victoria Gates in the women's category 4 criterium at the Day of Racing in Ninigret, RI

4th place - Hans Petter Engelstad in the Briko Spenst Tour road race in Norway

Athletes also competed in the National Racing Calendar's Wilmington Grand Prix, the opening day of the Valley Preferred Cycling Center's Masters & Rookies track racing series, and the Maryland State Mountain Bike Championships this past weekend.

Thanks DeFeet!

2011-05-13T19:29:00.001-04:00

Aireator + Levitator + Wooleator = Happy Feet

KimGeist.com Coaching - Checking Off A Win

2011-05-09T17:00:00.004-04:00

KimGeist.com Coaching athlete Julia Lonchar secured a first win for the season in the women's race at the Turkey Hill Country Classic, one of the most popular mid-atlantic races of the year, this past weekend. Full event results can be found here. Julia is now ranked in the top-five of women her category in Pennsylvania.

KimGeist.com Coaching in Bicycling Magazine!

2011-05-05T07:59:00.009-04:00

The June issue of Bicycling Magazine, the world's leading bike magazine, holds a tidbit from KimGeist.com Coaching on building on-the-bike power through plyometrics.

Track Cycling is Popular - London 2012

2011-04-28T07:39:00.002-04:00

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/track-cycling-sells-out-for-london-2012-games

I'm glad I had my family put in a request. Pressure is on.

Hat Trick

2011-04-19T11:02:00.012-04:00

3 races in 3 weekends and 3 wins. The elusive Lower Providence Criterium has finally been conquered. I've been racing Lower Providence ever since I was a wee little one (well, young - I was unnaturally tall as a "wee little one") and have continually come oh so very close to the win...but always short. The voodoo curse is now over. It was questionable whether it was going to happen at all given a well-timed, voodoo-cursed snapped rear shift cable in the morning which perfectly lodged itself inside my shifter. But, I think I would have ridden it in one gear if I had to :). As little as it may be, I'm happy to join the Sarah Uhls and Laura Van Gilders of the world and win Lower Providence!

Riding solo off the front early in the race didn't work...

But sprinting from a 3-rider breakaway later in the race did!

Now it is officially the end of my season and I will be taking several weeks for rest and recovery, both physically and mentally. Time to recharge for the run at 2012!

KimGeist.com Coaching News:

- KimGeist.com Coaching rider Christine Fennessy brought home the win in the field sprint in the women's 1/2/3 field to finish 4th overall at the Lower Providence Criterium.

Christine leading the field, chasing the break

- Victoria Gates finished 2nd out of a 3-rider breakaway in Dartmouth's L'Enfer du Nord in the Women's Intro/Cat 4 road race this weekend in New Hampshire. Consistent, consistent, consistent.

*Pictures - Michael A. Apice Photography and CyclingCaptured.com

Another Successful Racing Weekend

2011-04-11T10:22:00.009-04:00

This past racing weekend held more success personally as well as for KimGeist.com Coaching athletes:

Philadelphia Naval Yard Criterium - In the Women's 1/2/3 field I was able to sneak out a victory over my breakaway companion in an excitingly close finish. Nothing like a good bike throw that makes the difference! KimGeist.com Coaching athlete Christine Fennessy was the only other additional rider to make what was to become this winning break but was unable to hold the pace to the finish, though still finishing a respectable 10th overall from the field sprint.

Tour of the Battenkill - Dubbed "America's Queen of the Classics" for its grueling dirt sections and climbs, the New York course and weather conditions themselves were difficult enough that many of the category races came down to only small groups contesting sprints at the end. KimGeist.com Coaching strength and conditioning athlete Zach Semian was able to use his power to finish an excellent 3rd among the select 9-rider lead group in the men's 17-18 category.

Yale's Lux et Velocitas Circuit Race - 13-year-old Victoria Gates was once again able to ride herself onto the podium among an older group of riders in New England. Victoria finished 3rd in the Connecticut circuit race just 30 seconds off the winner in a race that saw riders finish in pairs or solo.

Weekend of Podiums, Personal & KimGeist.com Coaching

2011-04-04T18:14:00.005-04:00

This past weekend marked for many in the northeast and mid-atlantic region the beginning of the road racing season. It's about time after a hard and lingering winter - even 6 inches of snow couldn't stop the show in Massachusetts.

- I competed in New Jersey's Ronde Van Mullica Road Race and took the win in the women's 1/2/3 field in solo breakaway fashion spurred at mile 15 of 30. Great representation for the women in NJ as we had a maximum field limit!

- KimGeist.com Coaching's Victoria Gates placed 2nd among 14 competitors in the Women Intro/Cat 4 Women's individual time trial at the Boston Beanpot 2.0 event. She also brought home her team time trial team later in the day to a respectable time as the only all-women's team to compete. Oh, and she's 13 years old - minor detail.

Victoria takes the final pull for her team time trial team

- KimGeist.com Coaching's Lee Sobotkin raced the clock to a 2nd place finish among Category 4 men in the Route 29 Time Trial in New Jersey.

Lee gets ready to start the 35 kilometers

Friday Night Cycling Begins June 17th Article

2011-03-29T07:31:00.003-04:00

" 'Of special note is that we are one year way from the Olympic Games in London, so we're going to see a big push of riders who will be here to prepare for next year and showcase their skills,' said VPCC Executive Director Marty Nothstein a gold and silver Olympic medalist as well as a three-time world champion.....Nothstein said while everyone loves to see the international riders, you can't forget about the area's home-grown talent, a list that includes U.S. Olympian Bobby Lea from Mertztown and Olympic hopefuls like Kim Geist from Emmaus, Andy Lakatosh from Trexlertown, Jackie Simes from New Tripoli and a host of others." Read the full Morning Call Article here: http://www.mcall.com/sports/mc-velodrome-season-03242011-20110324,0,7639951.story

KimGeist.com Coaching On The Event Trail

2011-03-21T11:48:00.002-04:00

KimGeist.com Coaching has been recently and will be soon attending several events with coached and new athletes as well as taking part in continuing education events. Take a look at the latest events:

3/20 - Tour of the Battenkill Spring Preview Ride - Cambridge, NY

3/23 - USA Cycling Seminar presented by Dr. Andy Coggan - Aerodynamic Testing Without a Wind Tunnel

3/24 - 3/28 - Junior Track Nationals Preview - Superdrome, Frisco, TX

TBD - Timed Event and Pursuit Clinic - Valley Preferred Cycling Center, Trexlertown, PA (stay tuned for details!)

Five Ways to Improve Women's Cycling

2011-03-10T10:19:00.002-05:00

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/international-womens-day-five-ways-to-improve-womens-cycling

Absolutely.

KimGeist.com Coaching Goes International

2011-03-01T07:42:00.001-05:00

KimGeist.com Coaching has taken a leap across the pond to Norway, working with Hans Petter Engelstad who has ridden for the Norwegian master's national team and taken medals at the national and Nordic level. Among goals for this season are the Norwegian National and Nordic Championships as well as the World Championships on the road and the European and World Championships on the track in the 3,000-meter individual pursuit. Best of luck to Petter this season!

