February 4 - Early Bird Training Criterium and Clinic
Race info

Results

Pictures:
Nenita Rozzi, Colvita/Sutter Home Norcal Cycling
Left Coast Racing Team

Report: by Shawn Mehaffey  

Early Bird Memories



I posed the following question to our current and former Early Bird mentors:

"What has been your most rewarding experience mentoring at the Early Birds?"

Here's what they had to say...

I have occasionally run into some of the women I helped mentored. They would quote some advice that I gave them, and that it helped them succeed in becoming a better cyclist competing, as well as just overall cycling ability.

Virginia Richards

*****

I would have to say it's a general sense of gratitude from the riders at the end of their race that gives me that warm fuzzy feeling. During the Q&A sessions, every rider is riveted to the comments and feedback, and when they are released to ride off into the sunset, a great number of them say thank you, ask specific questions and tell how much they appreciate the mentors and the program. That gives me the inspiration and incentive to do it again.

Ted Brooks

*****

I have had numerous rewarding experiences from mentoring the EB's. Friendships that have developed with Bob Liebold, his son Peter and his loyal crew. Friendships that get rekindled each year with the mentors and the officials, which always includes Casey. Every class I've mentored I think back with great fondness and appreciation to Jenny Wilkins, Ted Fisher and Harvey Nitz who taught me numerous skills. I feel confident that what I'm teaching new riders works and when the riders practice it and later come back to tell me how excited they are because they could feel the difference between executing a move the correct way and the wrong way I know I have helped them become a better rider. Mike Sayers and John Peters both mentored me at a few men's races in Santa Rosa many years ago and I remember every word they said too. I was able to experience this because Harvey was coaching me at the time and told them to show me some tricks. Wow, did I get the ride of of life. Mike and John took me up through the pack to the finish line and I all I could remember is going through holes I didn't think possible.

I mentored Laurie Fenech a few years ago and she said I inspired her to race and become a better rider. Today Laurie is a cat 3 with many wins under her belt and running her own separate skills clinics for women at the EB's. Wow, it just gives me goose bumps to think about how far Laurie has come in just 2 years. She just signed up to train with Harvey and I know she has some thrilling races in store for her in the future. Lynn and I met Bryan Larsen (17) and his younger brother Steven (13) back about 6 years ago. We helped mentor both of them [and] met their mom and dad who we became close friends with. What a great family. Rob and Denise give these kids a tremendous amount of support, but the kids have to get good grades in order to race their bikes. They both have above a 4 point grade average. Bryan is now racing with the pros1/2/3 (placed 5th at Land Park) and Steven is winning mountain bike races.

It's all good juju.

Donna Menard

*****

That's easy. During the course of a season, I get approached regularly by people who I've mentored. I always get a good feeling when months, or even a year(s) later someone comes up and thanks me, and lets me know that I was helpful to them. Let's me know that I'm reaching people, teaching them something worthwhile, and am able to help them. That's the best.

Geoff Gunderson

*****

This probably isn't what you were looking for, but last week the top 5 girls in the women's race were all in my mentor group. That was pretty cool! Other than that, I haven't been a mentor enough to really contribute to your effort, but I was pretty stoked about that result!

Skot McDaniel

*****

I have had many fantastic experiences with the Early Bird Training Races/Clinics hosted by Shawn Mehaffey and Larry Nolan. Year after year, we have approximately 450 racers come out each Sunday in January to learn from them and the rest of us coaches/mentors in the skill of bicycle racing. It is very rewarding just having them eagerly show up! I spend personally quite a lot of time at the Early Birds. It not only gets me to help other racers but also helps me to hone my personal coaching skills. I know from personal experience that most of these individuals truly want to learn what we have to offer. On more than one occasion, later on in the racing season, I have had racers come up to me stating “Thanks for showing me that _______skill, it saved my skin! I felt really relaxed and so was the other guy!” This is just one type of comment that makes me giddy with excitement, that we are teaching, they are learning and the racing scene keeps going. I have used this particular season to have my TEAM CS work on their racing skills and also use the time to work on their tactical skills as well; with them knowing that nothing is really on the line, they can use the venue to practice and become a better racing team. Why, I have even threatened to pull them out a lap, help them to re-focus on their tactics and then send them all back into the race, something that cannot be done anywhere else!

Alan Atha

*****

Twenty years of EB Memories:

- I don't have the specific numbers but this series has taken off in popularity... [at] an amazing rate!

- it's especially gratifying when a rider comes up to thank you for a positive experience that they had years ago... and that they are still racing.

- it's even better when riders realize that they can help new riders and come out to mentor

- in 2005 we asked a rider that went through the mentoring NOT to race. I don't think anyone had done that before but this rider was on a brand new bike and had not ridden it before, let alone ridden in a group or raced.

- it's also nice when people take the time to send e-mail reaffirming that we are all helping them and that one hour each week is just a start on improving their skills



Larry Nolan

*****

As for me, it has been rewarding to lead the mentoring effort for over six years for literally thousands of men, women, and juniors. I also remember with fondness the time a teammate came up to me and mentioned he accidentally touched wheels, but stated, "it was no big deal" since we had showed him how to handle it.

Finally, it was gratifying to learn the late John Peckham, a talented Alto Velo rider who upgraded to Category 2 his second racing season, cut his racing teeth at the Early Birds.

Shawn Mehaffey

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