The week began, as many do, with a Monday. But that is not where our story begins. No! Because Speedweek is not like other weeks. Speedweek is an ethereal blunder of watts and confusion. So, Speedweek begins on a Saturday. But one does not simply go to Speedweek! No, there is an infinite amount of planning and finagling that must take place in order to get five bodies from the tip of Florida to the Southeastern corridor of America.

THURSDAY, April 25, 9:40 PM

I arrived at Laura and Amy’s house after much confusion, bearing fig butter and opulent amounts of beet juice. Necessities, you see. Things began to happen: Laura and Amy scurried about, packing things, and comparing compressive qualities of various tights. I sat in a high backed chair, slurping a beer and making conversation with Oliver, aka Fatty (pictured left.)

FRIDAY, April 26, THE CRACK OF DAWN

We had plans to leave at 5:00 AM, which is why we pulled out of the parking lot just after 9:00 AM eager to tackle ten hours of glorious Floridian scenery (eg: cows). Amy valiantly took on the duty of the first drive-shift, and Laura put her to sleep with futuristic bell music. I texted incessantly in the back seat because I am the picture of helpfulness.

FRIDAY, LATER

After much ambling, we had made the foray into the Georgian wilds. This happened:

The drive was winding down then, but ten hours of me talking is enough to put anyone on edge, I think—we were happy to get out of the car. Athens was dark (night tends to do that) and green, with a hint of wetness in the air. We stayed with Amy’s friends Mark and Liz (WHAT A GREAT NAME) who offered us beds and homemade beer. In short, they were the greatest hosts ever.

Laura and Amy retired, and I went to collect Vanessa from a hotel on the UGA campus. Upon our return, Mark and I played video games until Meaghan arrived from the airport.

Then, naturally, slumber.

SATURDAY, April 27, 11:00

We awakened from our glorious slumber and were told that Meaghan and Amy had crushed their early race; in spite of cold and precipitous bluster they took second and first respectively.

Amy and Meaghan owning the Cat 3/4 Podium!

Laura, Vanessa and I set out to nab some parking real estate before the hordes took to the streets of Athens, and to spin for a bit before the spectacle that would be Twilight. Vanessa and I took a strange detour and reveled in the sights of the south, and Laura did some sprints.

Everyone was taken with a tingly excitement! Or, maybe just me. I giggled excessively and rolled around on the floor while Liz and Mark looked on in terror.

SATURDAY, 5:00

The race drew ever nearer. We set out from the house and went through our various pre-race motions: brake pads, tire pressures, trainer riding. The time to line up came quickly. It was once again a scene of ladies, impressive ladies with their bikes and their biceps and their devil-may-care attitudes.

We surged forward from the staging position to the line, where call-ups were given (Jackie Crowell!! Theresa Cliff-Ryan!!!!!! Laura Van Gilder!!!!!). More anxious adjustment of riders. The crowd had swollen now, lining the streets three-and-four bodies deep the length of the course. The air quaked with a windy chill.

SATURDAY, 7:50

And suddenly, Athens Twilight was beginning as most races seem to. With a taut snap, a hundred wheels are turning and it is all you can do to find your place in this surging thing that is a peloton. I clambered from wheel to wheel, soaking up the efforts of others, trying to keep a forward motion.

Twilight 2013!

Laura found her legs and went by me as I began to die; she finished 26^th and Vanessa pulled out 14^th. Amy, Meaghan and Duffy cheered dutifully from the throngs of spectators.

SUNDAY, April 28, MORNING?

We all got up in a post-twilight stupor, knowing full well that we had another race to complete, another day to do all the things! Amy and Meaghan peaced out, again at the crack of dawn, to go crush some unsuspecting ladies. Laura rode her trainer and read from my book of short stories; I watched Pirates of the Carribean with our host because I am the consummate professional.

Mark gave us homemade beer, that delightful man, and then we piled into the van to meet back up with Amy and Meaghan. Meaghan had snagged 5^th place, Amy got second.

SUNDAY, LATER

Georgia, in its typical priggish affect, decided to be fifty degrees and dump rain down on our miserable heads. We all frowned excessively as we staged, but me especially, because someone’s umbrella was spigoting torrentially onto my poor head. We began, before the announcer could tell us, “Go,” because darn it, it was cold and we wanted to get the heck up out of there.

Photo credit: Trish Albert

SUNDAY, 7:00

We hit up Trader Joes. I was disappointed to discover that they did not sell beet juice, and made a mental note that my desperate  We overnighted with Andrew, a friend of Amy’s. PASSAGE OF TIME!!!!! SEGUEEEEEEEEEEEE

MONDAY, April 29, WEE MORNING HOURS

The sun rose again. Everyone slumbered excessively, the excitement of racing taking its toll. We got out for a spin around 11:00; we followed Andrew on his fixie over Georgian hills and braved highways and drivers who clearly hungered for our cyclist blood.