Manchester World Cup - Recap

2011-02-21T13:09:00.002-05:00

I'm now back home from the last World Cup of the season in Manchester. Statistically it rains every other day in Manchester, but the sun did shine briefly for our women's team pursuit team as we were able to set a new personal record as a team en route to finishing 11th in the event. We were off of our goal pace, but it was still a PR and we were able to take some lessons away from it. What is really amazing is that our time from the race this year would have qualified us for the bronze medal final at the World Cup last year. It is a testament to just how fast and how much this event is progressing with a push for the 2012 Olympics.

My season will not continue through the World Championships next month so I am taking a few days sans bike before sitting down with pencil and paper and looking at the big picture. This will be the first time I write an annual training plan (+) that ends with the Olympic Games...should be an intense but fun one to write :)

Photo: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images Europe

KimGeist.com Coaching - Choose Your Coach Wisely Article

2011-02-12T07:53:00.003-05:00

Christine Fennessy, KimGeist.com Coaching athlete and editor at Rodale's Runner's World magazine, writes the article Choose Your Coach Wisely for the Trek Bikes website.

February Track Camp - Wrap Up

2011-02-10T09:43:00.011-05:00

Our national team track camp for the month of February is now over and I have 2 1/2 days to spend at home before heading across the pond to compete in the Manchester World Cup.

The camp went very well. Each camp we try to run a race simulation with full race equipment and prep to set benchmark times and to work on the technicalities of race day. This time we were fortunate enough to actually be able to run our simulation within a real race day at the ADT Event Center, the LAVRA Winter Classic. Good news is we reset our personal best time 2x at camp!

A little news about camp and the upcoming World Cup: http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=5886

This is the best documented camp to date (!):

Benjamin Sharp, our team coach, gives a pre-race talk while Woody, our super awesome mechanic, looks on

We caught and passed Canada in the qualifying round

Photos by Pat Benson

February Track Camp - Insider's Look

2011-02-03T20:56:00.007-05:00

February track camp for our women's national team program started this week. I've moved back to our lovely home away from home in Carson, CA. We of course started out camp with some quality time at the track. VeloImages gives a bit of an insider's look into day one here on their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=269522&id=301690895837#!/album.php?aid=269522&id=301690895837#!/photo.php?fbid=499938505837&set=a.499931305837.269522.301690895837

Some photo highlights of me in action:

Roller warm-up:

A solo effort:

Climbing the stairs after efforts may just be the hardest effort of the day...

January?

2011-01-25T11:16:00.003-05:00

Training for a winter season is very different. This week I am staying in Aliso Viejo, CA with an awesome host family (thanks Randy and Lisa!) and enjoying some equally awesome weather. It's 15 degrees at home and only 60 degrees warmer here! Also out of the ordinary are super intense efforts whereas my riding partners back in the winter doldrums are putting in the base miles (many on the trainer...). It's January? I have to keep reminding myself that!

Next up on the schedule is our February national team camp starting on the 1st. Update from camp.

January National Team Training Camp - In the Books

2011-01-19T11:17:00.007-05:00

Training camp came and went pretty fast. 8 days of good work went down. After coming off an illness that took a major hit to my fitness, I felt as though I were getting stronger each day and that I ended the camp on a high note. The focus of this camp was based more on the fitness aspects of training, power and speed, versus the technical, which made for a very tiring week! Viggo, our USA team's soigneur and deliverer of massages, was much appreciated for his devoted work this camp! Read a bit about the camp here.

The big news to come out of the week is that we secured our trip to the 4th and final round of the World Cups. I will be traveling next month to Manchester, UK to contest the team pursuit for the USA with my teammates Cari Higgins and Kristin McGrath (this will be Kristin's first international track race!). Race info here.

Right now I'm enjoying some rest...but only for a little while. During the time I am spending in California I will be getting in more quality work on and off the track solo before our February national team camp starts on the 1st which will be final preparation for Manchester and will help serve as a qualification for the World Championships. More big things to come!

January National Team Training Camp

2011-01-09T15:42:00.005-05:00

Getting ready for another flight tomorrow to LA for our January national team training camp. I bundled up to go out in the garage and clean my bike and rid it of the salty reminder that it's winter in Pennsylvania. It's now ready to glisten in the the California sun.

It's all packed up now. Packing is fun enough, but it's even better when you're trying to bend all over while being all round in the middle with several layers including a sweatshirt and winter jacket making a beer-belly look-alike. My hands would have appreciated gloves, but they just don't work with bike parts...This was probably the most amusing of the 11 times I've packed and unpacked my bike bag so far this season...

But, I will get to skip one round of packing/unpacking this time since I will be staying in California between our January and February camps. 4 weeks of sunshine - it better be, anyway! Update from camp.

Getting Ready for 2011

2010-12-31T14:14:00.003-05:00

Getting ready for 2011 includes tying up all the loose ends of 2010. That of course includes doing some statistics ;) (yes I am a geek who asked for two textbooks for Christmas - hey, I use them for coaching!).

I was most glad to see that this year I have put in on my bike over double the miles I put on my car! And I'm starting the New Year out right tomorrow with 4 hours of fun and enjoyment, adding those miles to the bike right away. Happy New Year!

Cali World Cup Recap

2010-12-19T10:10:00.003-05:00

The second round of track World Cups is now in the books. Our team finished 9th of 21 teams, slightly off our goal time. With it being the first time for my team members to compete in the team pursuit event in international competition, the first time for me riding in a position other than the start position, and really the first time for us to ride full race distance together, it was a respectable ride. Congratulations to our USA friends riding for the UCI trade team OUCH Pro Cycling who raced to a silver medal in the event. And...congrats to Sarah Hammer who absolutley threw down in the omnium event.

Official results can be found here.

My first trip to Colombia was interesting. Some things were definitely different. Not being allowed to venture anywhere beyond the hotel and velodrome as well as being accompanied by armed police escorts was a reminder as to just exactly where I was. Blasting salsa music during each shuttle transfer and optional stop signs and lights were also a reminder! Oh yeah, and mosquito bites and the biggest insects I have ever seen in my life who were venturing dangerously close to ending their lives on the measurement line of the track (the track was open-air with a cover - quite a nice design)...thank goodness I didn't run one over as it would not have been pretty...

There has been a change of plans for the national team and we will not be contesting a women's team pursuit at the next World Cup in Beijing, so I am looking forward to a good long training block at home and at national team camps in Los Angeles to prepare for the 4th and last World Cup stop in Manchester in February.

Cali World Cup & National Championship Medal for KimGeist.com Coaching

2010-12-11T11:11:00.009-05:00

Cali World Cup: Team USA will be leaving for the second round track World Cup tomorrow in Cali, Columbia. We will have 3 USA women's team pursuits through the national team and two UCI track teams. I will be riding for the national team with Cari Higgins and Jennie Reed. Looking forward to it! We'll also be joined this time by several USA male sprinters.

