Way to go @adm0629!!! 
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Thanks, Theia! Their version of Roubaix is 40% pavement, 60% packed dirt roads, so most were on road bikes but the winner of my category did it on a gravel bike. I didnât get in a warmup and showed up to the line just in time because the kids started their race from a different location, just before. My adrenaline was sky high. I spent the whole first lap clawing to hang on to feel ready and to overcome my shifting issues. I only ride that bike on the trainer and outside a couple times a year so it doesnât get the attention it deserves.
By lap 2, we were pacelining on the pavement bits but I still couldnât get into the lower chainring on any hills. Just had to use the standing technique/grip and really focus on sinking down and pulling up with a decent cadence and carrying the speed over the top. We split apart with 5 miles to go (where the bulk of the hills are) and I was in 5th. I really tried to maximize every effort with changing the gears often so that I was increasing speed, then maintaining it. I pushed so many watts in the home stretch, readying myself for a sprint that I thankfully never had to do. (I really had nothing left and am not a great sprinter - mostly a TTer.)
-Angie
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@adm0629 what mental toughness. So much went in in that race. You should be super proud of yourself! Bravo! 
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Well done @adm0629! 
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CONGRATS to @reservoircat for her win at the Melting Mann gravel race last Saturday!! 
Even more impressive was that she was 30 minutes faster than last year on this course!
I have been working with Liz in preparation for a big climbing event she is planning to do this month, and she wasnât even tapered or rested for the Melting Mann!
Super excited about her progress. Liz has been very disciplined and has been working very hard despite her busy work schedule. Fantastic job Liz!!
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Congratulations @reservoircat ! 
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Wow Congrats @reservoircat That is a wonderful achievement Liz! super well done!! 
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Thank you! It is a fun raceâŚa little easier than last yearâs course as you only do Mann Road 1x nowâŚbut at most that made me two minutes faster so we will call it 28 minutes faster! I had a few post race beers and became really quotable so âyour PRs are ahead of youâ may be printed on some merch in the future 
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Awesome work @reservoircat !!! Super strong!!! You will crush your big event!!
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Congrats Liz @reservoircat !!! 
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In case it inspires anyoneâŚI succeeded on my bike up Haleakala! Personally the hardest thing I have ever done on a bike âŚand maybe thats just because I am older and donât handle elevation well but I thought it was harder than ironman. Sea to the House of the Sun (Haleakala means âhouse of the sunâ) is 36 miles and 10,023 feet of elevation gain. Itâs the longest paved climb in the worldâŚand itâs on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The ride is generally considered a moderately difficult climb provided you have a good base. The last 1/4 mile when you are tired and the air is thin is pretty steepâŚ15% at one pointâŚmany switchbacks at 10%-11% and the steepest continuos mile is a mere 7.8%âŚthe rest averages 5%-ish. The top reminded me of Zwift lol. I gained a lot of fitness doing it which carried me to an AG podium in the mini course at Barry RoubaixâŚand the winner of W50-55 was on the overall podium!!! Normally the overall podiums on the mini go to 18 year olds who live nearby and train on it year round but this year 3rd overall was the winner of the 50-55 AG. So age is apparently really just a number! I had to PR by 6 minutes just to get on the podium as it was the deepest W50-55 field at least since I have been doing the event. I am so happy to be getting really fit again and I am enjoying the bike a tonâŚmy power numbers are pretty much matching what I was able to do when much younger so I am excited to try and improve further.
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Wow @reservoircat ! Congratulations all around! And what view from above the clouds. 
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Awesome @reservoircat !!! Well done the pics are beautiful!!!
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Absolutely amazing @reservoircat Congratulations on all your recent accomplishments and on this epic effort!! Keep up the good work!! Whatâs next?!? Congrats!!
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Wow @reservoircat Thank you so much for sharing this! That Maui climb looked epic! If I show my husband, thereâs no doubt in my mind that heâll book flights to Maui immediately, lol. Well done!!!
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WOWâŚthat is absolutely AMAZING. the photos are great and to see that 360 Velo outfit on the podiumâŚwell that just takes the cake. So happy for you and I hope you are still glowing from such a great ride. A challenge that YOU met! 
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I did the Womenâs Chase Race today. I started out feeling great, but by mid-point, I was dead and rest felt like a lonely, solo slog. I was in E group and we had only 5 women. Almost immediately, one dropped and two more dropped within a few miles. I stayed with the one remaining woman in my group until the Petit QOM where I couldnât hold on. Later, after the descent I tried to grab the D group (again, only about 4 women) as they passed, but I couldnât hang on. Was able to grab some Câs as they passed in the last couple miles and finished with them. Iâm not able to pull the power this year that I was pulling in races last year. But last year, I was racing weekly in Feb & march. This year, Iâve raced once besides today. Maybe the way you get stronger in racing is by racing 
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Itâs definitely a combination @laurasibson . Workouts to work on your power zones and racing for tactics, execution, and getting used to the feeling of constant pressure (physical and mental).
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As I consider dipping my toe back into the racing scene, I wondered if you, Coach, or @PaleGail or @bkolden or anyone who races on Zwift has a warm-up that you recommend.
Also, do you target specific watts during a race at all?
@Coach_Theia has a couple of great warm ups in FS. I have used them for several years now. She can point you where they are now we moved to Final Surge.
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