Mammoth Mountain- May & June 2015

MAMMOTH LAKES, CA

May 2015 

I went to Mammoth mid-May with my Dad and it was awesome. Here’s a side-by-side image of Twin Lakes at the same location during the same trip. We had warm weather and snow within a few days of each other!

During that trip I rode my ‘cross bike around Lookout Mountain, got stoked on Mammoth Rock Trail, spun on the roads, rode the park’s trails covered in snow, and even rode the Felt NINEe bike around the trails with my dad. It was a great father-daughter trip.

Rad Dad

Mama & Baby Bear Tracks

NINEe

Fast Forward to June 2015

I had a free weekend and even though the training plan called for some longer, more specific miles, I decided to head to the Sierras and play bikes instead. Sometimes you just need to get away and forget the intervals.

Gravel racing and my cyclocross bike have been good to me but now it's time to switch gears bikes. Bike skills don't grow on trees and Mammoth is one of the best playgrounds to improve.

I reached out to the Event Manager at Mammoth during the May trip and they said the XC Course Maps were being finalized that month. The maps are now released and a few people have ridden the course so far!


MTB Nationals: 

2 weeks til USA Cycling MTB National Championships!
Registration and Info here

Here’s the link to the Pro XC Course on Strava: https://www.strava.com/segments/8432598
Here’s the link to the Amateur XC Course on Strava:
https://www.strava.com/segments/8349098

I rode the Amateur course with a stellar junior rider and her dad after running into them while staring at the map wondering how the xc course played out. Luckily they knew the route so David and I followed them around for a lap and Meade is strong! Ride: https://www.strava.com/activities/335568010

Course Impressions in Mammoth Lingo:

• Start in the Canyon Lodge parking lot
• Ride up the walkway, a small rise people usually use to get on the Canyon Express Chair
• Hang a right and Ride across the base of Canyon Lodge path to the tow lift next to Chair 7
• Stay on the steep fireroad that goes up under Chair 7
• Left on the Big Ring trail climb
• Climb climb climb
• Turn left onto a fireroad with a short descent, punchy uphill, short descent, then punchy uphill 
• Am Course: 
• Descend Timber Ridge trail. It’s super fun and flowy
• Short fireroad (Sleepy Hollow Rd) climb at the bottom of Chair 25
• Turn onto Lakes Trail
• Lakes Trail merges into Paper Route
• Pro Course:
• Pros jump directly onto Paper Route after the punchy fireroad uphill and don’t get to do the fun Timber Ridge Descent (boo!)
• Paper Route ends at a fireroad transition
• Descend the top portion of Big Ring Trail 
• Go over Woolly’s Bridge (in the process of being built) 
• Fireroad climb to SHOTGUN. Super fun descent. Watch.
• Shotgun Descent from the top of Chair 7 all the way down to the parking lot!

I was too busy riding to take pictures this month.. but last month I took pictures on Paper Route and Big Ring that are part of the XC Course!

The men and women’s pro races are Saturday July 18, 2015 with the women going off @ 2pm!

This plan is still in the works but I might just sign up for the Enduro the following day, Sunday July 19, 2015. My USAC License has me as a Cat 1 Enduro-er so I may just make Nats my first Enduro race!

CYOA

The majority of my time at Mammoth was spent on the rest of the mountain bike park. We rode all over the trails. Mammoth is a "Choose Your Own Adventure" type of riding because there are so many trails and different routes to take.

Mammoth #MTBnats… BE THERE!

Sierra Love

Aside from spending time riding bikes all over Mammoth Mountain, we also spent some time over on Tioga Pass.
Hiking, fishing, camping, biking into Yosemite Natl Park, s’mores, and all types of other awesome outdoor adventures. The 20 Lakes Basin, Saddlebag Lake, and Tuolomne Meadows are amazing!

After riding my Edict all the way down to the Tuolomne Meadows Visitor Center in Yosemite National Park, a friendly Ranger ruined my day when he told me absolutely NO two-wheeled contraptions are allowed on any trails in the park! This I did not know. If you ever go to Yosemite, don’t plan on riding mountain bikes unless you’re outside the park.