MONDAY, AFTERNOON

We lunched, individually, and then made with the packing. The packing—it is ceaseless and tiring. But we must pack. And so we do.

Packing!

The drive from Roswell to Savannah (our HQ for Tybee Island) was about four and a half hours; Meaghan and I knocked this out effortlessly while jamming to ghetto rap music and crushing a box of Puffins. How the minivan fared, I cannot say.

TUESDAY, April 30,  10:00AM

We awoke in another strange hotel room. If we were not bike racers, I would probably think we had a problem.

Vanessa and Laura went for quick AM spin while Amy, Meaghan and I retired to the hotel lobby for free coffee and computer work. By “work,” I mean You Tube videos and unbridled laughter. Maybe they were working. Who can ever tell.

Around 2:00 we set out for Tybee. This would be the first event our whole squad would race together, categories be damned.

TUESDAY, 5:00PM

The prototypical freakouts happened and stress hormones flowed through our bodies and we all dealt with what we were doing to ourselves in whatever way we knew how. The race came and it happened. I was crushed by everyone and I questioned life….

TUESDAY, 2:00 AM

I sent this text after running out of our hotel room: “Coming back now. Things are weird at the Hilton.” I will leave the rest to your imagination (s?)

WEDNESDAY, May 1, 10:00AM

We awoke, I with less gusto than normal (per my midnight revelries). We ate hotel breakfast and resolved to ride. Ride! Ride we must! And so we did.

Laura, Vanessa and I took to the streets of Savannah and were promptly assaulted (verbally) by an angry little man in a truck. Then, as if by some prompt of destiny, we saw the Hunter Army Airbase across the way. Vanessa suggested we try riding there; Laura and I were skeptical. Does one simply ride through an army base? We weren’t sure. We took a picture with this helicopter, much to its chagrin.

Say cheeeeeese helicopter!

WEDNESDAY, 2:00 PM

We departed savannah, lunch consumed and little leggies ready for another afternoon of crushery. The next race was Walterboro, SC—a fateful course, the site of many accidents and sadnesses. But we would not be intimidated by a little flap of road! No sir. Also, I had to finish a race or else I feared someone might take my bicycle away and tell me to take up tiddlywinks.

WEDNESDAY, 4:00 PM

Meaghan and I arrived. According to Amy’s drop pin (technology!!), they had parked on top of a Pizza Hut. I thought this somewhat intuitive of them, until I discovered this was just a failing of Siri and not reality at all.

The race was steady, but fast, and I finished (thank the baby Jesus.) We all remained upright and praised our respective deities for our successes.

THURSDAY, May 2, 8:56 AM

I sprung intuitively from my sleep by my natural clock (it is set by food) and ran flailing to the breakfast area where I was promptly told that breakfast ended at 9:00. I replied, “I KNOW!!!” And promptly began stuffing my mouth with biscuits.

THURSDAY, 11:00 AM

We went out for a spin, down a rambly country road selected expertly by Amy.

We encountered the Colavita team as well, they waved and we waved and it was quite sociable.

Part 2 to follow!!! Stay tuned for the rest of our Speedweek Adventure……

Our Rose Bandits Speedweek Team includes:

With two races completed, including the famous Athens Terrapin Twilight and the Roswell Criterium, the racers have already made great strides.  In fact, our Category 3 racers have already proven yet again that pink looks awesome on that podium.

Be sure to tune in to watch our racers in action!  The rest of the Speedweek Schedule includes:

4/30 – Coastal Empire Cycle Fest- ALL the women will Race in the Women's Pro 1/2 and Invitational 3 race to start at 6:05pm.
5/1 – Downtown Walterboro Criterium- Women's Elite Team to race the Women's Pro Race at 6:15pm
5/3 – Spartanburg Regional Classic- Women 3/4 – 4:00pm and Women Pro/1/2- 7:05pm
5/4 – Belmont Criterium presented by Carolinas HealthCare System-  ALL in the Women's Pro/1/2 inv 3 – 4:00pm
5/5 – Global BMW Sandy Springs Cycling Challenge-  3:35pm – Women 1/2/3

Wow, this is the 8^th year that I have been participating in the MS Bike Tour, and this year they have introduced the option to ride 100 miles each day so I am up to the challenge and cannot wait to do it with my husband, Jorge L. Flores and my brother, Michael P. Schnabel.  For those who haven’t read the article that was published in the health section of the Miami Herald on January 27, 2013, please click HERE for the article! and HERE the Spanish version!

