CRCA News December 2005 - Century Road Club Association

[Katie Lambden, continued]Yes, I wanted to do it and validate mywas able to get people at work toeffort, and achieve something. I had acover for me so I could travel thatdesire to prove myself, to those guysweekend. I went with Catherine and, Iand also to myself, that I could do it.think, Becky Koh. I don’t remember aOver the winter I trained a lot andlot of details of the race except that itwas really prepared. It was a prettywas an experience. And I also remem-mild winter. I was at the first springber Catherine’s teammate…series races, got up at 4:30am in thecold – the whole thing....Leah Toffolon?What field were you in?Maybe, but think it was another one,With the masters men usually, whichincluded all the women. Or the B fieldin CRCA mainly. And I was able totelling her some details of the finishingclimb as we got close to the end –where it got steep, what the laststretch was like. I was very impressedIn the break at the fall Harrimanrace (Marco Quezada/www.marcoquezada.com photo)stay in the field. For me that was aby their preparation – knowing theknow that way.success those first six or seven racesfinish like that.Plus the other thing is that for me,– staying in.I ended up fifth and was excited.up to that point and into the nextMaybe because the field wasn’t veryseason or two, riding has always beenWhat was your first women’s field?big that wasn’t such a big accomplish-about fun, about enjoying myself. Iment, but I phoned Toga right awaydon’t like training that’s doing thingsProbably a CRCA club race. I remem-and from that point Dave (Nazaroff)I don’t like. I don’t like lifting weightsber being astonished how tactical itand Lou (Viera) and the other man-and don’t have a gym membership.was. Or at least that’s how it seemedagers started giving me the option ofto. In the men’s races I was just sit-getting away on some weekends.Really?ting in pretty far back and it was aThat same season I did the 3/4consistent speed, but here I could seerace at Altoona, which was a goodYeah, but I’ve come to recognize thatattacks and counter-attacks. Cat-andmousesometimes.experience, but showed me my shortcomings.I did great in the road race,aspect of my personality, and ammaking some big changes. I’ve decid-9The pace wasn’t always high, butin a break of five, but was last –ed to ride full-time in 2006 and I’mthere was a lot going on.nowhere in the sprint. And then inexcited to make cycling my job andthe crit, since I was the highest-placeddedicate myself to improving. WhereWho did you learn from?CRCA rider, Midori Nakamura tried tobefore it was a just a hobby or avoca-help me by leading me out. That wastion, and if I didn’t like doing some-Gotham/Toga usually didn’t havereally nice, but I had some trouble.thing, I wouldn’t. Now I will.other women in the races. So it wasI’m moving to California for themainly the guys at the shop a bit,She’s pretty fearless.late winter and will live with my par-though some of what they sent wentents in the Oakland hills. I’m lookingover my head.Yeah, and she was going so fast theforward to doing big rides, restingAnd Catherine Powers and somelast lap I couldn’t hold on.right and recovering right – things Iother women helped out. For exam-can’t do with a full-time job.ple, Catherine would tell me after-You’re married to one of the fastestwards “That was a good place tosprinters around – Pollo Marte. DoesYou did a lot of big races in 2004 andattack” or “Maybe that break wasn’the try to help you with sprinting?2005 – Altoona, Redlands, Nationals.going to work for this reason…”As soon as I could, I asked JudyA little, but I’m not sure he can. ForYes, 2004 was my best season. In thatMiller for an upgrade on experiencehim it comes so naturally, and whatyear I felt no pressure to get results.to cat 3, so I could do bigger races.he learned he learned very young,The pro-am Altoona stage race was aAnd I got it. So the first one was thedoing BMX as a little kid. So the legbreakthrough. We went with a smallHousatonic Hills race in Connecticut.speed, the bumping, choosing theteam of only four riders, and wereSome people thought that was aright line – they’re all very innate. It’snot really known. The first five stagesbit much, but I was determined. And Inot easy to teach something youwe were just hanging on in the tough