Yeah, I caught that tiny thing! It was a fighter!

Panda Out

Please support Cyclocross Magazine and go buy Issue #24
http://cyclocross-magazine.myshopify.com/collections/backcopies/products/issue-24

There's an interview with yours truly : )

Click here to get to their website

Issue 24 of @cyclocross arrived today :) Go buy a copy! Quick & Dirty Panda Interview. http://t.co/gfSLHuqJcz http://t.co/SwCuxDeLZ7
— Amanda Nauman (@_amanda_panda_) April 18, 2014

Panda, swimmer, triathlete, project manager, dark-horse, cyclo-crosser...

I have been extremely busy as of late.
Cyclocross season takes a serious amount of time on top of a full-time job... and I'm still trying to get caught up on life, the 100+ emails in my inbox, and getting in some long slow miles on the bike. I could really use a few more hours in a day.

I always tell you I'm super busy, but yet I always find a way to make a few posts at the beginning or end of a major season. I promise to TRY and keep the posts more frequent...

But for now, please see the most recent Felt Bicycles Blog post... it's about yours truly and written by a legend in the road biking industry, Neil Browne.
http://www.feltbicycles.com/blog/?p=3934

Thanks to Louie Traub for this super-hero shot of me at CX Nats!!!

I have been called many things in my life, but these are a few names I am most recently proud of: panda, swimmer, triathlete, project manager, dark-horse, cyclo-crosser...

Yes, I still owe a more thorough report on Cyclocross season.
Yes, I still owe a comment on my MTB schedule.

Here are the plans right now:

• March: Pro XCT Round 2 Bonelli, Pro XCT Round 3 Fontana, Keyesville 
• April: Sea Otter (XC &/or CX, same day, dumb), Whiskey 50
• June: US Cup West races in Big Bear
• July: USAC Marathon MTB Nats (bc Sun Valley sounds way more awesome than Pennsylvania again) and the Crusher in the Tusharrrrr
• .... after that, it's time for 'cross!

For now, cheers to an awesome CX season and plans for an equally awesome 2014 MTB season! More in the works!

Pre-USAT AG Nats and CX China Ramblings

This entry is a continuation of the previous to keep the thoughts separate post-MTB season.

I am currently en route to Milwaukee for USAT Age Group Nationals.

The last triathlon I did was back in March (almost 5 months ago, holy crap) for the Escape from Alcatraz of 2013. They had to hold the event earlier than normal this year because of the America’s Cup races in SF Bay, and that point in time was the beginning of the MTB Season. I decided that I was going to focus on that and then come back to triathlons towards the end of summer in time for this AG Nats race.

Back in March I didn’t have any plans to make a trip to Pennsylvania because I didn’t even think I’d be good enough to compete there. So my original idea to start more of a triathlon focus following CA State Champs was kyboshed when I realized I could do well in PA.

Because I went to MTB Nats, that gave me approximately 3 weeks of prep time for Wisconsin as opposed to the 2 months I had previously planned on.  No worries though, I think I’ll be ready to rock on Saturday with just the right amount of prep under my belt to go fast.

We’ll see how that goes!

Next up will be the cold, winter months of my first full Cyclocross season with the SDG Factory Team. Am I excited? Beyond excited!!! I can’t wait! Cyclocross is pure fun, hard work, and brass balls.  I’m just getting into the amazing community of people who surround the sport and fall more interested in it every day. It’s such a different world than the triathlon community and I love mixing up the people I surround myself with. Bicycles of all sorts draw such a wide variety of interesting people as I’ve come to learn the past couple years. It truly is fascinating and I love learning about all different types of people who are drawn to the two-wheeled, man-powered machines.

Well the one piece of exciting news that’s happened to me in regards to the world of CX is the invitation I received earlier this week to race in Yanqing, China for the first ever UCI Sanctioned Cyclocross race in China!!!! I have to thank the writers over at CX Magazine for helping with the selection process on that one.

