this file now!

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Reactions
www.cvca.org
Winter 2008
January ◊ February ◊ March
Jim Finger (returning)
Mickey and Dee Dee Womble & family
Rickey Thomason (returning)
I will still remain in the club and continue to help
with club projects and events. I just think it is time
for some new people and some fresh new ideas and
views.
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, February 12th ◊ 6:15 pm*
Bella Roma
Program at 7 p.m. on VO2 testing by
Dr. John Azar-Dickens and Rhonda
Eichenberger.
Tuesday, March 18th ◊ 6:15 pm*
Bella Roma
Program to be decided.
*Board to meet at 5:15 pm
If anyone is even vaguely interested, give me a call
and we’ll talk.
Chris
Happy New Year!
Dora Makes a Return Visit
Dora made a brief visit to Rome before Christmas
and was a guest at the McCormick house. Her plans
were last minute, but a few of us were able to get
together and share a meal with her. Santa Claus
(Brian H.) made a surprise visit to see if Dora had
been naughty or nice. She claimed to have only
been a little naughty. Santa had some surprises in
his bag for Dora, but let it suffice to say her face
turned rather red when she opened one of them.
She thought she was safe from Brian’s tricks, but she
was wrong. We had a good time visiting, but we are
looking forward to the day she returns to Rome for
good.
Winter 2008
Welcome our Newest Memebers!
Club members are already aware of my decision
through an earlier e-mail, but this serves as written
notification. At this writing, none of the board
members has expressed an interest in taking over
the position next year. Thus, I would like to open
it up to the club to see if anyone is interested in
learning more about the position. My plan is to
start training someone during this next year in an
unofficial position or possibly appoint that person
to the board. At any rate, the new person would
have to be a board member before they could be
appointed to the Executive Director position in
2009. I would continue to assist the new Executive
Director for their first year to help ensure a smooth
transition.
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The time has finally come for me to turn the
“handlebars” of the CVCA over to a new Executive
Director in 2009. I have served this post for 9 ½
years and at the end of the year it will be 10 ½ years.
I took over for Becky in 6/96 and then had a brief 2
year respite, when Donna Carver served as Executive
Director, before regaining the position in 2001. I
have heard that there is more to life than bicycling
and I think I’m ready to explore some new avenues.
Chain Reactions
Wanted: CVCA Executive
Director for 2009
Fantastic Fall Colors Ride
Chain Reactions
The foliage was a disappointment this year compared to
last year, but we still had a fantastic ride. Fifty five riders
from Rome and the Atlanta area participated in the ride this
year. We were blessed with beautiful weather, low traffic
roads, and some of the best scenery in the state. Other than
a few flat tires the ride went very well. Thank goodness there
were no deer attacks this year!
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Sherry Semmendinger and Valerie Hancock generously
provided our SAG support. Sherry and Carol Moore
contributed their photography skills to capture the
highlights of the day. All of the CVCA riders were very
gracious to our guests serving as guides and assisting with
repairs. We received lots of compliments on our hospitality
and our route (thanks to the Chattooga Century ride).
Winter 2008
A large number of the riders enjoyed a delicious post ride
meal at Bella Roma with Eddie and Zana giving everyone a
10% discount on their meal.
I hope to see even more CVCA members join us next
year. I think we will plan to hold the ride a week or two later
to improve our chances for peak foliage. Thanks again to
everyone who rode and/or assisted with the ride.
CVCA Board of Directors’ Election
After the members enjoyed their chili dinner,
we held the CVCA elections for the 2008-2010
board. Pat Foley was re-elected to the Board of
Directors and Shirley Raley was newly elected
to fill Dora Ditchfield’s position. We are glad to
have Pat back with us and we welcome Shirley.
Shirley will be a great addition to the board.
Each director serves a 2 year term.
A Not Chilly Chili Ride
I’m beginning to think we need to move this ride to
January to have weather that is more appropriate
for hot chili! Seems like almost every year the
ride is held on a
warm day which
is not how it is
supposed to be.
