A weekend in Florida

This post was written for Specialized. See the original post here.

Well, it’s definitely no secret that my Camber and I have become quite the pair. My boyfriend and I have even started making a tiny course to practice on in our backyard AND I signed up for a Women’s Downhill Camp that’s happening in July. I pretty much jumped in with both feet to say the least. I’m still SO incredibly new, but very set on learning. 

This past weekend we took a trip to Destin for a little beach vacation and while we were there we thought we would visit a local MTB trail. We reached out for suggestions on social media, found the address of a trail near by, packed up our stuff, and headed out. The trail head had no map of the trail system, but plenty of bear warnings. As we’re riding along I’m thinking to myself how flat it is, no one would need anything more than a CX bike out here, easiest trail ever, so and so on and then BAM I over correct and throw myself into a tree. Just goes to show you that you can literally fall anywhere so use this as my friendly reminder to wear a helmet while riding. Regardless of the tiny scratches (and slightly hurt ego) I ended up with, we had fun, explored through the path of palm trees, admired the crazy amount of white moss, and of course stopped to take photos.

We finished the ride, stopped for acai bowls, and ended our day playing in the ocean while enjoying Floridas white sandy beaches. Bikes, food, and the beach - I’d say this is one of my favorite ways to spend a day. 

Meet my new Specialized Camber

*This post was written for Specialized. See the original post here.

Meet my new beauty - the Specialized Women’s Camber, but first let me give you a little back story as this was not an overnight decision.

Nearly a year ago I felt some major and loving peer pressure to get a mountain bike. Considering my first experience prior to that was awful, I wasn’t too keen on getting back on one, much less buying my own. Unfortunately I made the mistake of borrowing a bike much too big for me, slammed my lady bits on it within the first five minutes, and felt as if I was going to fall off at any point. Let’s just say I was not one with that bike and because of this experience I thought I hated mountain biking.

Sometime in the following year is when I joined an off-road cycling team (for CX) where the majority of those girls also love mountain biking. Lucky for me they gave me the itch to give it another try. After hearing I wanted to try MTB again, my friend Carol reached out to me and offered to let me borrow her bike and have a mini clinic with me as she was in the process of getting her certification to be an instructor. I took her up on it and wow, what a difference that made. When I met her at the trails she took the first 20 minutes or so to set up the bike to accommodate me. We went out and did a mix of riding and skill training where she would take video of me to better explain either what I was doing right or wrong. Long story short, this made a massive difference and I became hooked. I spent the next few months trying to educate myself on the various types of bikes and figure out (with the help of others) what would be the best bike for me.

Once I decided on the Camber I spent a solid few days visiting my local Specialized Dealers to try a few sizes and chat with them about sizing. Because they didn’t have the exact bike in stock, it took some side-by-side geometry comparing to really figure it out.

Fast forward to this week when the bike arrived and I rode it for the very first time. I LOVE IT. It was a process to get to this point, but completely worth it. I’ll be sharing my MTB adventures (the good and the hilariously bad - as I always do) in the next coming months!

The best cycling shoes in the game

Clean or dirty, old or new, indoor cycling or outside - THESE BABIES are my tried-and-true when it comes to PEDALING DAT BIKE! By day I teach indoor cycling at Flywheel Sports so I’m teaching 8-11 classes a week (on top of any classes that I take) and boy do I get stopped while wearing my baby blue S-Works 6 shoes in the studio. I keep these for indoor cycling only so that I’m not tracking in my smelly outdoor road shoes, plus I’m not mad that these have stayed in perfect condition - I mean, look how pretty they are! 

On the other hand, my white ones have been trained in, raced in, wrecked during a crit, worn in the rain, and I’m pretty sure they need to be retired. However, because they are so broken in and comfortable I haven’t had the heart to upgrade them just yet. Also, just in case you’re wondering, I have no trouble keeping them white (except for the areas that hit the pavement). 10/10 would recommend. Also, if you have narrow feet like me, it wouldn’t hurt to add Footbed inserts to really make sure you’re foot is snug as a bug.

Original blog post written for The Specialized Digest. Click here. 

Smart Eyewear : Oakley Radar Pace

"Okay, Radar - What's my workout today?" I say out loud as I'm getting on my bike. "Today, you're practicing group cycling. We'll be going 38.5mi and climbing 2,910ft," is the response I hear through my smart eyewear.