They held a search via online applications to help the Chinese race promoters find some Elite athletes to receive all-expenses paid trips to China for the race.. and apparently my application was compelling enough to receive an invite! The only problem, and it is actually a BIG problem, is that the race is the Saturday of Interbike, the 21st. Yeah, I know, it’s pretty much impossible for me to make it. However, I am currently leaving it up to the CX gods to somehow give me a sign in the coming days as to whether or not I can make it happen.
The problem with traveling for Cyclocross races is that 1) you need a backup bike and 2) you need at least one other person to support you with that backup bike in the pit for whatever issues arise during the race. Even more of a reason why this trip is looking more and more unlikely, no matter how hard I try to convince myself there’s a slim chance of it working out.

Regardless,  I got an invitation to race in China for free. That’s pretty freaking awesome.
Definitely can’t say anything close to that has happened in my triathlon career.


On another positive note, I am currently signed up for the UCI Elite Womens race at Cross Vegas on September 18th. A few coworkers will be racing the Wheelers & Dealers race right before I take off, so it will be fun to cheer them on, race, then get straight to the beers : )

Other than that I will be racing some of the Socal Cross Prestige Series on a local level and traveling to a handful of UCI races on the road to USA CX Nationals in January. Stay tuned for more of those plans. Should be another fun adventure just waiting to be had!

'Cross is Coming

Mountain Bike Season 2013

Why hello there, strangers!

I haven’t been around the blog all that much this year. It’s been an awesome fun-filled year of adventures and I just haven’t had the time to write about it like I used to when I was in college.

Well I’m currently sitting on an airplane to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and I’ve got a couple hours to put some thoughts down on paper. I figured it’s an appropriate time to reflect on the closure of my first mountain bike season ever, the upcoming USAT Age Group Nationals race on Saturday, and my plans for my first full Cyclocross season this year.

A few highlights of the 2013 MTB Season:
• Joining up with the SDG Factory Team
• Learning the ropes during the late winter Fontana series
• Racing a full lineup of the US Cup West XC Series
• Riding in Big Bear a few times
• Winning the overall Cat1 19-29 US Cup West Series
• Winning the CA State Champ Bear Jersey for the XC Championships
• Making the trek to PA for MTB Nationals
• Overcoming fear of rocky death in PA for a Stars and Bars Jersey

A couple days after I returned from MTB Nats, a previous colleague of mine was let go from Felt Bicycles due to the tough downswing in our industry. The funny part about the timing was that our Marketing Department has been talking about doing an “Inside Felt” campaign to try and get to know the people behind the bikes at our company a little better… and literally 2-3 hours after conducting an interview and taking pictures, he was told to pack up all his stuff and thanked for his hard work while he was at the company. Pretty sucky. But anyways, the piece was never resurrected, so I figured I’d put some of the interview here because there were a few memorable moments of my trip in Pennsylvania that I’d like to share.

1. What is the correct name of the event you won, its date and location?

http://www.usacycling.org/2013/cross-country-mountain-bike/
USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain Bike National Championships
July 18-21 - Bear Creek Resort, PA

2. What is the correct title you earned for winning the event?

2013 USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain Bike National Champion for Women Cat 1 Senior 19-24
yeehaw!

3. What USA Cycling categorie(s) are you? What category do you compete in at USA Triathlon events?

MTB Cat 1
Cyclocross Cat 2
Road Cat 4
USAT Age Group 20-24

4. You are a strong road rider who participates in the fastest California group road rides, races at the highest level in triathlon, off-road triathlon, mountain bike racing and road racing: How have been able to develop such versatility across all these racing disciplines?

I would have to contribute a lot of that versatility to the exposure that I’ve had to all sorts of bike disciplines while working at Felt Bicycles. Prior to working at Felt I was solely focused on competing in triathlons and I would occasionally ride an old mountain bike during summer trips to Mammoth. My exposure to all sorts of two-wheeled fun slowly grew and I’d have to thank all of my coworkers and friends who helped inspire me to try out some new forms of bike racing that I wasn’t previously accustomed to. Going even further back though, I’d have to contribute most of my success in such a wide range of bike racing to my start as a swimmer. Luckily I had years of aerobic training under my belt being a competitive swimmer from the age of 6 through college. This ultimately led me to do my first triathlon and subsequently make me fall madly in love with riding my bike!