I’m not really
complaining
though because
I would much
rather ride when
it is warm than
when it is cold.
We had a good
crowd and about
7 or 8 different
delicious chili
recipes to sample.
Everyone seemed
to have a favorite.
The desserts were good also, although you all know
I don’t really care for sweets that much (HA)!
We appreciate Winshape for allowing us to hold
our meeting in the Hill Dining Hall.
We are truly fortunate to have the beautiful Berry
campus to ride around. The foliage was much
better than it was for our Fall Colors Ride. Bill Moll
remarked that it was even more vivid than any he
had seen on a recent trip to the Northeast area of
the U.S.
The board will have its annual dinner meeting in January to appoint the Executive Director and to determine the roles of the other directors. They will begin planning for the new
year’s activities. The board welcomes any suggestions/ideas for improving the club. Contact
any of the directors (listed in the newsletter) to give them your thoughts. We want all of the
members to have a voice in the club activities. So let us hear from you!
Tour de Georgia Bypasses Rome
It is official…..the TDG will not return to Rome this year. The race, which begins on
April 21, will start at Tybee Island. The route will go to Savannah, Statesboro, Augusta,
Washington, Gainesville, Road Atlanta/Braselton (Team TT), Suwanee, Dahlonega, Blairsville,
Brasstown Bald Mtn, and finish on Sunday, April 27 with the Circuit Race in Atlanta. More
information is available at www.tourdegeorgia.com.
NORTHWEST REGIONAL
HOSPITAL CHRISTMAS PARADE
Six reindeers on bicycles joined the annual parade at NW Regional Hospital before
The CVCA is a 2008 $500 sponsor for Rome Velo. The team did very well last year and we expect that they will have
success again this year.
L o g Yo u r M i l e s o n B i k e J o u r n a l
The CVCA originally started logging miles on bikejournal.com to keep track of miles for the High Mileage Club (see
awards for 2007 in this newsletter). We are not going to continue the High Mileage Club, but this is still a good way to
keep up with your miles—not a competition—and to take part in the forums or other aspects of the site.
If you want to participate, go to www.bikejournal.com/ and sign up. Next, go to the rider’s tab and click on “edit my
profile.” This will bring up a tab that says “manage my clubs.” Click on that tab and you will see Coosa Valley Cycling
Association. Select and click on the add button and make CVCA your primary club. You may need to use the password
“baddog” at some point in the process. This is a free service, although you can pay to become a premier member
and help support the site. If you are on the club page and are not participating, you might contact Pat Foley and get
yourself removed.
***Note: The CVCA has also been allowed to be a part of the atlbike.org web site. This is more of a local (Atlanta area)
forum. We sometimes post our rides on the site and also use it as a source of other local rides to participate in. They
have a lot of rides out of Rockmart and Cedartown. These rides add a little variety. Go to www.atlbike.org and check
it out.
*** Cycle Therapy has also started an e-mail list for those that wish to receive notices of local rides, other than the
official CVCA rides. Contact Francis or Trey to get placed on the e-mail list. Anyone who is looking for a ride partner
can post a ride to inform other members when and where they are riding. Most of these rides are during the week at
various times.
Winter 2008
Note: The CVCA donated $250 to Cheerful Givers
for Christmas toys.
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CVCA members contributed gifts and cash to
the residents also. Thank you so much for your
generosity!
Chain Reactions
partaking in the CVCA dinner at Bella Roma. Participants were Nick, Sarah, and Rhonda Eichenberger, Chris
McCormick, Billy Nicholson, and Derek. We were happy to be able to add some joy to the lives of the residents. I must
say though that there was an element of danger
to this ride as we jockeyed for position and tried
to avoid running into each other and the other
participants and floats. I seem to recall overhearing
Kurt Eichenberger say that is why he didn’t show…
because he had ridden with some of those cyclists
before and realized the danger inherent in the
parade! I’m sure he was only joking!!
Chain Reactions
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4
Winter 2008
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Rome, Georgia 30165
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The CVCA has been holding the “High
Mileage” contest for the last three years.