Check out the race website.

National Championship Medal for KimGeist.com Coaching: KimGeist.com Coaching athlete Bailey Semain raced to a junior 15-16 women's podium finish for a medal in 5th place yesterday in Bend, Oregon at the National Cyclocross Championships. Congrats!

On the podium:

Photo USA Cycling

Melbourne World Cup - Recap

2010-12-04T12:18:00.010-05:00

I'm now back in the USA nice and rested (after a looooong slumber...) from Australia. The World Cup team pursuit went well with a 7th place finish and UCI qualifying points towards the 2012 London Olympics. Although we missed our goal time, we had a very technically solid ride and used our individual strengths to the best of our abilities on the day. It was nice to return to Melbourne this year confident in my own and my team's abilities.

Official results can be found here.

39 countries/teams brought female competitors to this first round World Cup:

Concentrating during the countdown. Bottom-->Top - Kim Geist, Lauren Tamayo, Dotsie Bausch:

Leading the team out on the start:

Lauren takes a pull:

And Dotsie her's:

Photos CJFoto

Thanks to our excellent staff for making the trip and competition smooth and low stress - Benjamin, James S., James G., Sam.

Melbourne World Cup

2010-11-26T20:46:00.003-05:00

Off to the races tomorrow to race for the USA in the women's team pursuit at the Melbourne World Cup. Race website: http://www.trackworldcup.com.au/ Looking forward to representing.

After the World Cup our team will return back to LA for a training camp before leaving directly for the next round of World Cups in Cali, Columbia on December 16-19. Catch up on last camp: http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=5692. I have also been selected for the third round of World Cups in Beijing...so the whirlwind tour continues! After that...TBD.

National Team Camp Round II - Chamois Time

2010-11-19T17:47:00.002-05:00

Today is Day 4 of 6 of training at our second round of training camps for the team pursuit. So far so good. We have had killer efforts, race simulation, and aerodynamics testing along with time spent riding on the road and in front of video studying technique and data. It's amazing the detail-oriented nature of track racing. Add to that stretching, massage, attempting to complete core/upper body strength training, eating, eating, eating...time goes by pretty quickly.

It's also amazing how quickly time spent in chamois can add up. After a few short calculations...so far we've got 21 hours of time spent in chamois. I calculate at least another 13 coming our way in the last two days of camp. That would be 34 hours in 6 days. This is good because, when asked today what my favorite thing is about Thanksgiving, my immediate reply was, "my stretchy pants."

National Team Camp - Round II

2010-11-11T10:47:00.002-05:00

I'm leaving on Monday for our second national team camp of the season. It will be final preparation for those of us going to the first World Cup. We'll be in LA for the week training on and off the track, back at our homes for a few days for Thanksgiving, then off to Australia. Update from camp.

http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=5658

Setting A Precedent

2010-11-05T09:21:00.001-04:00

It's been done - a double trainer session day.

The Time In-Between

2010-11-01T17:16:00.002-04:00

I'm back home from training camp. Things wrapped up well. We all made it through in one piece although by day seven of seven many of us had to go to our mind's own little special place to avoid falling to pieces! It may have been especially challenging as we had a full house of "spectators" who may have shown up because they heard a few world champions were going to be riding their bicycles around. Or, maybe it had something to do with an international taekwondo tournament going on in the infield of the track...either way, riding to a full house of screaming crazies and trash-talkers was probably good prep if we ever go to a United States-hostile country and they all show up to jeer at a bike race...

This time in-between camps and events is spent catching up on things and planning for the next trips. Next one up is in a little over two weeks, back to LA for another training camp leading into the first World Cup of the season. I'm sure the time will go by fast.

National Team Camp - A Few Words from our Fearless Leader

2010-10-20T18:49:00.004-04:00

Here are a couple short comments about the camp from USA Cycling's Benjamin Sharp: http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=5582

And updates from Benjamin: http://twitter.com/bensharp13

We're now at the halfway point of camp and still going strong with a good vibe. Today included a race simulation, USA vs. Canada. USA came out on top this time...lots more laps to come our way.

The Next Trip

2010-10-14T15:17:00.004-04:00

I will leave this weekend on my next trip which will not be unlike my last or my next. I am again traveling across country to LA, but this time to take part in a national team training camp aimed at developing the women's team pursuit. We will have training camps each month throughout this winter season. This first camp is the only one that will not directly preceed a World Cup. Our next one in November will be last selection and preparation for the first World Cup in Melbourne the first week in December. I have a feeling that with the traveling and focus on the big events, October and November are going to fly by...update before then of course!

2010 Elite National Pursuit Champion

2010-10-04T13:39:00.009-04:00

Cyclingnews Article, Results, and Photos: http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/usa-cycling-elite-track-championships-cn-1/day-3/results

USA Cycling Article, Results, & Photos: http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=5518

Valley Preferred Cycling Center Article: http://www.thevelodrome.com/featured/t-town-favorites-shine-at-elite-nationals/

Elite Track Nationals have now wrapped up and I am the new elite national pursuit champion. My goal going in was the fastest possible time that I could do on the day, and I am pleased with what I was able to accomplish. I am now looking forward to continuing to progress during the winter international season. I will be back in L.A. for a national team training camp in less than 2 weeks time!

I also competed in the points race at elite track nationals. Despite being heavily marked by my competitors, I was still able to complete a 3rd place finish. Cyclingnews.com Article: http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/usa-cycling-elite-track-championships-cn-1/day-4/results

(Photos Mike Gladu/Cyclingnews.com)

Thanks to all my supporters and sponsors who made the first step to even bigger goals a reality. My family (MOMMY!), friends, Team Alliance Environmental, Matt Diefenbach, Mike Baranoski, 24-7 Fitness Clubs, D2 Shoes, DeFeet, Beljum Budder, and of course the temporarily relocated T-Town crowd!

P.S. - This time it wasn't pastrami and donuts for the post-nationals binge. It was Mexican baked goods. Oh glorious, glorious Mexican baked goods!

Elite Track Nationals

2010-09-23T14:44:00.003-04:00

The latest news is that I am heading out to the Elite Track National Championships tomorrow. There is of course the racing, but also the other wonders of Carson, CA and day trip ventures around. Will this be the year to hit up the pastrami and donuts places? Only time will tell...the adventure of stop-light standing start practice will surely go down (way too much for my liking, that's for sure). But also some beach riding and hitting up the only place you can actually sorta ride, Palos Verdes. Maybe I'll check out the track while I'm there, too. I at least like the feeling of double disks ;). Reporting back on food, road riding, and yeah, a little double disking soon.

