Sunday, September 12, 2010

Jenn Halladay - LOTOJA 206 miles "#4-New Record"

Lotoja is a European-style road race 206 miles set in what might be viewed as the (Alps) toughest mountains of the West. It's the longest one-day USCF-sanctioned bicycle race in the country. Think you could race for 200 miles? How long would it take you to go over three mountain passes?

The race starts in Logan, Utah and goes over three mountain passes and ends next to the Tetons in Jackson Hole, WY.

All racers have to finish the race before dark, to do so you have to average 16.5 mph to get to Teton Village, in Jackson Hole, WY.

This race is all about the mental and the physical and you better have your fit dialed!!! It's a real test if your bike will allow you just make it, not to say at do it in race pace.

Late afternoon 9/11/2010, I just get back to my car soaking wet from hours of hiking with a 30 pound backpack, I just performed my own mental & physical race. I was bow hunting for elk at about 7,700 ft. The country is straight up & down! That is where the elk live! At 4pm, I just heard a bull elk go off 3 times not even 100 yards from me. It really gets your blood going to hear them.

When I got to my car, my cell phone goes off? Its 8:11pm. Who is calling me and why is my phone working here, this far back? I have not had phone service this far back before? But it was ringing!

It was Jenn Halladay from Boise, ID. We have really worked hard on her pedal strokes this year. This has been her best season ever!

Jenn was with her sister in Jackson Hole, Wy waiting to get into a restaurant to get food. She just wanted me to know how well she did.

Jenn just took LOTOJA for the 4th time. She did the 206 miles in 9:44:57, a new record, about 20 mph average!!! She said she crushed it. She said her pedal stroke was amazing and allowed her to focus and ride by herself the whole way! She made sure, that she passed many of the fastest men in the race. She just wanted to let me know first "Jenn -Thanks for the support!"

Jenn didn't race LOTOJA last year. But another WN user Jill Dammon did and took the WN in 2009. Jill has done very well this year, racing pro mtb. She lives in Jackson Hole, Wy. I know she was in the race this year, but I don't know her results just yet.

This I do know, people who use our bike fit and learn from us go fastest!

Jenn Halladay is WN fast! Here it is in her own words!!!


Hey Tom!

You know I am not one to talk about myself! It's easier for me to tell you over the phone then write it out, but...here goes. This win was big for me in many ways. Going into this race my goal was to do it in 9 hrs 45 min. I thought I needed other riders around me to help me accomplish this goal. I knew I was going to need to be efficient and arrow on the bike. This meant focusing and being comfortable in my TT position and working on my peddle stroke, finding ways to increase my cadence. Your input and TT fit has helped me accomplish this. I was able to hold this position, establish a high cadence because of my peddle stroke and maintain a +21 mph average speed over 206 miles giving me the overall win in the Women cat-123 and new course record (for women) 9 hr 44 min 57 sec. This was done by myself. Let me explain.

This is a UCSF - sanctioned race. You cannot work with other groups. So if you go off the front of your group you are on your own. You cannot work with anyone! The first significant climb is 30 miles into the race, Mink Creek/Strawberry Summit. This climb is 20 miles (7,424 elevation). I got in the front and set a pretty steady pace, by the end of the climb it was down to myself and one other rider, there was no other female rider in sight. She stayed with me until the next climb, Geneva Summit (6,923 elevation) and then she couldn't hold my pace. I was on my own. I had 112 miles left in this race and one more mountain pass (Salt River Pass, 7,630 elevation). I know how to hold speed because of my training and peddle stroke so unless I was climbing I kept my speed as close to 23-24 mph picking off riders and groups as I came upon them. Before I knew it I was heading into the last canyon with a significant lead on the next rider and knowing I was almost done I was able to hold onto what I had and finished strong, still passing riders the whole way. This was done by my own power, I did not draft any other riders! I could have done this all day (I did do it all day, 9 hrs)! I proved to myself I didn't need anyone around me to accomplish my goal. I'm amazed at how far I have come. This has been an exeptional year for me and because I focused more on being aero and utilizing a more efficient peddle stroke it definitely paid off in this race.

Thank you for your help and support!

Jenn Halladay


Check out the race at www.lotojaclassic.com



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