Yep, that's right - I'm talking to my sunglasses. 

The above photo is by the amazing @wildermonster & @ncruzimagery

The above photo is by the amazing @wildermonster & @ncruzimagery

On October 3rd, Oakley and Intel released Radar Pace, a hands-free virtual coach built into your eyewear to use for cycling and running. With moveable and detachable earbuds, you can listen and respond back to the glasses to do to various things such as receive feedback about your workout, ask questions like, "how am I doing?, listen to your music, and accept phone calls. Using the free Radar Pace app, Bluetooth, and smart technology, the glasses will collect and analyze personal performance data including power output, heart rate, speed, cadence, time, pace and distance. If you'd like to read more about specs, I'll point you into the direction of the professionals and tell you to click here.

Last week I had the opportunity to go to Kona, Hawaii during the Ironman World Championships and actually put the Oakley Radar Pace glasses to the test. With both the Intel and Oakley team there, we started off on Thursday with a demo day learning all about the glasses. At the Ironman Expo were two large shipping containers turned into a really rad Oakley booth where you could shop Oakley gear, create custom glasses, and of course, watch a live demo of the Radar Pace. 

At the demo we watched a guy as he started running on a treadmill while talking to seemingly no one. A female voice responded through the speakers commenting on his stride, heart rate and water consumption. He responded back with questions, and the female voice would respond in real time. While totally hands-free the runner was receiving feedback about his workout via the smart eyewear. My eyes got huge and I immediately had SO many questions. "Can you import your own workouts?" I asked. "No, but the free app has tailored workouts for you based on what you're training for and when the event is." Wow, so the glasses not only talk to you, but the connected app has customizable workout plans. That's pretty awesome. After that, a lot of technology words were throw around and that's where I was a little lost. As much as I love gadgets, I'm 100% into the experience while numbers and fancy words go in one ear and out the other. At this point, I'm totally hung up on the fact that my sunglasses can talk to me! Like, hello - is this real life? My next question was, "can I remove one of the earbuds? Safety first, you know? The answer is yes. You can either bend the arm of the earbud to hover it above or below your ear, or completely detach it. 

Later that day, the team took us outside where helmets, kits, shoes, bikes, and Radar Pace glasses were waiting for each of us. I'm a kid in a candy store at this point. I'm taken up to a table where someone works with me one on one to walk me through the process of fitting the earbuds to my ear, adjusting them to make everything as comfortable as possible, and syncing them to my heart rate strap, power meter, and phone. As we are setting everything up, I'm being told that the glasses charge via micro USB, hold a charge for 4-6 hours, come with additional clear lenses in addition to the PRIZM Road lenses, and feature touch sensors on the left side to do things like control my music and adjust the volume. After the glasses are ready to go, another person fits me to my bike, puts brand new cleats on my shoes, and the next thing I know - I'm riding around on a sweet Specialized Roubaix with Di2! What is my life right now?! My heart is full and my mind is blown. 

The next day we meet up for a sunrise ride/run with three time world champion, Craig Alexander, where everyone is decked out and ready to test the Radar Pace. I turn on my phone and glasses, ask what my workout is, and a group of us get going. As I'm riding, I'm asking her various questions for fun. "What's my cadence? What's my heart rate? What's my power? Is that good?" She responds with the stats and I keep going. The only thing I wish I would have done is attach the aero clip because when it got really windy going downhill, she couldn't hear me because of the microphone interference. So noted, always use the aero clip. What really got me was when she reminded me to drink water, or better yet, told me that I'm coasting too much (we stopped to take photos, ok?!) haha. 

The above photo is by the amazing @wildermonster & @ncruzimagery

Overall the experience was great and immediately I thought of my friend Liz. How perfect are these for someone who doesn't currently have a coach, but trains and wants an efficient workout? I met up with her last night to tell her all about it and she's sold. With the price point at $449, I rate this as fair. Considering the Oakley PRIZM road glasses (without additional lenses) range from $120-$250 just by themselves, you're also getting headphones with great sound quality, additional clear lenses, an app with customizable workouts, and of course the two-way conversation real-time coach that calibrates to you and just gets better the more you use it. 