KimGeist.com Coaching - Continuing Winning Ways

2010-09-16T14:16:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to Lee Sobotkin who won the Ernie Simpson Memorial Time Trial this past weekend by almost 1 full minute over his nearest competitor in the category 4 field. Lee also posted a time that was 4th fastest among all the racing categories! Lee went on to win both premes in his state road race championship the following day in route to helping his teammate to the race victory, too!

Fan's Choice Award

2010-09-03T18:55:00.002-04:00

The Valley Preferred Cycling Center is running a Fan's Choice Award. Seems my Golden Wheel Race win is included on the list as a potential best race of 2010. What do the fans think?

Rider of the Year!

2010-08-28T18:48:00.003-04:00

Morning Call Article

I won the 2010 Rider of the Year at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center. Consistent summer season and a good sign of things to come. It was a very, very good year at the track this year for the women's field with national team and otherwise strong squads from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Netherlands...names galore. Record crowds made the racing fun. Only one rain delay was amazing, too!

The Master's

2010-08-17T11:21:00.006-04:00

Thanks to all who came out to the sports nutrition seminar. Attendance was solid, the discussion was great, and the food kept us all going!

One more paper concerning the seminar, one presentation and one manuscript concerning my research, and then done with my Master's! 8 days and counting...

Sports Nutrition for Cycling Seminar

2010-08-02T11:39:00.004-04:00

World Series of Bicycling - Keirin Cup, KimGeist.com Coaching Update

2010-07-27T17:40:00.006-04:00

No win for the Keirin Cup. Shucks ;) But I did win the other two races on Friday night at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center. Elimination and points race. Who'd a thunk? It's good to get the crowd involved. Thanks to everyone who's been coming out. It's been really good support so far this season.

AND...KimGeist.com Coaching athletes doing it again: Christine Fennessy continued on her winning streak this past weekend taking the Grandview Grand Prix and the Liberty Criterium. She refuses to finish the races with a "Victory V," so there are no pictures to share...and Phil Esempio continues to set personal records on the mountain biking scene, setting new benchmarks of 1 HOUR better than previous ones over 30 miles. Is this the same person???

Try the Track

2010-07-22T12:58:00.003-04:00

Click here to read a Morning Call article about the Try the Track program that I help coach. The next and last date for the season is September 12th.

World Series of Bicycling - Golden Wheel Race (WIN!)

2010-07-19T11:12:00.006-04:00

This past Friday was the Golden Wheel Race for the World Series of Bicycling at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center. I like to describe the wheel race (a handicap) as a pursuit with obstacles in the way. As long as the start positions are set up right, you have to go as hard as possible over the distance to catch the riders who have start positions in front of you and hold off the riders who have start positions behind you. It's a good race for me - going hard over a couple kilometers. I won the wheel race on the night: Aaron Gate, Ki m Geist Claim Golden Wheel Victories

Thanks to CyclingCaptured for the pictures:

Jr. Nats Recap

2010-07-14T08:07:00.003-04:00

Jr. Nats went well. The three younger age-group girls I was coaching through the championships did well. They had fun and racing from the front was a big step. It all starts with getting a good spot on the wall!:

It was also fun watching the kids I know in the older age groups. Go. Go! GOOOOO! Somebody had to tell them they had to go NOW or else...

Jr. Track Nats

2010-07-06T15:04:00.002-04:00

The Valley Preferred Cycling Center is hosting the junior national track championships this year starting on Thursday. Jr. nats is probably one of my favorite events. I have goosebumps already!

An Eventful Weekend - First Track Race of the Season & Success for KimGeist.com Coaching Athletes

2010-06-28T09:29:00.011-04:00

Pro Women– 15 lap Preme Race
Place	Bib #	Name	Team/Club	Omnium Points
1	1	Laura McCaughey	Salamander	7
2	35	Kimberly Geist	Alliance Environmental	5
3	14	Colleen Hayduk	Verducci	3
4	21	Colleen Gulick	Team Kenda	2
5	17	Elspeth Heuyett	Verducci	1
Pro Women– Super Sprint Elimination
Place	Bib #	Name	Team/Club	Omnium Points
1	1	Laura McCaughey	Salamander	7
2	30	Mary Costelloe	Verducci	5
3	14	Colleen Hayduk	Verducci	3
4	37	Lauren Ellis	Bike NZ	2
5	21	Colleen Gulick	Team Kenda	1
Pro Women– 20 lap Points Race
Place	Bib #	Name	Team/Club	Omnium Points
1	35	Kimberly Geist	Alliance Environmental	7
2	38	Jamie Nielson	Bike NZ	5
3	1	Laura McCaughey	Salamander	3
4	30	Mary Costelloe	Verducci	2
5	17	Elspeth Heuyett	Verducci	1
Pro Women– Omnium
Place	Bib #	Name	Team/Club	Omnium Points
1	1	Laura McCaughey	Salamander	17
2	35	Kimberly Geist	Alliance Environmental	12
3	30	Mary Costelloe	Verducci	7
4	14	Colleen Hayduk	Verducci	6
5	38	Jaime Nielsen	Bike NZ	5

First Track Race of the Season: Friday night was my first track race of the professional racing season at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center (following a warm-up race day earlier in the week with the men - fun!). According to my voodoo curse, my first miss-and-out (elimination) of the season was a complete disaster. But, I have that out of my system now...winning the points race on the night with sprint points and lapping the field was a good result as well as finishing second in the preme race and overall omnium even given the miss-and-out curse. Who knew a pursuiter could sprint on the track? Surprise!

Success for KimGeist.com Coaching Athletes: Sprinting prowess was not as much of a surprise coming from KimGeist.com Coaching athlete Christine Fennessy who sprinted to victories in both the Brownstown Road Race and the Fitness Park Criterium in the eastern portion of the U.S. this past weekend. Coached athlete Lauren Tracy also finished strong in these same races with top-1o placings as her very first races of the season.

A Little Time Off

2010-06-22T07:40:00.006-04:00

The past two weeks have been a change of pace. First, it was a little vacation and second it was coaching the USA Cycling Mid-Atlantic Regional Development Camp.

Vacation was at DOLLYWOOD. Yes, you read correctly. It's been a long time coming and I'm happy I finally got to go! Of course not all 3 days were spent in the park...Pigeon Forge, TN is happening! Some pics from Dollywood and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park:

No pics from camp just yet. We had 14 juniors and U23 riders attend this year (my second year coaching the camp and fifth being involved in some way - guest rider, speaker, etc.). The schedule is jam packed with rides, skill sessions, cross-training sessions, and presentations so it leaves all of us tired by the end of the week, but the campers definitely get an experience and I'm happy to be part of it. One of the highlights was spending more time on the track this year, culminating with a racing experience. It was great to hear the campers come off the track after their first races and say how much fun it was and that they couldn't wait until the next track race!

T-town Press Release

2010-06-06T07:03:00.000-04:00

It's June! And You Know What That Means -
Pro Racing Returns to T-town!

Can you believe there are just two weeks till the official start of our 35^th anniversary season and the return of the World Series of Bicycling professional race series? Yeah, neither can we - where did the year go?! - but boy, are we ready!