High Mileage
Awards
ɶɶ First place this year goes to Aaron Jermundson, who despite injuries
accumulated 10,734 miles. Aaron gets to keep the wire sculpture he won as
first place winner last year, plus receives a plaque and a gold medal.
ɶɶ Second place goes to Bill Whitener with 8,777.5 miles. Bill received a silver medal.
ɶɶ Third place goes to Pat Foley with 5,345 miles. Pat received a bronze medal.
Chain Reactions
Participants logged their road bike miles
on bikejournal.com and the top three
winners are declared at the end of the year. The first year we had male and female divisions,
but due to lack of participation, we have only had a male division the last two years.
Congratulations to all of our high mileage winners!
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Xterra USA National Championship Race Report
Everything seemed to be coming together for me
this past summer. I had raced 4 off-road triathlons
in the Southeast region to qualify to compete at
Nationals. I had the endurance and the strength
from climbing up the hills on the Berry campus. I
was unprepared, however, for the 58 degree water
and the 7,000 ft elevation that I faced at the Xterra
USA National Championship in Lake Tahoe, Nevada
on Sept. 29. What I needed was a high altitude tent
and several baptisms in icy water. Alas, that was not
to be.
I arrived in Reno on Thursday before the race and met up with some old friends from Athens who are
now living there. The next day I set out to explore the venue and pre-ride the trail. On the drive from
Reno up to the race venue at Incline Village, I was impressed by the beauty of Lake Tahoe and the
surrounding Sierra Nevada mountains. After checking in at the Hyatt Regency, I scouted out the route.
The bike portion leaves Incline Village and climbs 1,600 ft. up Tunnel Creek Rd. It’s sandy and steep in
some places, which makes traction a challenge. From there, it merges with The Flume Trail, which is
known as one of the most spectacular 4.5 miles of mountain biking trails in the world. It runs along the
side of the mountain 1600 ft above the lake with drop-offs and large rock outcroppings. If you try to
enjoy the view while riding you risk going off the trail, which has dire consequences. “Don’t look where
you don’t want to go” cannot be emphasized enough here. I did stop and take some incredible pictures
on my pre-ride.
The Flume Trail takes you to Marlette Lake at 7500 ft. Then there is a leg burning climb up to the Tahoe
Rim Trail, where you top out at 8600 ft with views of Lake Tahoe to the west and Carson City to the east.
Heading down the Rim Trail is somewhat technical but also beautiful with towering pines, twisty single
track, and a wicked boulder garden that you have to weave your way through. Finally, you reach Tunnel
Creek Road again and begin a screaming descent back down to Incline Village, taking care not to slide
out on the sandy turns.
After a snow fall the day before the race, Sunday morning turned out beautiful, albeit cold at 30
degrees. It did eventually warm up in the 60s but the morning swim was brutal. I somehow got through
the double lap 1.5k swim and stumbled the ¼ mile to the transition area. The bike portion was a blast,
and there was still snow on the ground at the higher elevations. The run was a double loop 10k that
stayed in the Incline Village area but had a nice mix of ups and downs with stream crossings and log
bridges, standard Xterra fare. I crossed the finish line in 4 hours and 40 minutes, 10 min. past my goal
time which I blame on the swim that was so cold I couldn’t breathe and my muscles cramped up. I was
happy to finish 4th and really just happy to finish. I hope to be able to go again and maybe try World’s
in Maui. Now that’s supposed to be a kicker! Stay tuned.
