Dispatch: Boulder (It’s On!)

Notes on Julie’s National Time Trial Prep from Jeremy Dunn

Not sure where to begin on this one. Everything seems to be a culmination of everything that has come before it, which is why I guess it is good to head back to what you know. Whether it be the pain, the altitude (and the pain associated with that) or just to something that is more familiar than what you currently know.
What I’m trying to say here, is the time is now. It’s on!

I headed out to Boulder Colorado a few weeks ago to check in with our Hero Julie Krasniak and help her with her Olympic preparations. Olympic Preparations —just looking at that gives it more importance than it should, but we all know the truth: it means a hell of a lot. In some circles it would mean things very technical: training camps, special powders, work-outs to burn the lungs and the legs at the same time, mental toughness for days and the repetition that is required to make all the muscle patterns function without a second thought. Ok, well there were some special powders (watch it, you! SkratchLabs made them) and there was definitely a few moments of leg and lung burning. But that’s not why I was brought in (heh!)

While in Boulder we realized that Julie’s LOOK time trial bike, while resplendent in its Mondrian paint scheme, was too large. This is what happens when you have to take whatever you can get. Do you know that feeling bike racers? You do, don’t you? Julie has no real sponsor for any road racing activities, so she reached out to the powers that be within the FOCUS organization and they, rather miraculously, produced a TT bike of her size in no less than 22 hours. We took it to the shop of Tom Q. Hopper, bike mechanic to the stars, and a day later a bike that is shaped not unlike that of a spaceship was rolled out of Colorado Multisport. 

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There was a goal to all of this and the importance of it is NOW! The French National Time Trial which, as I write this, will be happening in just a few days, a few long hours if you will. The nerves attached to the end of these fingers attached to the top of this keyboard are twitchy with anticipation as to what that actually means. At a certain hour on Thursday morning (French time here) our friend Julie Krasniak will wake up, she’ll put on her kit, strap on her shoes and then slip on the helmet that makes her look a little bit like Indurain from the yesteryear. Then she’ll walk to the top of the ramp, swing a leg over her bicycle, face forward (with a few fat fingers counting down in her peripheral vision) and then she’ll be off with nothing but the wind the pavement and those inner demons that keep us all going.

I’m just typing out the nervous energy at this point. My nervous energy, because I know that she’s ready, that she can do it and she will. So, if you’re a fan bike racing, tubulars, French Girls, Colorado, TT Helmets, spandex, sunglasses, short shorts, deep carbon wheels, National Champions, love, cycling shoes, hi-fives or actual macaroons, then give a cheer, whether silent or aloud, for our gal Julie. She’s taken to a particular saying recently and I’ve no idea where she picked it up; it goes “IT’S ON!” Indeed it is. 

Note: The TT didn’t go exactly as planned (what ever does?). Of course these athletes get a little bit of the crazy when it comes to that carrot we call a finish line. 10th anywhere means something. 10th in that country that we call France? Well, that means something else entirely!! Amazing! The start line of the road race will be toed in the early morning hours tomorrow. If ever it were, it now is on!


Text and Images by Jeremy Dunn.