I can’t believe that 14 years ago I was diagnosed with MS.  Let me share with you that it hasn’t been easy, mainly, the first six years after diagnosis, but this summer (2013) is going to be my eighth year that I don’t get admitted to the hospital!Maybe exercising has something to do with it, don’t you think? But above it all, I must confess to you that my deep faith in God is what gives me the strength to continue fighting, and not a day goes by without me thanking God for my health, and why not, maybe one day “MS” would stand only for the initials of my maiden name Marie Lisette Schnabel.

I haven’t reached out to all of you, so from the bottom of my heart, I ask you to donate to this noble cause to help find a cure.  To make your tax-deductible donation please go to: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/flores2013 and donate!

Thank you in advance for your kind support and remember “IF LISETTE CAN, YOU CAN!”

Marie Lisette F

Lisette with fellow Rose Bandit Leslie

Our visual identity and essence of what it means to be a Rose Bandit!

We find that many people when looking to join a team, ask “what are the weekly rides?” and “what events does the team put on or participate in?” or  “do you get discounts at bike shops?” etc.  Oftentimes if the potential member doesn’t think they can make the rides, doesn’t want to take part in the events the team chooses, or doesn’t like the “good deals” they will get as a part of joining a team–they don’t join.  However, this is where the Rose Bandits and what we offer so greatly differs from that of joining any other team. (Granted, we do boast being able to provide our members with the top of the line Louis Garneau team kit designed by nationally respected designer, Brian Zimmerman of Cre843 (BZ just completed the newly rebranded RB logo too!) and, yes, some serious discounts here and there, but there is so much more that you get by becoming a Rose Bandit.)

When you join the Rose Bandits you become a member of a MUCH larger movement.  The movement we are talking about is one to bring REAL support and attention to women’s cycling and racing.  If you are a female rider in Miami (or anywhere) who is passionate about cycling and women’s sport and know how hard it can be for a woman to make a name for herself in athletics–you NEED to be a Rose Bandit!   We look to provide top-level support to our race team, and in 2012 through the continued  financial and emotional support of the RB Team and our Sponsors the race team placed an amazing 3rd overall in the USA Crits National Series.

So, sweet–the Rose Bandits support racing…begging another question, “but, what if I am not a racer?”  Well, for our non racing members, we look to EMPOWER you on the bike and provide a welcoming community of female athletes dedicated to the cause of women’s athletics.  We  help each and every one of our members train, plan, and have fun on the bike.  We have an amazing membership of strong women, and without them we would not be able to do our part for women’s sport.  We  offer a lot to our members:  if your bike fit is bad/needs tweaking–we will tell you, if you have saddle issues–we have suggestions, if you want to get a new bike–we provide unbiased answers, if your bike needs a tune up–we tell you and teach you how to service it, if you have questions about women’s specific cycling issues– we have so many girls we know at least one has encountered your problem, embarrassed because you don’t know what a “crit” is–we will teach you, and, obviously, if you want to race–we will guide you!

Also, when you become a member of the Rose Bandits, you are also doing your part to spread word about the fight against cancer.  In 2011, the Rose Bandits were able to put together a successful event; our first annual RB Team Fundraiser to raise funds for the team AND Susan G Komen for the Cure Miami/Ft Lauderdale affiliate.  We started Roses for Cancer Rides and delivered roses to nurses at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center as a way to thank them for all they do in cancer patient care, to survivors of breast cancer at a Susan G Komen survivors ceremony and to women who are just beginning their fight against breast cancer.  If you are a woman who has been affected by this terrible disease, you have the chance to fight it simply by becoming a member and joining the fight with us locally and nationally.

By increasing our membership with women who are passionate about cycling and female athletics (you do not need to be the BEST cyclist out there, just a cyclist who is passionate) we are able to get more of our team kits on the road, which increases our visibility, and brings more attention to our mission.  In just three years we have grown our membership to over 90 members!!  The race team, which we support heavily, in turn supports the club team since the more visibility we have on the road, the more sponsors want to be a part of our mission, and the more sponsors we have the more we can do for our membership.  So, if you are a female cyclist and want to do your part to EMPOWER women, and in turn, EMPOWER yourself, come be a Rose Bandit!  We would love to have you!  Come help us put PINK on the podium!!  