Winter 2008
By Ruth Ference
Season results for Team
Romeo Foxtrot – 2007
By:Ruth Ference
Chain Reactions
I was blessed with good health and the
resources (thanks to sponsor Frankie G) to
compete in 5 Xterra triathlons and 4 road triathlons
this year. Age group racing rocks! (The age group
is secret. You can torture me, I’ll never tell! Oh,
yeah, the results are on the web)
Xterra off-road triathlon races:
• Fort Yargo – 1st Age group
• Panther Creek – 1st Age group
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• Lock 4 Blast – 2nd Age group
Winter 2008
• Southeast Regional at Oak Mountain, AL – 3rd
Age group
• USA National Championship – 4th Age group
USA Triathlon races:
• Chattanooga Waterfront Southeast Regional –
3rd Age group
• Tugaloo Georgia State Championship – 1st Age
group
• Fall Creek Falls – 1st Age group
Non-USAT Triathlon:
• Frantic Frog – 3rd Masters (Ruth)
• 1st Age group (Frank)
Racing
By Rhonda Eichenberger
Why do I race? I love the feel of the zone or the
endorphin high. I love the discipline required to
maintain a training schedule and I love that feeling
of testing my limits physically and mentally. After
a few years training for and racing triathlons, the
doctors diagnosed a knee issue that keeps me
from running. So to continue feeding the endorphin
monster, I have devoted hours to riding my bicycle
(bicycle ♪ bicycle ♪ I want to ride my bicycle ♫). As with most sports, there are hundreds of
opinions, articles, magazines and books written for
the bicyclist. Since I am more of a visual learner,
Kurt (my sweetie) sent me to a bicycle camp in
Alabama. Here I learned the value of hydration;
rest, active recovery rides, and long slow distance
training. I also met a coach that I have since
hired to review my power profiles and to keep
me in line when I want to train too hard (mantra:
don’t train longer, harder--train smarter). After a
several crashes, friends (I hope they are friends and
not sadists) suggested that I try mountain biking to
improve my bike handling skills. That’s great. To be a
better road bicyclist, I need to ride in the woods so that
I can now crash into trees and rocks and run off the
side of really big hills. How smart is that? Actually, as
I have discovered, mountain biking and road biking are
complementary. The skills you develop as a mountain
biker do transfer to road biking especially the pedaling,
cornering and visual skills. The aerobic capacity that
you develop on the road makes you a fit mountain
biker with loads of endurance to remain anaerobic for
longer periods.
This fall, Ruth Ference and I had the opportunity
to attend a mountain bike camp hosted by Gene
Hamilton of BetterRides. This was a no-frills camp. At
the camp, we had to relearn the very basics of riding
a bike. This meant losing the bad habits that develop
from when my brother taught me to bunny hop or
pop a wheelie. We spent hours in a parking lot riding
around cones and practicing drills for cornering, vision,
center of gravity, counter pressure, rotating around the
bike seat and practicing the rule of three. We ate in
the parking lot, we listened to lectures in the parking
lot and at the end of the day we were able to practice
our new skills at Chickapee in Gainesville.
As a New Year begins and you establish this year’s
goals, consider learning a new skill. If you decide
this is the year to try your hand at racing, send me an
email and we will form a ladies’ race team.
Chain Reactions
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Winter 2008
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by CardioCoachTM we can offer you this elite
service, usually only available to professional
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your fitness level and at The Scott Center we can
use those results to help you meet your fitness
goals.
For more information, or to make an appointment, call 706 232 6743
www.thescottcenter.com
Member News:
Chain Reactions
Time to Renew CVCA
Memberships
Congratulations to Bob and Peggy Moore
on the birth of their granddaughter, Cora
Antoinette on September 25. Amy and Pete
are the proud parents.
Our annual renewal date is January 1, 2008.
Some members had renewed for more than one
year and some who joined late in 2007 went
ahead and paid for 2008, but everyone else
should be due now. CVCA sponsors get a free
membership for one year.
Congratulations to Ruth Ference and
Frank George on the birth of their grandson,
Soren Somerville Hoechst on November 13! I
imagine there will be lots of trips to Salt Lake
City to get acquainted with Soren and to play
with his big sister, Anika.
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Winter 2008
There is a registration/renewal form on the last
page of the newsletter. Please fill out and mail
with check to: CVCA, PO Box 2764, Rome, GA
30164-2764. Our insurance company requires a
signed form each year. Thanks so much! Please
note on your form if any of your information has
changed so I will be sure to catch it.
Best wishes and speedy recovery to Deborah
Adair’s mother who has been in and out of
the hospital.