The above photo is by the amazing @wildermonster & @ncruzimagery

A big thank you to Oakley for allowing me to be apart of this experience. It's one thing to try a product, but another to meet the people behind the brand, hear about the two years of hard work that went into making the product, and actually have the creators help us out first hand. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you. 

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If you'd like to see Radar Pace in action, please view the video below. 

Can't get enough of sunrise

I was up before the sun when I was in Chattanooga to make sure I caught some epic views before my ride. I must say, Tennessee, you did not disappoint. With the summer heat getting less bearable every day, the temperature was perfect at 6:30AM. New friends and old friends watched the sunrise with fellow campers who were there from the night before. Pure serenity, motivation and perfection. Nature, you are badass.

Last two images by Jeff Rhoda

24 Hours Before A CX Race.

Hi guys! My last race of the CX season is this Sunday, but I have to pack everything tomorrow (dual home living situation problems). Anyways, I thought I would go through what I do during the 24 hours leading up to my race. This is for CX and differs a bit from road, but you get the general idea. Also, this is just my personal routine, so take it as you will. Feel free to leave any additional tips in the comments below! 

xx
Mae

Day Before:
 

- I mean this should be your goal everyday, but make sure you stay hydrated! On top of water throughout the day, I usually drink some Pedialyte the day/night before a race, too. 

- My ride for the day opens up my legs. Usually nothing too terribly long with some sprints thrown in. Aka whatever my coach tells me to do. More about him, here. 

- I clean my bike, shoes, kits, socks, etc. They are almost always dirty and you shouldn't show up with dirty gear, tisk tisk! Oh, and lube your chain. 

- Give you bike/gear a run down. This is a double check, NOT the first time you should be checking your bike for problems. An actual thorough run down of your gear should be done earlier in the week. Do NOT wait until the night before. Trust me, I date "King Bike Maintenance Procrastinator" who has run into mannnny problems because he waited until the night before. Don't do it, it's so stressful and you aren't always guaranteed to have it sorted out before the race.

- Pack everything food, drink and bike related! Bring two kits + socks incase you get your first one disgusting during warm up. PLENTY of water, any pre or post race fuel/hydration/recovery. Don't forget your number (if you're in a series) and license (I mean you should really just use the app)! I tend to overpack since I'll be at the venue all day watching everyone race after me. I'm prepared for rain or shine to ensure optimum spectator comfort as well as race comfort! Some of what is in my bag can be found, here. 

- Carb up at dinner time. I tend to go for pasta and broccoli, and I totally stay clear of cheese. It's usually some sort of variation of this. Everyone obviously goes for different things and this is the one for me. Oh and my breakfast and lunch are pretty standard, nothing fancy or out of the norm for me. 

- Shower and shave your legs! I hate showing up with hairy legs, I feel like I've ruined my race day if I do. It's my weird thing, I know. 

- Go ahead and plug the race venue address into your GPS to see how long it will take to get there. Set your alarm accordingly. I give myself drive time PLUS two hours before my race. 

- Get some good sleep! Night, night!

Race Day:

- Eat breakfast. For me it's oatmeal and espresso. More about what I eat, here. 

- Pack the car, get your GPS going, and you're off!

- Don't forget to turn on some good pump up music. Insert rap music here. 

- Like I said, I give myself 2 hours at the venue before my race to get ready. This is my personal preference because I want to handle my business before the race and not be frantic. Plus this gives me a buffer time incase anything sudden goes wrong with traffic, long check in line, warm up, getting dressed, etc, etc.

Alright, at this point you're at the race venue

- Go register asap! You never know what the line will be like. 

- Go to the bathroom. I'm serious because if you don't, the line will be so long and you'll be that person at the start line thinking "damn, I need to pee" and that is just the worst. 

- Get your tire pressure situated. 

- Check out the course and pre ride! Pay attention to turns, course features, best lines, etc

- Put spare wheels and bike in the pit. I don't do this, but if you have extra stuff, go for it. 

- Pin on race number, kit up, adjust tire pressure if needed, etc

- WATCH THE CLOCK and get to the start line early. Unless you have call-ups, you need to make sure you get a good starting position. 

Ok, now you're at the start line

- Is your Garmin started and are you in the right gear? Check. 

- Lastly, PMA. Tell yourself you are going to win. YOU ARE GOING TO WIN, YOU HEAR ME??

