1992 Racing Log

This is the first year Maura got serious with USCF racing.  I think she did a couple more races in August (like the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix) that she didn't write down.  She was encouraged by the Santa Fe Dam Time Trial result but given her biathlon/triathlon background, a time trial wasn't surprising.  The race she was most proud of was the Mt Hamilton Road Race.  We traveled up to San Jose so she can do this race from San Jose to Livermore that includes a 20-mile climb on Mt Hamilton.  She finished 3rd place and decided that road racing, and not criteriums were her thing.  Another 2nd place finish at the Dunnigan Hills Road Race pretty much set her on this path where she wants to do 30 races a year while working full time as Cedars Sinai Hospital.

Solvang Century, 1992

This is the one and only time we did the Solvang Century.  We started in Santa Maria to Santa Ynez, Solvang, Vandenberg and back.  I remember getting together with 3 other people I worked with at Hughes and we just pacelined the 100 miles in a little under 5 hours.  We were racing for the South Bay Wheelmen at the time so the century was a good training ride this early in the cycling season.  For some reason, I ended up with a pink water bottle (which probably belonged to Maura) when this picture was taken.  In order to finish the century in 5 hours, I specifically put in aerodynamic bars on my bike for a more streamlined position.  In 1992, it was the cycling fad --  considering Greg Lemond won the Tour de France on the last day because he used these bars.

Glendora Mountain Road, 1992

Racing requires up to 200+ miles a week of training and easing up in the winter time to about 140 miles. This was one of the Maura's favorite training rides up Glendora Mountain Road to Mt. Baldy, a total of 21 miles of climbing. Photo taken around Christmas 1992.

Tar Magnet, 1992

It's no joke.  If there's tar on the beach, Maura is guaranteed to step on it.  This was a big chunk from Goleta beach.  Paul and I had a field day about the size of this tar she stepped on.  It took almost half a roll of paper towels.

MIchigan, 1992

This was our first visit to Maura's uncle in Michigan.  Uncle Don tried teaching Maura how to drive a tractor in Sept 1992.  She tried two different tractors with the second one actually pulling an empty hay trailer.

Sacramento Visit, 1992

Maura with her Uncle Don and Aunt Cindy in Sacramento.  Don and Cindy live in Fenwick, Michigan and were very supportive of Maura's cycling.  They came out to Wyoming the following year to watch her race for 7 days at the Casper Classic.  Her Aunt Betty, Aunt Patty and Uncle Jack all lived in the Sacramento metropolitan area.