The world's fastest bike racers return to the Valley Preferred Cycling Center on June 18 for 10 Friday nights of international, Olympic-caliber racing kicked off by the Festival of Speed featuring the Artie Greenburg USA Cycling 10-Mile National Championship.

Among the international heavyweights headed for T-town are the New Zealand National Team - including the world record-setting women's pursuit team, junior World Champions Sam Webster and Ethan Mitchell and Kilo World Medalist Eddie Dawkins - Australian Laura McCaughey, popular Polish riders Lucas Kowalski and Kamil Kuczinski and Argentines Leandor "El Diablo" Bottasso and Denis Aleman. Italian Roberto Chiappa will also return for a limited engagement.

Getting here is the easy part - once they arrive, there will be a platoon of top Americans waiting to take them on for cycling glory, including Olympian Bobby Lea and local favorites like Lanelle Rockmore, Shane Kline, Jackie Simes, Colleen Hayduk, Theresa Cliff-Ryan and Kim Geist. Other national riders racing at T-town this summer include David Espinosa and Iggy Silva, the national Madison champion who rides for Lance Armstrong's Trek Livestrong team.

Don't forget -- Come early to enjoy the new 2010 Happy Hour Mayfair Music Series presented by the Lehigh Valley Grand Prix, which features live music performed by top local entertainers from 5:30 to 7 p.m., drink specials from Michelob Ultra and other popular beers, the tasty all-organic concessions at our new Breakaway Café and a plaza full of fun activities for children and adults.

Gates open at 5:30, racing starts 7:30. Be there!

Somerville is a comin'

2010-05-28T09:14:00.000-04:00

And the women are making the headlines.

Practical Advise

2010-05-27T18:13:00.002-04:00

If you fear you are suffering heat stroke after a 90 degree, humid ride in May consume ice cream and popsicles while you place your head in the freezer. Use a bag of frozen fruit as an ice pack for your forehead.

Shiny and New

2010-05-20T10:48:00.004-04:00

They're so shiny and new. Thank-you D2!

And no that did not rhyme. It's pronounced "D-squared"!

HEAVEN

2010-05-13T19:32:00.004-04:00

Yes, the Bear Mountain Road Race is this weekend, but more importantly: HEAVEN. My plan is to not eat anything before, during, or immediately after the race. I may just not eat the second half of Saturday, either.

Rings of Fire

2010-05-06T14:48:00.003-04:00

The qualification system for the 2012 Olympics has been released today. Let the flaming rings of fire be lit so I can jump through them.

A Welcome to Beljum Budder!

2010-05-02T17:55:00.005-04:00

I am happy to announce the addition of Beljum Budder as a personal sponsor for the 2010 race season!
I have been using Beljum Budder as my exclusive chamois creme since a pro team sponsorship back in 2007 introduced me to the product. The official partnership now is a no-brainer.

Beljum does its job of providing chafing protection incredibly well, but also has additional benefits that prove that not all chamois cremes are created alike:

- Paraben Free
- Petroleum Free
- Fragrance Free
- Non-Staining
- Non-Greasy
- Anti-bacterial
- Vitamins A, D, & E
- All Natural

Personal Podiums and Another Podium for KimGeist.com Coaching

2010-04-21T06:54:00.007-04:00

Personal Podiums: This past weekend I competed in two races in Pennsylvania, the SoYoCo Circuit Race and the Lower Providence Criterium.

I managed my first personal win of the season during my first women's race of the season at SoYoCo which turned out to be held on a brutally windy and cold day. That didn't stop me from attacking solo, though - twice! Each time the attack lessened the field as there was a forced chase for several miles, but I did ultimately get brought back from both. A last-lap drive at the front with help from a handful of other strong riders finally shattered the field for good and allowed me to come into the finish with just one other rider. Win!

At Lower Providence I was heavily marked by many of the teams present with numbers. The field allowed three riders to go clear early in the race but kept them within sight for the duration. I tried several times to bridge across without bringing the field up, but these attempts were to no avail. The strongest and most organized team in the field, who had a team member up the road, was having none of that! With just 4 laps to go, however, a member of this team attempted to bridge up and allowed me the perfect opportunity to also bridge as the chase was somewhat nullified. After quickly assessing that the two of us were not going to get across in time sharing the pulls, I decided to put the hammer down and drill it as hard as possible to finally close the gap. We were together with exactly one to go! I ended up finishing second. Good times - after also competing in the men's race immediately prior to and all but destroying myself to close the gap to the break at the end second is a good day's work.

KimGeist.com Coaching Podium: This past weekend coached athlete Phil Esempio also competed, but on the mountain bike. Phil rode an excellent race to finish on the 3rd spot on the podium at the Danville Tour de Tykes in PA in the Clydesdale category. Phil also had an excellent showing the previous weekend at the Fair Hill mountain bike race where he took 10 minutes off each of his two lap times from last year in a total 15-mile race! Excellent!

Happy Feet!

2010-04-15T12:53:00.003-04:00

Thanks again, DeFeet! Happy feet!

KimGeist.com Coaching at the Route 29 Time Trial

2010-04-09T14:17:00.003-04:00

KimGeist.com Coaching is sponsoring in Frenchtown, NJ this weekend for the first in a series of the Route 29 Time Trial. Come out, race, and visit the stand to pick up some promotional goodies!

Event Calendar

2010-04-07T15:47:00.001-04:00

Check out the newly updated event calendar on KimGeist.com. Events through March 2011! Check back often for continuing updates.

Air Products Program

2010-04-03T18:14:00.003-04:00

Hey, I made the description of the Air Products Program at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center as a graduate and "current champion." If you come out, I may just be your coach! It really is an awesome program. It is free to kids and there is just a small fee to adults. So, no really, you should come out. I'm serious.

Track Cycling Technology

2010-03-29T08:15:00.002-04:00

It is interesting to see this article come out just now. Just the other day I was spending a wet/cold/windy day inside on the trainer and had the pleasure of watching a videotape of the 1995 World Track Cycling Championships. One of biggest things to stand out to me was the difference in equipment between then and now. It seemed that in the sprint events the relative difference in times were not that great over the years' difference, and when you look at it, the equipment advances for sprinters have really not been that great. The really big differences in relative times were in the endurance events, and upon more thoughts on this, the latest advances in technology really have all been geared towards endurance events. Rebecca Twigg set a new world record of a 3:36 time in the women's 3k pursuit in '95, but today the world record is a 3:24! How much of this can be attributed to the equipment, developed by Great Britain as mentioned in the article, and how much can actually be contributed to the rider? Take into account that in '95 the riders were riding under 10 second 200-meter time trials that are on par with what is still being ridden today. Interesting thoughts.

Speaking of the World Championships - Congratulations to Sarah Hammer and Taylor Phinney for their wins! And, we can't forget about our friends up north - Congrats to Canadian Tara Whitten for becoming 2x World Champ! Very inspiring to watch. What is the latest with me? That's pretty much it. Watching Worlds and spending some wet/cold/windy days inside (but there is much hope for the future as says the weather forecast!).