Jessica Foley has recovered from her recent
surgery. Hope that is it for her for awhile!
End of the Year Party
Bella Roma was our gracious host for our party this year. We were served a delicious Italian
buffet in their private dining room. Eddie and Zana waived their customary party room fee
just for us and went out of their way to provide us with a quality meal for a modest price. We
certainly appreciate their hospitality.
Approximately 35 adults and 8 children attended this year. The adults enjoyed their usual
gift exchange while the children played with their little gifts and painted pictures to entertain
themselves. The big hit this year was a wooden duck! The duck was taken from several people
during the night and finally ended up being auctioned off for $20 with Steve Finn taking the
prize home. Bob Moore was a hit as the gift exchange emcee.
A big thank you to everyone for my gifts of the Rome cookbook and chimes. I appreciate the
gifts, but even more, the friendship and assistance offered to me throughout the year. So……
thanks again!!
2008 CVCA Directors & Officers
Chris McCormick, Executive Director
Francis Ranwez, Sponsorship Director
Pat Foley, Advocacy/Public Relations/Webmaster
Shirley Raley, Membership Director
Chris Carey, Education
Jessica Foley, Newsletter Editor/Webmaster
Brian Hancock, Ride Director
Terry Pearson, Treasurer
Deborah Adair, Secretary
(706) 291-0673, cycling50@aol.com
ranwez@dotp.com
pfoley@berry.edu
sraley5@comcast.net
ccarey@logsync.com
jbnjessica@yahoo.com
jbhancock@dhr.state.ga.us
tpscga@hotmail.com
(706) 232-1443
Calendar
Biking Bleckley Metric 100 - cbchamber.angelfire.com/biking.html
Mar 1
Snake Creek Gap Mt. TT Series, Dalton www.nwgasorba.org/the_snake.html
Mar 8
Wheels o’Fire Century Cycle Tour. wwwharriscountychamber.org/CycleTour
Mar 11
Georgia Rides to the Capitol. Roswell, Decatur & Atlanta. www.
georgiaridestothecapitol.org
Mar 15
Annual Tour de Pike. www.kiwanispike.org/tourdepike.html
Mar TBA
Saul Rasin Hope Charity Ride. www.sportsbaseonline.com/Item.aspx?item_id=1448
Mar 29
Tour de Beer. Atlanta. GEORGIA BIKES! www.georgiabikes.org/DesktopDefault.
aspx?tabid=91
Apr TBA
Dogwood 100. Winchester, TN. www.dogwood100.com
Apr TBA
Highlands of Alabama Century. Fort Payne. www.bikeride.com/calendar/event.
asp?id=2881
Apr 18-20 Spring Tune-up Ride. www.brag.org/stu.html
Apr 19
Tour de Lake. LaGrange. www.westpointlakecoalition.org
Apr 21-27 Tour de Gerogia. www.tourdegeorgia.com
May 3
3-State-3-Mountain. Chattanooga, TN. www.chattbike.com/events
May 10
Up the Creek Without a Pedal. Rome, GA. www.cvca.org
Jun 7-14
BRAG. Atlanta to St. Simons. www.brag.org
*ICCC has rides leaving from Rockmart every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month.
Routes vary so check www.atlbike.org for details.*
CVCA Rides
Road Bike Rides
Saturdays & Sundays, vary from Mount Berry Square Mall and
Armuchee Middle School ~ Rides time will vary according to the
weather. Watch your e-mail prior to the weekend to verify correct
time. Usually 30-45-62 mile options. Speed and length determine by
group present. If you are not on the email list contact Chris.
Mtn Bike Rides
Contact Brian Hancock or Pat Foley if interested in riding. Times may
vary.
Ladies Road Bike
Rides
Rides will continue from Mt. Berry United Methodist Church on Hwy.
27 N., on different days. Watch e-mails for scheduled rides. Contact
Chris for more info.
Winter 2008
Feb 23
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Tundra Time Trial. www.surgesports.com/TundraTimeTrial.htm
Chain Reactions
Feb 16