5. How did you develop as a racing cyclist? 

To add more to the previous answer… It all started with swimming and then racing triathlons. I raced triathlons during my off-season from swimming in college and slowly started to focus on furthering my racing success in that discipline. I also raced on my school’s cycling team in college and developed a love for going fast on road bikes. Once I realized that riding bikes was one of my favorite things to do in life, I started looking for jobs in the industry and getting a job at Felt is what ultimately opened up many more opportunities for me to get involved in all sorts of racing from cyclocross to mountain biking. Specifically for dirt racing though, the local SDG/Felt team and my CTS coach have been a big part of my successes in 2013. It’s been quite a journey, but it all comes down to loving two-wheeled, self-driven machines and a desire to be the best at anything I put my mind to.

6. What was the most difficult part of the event you won? (one moment in the event that may stand out in your mind.)

The most difficult part of the event was a technical section in the back half of the course called the “Rocky Drops.” This section was an obviously technical section that collected quite a crowd of people who made the trek through the woods just to watch the riders attempt to make a clean ride through. On lap one I choked and had to run most the section, so I promised myself I’d take a risk on lap two and attempt to ride the whole section. I came up to the rocky drop, heard the cowbells, listened to the cheers, saw the beers and crowd of people, took a deep breath, let the adrenaline go, and totally nailed the section. Couldn’t have been more stoked that I rode that!

7. Going into the event, did you have any specific worries about the course, the competition, the conditions?

I was a complete worry-wart going into the event. It all started at the airport when my bike box arrived at baggage claim, but someone had taken my suitcase on accident without me noticing. Luckily my suitcase was returned to the airport the next morning, but I ended up not being able to build my bike up until the afternoon before race morning. Because of that, I was forced to pre-ride the course during a thunderstorm which made for a terrifying and slippery experience. I psyched myself out worrying that the technical sections were going to be way too difficult for me. Fortunately I raced in the middle of the day on Saturday and the sun had been out long enough to dry the rocks a little bit and I was able to focus more on doing my best effort instead of stressing over the course conditions. East coast mountain biking in rocky PA is a challenge all on its own!

8. What specific equipment did you use: Bike, pedals, shoes, wheels, tire choice, gearing, components? 

Felt Bicycles Nine FRD – Size S
Crankbrothers Eggbeater Pedals
Pearl iZUMi Women's Elite MTB II Cycling Shoes
Stan’s NoTubes ZTR Race Gold 29er Wheelset
Maxxis 29X2.20 IKON Tires
SRAM 11-speed XX1 Drivetrain
SDG Components: Circuit MTB Saddle
Raceface Components: Turbine Stem, Next Flat Bar, Next SL Seatpost
Kali Protectives: Maraka Helmet
Weight: ~19.2 lbs

9. At what point in the race (if any) did you realize you were going to win? What went through your head?

I actually came across the line one second behind the first place girl after lap one and was slightly concerned that my less than stellar descending skills were going to cost me the win. I don’t think I realized I was going to win until the last half mile coming out of the trees where I could see that I was safely ahead of my competitor. Luckily I was able to push the final climb and take some risks on the second lap that allowed me to pull a four minute lead to win!
FINISH LINE
“Ouch! Cramp!!!” is what went through my head as I crossed the line and proceeded to drink water and stretch out a few cramps. Humidity is a killer.

10. How did you celebrate the victory?

We went to a well-known east coast supermarket called Wegmans where I got an enormous piece of carrot cake and a large bottle of Brooklyn Brewery beer to take back to the course in time to watch the Pro XC race and cheer on the Kenda-Felt guys. There may have been a cupcake, ice cream, and a donut thrown in at some point too.

BEER

 11. What's next for you? 

2013 USA Triathlon Olympic-Distance Age Group National Championships on August 10th in Milwaukee, WI. After that I’ll start a big focus on my first full Cyclocross season!