]]> http://rosebandit.com/why-rose-bandits/feed 0 http://rosebandit.com/rose-bandit-veronica-menin-shares-her-favorite-pre-work-out-shake-its-quick-easy-and-healthy http://rosebandit.com/rose-bandit-veronica-menin-shares-her-favorite-pre-work-out-shake-its-quick-easy-and-healthy#comments Mon, 21 Jan 2013 22:39:20 +0000 Rose Bandita http://rosebandit.com/?p=2639 Power shakes seem to be very popular as “post” work-out meals, which gained popularity with the power lifters and their so called “protein” shakes to help re-build those muscles after a work out. However, for us cyclists, I find that a pre-work out energy boost is way more important.

For the not-so-kitchen-friendly people it can be extremely intimidating to blend some ingredients together… But it is time to break that fear and start giving your body what it needs. Today I will share a recipe to one of my favorite shakes which happens to also be very simple.

Banana-Spirulina Power Shake:You will need: 2 bananas, 1 cup of almond milk, 1 teaspoon of spirulina, 1/2 lemon, 1 teaspoon of maca, and 1 teaspoon raw wildflower honey to taste

If you are getting ready to google spirulina and maca, great! They are beautiful superfoods that should be more explored by athletes and there is a lot to know about them!  But I would love to explain why for these ingredients in a nut shell:

Spirulina: is a type of blue-green algae that is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids, antioxidants that can help protect cells from damage. It contains nutrients, including B complex vitamins, beta-carotene, vitamin E, manganese, zinc, copper, and iron. This blue-green algae, available in powder and supplement from at health food stores, boosts energy by unlocking sugar from your cells so it does not get stored as fat, which works amazing for cycling… you want those sugars in your system boosting up your glycemic load.

Maca: A cruciferous root found growing in the high regions of Peru and has been cultivated for about two thousand years. It has been traditionally and is currently used as a food. The Peruvians believe it gives strength and endurance, enhances ones fertility, and supports pregnancies, so watch out! Donʼt tell me I didnʼt warn you… But Maca helps with this by balancing out hormonal levels and supporting the adrenal so that the body can “bounce back.” Additionally, Maca contains sterols, a steroid-like compound found in plants and animals that promotes the quick regeneration of fatigued muscle tissue, which is also great for us cyclists.

Why do I say raw wildflower honey? This type of honey contains the easily digestible simple sugars fructose and glucose, along with pollen, enzymes, organic acids and proteins. When you buy conventional heated honey it has lost its benefits through the process.

Why lemon? Studies have proved that including just a couple of teaspoons can lower the glycemic index of the meal 20 to 40 percent. The glycemic index, or GI, is a useful tool that rates foods on how quickly they cause your blood sugar levels to rise. With the banana and honey, you want to get that sugar in but not to give your blood sugar a rise followed by a possible crash… we know that is not fun during a bike ride, so the lemon will help control that.

Banana is one of my favorites for smoothies, it gives it the perfect consistency and amount of sweetness. The sugars from fruits are extremely important to give you energy when you exercise, so donʼt be afraid! Fruits are your best friends before and during a ride, being the fastest sugar to get into your blood.

As you may have noticed, I recommend using almond milk over regular milk… not only because I am a vegan, but if you are not, when we talk about cycling dairy is really not a good choice! It will give you a really funky belly ache…

And finally no matter what you do donʼt ever add any type of nut butter or fats to your shake… It will slow you down! A lot of power bars are made with nuts and I really donʼt recommend it… the less fat going in your system the more efficiently the sugars will work and feed your cells!

Making your own shakes should not be complicated, but there are definitely ways to combine ingredients that will either work for you, have the opposite effect or no effect at all… I hope todayʼs recipe has been helpful and with time you will get the hang of it and start creating your own favorite creations! Get out of your comfort zone and explore the infinite possibilities that foods can offer you!!!   Be well, always, Vero

About Vero

Veronica Menin is a fellow cyclist, and a woman with a passion to inspire others to embrace a healthier lifestyle, most importantly by making the most conscious and healthiest food choices.  After graduating University of Miami with a double degree in Journalism and Psychology, she attended The Institute for Integrative Nutrition where she really discovered her path by becoming a Holistic Health Coach. Veronica then founded of Peace Aʼ Cake, a gluten-free and vegan baked goods company and Conscious Bite Out, a monthly dinner event in Miami paired with Chefʼs who prepared delicious Farm to Table dinners using local and organic ingredients. Veronica is now working on her Peace 4 Kids foundation, to give our future generation in the schools a deepened knowledge regarding food and health.