First Season Win for KimGeist.com Coaching!

2010-03-22T08:15:00.004-04:00

Coached athlete Nick Bennette stood atop the podium early in the season this past weekend at the third stop of the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference's road racing season. Nick, representing Princeton, won the Men's A Schuylkill Scrambler Circuit Race of the Philly Phyler race weekend. With room to spare:

Click here for a recap of the race from the ECCC.

What's Everybody Else Doing?

2010-03-17T11:03:00.002-04:00

My mom has always told me not to worry about what everybody else is doing. For the most part, I agree with this. Every once in a while, though, it's worth a look to see just what is going down. Some of the things Great Britain is doing on the track are worth looking at! I'm constantly reading the latest research on exercise physiology, nutrition, etc., but how to best apply this knowledge is often the challenge. It is interesting to see how others apply it. The section of this article on how training for the team pursuit is becoming more of a sprint oriented training program in the GB training camp as compared to the older methods of training is particularly of interest. Glad to see our applications are in agreement on this one...

First Race Weekend and Already a Podium for KimGeist.com Coaching Athletes

2010-03-08T09:58:00.005-05:00

This past weekend was the opening weekend for cycling in the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions and KimGeist.com Coaching rider Nick Bennette already landed a spot on the podium. Nick placed third, representing Princeton University, in the tightly contested time trial in the Men's A category of the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference's Rutgers Frozen-Toed Season Opener. Nick finished not even five seconds off the win out of 53 starters. A great way to start off the season!

Bike Travel Reminisce

2010-03-02T07:30:00.001-05:00

I had to laugh a little when I read an article about traveling with your bikes. I haven't traveled in a while (there aren't too many places to go while you're sidelined with a bum knee) and it was good to reminisce of the joys of traveling with bikes. I guess I miss the thrill of confrontation. I'm not getting any right now being off the bike (there's always drama around bike racers!). For me, it's not enough to simply tell the airline their own policy regarding flying with bikes, I now take the most up-to-date printed policy out of my binder for the certain airline I am flying and show the proof. Does it work? Hell no. You pay or your bike doesn't go. After reading this article, I am curious why I was charged $300 one-way one time to fly domestically when the article states the cap is $175 for domestic, or $250 for international. Oh, that's right, because the "policy of the day" was to charge because it was a bike, because it was oversize, and because it was overweight. There might have been a little extra tagged on there because I was getting grouchy about it. Who knows? I think I should at least have demanded a discount for the use of my bike case as a seat for the 300-lb. + man who was taking a break on it instead of loading it onto the plane.

Hmmm...I must be pretty desperate for bike riding. I'm writing about bikes and airlines; scary.

Pretty Tough - Blog Post

2010-02-15T18:00:00.000-05:00

My lastest blog post to PrettyTough.com can be found here.

Valley Preferred Cycling Center - Come Check It Out!

2010-02-11T17:03:00.004-05:00

The Valley Preferred Cycling Center released today the racing schedule for this upcoming season. I was really impressed with the promotional video that was also released. This is what T-Town is all about! Be sure to come check it out this summer.

DeFeet Socks to Support Haiti

2010-01-31T18:55:00.002-05:00

DeFeet, one of my gracious sponsors, is offering a "Help Haiti" Aireator sock. All proceeds will be donated to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. Check it out at: http://www.defeet.com/product.php?id=441

KimGeist.com Coaching Now on Skype!

2010-01-28T19:17:00.003-05:00

KimGeist.com Coaching has brought a new form of communication to long-distance coaching. Skype!

Skype is a way of making calls with (or without) real-time video across the internet. It is FREE and offers a way to communicate "in-person" while actually being in different locations.

KimGeist.com Coaching athletes now have just another way to take advantage of the unlimited coach/athlete communication offered through the coaching programs.

Take Two

2010-01-27T11:55:00.004-05:00

This past week I was working on updating my strength and conditioning video library for instructional use with those athletes I coach. This went smoothly with only a few exercises requiring extra takes. I came back to one attempt the last time I updated my library in the summer that required more than one take...the pike jump is a very difficult plyometric exercise. I am demonstrating in this video how to safely save yourself from a pike jump gone bad. Well, it turned out to be that kind of video, anyway. Tuck and roll!

Vote for Sarah Hammer

2010-01-17T15:22:00.004-05:00

My fellow trackie Sarah had two great rides in last month's track World Cup in Cali, Columbia. You can vote for her as USOC Athlete of the Month for December here (quickly, voting closes tomorrow!):

http://twtpoll.com/nnuwgc

The Derby

2010-01-12T07:24:00.006-05:00

One great thing about living in the Lehigh Valley of PA is there's a group ride every day of the week. Even in the middle of winter there is at least one group to spin along or suffer with. The Derby is the local legend of training rides. It's 2/3 stroll in the countryside, 1/3 full-on race. It leaves every Sunday year-round like clock work from the Valley Preferred Cycling Center (since 1976 is it?) and every Wednesday night when the time says we have daylight to play in. The Derby is the weekly world championships. I mean, it gets its name capitalized and everything.

The Derby is so popular, it even gets photographed by professional photographers.

This past weekend was COLD and the wind made it feel worse. On Saturday I made my way out into the wind to the track to meet up with the 10 o'clock group ride. It was 7 degrees with the wind chill, but if there's going to be a ride that's going out, it will be the 10 o'clock ride. It's a bunch of professionals and elite amateurs who are Type A about their training schedules and a bunch of other strong riders who suffer cabin fever behind a desk during the week and need to get out in the fresh air at least once a week to keep sane. To say the least, I was surprised when 5 after 10 rolled around and I was the only warm (relatively speaking) body rolling around the parking lot.

So, when the sun came up on Sunday morning and the temperature was a few degrees colder and the wind was a couple miles per hour stronger than on Saturday, I made an educated guess that the Derby would not go. It would be a day of mourning. But, I suffered a surprise on Monday when meeting one of the weekday group rides; the Derby did go. The epic stories were a flying. Damn. I hate missing the epic ones. Selene Yeager, the Fit Chick for Bicycling Magazine, went and wrote this bit about Sunday's Derby: http://bicycling.com/blogs/fitchick/2010/01/11/feelin-the-oats/

Until next time, Derby!

Winter Base

2009-12-30T14:53:00.004-05:00

The latest report has been getting the word that the USA will only be sending males to the last track World Cup competition, thus shortening my season rather abruptly. It's interesting that I ended my season this year two months before it really even started last year! I have always been of the mindset that you have to earn your way to big events. I get parents of juniors asking me about junior world qualifications all the time and it's sometimes hard to be the realist; if your son or daughter does not ride his or her bike fast, absolutely nothing is owed. You don't deserve anything handed to you unless you show you deserve it. So, although I'm more than bummed that my season went the way it did, I am responsible and have to show who I am at the next opportunity. Would knowing what events there are and what the overall plan for those events would be in a timely manner ahead of time help the situation? Of course...

