Carey Lowery 1st at Ouachita Challenge 80 miler

She's already rockin it this season...congrats, again!

SEE-ME Expo April 4 in Atlanta, GA

Stop by our booth at the 2009 Southeast Endurance Multisport Expo

Bike Fit Tennessee

We will be venturing into TN for bike fits on April 9. If there is enough demand, we can add April 8, as well. Fits will be done at The Outdoor Store in Athens, TN....home of one of our favorite clients, Carey Lowery. Contact us to make your appointment today.

Out and about on the interweb

55nine is now on



and



so join our group, become a fan, or just follow along...see you out there!

Krista Park wins US Cup West #1

photo credit: Todd Park

Congratulations!

Tundra TT Results

Cat III Men
Adam Handler- 6th (~1 minute faster than 2008!)
Graham Swift- 10th

Cat IV Men
Shannon Wredge- 10th

Cat V Men
Eddie O'Dea- 8th

Cat IV Women
Namrita O'Dea- 9th

Juniors
Sam Tomaka- 7th

Tundra Time Trial report by Eddie O'Dea

The first race is over. It’s good that it was a short fast race that has not real bearing on my season other than some practice at getting there and going through the process of getting psyched up to kill it for 20 some minutes. After watching the TofC today, I think the Levi approach to getting into the moment will be incorporated into the next TT. Today, I just loaded up on a few cups of 53×11 coffee. We arrived with just enough time to pedal a few time, pee and toe the line. I actually timed it just right with about 1.5 minutes until my start and Namrita was starting just in front of me. I had the full TT set up



…TT frame, full disc wheels and the helmet all via AVX Bikes. I only had two rides on the thing, but I felt great as I cranked it up down the opening stretch. The course was an out and back on a rail to trail (aka old rail bed), so the hills were less than 4% and no turns except for the turn around 4.85 miles out. My starting plan was to hit my tempo heart rate and hold it until the turn around and then peg it at or above LT until I either finished or died trying. That went right out the door as I pegged 160 bpm (higher than LT for me) within the first minute. I decided to try to hold the effort rather than slow down. This would either result in an impressive time or I would fade like a Fourth of July spectacle. I passed a number of riders in the first half as I concentrated on my form rather than the heart rate I was hitting. Knees over toes, stack the bone and make more power. Pedaling in beautifully smooth ovals as I used every muscle in my hip to drive those pedals over 360*…over and over again. Choke up on the aerobar on the flats, slide back on the climbs, keep the upper body relaxed, and the head out of the wind. So much to think about, but its better to concentrate on these things than the burning in my legs & lungs. I made the 180* turn around cautiously on the wet concrete and came back up to speed as quickly as possible. The return was shorter & faster than the way out due to a slight descent. I pushed hard couple of number of times, but kept my effort in check as I did not want to blow it this far in. As I crossed the last intersection leading the last little rise I jumped on it, then back off because I didn’t think I could hold it another 600-800 meters to the line while climbing (even if it was slight). My HR was still 160 and I figured it was be silly to blow it on that hill with a flat run to tho the finish. I rose over the top only to see the finish line closer than I expected…..should have gone harder up the last bit, but too late now. I put my head down and buried myself in oxygen debt. 23:04 for 9.5 miles. Not too shabby for my first TT in 6 years. I really enjoyed the effort and will definitely do it again and spend some time refining my effort, bike set up and technique. I’ll be working with Tom Coleman of Wobble Naught in a few weeks at the Kenda Pro Team camp and will see if I can work in a few minutes to review my TT technique….Andy Applegate will be there too. He took second over all at the Tundra TT last year and has a bunch of TT championships to his name. I will of course be able to share this info with my 55nine clients as well.

Southern Cross presented by BH Bikes

THANK YOU TO:

The sponsors:

BH Bikes
Crankbrothers
Bear Creek Bikes in Dalton, GA
Mulberry Gap Mountain Bike Getaway
53x11 coffee
Yazoo Beer
BikeCX
Swiftwick socks
55nine Performance
Raxter racks
Sudstress
The Gear Revival
PowerBar
Tifosi Optics

The volunteers

The racers

...and Mulberry Gap for hosting the event!

Cyclingnews report is here

Pictures can be found at:
Faster Mustache by Kurt Rampton
Pics by Bob Donlan
Namrita's facebook- Album 1
Namrita's facebook- Album 2
Finish Line Pics by Maria

If you have pictures from the race that you would like to share, please email them to me and I'll post the link.