We had a chance to meet, greet, and pose for some pics with the legend before heading to Key Biscayne for a lovely late morning ride.  Mario definitely didn’t hold back his need for speed on the ride, putting in an attack on the women’s field after the Rickenbacker Bridge.  Little did he know, but Rose Bandits will fight to match any attack and that is exactly what happened.  Mario was so impressed with the Rose Bandits, in fact, we think he might just become a Rose Bandit Supporter (he looks good in the vest):

Rose Bandit Supporter Super Mario!

After a quick pit stop, we had a chance to cruise around the Key for a bit longer before we all had to return to real life and jobs.  It was an amazing ride and the Rose Bandit Gran Fondo Giro d’Italia Team is ready to roll on Sunday!  Ciao for now!

A photo from our final training ride this past weekend!

The Gran Fondo Giro d’Italia brings together the top organization level and production value of the Giro d’Italia with supreme expertise in organizing mass participation events to produce a true “Italian” Gran Fondo experience that participants will never forget.

In the coming years, this new format of Gran Fondo Giro d’Italia will be organized around the world.  2012 marks the start of this partnership and only two locations were chosen,  Los Angeles (which took place this summer) and Miami!

The Rose Bandit Team participated in the 2011 Gran Fondo Miami and we are very excited to see what this year has in store!  We know one thing, it is sure to be a beautiful ride.  Last year, we had the chance to meet Gilberto Simoni and Jan Ullrich!!

Rose Bandits at the 2011 Gran Fondo on the front page of the Miami Herald Tropical Life section this weekend

Rose Bandits posing with Jan last year at Gran Fondo Miami

This year, we are hoping cycling legend Mario Cipollini, aka Super Mario, might ride some of the 101 miles with us!

The ride starts in Coral Gables and offers different distances.  Most of the Rose Bandit Team will be riding in the 101 mile option.  For the 101 mile option, we will ride south past Blackpoint and west to see some of our favorite fruit stands, before heading back north to Coconut Grove and Downtown.

The best part is that the official color of the Gran Fondo Giro d’Italia is PINK!!!  Luckily, Rose Bandit pink is easy to spot, so, keep an eye out for the bright ROSE BANDIT pink in the massive peloton this weekend!

Buckhill Road in Clermont

Saturday began with a Championship Jersey for Ali Gonzenbach in the 23-29 Age Group Category.  In order for Ali to win the jersey, since there were no other women in the field, she had to line up and finish the race with the men in her same age group.  She made it all 56 miles and took the title!

Ali lining up with the guys for the 23-29 Age Group Race

Ali taking the 23-29 Age Group Championship

Later on Saturday, the rest of the Rose Bandit Race Team lined up for the start of the Masters race.  The race was hard, with many attacks but in the end the Rose Bandits took the top spot with Laura Parsons sprinting out of the field to win the race overall and take the 30-39 Age Group win and Meaghan Bryan took 3rd in the 30-39 Age Group.

Laura and Meaghan on the 30-39 Age Group Podium

On Sunday, the Rose Bandit Team lined up again for Women’s Categories 1-4 State Championship Race.  The categories were combined for a field size of 25.  The first two laps were fairly casual with small attacks.  At the beginning of the third lap Laura Parsons launched a perfectly set up attack and was able to breakaway from the field.  With Laura up the road and the rest of the RB’s in the field, the chase was left up to the other girls in field if they wanted to bring back the breakaway.  The rest of the field was unable to bring back the breakaway and Laura was able to sprint away from her breakaway riders to take the overall win and the Category 1-3 State Championship title.  Amy Plotkin lead Meaghan Bryan out on a sprint for 2nd place in the Category 3-4 field.

Rose Bandit Race Team lines up for the Category 1-4 Women’s State Road Race

We had a great weekend of racing with three State Championship titles!  We look forward to a great 2013 race season!  Thank you to all our AMAZING sponsors and supporters hat made this year possible!

Laura Category 1-3 State Road Race Champion!

Meaghan Category 3-4 State Road Race Champion!

The Rose Bandits piling on the podium!

Rose Bandits waiting for Survivors to arrive – roses in background!

Morning of the Race for the Cure – Survivors walking to stage for ceremony

Groups of women processed toward the stage and our Rose Bandits handed them pink roses prior to going on stage to celebrate their HUGE accomplishment!  

Handing out flowers to survivors

More Bandits handing out roses

It was amazing to see so many women who have survived celebrating on stage.  Thank you Komen for all you do to support the fight against breast cancer!!

Survivor Ceremony

After handing out roses, we rode over to the start line to lead out the participants for the Race for the Cure.   

We took lots of pictures with participates of the event and enjoyed the beautiful day!

Thanks again to  Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate, Footworks, Law Enforcement, all the volunteers who made the event so special and of course the women (and families and friends of them) who are dealing with or have dealt with breast cancer.