For now I'm enjoying some out of the ordinary training for a track racer at this time of year. Base miles! I love going out and riding my bike for a long time in the winter simply just to go out and ride my bike for a long time. With a personal limit of 5 degrees Fahrenheit, I can ride just about everyday in PA as long as there's not too much snow and/or ice to dodge. It's been good catching up with friends, hitting new roads, and getting the time in. I also find joy in spending more kcals in "activities" (a.k.a. bike riding) than is required for simply living during the day:

Where do I put it all? That's where...

Rodale

2009-12-22T10:10:00.001-05:00

I wouldn't be riding without the Rodale family. RIP Ardath Rodale: 1928-2009

It's Official. The Individual Pursuit has Died.

2009-12-10T16:45:00.002-05:00

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ioc-turns-track-events-upside-down

I'm excited the team pursuit is in the Olympics. I am happy there is finally gender equality in Olympic track cycling. There's just something about messing with historic events that does not sit right. It leaves us to wonder how this will affect the overall nature of competition within the pursuit, points race, and madison at the level of the world championships. We have seen what the removal of the 500-meter and the kilometer did...we are truly watching history being written today.

News in the Valley

2009-12-05T19:11:00.003-05:00

Most importantly - I rode my bike in the snow today. It was glorious.

Next in line of importance - Since I'm home in the Lehigh Valley it's worthy of a totally unrelated to bikes side-note mention that Pres. Obama came to visit Allentown yesterday. It's good and all, but the common gripe throughout the Valley was that he was tying up traffic. Classic. I actually was stuck in traffic the cops had stopped when his car and the security parade came by in the other direction. If anyone wanted to commit a crime in Pennsylvania I think it would have been a good opportunity to get it done yesterday since it seemed all the state troopers were in Allentown. And it was probably a bad day to have a medical emergency. Need a MediVac? Sorry, it's following the President around for the day. The best part of the visit had to be his visit to the Hamilton Family Diner, affectionately known as the "Ham Fam." Former presidents seem to have better taste; Clinton visited the Charcoal Diner, Bush visited the Hometown Diner. I wouldn't venture to order meat at the Ham Fam, but the Pres. apparently ordered a cheeseburger as the elderly who camped out there overnight to get a chance to complain to him gawked in awe. I hope Mr. Obama ordered his burger well done and is feeling okay today. Good he got out before the snow! Maybe a visit to the Emmaus Diner is in order for the next president.

PrettyTough.com - Blog Entry

2009-11-29T13:18:00.002-05:00

Here's my latest post on PrettyTough.com covering the recent camps and World Cups: http://www.prettytough.com/win-or-lose-it%e2%80%99s-all-in-the-details/

Melbourne World Cup

2009-11-23T17:53:00.010-05:00

I am now back home after racing the Melbourne World Cup this past week, the second stop on the World Cup circuit. I'm very glad to be back. The trip home was entirely too long. Being in the very last row on a 15 hour flight is not a good place to be. You will not sleep. On the bright side, you will have some entertainment. Just the little extra room in the aisle for the lavatories at the back row will bring back the Japanese man doing plyometrics and yoga, the Rabbi doing his morning prayers, and the group having the heated discussion on why cabin air is dry (it's the altitude, no it's the fact that it's recycled, no...). All very entertaining. 34 total hours of awake-ness in traveling. Superb. United (enough said) will also run out of meals by the time they get to you. You'll have the additional entertainment factor of trying to figure out what the "special" egg meal is they dug up for you. I was about this close to taking a picture of the green concoction. I'll eat just about anything, but I just couldn't finish off this mystery. I did take a picture of my real Australian food adventure:

As usual I got to see next to none of Australia while there racing the World Cup. I was disappointed to find we were staying in a very much urban setting and the track was only 2 km away, so there wasn't a chance to happen upon a random koala or kangaroo on the trip to and from. Eating kangaroo jerky was as touristy as it got.

The racing itself was equally as disappointing as not seeing my koala. With a slow track during the Day 1 morning session I essentially rode an equal time in the individual pursuit as in Manchester last month and a last minute decision on the team tactics for the team pursuit lead to destruction of our team. Pssshhhooo. A tough one for sure. With the work we put into the team pursuit at camp last weak, it was a heart breaker.

So now it's time for reevaluation and moving on again. It's the same way if things go well or not so well, really. I'm not sure what the next stage brings for me yet, but I'll be enjoying myself with some quality time at home at the very least.

LA to Melbourne with a Look Back at Manchester

2009-11-09T07:41:00.003-05:00

I'm leaving for LA tomorrow for another USA Cycling training camp, this time to get ready for the Melbourne World Cup that starts on the 19th. I'll be riding the individual and team pursuits there.

I found the television coverage of the Manchester World Cup from both pursuits. The resetting of the world team pursuit record is something to behold:

http://www.youtube.com/user/CyclingDonne#p/u/0/WiUaMt6CYRs

Manchester World Cup

2009-11-02T12:17:00.005-05:00

The caption for this cyclingnews.com pic says that I am unfortunate to be facing Wendy Houvenaghel (GB) in the qualifying round of the womens individual 3,000m pursuit. I don't know. I don't think it's all that appropriate a caption. I mean, the qualification round really has very little to do with who you are riding against. I think a more appropriate caption may include something like impending doom. Something along those lines.

I didn't expect to really stay away from her, but I was expecting to ride a touch faster than I did and place better overall, so not the best of rides for me in Manchester. It's just one race, though. I haven't raced this level this early in the season and there are plenty of bike riding ideas rattling around, so it's just time to turn to the next page and see what's there.

One thing that was awesome about Manchester, though, were the crowds. Those Brits really love their track cycling. It was really good to see how much fun and entertainment spectators can get out of our sport. I could tell how close Wendy was getting to me during the ride by how loud the crowd was getting...I couldn't hear my coach at all when the catch was about to happen.

I have got just a little over a week at home and then I'm shipping out to LA again for a USA Cycling training camp to prepare for my next stop - the Melbourne World Cup. I have wanted to get myself to Australia for so long, I'm pretty jazzed about going there. If it's anything like a usual World Cup, I won't be seeing much of where I actually am, though. In, race, and out is how it usually goes. So, if the koala bears and kangaroos could make there way to the road between the hotel and the velodrome so I could see them, that would be greatly appreciated.

There's not a lot of time to prepare between now and then, but I have full plans on throwing the hammer down in training so I can more effectively buzz by somebody in qualifying.