Blog write-ups can be found at:

Carey Lowery
The Marsupial (also known as the Yazoo beer guy, Swiftwick sock guy, and fast singlespeeder)
Charles
Andrea Wilson
Ryan Bosio
Faster Mustache

Congrats to Mary Ellen Mattison, one of our great volunteers, for winning the RAXTER Bike Rack Raffle!

Results, pics, etc. will also be posted to the race website.

Oh, one last thing. If you were a part of the inaugural event and want to be kept informed of the next running of Southern X, join the Facebook group here.

Scott Rigsby Interview

Scott Rigsby, a 55nine Performance client, is one of the most dedicated athletes out there. Read this interview with Scott, the double-amputee IRONMAN.

In the interview, Scott says,

"I have been the tip of the sword in term of double amputees and what can be done in our sport. Hopefully, my failures and setbacks can be use to help others like me be more successful. I am currently riding a bike that is about 3 sizes to small. I have been working with Eddie O'Dea of 55nine Performance on my bike fit and cycling technique. He has worked with me to setup my bike optimally using the Wobble-Naught fit system and quantified the setup based on my skeletal and prosthetic measurements. This has to be refined every time my prosthetics change. We are using the Dartfish video analysis to constantly work on my form and technique which has resulted in more comfort and some of my best bike splits to date. There have been some major challenges with getting into an aero position mostly due to balance or lack there of, so we are still working in that area. I am seeking a bike sponsor for 2009 season that could work with us so that we can progress to a stable aero position."

For the full interview, go to slowtwitch.com

Southeastern seminar to focus on women's endurance sports

Atlanta, GA. (January 9, 2009) - Following the lead of USA Cycling's Enhancing Women's Leadership in Cycling seminar is a new seminar coming to Atlanta, GA on February 7, 2009. Presented by USA Cycling, USA Triathlon, Georgia State University, and 55nine Performance, Enhancing Women's Leadership and Performance in Endurance Sports aims to educate and empower women and those that work with women on how best to enhance participation, leadership, and performance in endurance sports (running, cycling, triathlon). The intended audience is male and female coaches and trainers that work with women athletes, club directors, event organizers, and the women athletes themselves.

"The Leadership seminar offers women a great chance to learn and also develop contacts with other coaches and endurance enthusiasts. The presenters are top notch and should increase the knowledge of the participants. USA Cycling appreciates the efforts of the organizers in bringing together women interested in promoting cycling," says Sam Callan, USA Cycling's coaching and education manager.

The previous women's leadership clinic, brainchild of Kristen Dieffenbach, assistant professor of athletic coaching education at Western Virginia University and Lynda Ransdell, professor and chair of kinesiology at Boise State University, saw 32 female leaders from all levels of cycling converge to share experiences and resources. The pair, along with Sam Callan, used the session to help empower more women to enhance the sport of cycling and to get out and do something in their own communities. Namrita O'Dea of 55nine Performance in Atlanta, GA, is joining with Kristen Dieffenbach to bring the same type of education and empowerment to endurance coaches, trainers, and women athletes in the Southeastern US. "Cycling has a rich history of empowering women. I am very excited about the growing energy in the world of women's endurance sports and all the wonderful things that are being done to provide education and networking in the field. The Enhancing Women's Leadership and Performance in Endurance Sports conference will provide an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in working with women and enhancing the area of women's endurance sports," states Dieffenbach.

Topics will include Sport Physiology and Training Female Endurance Athletes, Sports Nutrition and its Current Issues in Female Athletes, Sport Psychology, and an Elite Athlete discussion panel with leaders such as Donna Garcia, Tina Pic, and Stephanie Herbst-Lucke. Michael Engleman of the USWCDP will also be present as a panelist. "Most women athletes come into cycling on an entire different path then the men as so many of the athletes we work with came from other sports. They also are very educated so it takes a special approach and relationship to work with women athletes who are postponing working careers with real incomes to try and reach the most Elite levels in a sport where the monetary reward will never be high. It is the same work ethic and drive to be the best as the men, it is just that women find different driving forces. It is important as coaches and support staff that we understand those compromises," he said.

The seminar will also count for Continuing Education hours (CEUs) for both USA Cycling and USA Triathlon coaches. Registration is online at www.bikereg.com