Happy New Year from Velo Girls Coaching Services!

Welcome to 2008. In the true spirit of resolutions, I've decided to keep a coaching/training blog for 2008. I hope you'll enjoy sharing my experiences with me and maybe even learn a thing or two along the way.

To help you meet your New Year Resolutions, Velo Girls Coaching Services has planned a full calendar of clinics for both women and men. Check them out online at http://www.velogirls.com/coaching/programs.php

Girls Got Race™:
The Tri-Flow Women's Development Racing Program

Introduced in 2006, this program is designed to help you bridge the gap from club rider to team racer. In a six-week series of workshops, clinics, and rides, we'll teach you everything you need to know to begin road racing and then support you at your first race. This program is limited to eight riders each session. A solid level of cycling fitness is required. Program fee includes team kit (shorts and jersey), USA Cycling License, race registration fee, 12 training sessions, and a group training program. Contact Coaching@velogirls.com to schedule an assessment.

New, for 2008, we’re introducing our 8-week duathlon training program. Similar to our road racing program, participants will receive a team kit (shorts and jersey or triathlon top), race registration fee, 16 coaching sessions (running and cycling), a group training program, and race-day support. This program is designed for women who cycle and would like to try the world of multi-sport in a safe and fun environment.

ROAD TEAM 1: Snelling Road Race – February 23rd, 2008
January 14th – February 23rd | registration deadline January 7th

ROAD TEAM 2: Bariani Road Race (Zamora) –March 16th, 2008
February 4th – March 16th | registration deadline Jan 28th

ROAD TEAM 3: Dunnigan Hills Road Race (Yolo) – August 16th, 2008
July 7tth – Aug 16th | registration deadline Jun 30th

DUATHLON TEAM 1: TBF Summer Duathlon #1 (Folsom Lake) – June 7th, 2008
April 14th to June 7th | registration deadline March 31st

DUATHLON TEAM 2: TBF Summer Duathlon #2 (Folsom Lake) – July 12th, 2008
May 19th – July 12th | registration deadline May 5th

DUATHLON TEAM 3: TBF Summer Duathlon #3 (Folsom Lake) – August 2nd, 2008
June 9th – August 2nd | registration deadline May 26th

DUATHLON TEAM 4: Salmon Duathlon (Kinghts Ferry) – November 1st, 2008
September 8th -- November 1st | registration deadline August 25th


GIRLS GOT SKILLS™ – June 21st & 22nd, 2008
Registration deadline June 9th

This is our corner-stone clinic, and includes 16 hours of “you” time in the company of other cycling women. This clinics is a must-do for recreational cyclists and racers alike! We cover individual bike handling skills, group riding skills, and training principles (including a time trial to determine heart rate training zones). You’ll walk away from this weekend with a renewed love for the bike and the cycling community!


NEW FOR 2008 – BIKE SKILLS MODULES!
By popular demand, we’ve taken our most popular two-day bike skills clinics and broken them down into 4-hour modules so you can focus on those skills that are most important to you. Some of these clinics are for women or men only; some are co-ed. Let us know what you think!!!

BIKE SKILLS 101 – Individual Bike Handling Skills
May 10th (Women), May 25th (Men), August 17th (Women), September 7th (Men)

This clinic is the foundation of everything else you’ll learn on the bike. This is the clinic where we teach the old dogs new tricks. You’ll learn about balance and weight distribution and how that affects your ability to ride your bike safely and confidently. We’ll learn skills like riding with no hands, emergency stops, and how to look behind you while holding your line, how to steer, and counter-steer. After just four hours, we guarantee you’ll be a better bike handler and have much more fun on the bike.

BIKE SKILLS 201 – Climbing & Descending
June 8th and September 14th

What goes up must come down, right? In this 4-hour clinic, we’ll teach you how to climb like a pro – seated climbs, standing climbs, short climbs, steep climbs, extended climbs. And then, we’ll teach you how to come back down again, focusing on a fast straight descent, and then a technical switchbacky descent. Pre-requisite: Bike Skills 101 or equivalent experience.

BIKE SKILLS 301 – Group Riding
July 5th and September 21st

Whether you’re a racer or a recreational rider, group riding skills will help you ride longer, faster, and farther. We’ll learn draft theory and basic pacelines, progressing to more complex group riding skills and introductory racing techniques. Pre-requisite: Bike Skills 101 or equivalent experience.

BIKE SKILLS 302 – Criterium & Road Racing Skills
June 14th (Men) and June 28th (Women)

This four-hour clinic will teach you all the individual bike-handling and group riding skills you'll need to race your first (or your 10th) criterium or road race. In addition to skills & drills, you'll receive expert coaching on race preparation and logistics, and an introduction to tactics. We'll finish the day with a training race followed by a de-brief. Pre-requisite: Bike Skills 101 or equivalent experience.