Written by: Lauren Jacobsen

So the State Bicycle Championships went well. Won my Individual 500TT as well as the Team Sprint with my partner Louise. This is the first year Louise is competing on the track and it has been a crash course for her with Antony Galvan, my coach, and I.
Let me see, how did she describe it…oh yeah;

“With my track bike wedged firmly between Antony’s legs, and my team mate PC
waiting her turn, I was instructed to say “up track or down track” –
whatever felt good (going home!!!!). Counting down from 5-1, Ant and World
Champ, Lauren, told me in unison to stand up at 1, lean back and then launch
myself forward, with straight arms — “Hump the bike” Ant said. “Good god,
is this legal? Cut to me on the track for States, again wedged between someone’s legs, a loud speaker announcing my name, a man with a stop watch, and Antony right next to me, giving me last minute instructions and loads of encouragement. “Please god stay up”, I’m thinking, “There are people watching”.
5,4,3,2,1 — bum up, arms straight, and I’m off for two long hard laps. It’s
Amazing how hard racing can be when it’s all over in less than a minute”.

I think at this point Louise was all of 2 months sprinting on the track. Not a bad start winning a State Championship and all. Now it’s on to Master’s Nationals in Colorado Springs, where the air is clear but oh so thin. Not even going to try and acclimate, just plan on a touch and go at the beginning of the week and then fly back at the end of the week for the team sprint. Sort of like a Fed Ex package!

So, now with a month to go, we are working on some major power. Louise and I headed down to San Diego last weekend for the Elite national Qualifiers and an outdoor 330 track. Colorado will be outdoors and a 333. We were flawless in our execution but we took second, first place went to a sister act of 20 year olds.

Well, second place sucks folks, especially when it is by only 4 tenths of a second!

Last night at the track, on went the 96” gear. “Hello quads, the pain train has come to pick you up at the station”. Just trying to get that bad boy up to speed is epic in itself. Kinda like working to turn a tanker into a ski boat.

If nothing else, by August 17th I should be able to kick in a bank safe, should that come in handy.