WOMEN'S SPECIALIZED GIFT GUIDE

Need some last minute gift ideas? I've compiled a list with three different price brackets and everything can be found on the Specialized website. (Tip: use their search bar if you can't find something). There is something for the female cyclist in your life between $12-$400 - some items are even on clearance! Most items have several color options, so if you love something but would rather see it in another color, make sure you head on over to Specialized.com and see if they have what you're looking for. (Pssst, if you happen to wander that way, look for me because a little birdy told me that a photo of me is floating around on their website somewhere! eek!) Also, these are all items that I've tried and love, so if you have any questions about anything, please leave it in the comment section below. Happy holidays!!

xx
Mae

GIFT GUIDE : $0-$30

22 OZ Purist Watergate Bottle - $12.00

Turbo Presta Valve Tube with Talc - $19.00

Rib Cage II - $20.00

Bandit - $25.00

Women's Grail Long Finger Glove (on clearance) - $26.88

Stix Sport Headlight - $30.00

Stix Sport Tail light - $30.00

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GIFT GUIDE : $30-$100

S-Wrap HD Tape - $35.00

Women's Grail Short Finger Glove in Blue and Pink - $35.00

Women's Therminal™ 2.0 Arm Warmers - $45.00

Rib Cage II with Tool - $50.00

All Condition Armadillo Elite Tire - $55.00

Element 1.5 Glove - $60.00

Women's Therminal™ 2.0 Leg Warmers - $60.00

Women's Utility Crew in Emerald and in Carbon - $60.00

Women's Engineered Sleeveless Tech Layer - $60.00

Women's Engineered Short Sleeve Tech Layer - $70.00

Women's SL Pro Jersey Team Black/Red (on clearance) - $75.00

Women's RBX Sport Long Sleeve Jersey - $75.00

Turbo Cotton Tire (wheel not included) - $80.00

Power Comp Saddle (not pictured - is AMAZING) - $100

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GIFT GUIDE : $100-$400

Women's Deflect™ Hybrid jacket Emerald - $130.00

Women's Deflect™ Hybrid jacket Neon Pink - $130.00

Women's Therminal™ Mountain Jersey - $130.00

Women's Therminal L/S Jersey in Emerald - $140.00

Womens SL Pro Jersey - $150.00

Women's Utility Hoodie with Hood Grey - $150.00

Women's Utility Hoodie with Hood Black - $150.00

Womens SL Pro Bib Short - $180.00

Women's Utility Reversible Vest - $180.00

S-Works Prevail - $200.00

S-Works Women's Evade Helmet - $225.00

Women's Element 1.5 WINDSTOPPER® Jacket - $225.00

S-Works Women's Road shoe (on clearance!) - $299.52

Women’s S-Works XC MTB (or CX) shoe - $400.00

*Prices on the Specialized website are current as of 12/15/15

What's in My Cycling Bag?

What's in my cycling bag depends on the weather, am I racing or training, am I traveling or staying local, cyclocross or road, etc. So here is my bag for a CX training ride. I can't get enough of Specialized which is why they make up 99% of my key items. I believe all of these items can be found on their site, except the pink jacket that turns into a vest (coming soon though, I believe). But let's take a moment to admire the gorgeous replica Boels/Dolmans kit. It's my favorite, and I always feel so pretty when I wear it. Their are only five items that aren't Specialized : my donut neck buff, headphones (I promise I'm being safe if I even wear them at all), Larga socks, monogrammed polka dot velcro changing towel (this never leaves my bag except to wash), and Oakley sunglasses.

Here is a closer look at some of the smaller items. Starting from the top left and going down : Baby wipes, Skratch hydration, heart rate monitor, donut buff, headache medicine, dry shampoo (to freshen up my sweaty hair after a ride), Rip Van Wafels (so yummy), deodorant, tube/air, Oakley sunglasses, Garmin 510, Clif Bar, Revision Intellishade with SPF (key item!), chapstick, Stix front/rear lights, socks, chamois cream, multi tool, tire levers, and glasses cleaner! A few needed items that aren't pictured are my bike (obviously), sports bra, tire pump, recovery drink, and my much needed first aid kit, hah! I hope I'm not forgetting anything, story of my life! :)

Read my official post on the Specialized Blog on Tuesday morning, here! 

What are some of your key items that you pack for a ride? Anything that is an absolute must that most people don't use?