Racer Spotlight 2nd Edition: Nancy Bailey I met Nancy just a couple years ago when I attended some of the Onondaga Cycling Clubs Wednesday night group rides. She had a Trek Madone, I had a Trek Madone, we climbed hills at roughly the same pace (she was quicker by the way), friendly conversations naturally followed. The next season I jumped head first into road racing. Hers was the first familiar face Id see, back when I didnt know anyone in the road scene. It was comforting and reassuring. Since those earlier days Ive gotten to know Nancy a little better and my admiration for her just keeps growing. Shes an awesome racer who always gives it her all - tons of heart. Shes one of several CNY area female racers who I think serve as a prime example of what womens racing can be with the right people in place. My favorite quote from this Q & A: The bike life is a living, evolving plan and I try to adapt as it goes along. Enjoy 1. Name, Age, where are you from? How long have you been in the Syracuse area? Family? What do you do as your 9-5? Nancy Bailey, age 50, from Belmont, VT. I’ve lived in the Syracuse area for 19 years. I have three children, mostly all grown up and doing well for themselves. I work as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Syracuse Community Health Center. 2. How long you’ve been riding and also how long have you been racing? I’ve been riding since high school on and off but only to either supplement cross-country ski training or for general fitness. I cross-country ski raced in high school and college. I’ve been bike racing for 3 years. 3. What team do you belong to and how did you end up there? I raced for Pittsford Painting Cycling this past year. Mark McCarthy, head of the team, took a chance on a masters, female bike racer. Recently, I’ve moved over to the FinKraft Women’s Team. I’m really excited to get the chance to race with other like-minded women. 4. How did you first get into bike racing? Was there anyone that influenced you to get into it, etc…what’s the story? I was a speed skater for a few years. Pete von Zwehl encouraged me to bike race to help keep fit for speed skating. Then due to a serious back injury, I could no longer tolerate the crouched position of speed skating. Ron Nelson helped me with some power and time trial training. I am currently coached by Tim O’Shea. Dennis Williams understands the sometimes nuttiness of training and racing. He is supportive to me both on and off the bike. 5. Road, CX, MTB? Do you have a favorite and why? All. What’s not to like! There are exciting and fun aspects to each discipline and they enhance one another. It was really exciting to get into Cyclocross this year. I’ve had a whole lot of fun learning this season. The CX clinic Tim O’Shea and Phil McCarthy put on this fall opened up a whole new world for me. 6. Do you set racing goals or is it more of a just go out and do it, have fun kind of thing? I constantly assess my strengths and weaknesses. I push my strengths and train my weaknesses as much as possible. The more I bike race, the more I look into my future goals and plan ahead. I try to keep training and racing fun. The bike life is a living, evolving plan and I try to adapt as it goes along. 7. What are your favorite races and why? I don’t really have a favorite but I seem to like longer races with difficult terrain. This summer, I did the Vermont Overland gravel grinder and it was incredibly rugged riding making Battenkill seem like a ride in Onondaga Park. 8. What’s your favorite thing about racing? The incredible people you meet and get to hang out with and, I like the finish line. 9. What motivates you? The short-term, day-to-day goals of training. Just getting through a hard interval workout, knowing it will pay off, motivates me. I can also be bribed by craft beer and cookies. 10. What’s your least favorite thing about racing or what would you seek to change? I hate crashing and Lycra spandex. I would seek to change inequality in women’s bike racing. While, we feel it to some extent as women on an amateur level, it is egregious at the pro level. 11. What is your go-to pre-ride food? What is your go-to race fuel? How do you recover after a race? I live on oatmeal, PBJ, fruit, vegies, nuts, rice and beans and occasionally chicken. I will eat any carbo I can get my hands on pre-ride or race. During a race, I can only tolerate Gu and an electrolyte drink. After a race, more PBJ, some fruit. Then it’s off to get some coffee. 12. What would you like to see more of in the local racing scene? I would like to see more women really get into racing and have fun with it. 13. What tips, encouragement, etc. can you give to other women who have never raced or just started to race? Women are better at racing than they think they are. They just need to encourage each other, be open and accepting to all the crazy ups and downs of racing. Don’t feel you have to be Wonder Woman all the time. Racing is not a do or die thing. It is one of the motivators behind all those hours on the bike. Do what you can with the time and resources you have. Time, resources and desire will ebb and flow. Racing can provide a great social outlet and is something to look forward to. If you are just getting started racing, be sure to have a local bike shop tune your bike, ask a lot of questions, learn to fix what you can on your bike, ride your bike a lot with other people, talk about biking, and just get on the start line. Get on that start line frequently. 14. Do you have any people that inspire you/encourage you when it comes to bike racing? Yes, they are all around me. Dennis Williams, Tim O’Shea, Amy Kneale, Shari O’Shea, Katina Walker, Tim Leonard, and so many others. I am still very close with my first coach, Tom Heffernan, who coached me in high school running and cross-country skiing. He is still a sounding board and a voice of reason for me. Also, the people that smile, get excited about racing and keep things in perspective are a huge help to me. 15. How do you maintain the delicate balance of work, family life, and bike racing? A bike racing life style can be difficult to balance. Some family and friends, who don’t embrace as active a lifestyle, can sometimes have a hard time understanding my choices. It’s okay though. We should all try to follow our own hearts. 16. Do you have a good race memory or story to share? I don’t have a particular memory or story to share really but the excitement of bike racing from preparation to getting on the start line is really full of good feelings for me. It’s fun and funny; one never knows how it’s going to go on any particular day at a race. Even with all preparation done, on any given day it could be someone else’s day to shine. I’ve really learned a lot over the years to bounce back after a marginal or bad race result. I was never good at that in my early years when cross-country ski racing. I would let my performance on the skis color my whole world and completely define who I was. It was not a healthy way to be. Now, bike racing has given me the chance to show myself that I can be resilient and keep bike racing a fun part of my life. 17. What’s your favorite local training ride? The course for the Cazenovia Hill Bender is a fave. It’s hilly and scenic. 18. What would your dream cycling getaway be? I would love to go to France and Spain. 19. What can we do in CNY to grow the women’s racing scene? People like Trish Dugan, Helene Schmid and others who promote women on wheels type groups are doing a great job at promoting women in cycling which will eventually lead some women to bike racing. If women can be encouraging and supportive of each other, great things will happen. 20. What’s the most memorable and/or unusual thing you’ve seen/done on a bike ride? I crashed in front of and took out Andy Ross, the USAC, NYSBRA representative who processes upgrades, just before requesting a road upgrade from a cat 4 to 3. Held my breath on that one. I was so embarrassed but Andy was such a great sport about the whole thing. 21. What do you do during the winter months in preparation for the spring/summer season? I cross-country ski and ride the trainer. This year, I plan to ride outside more. 22. What are your off season plans, goals? I will be more focused on getting ready for the spring race season than I have in the past. 23. How can CNY improve or build the race community? Dave Tate, Jeremy Clay, Andy Ross, Jeff Poulin, other race officials, local bike shops and clubs have all been supportive of and promote CNY racing. I’m sure they could use more help. 24. When it comes to cycling and riding what stands out about CNY? CNY has some of the best cycling roads and terrain in the state and probably the country. Many people here embrace cycling. The cycling scene in CNY offers all types of riding for all sorts of people, whether you want to race, ride the Slow and Easy rides with Onondaga Cycling Club or even improve your BMX type skills at Cranx Bike Park. 25. Provide us with a Haiku ! (5, 7, 5 – syllables per line) Road, Cross, Mountain Bike Ride, freedom for the present Wind on your face – grace
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 00:20:53 +0000
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