Next on the Tube - Manchester

2009-10-22T10:47:00.003-04:00

Got in from track camp yesterday. I've surely got a lot of travel ahead of me, the run to LA and back being a route I will travel much. I am on a roll seeing famous people either at LAX or to and from, but I'm awful with names and describing who they are probably won't work...You know, that guy from Gary Unmarried. The tall therapist guy. He was on Opra once? The only person I actually know the name of is Eva Longoria. That was a while back though, but her sly disguise didn't fool me. If you want an insiders look into track camp, visit Austin Carroll's video blog: http://iamaustincarroll.wordpress.com/. It's a look into anything except the riding. Oh, and from the boys' point of view...And here's USA Cycling's little snippet on the goings on: http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=4508

The boys at camp were mostly getting ready for some of the 6-Days coming up except Holloway who will be joining me in Manchester for the first round of the World Cups. I'll be throwing it all into one race this time, just the individual pursuit. It should be a good time. I haven't been to Manchester yet, but I hear it's the best World Cup as far as the competition goes (it's the easiest travel of the year for most) and as far as spectators go. I was on the website just a little while ago and tickets are all sold out and they've moved on to selling standing room tickets. It's going to be awesome. Oh, and it's going to be broadcast live on BBC2 and on the BBC website.

So, home until Tuesday and then traveling over the pond. In the meantime I will be looking forward to good road riding at home in PA. I'm sick of looking at power files that look like a standing start workout from stopping and starting at all the red lights. I also dusted my bike off after unpacking it this morning. My bike was dusty. Seriously? Amen for whole rides never having to stop once. And amen for real dirt.

Pastrami and Doughnuts Again

2009-10-13T09:28:00.003-04:00

It is back to the land of pastrami and doughnuts again tomorrow. Carson (just outside of LA), CA has some of the craziest fast-food restaurants. There seems to be one on each corner that has burritos, burgers...and pastrami. Are there really Mexican Jews? Or, they'll have burgers, pastrami...and doughnuts. I mean, pastrami? Doughnuts? There is a large Asian population in Carson. I can always get my fix of various sweet bean desserts quite easily, but I haven't yet seen Asian desserts and pastrami. I'm sure it's out there somewhere but I haven't quite come across it yet. If anyone knows where I can find it, I would love to hit it up. I am branching out now that my favorite Mexican (without pastrami) fast-food restaurant is now, I am holding back tears here, a pit. El Charro is the type of restaurant only Mexicans go to (and one pasty white girl) with bars on the windows and all and is - was - unbelievably good. Carnitas are gone and a big ol' ditch of dirt is in its place. The world isn't fair.

Anyway, I digress. I'm heading out to Carson for another USA Cycling prep track camp. There won't be too much of a food tour going on as I will be spending most of my free time in hard core rest. That means the easiest food choices will be made as to not waste any more energy than necessary. If an Asian dessert/pastrami place pops up on my radar, though...lets just say I did walk 2 miles to get to an In-And-Out Burger one time at track camp...

Vertical Stripes are Your Friend

2009-10-03T10:40:00.008-04:00

In addition to supposedly being rather slimming, vertical stripes are nice to have in the cycling wardrobe, too. And to have an asterisk behind that saying there's a national record attached to those stripes is even nicer! On Thursday Sarah Hammer, Dotsie Bauch and I set the new national women's team pursuit record enroute to the overall win. It was really an honor to be riding with these two, and it was a great way to start off the Elite national championships.

A little of the press:

Cyclingnews

USA Cycling

I'm really looking forward to doing this again. Although we covered them well, there were some kinks to work out. All in all, though, it was a potentially world medal winning time, so definitely not bad for our first attempt. The really crazy thing is Sarah went considerably faster than our team in her own individual pursuit last night. So...yeah, good things to come!

Last night's individual pursuit was more than a bit of a struggle for me. We've figured out some areas behind the scenes that need to be fixed so they don't happen at important events, again. Frustrating, yes, but it is good to get to the root of the problem and fix it good. I was 4th in the individual pursuit (and espoir champion in my last year in the category) with a time that was much less than we're all aware I am capable of doing.

I'm happy everything is over now. Time for a few vacation days before getting back to it to prepare for the next event. I'm heading down to San Diego today for said vacation day. It was my favorite place ever when I was 12 and I still sorta hold that. We'll see if my tastes have changed at all in 10 years ;).

Haven't Had Horizontal Stripes in a While

2009-09-30T13:59:00.002-04:00

If you're puzzled by the title, collegiate national champions get horizontal stripes on their jerseys.

http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=4452

Somebody asked, so I counted the other day and I've got 26, regardless of stripe orientation. More importantly, though, number 26 was a good warm-up event for the next one up. Hopefully tomorrow will be a vertical stripe day - elite nationals!

Twice a Bridesmaid + & Upcoming Events

2009-09-20T08:34:00.013-04:00

Twice a Bridesmaid: Lets start with last weekend. Last Sunday I traveled up to New York to race in the Nancy Morgenstern Memorial Bear Mountain Road Race. I haven't done a road race of any sorts since May when I was doing the collegiate race scene. Choosing to do a race that has the word "mountain" in it usually demonstrates a brief lack of judgement on my part, but I do really like Bear Mountain, which is one of the biggest regional races in the area and one with a great history.

The course is tough for sure, but for some reason I have had good races here (I think it may have been the motivational factor that if I just got up that &$^% mountain one more time, I would be treated to a superb downhill finish! Not any more, though; for the first time the downhill finish is now run in the other direction...). I raced it once before with the women's field and finished second. That day I couldn't see the line in super foggy conditions and that had resulted in starting my sprint for the line out of the break way too early and just getting pipped when the line did happen to appear underneath our wheels. Then one year I raced the race in the men's field for even more climbing fun and enjoyment. That was the year I was racing for TEAm Lipton and was prepping for a season of bigtime NRC road racing (there's a spring edition of Bear Mountain every year, too). Then this year I finished second again in the women's field. Twice a bridesmaid! This year was probably my best deserved of the two second places, though, with an uphill sprint and taking into consideration I have been exclusively training for the track all year. I did win the sprint from the break this time, it was just that their was already a woman off the front :).

Read the article from Bear Mountain here: http://www.crca.net/2009/09/fall-bear-mountain/ Yes, the winner received a jersey and her name engraved on the cup with previous winners. But, I did receive peanut butter. I do love peanut butter.

The + Part: Right after the race last Sunday I gunned it back to the Valley Preferred Cycling Center to help coach the Women on Track introductory clinic. I love getting new people involved in track riding as the velodrome is really a gem of our area. The day was surely tiring for me after the race, but it was well worth it. The women had a lot of fun and got a lot out of their afternoon on the track I think. I'm hoping to see them all out again next track season. Some photos from the day (check out the watermark, too, and have a looksee at Taylor's other photos at her website):

Upcoming Events:

Next up on my schedule are the Collegiate National Track Championships right here at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center this week. I will be using the convenience of the location of the races to represent Northeastern University and race the women's individual pursuit as a warm-up event for elite nationals. Speaking of which, the Elite National Track Championships are my next stop right after. I will be leaving for LA on Saturday and will race there next week. Look out, it's going to be some good racing coming up.