Ride Society Leaders

Mari Holden
Olympic Medalist
http://www.mariholden.com »
Mari is a widely accomplished road cyclist who lives and trains in the San Diego area. She’s a five-time United States Cycling Federation national time trial champion and a USCF national road race champion. In 2000, Mari stood on the Olympic podium in Sydney to collect a silver medal in the time trial event. She currently works as a cycling coach and trainer, consultant, as well as a TV commentator. Mari’s proudest achievement? It’s her ongoing work to raise awareness for a cause close to her heart – breast cancer research.
Check out Mari's latest posts from the Ride Society below:

Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge

As many of you know, I coach a group here in San Diego that trains for the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge, a ride that goes from San Francisco to San Diego over 6 days. We train for 20 weeks for the actual ride down the coast. It is a fundraiser for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Our ride is capped at 100 people, and the goal is to raise a minimum of one million dollars. We finally had our… »
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My VeloBetty Ride

Yesterday I did a great ride with my VeloBetty training group. We met in the mountains behind San Diego for an early morning ride in the hills. We were a group of about 8 women, and we were tackling the famous “Kitchen Creek” on Mt. Laguna. I always look forward to our VeloBetty rides because they are such epic, yet social events. We have a “no drop” attitude, and we always make sure that everyone… »
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Blockhaus-- The Giro by Air

I was at dinner on the rest day in my hotel in Chieti and decided that after seeing a couple friends that I was going to head to Rome and take in a day of sightseeing and shopping before my flight back to the States. I knew that Blockhaus was going to be a cool stage, but, it is always difficult to get the logistics down to see a hilltop finish, and I was thinking that a day in Rome might be a better… »
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Riding in the Wind

I was talking to a friend of mine today who was driving home from Casper, Wyoming, which is one of the windiest places on earth. Bike riding can sometimes be miserable if you are in a nonstop headwind or crosswind. He called me to tell me that some semi trucks on the road had been blown over, and we started to reminisce about a ride that I did there a few years ago. I was in Casper for the holiday… »
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Makeup Tips for Cyclists!

I’ve been searching for the perfect combination of makeup that you can use while riding without finishing and looking like a clown! The great thing is that a lot of makeup has sunscreen in it, so it is actually helpful to us while we are on the bike. I like to apply a normal sunscreen with 30spf all over my face before applying any makeup. Then I use a light all day foundation (I use Estee Lauder… »
(2) Comments Permalink Training Wheels

Indoor Training

On this rainy day as I contemplate an indoor workout, I thought I would share some ideas about indoor training for those of you who haven’t ever needed or wanted to train indoors. It’s not all bad, it’s just different. But, this bad weather can give you an opportunity to work on some fitness that is harder to focus on outdoors. The easiest piece of equipment to master is the turbo trainer. This… »
(2) Comments Permalink Training Wheels

Hershey's Tour de Pink, 5th annual ride for breast cancer

This past week The Giant for Women crew and I went to the East Coast to take part in the 5th annual Tour de Pink. It was my third time riding the event, and Giant supported us in an amazing way. I have had some great sponsors in my time, but Giant has always been so good to me. I was truly proud of the support Giant for Women gave to this event. As most of you know, this is Breast Cancer Awareness… »
(2) Comments Permalink Tour de Pink

Cycling Shoe Fit

Cycling shoes and pedals can really affect your performance. When you purchase a cycling shoe and clipless pedal, you are taking a huge step to improving your efficiency and comfort while riding. When I look for a road shoe, I look for a super stiff sole. I don’t want there to be any loss of power transfer to the pedal. When you ride in a tennis shoe, or any shoe that flexes, you are losing power.… »
(1) Comment Permalink Training Wheels

Torrey Pines

Every town has certain climbs or rides that all cyclists consider milestones. From my previous posts, you can tell that one of the main climbs in the San Diego area is Palomar Mountain. This is a milestone for cyclists who have been riding for awhile, because it is a long ride and a hard climb. But, there is a climb right in town up Torrey Pines, where many cyclists do hill repeats and is in one of… »
(1) Comment Permalink Inspiring Women

Spring Training -- Workout Basics

I often go out for rides just to enjoy the scenery and company, but sometimes when I’m alone I like to add some intensity to my ride. I have spent so many years training and racing, that now I like to go hard to burn off energy and keep myself sharp enough to keep up on the local group rides. I would suggest that anyone who is interested in a real training program should hire a coach to help them… »
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Wet, Cold, or Rainy... Dressing for the Conditions

It’s that time of year again when trying to decide what to wear on the bike becomes a bit more challenging. Today I am packing for a ride from San Luis Obispo to San Diego. It is for the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge. Our ride was supposed to be a few weeks ago from San Francisco to San Diego, but because of the fires that devastated Southern California we stopped after San Luis Obispo. So, tonight… »
(0) Comments Permalink Training Wheels

York Tour de Pink: Training Guide (Part 5) Last month of training!

Can you believe we are beginning our last month of training? The Tour de Pink is just around the corner. By now you should all be comfortable on your bikes and feeling the increase in mileage. I hope that you are enjoying the training as much as me. I know that finding the time to get in the training can be difficult. Sometimes if you have to miss a day, it is good just to pick it up at the next workout… »
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Your Tour de Pink: Training Guide (Part 4)

Welcome to the second month of training! By now you should be starting to feel much more comfortable on your bikes and getting used to the workouts. I always think the first month of something new is the most difficult because you are just starting to get into a routine. Once the routine gets established it is much easier to continue. I know that when I miss a ride or workout, I definitely feel the… »
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York Tour de Pink: Training Guide (Part 3)

Welcome to the first month of organized training! We are only a few months away from the 2nd annual Tour De Pink. Hopefully by now you are getting comfortable on your bike and enjoying some fun rides. The goal of the training this month is to continue building an endurance base. I have scheduled four rides during the week. The rides are generally 1-2 hours in length, and the weekend rides build up… »
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York Tour de Pink: Training Guide (Part 2)

This installment of the training guide is all about getting you comfortable on your bike. If you have not already, give your bike the once-over to make sure it’s in rideable (great) condition. You’ll want to check: • Tires and tire pressure—look on the side of the tire for the recommended pressure and then inflate until you reach the target range. Make sure your tires are secure by opening… »
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Tour de Pink: Training for a Charity Ride (Part 1)

The time has come to start our training for the next Young Survival Coalition's YORK Tour de Pink presented by Hershey's! We have worked on a training program and it is going to help you get the fitness that you are going to need to complete the Tour. The first few weeks are all about building a base. We know a lot of people haven’t spent much time on their bikes, so this first month we will just… »
(1) Comment Permalink Tour de Pink

Women's Clinic in Alameda... More fun with W.O.W.

Last month I was in Alameda for a fun event put on by Women on Wheels (W.O.W.). It was a great time! Kelli and Sarah of Alameda Bicycles spearheaded an event that was designed to get women more comfortable with their bike riding skills. I was super excited to be the lead instructor on the bike. It was also a great experience because it is the first time that I have been able to participate in a real… »
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Riding in a Group

I have had a lot of questions about how to ride in a group. Let me start off by saying that I used to be really scared about riding in a group. I didn’t have a hard time riding together with a few friends, but the idea of riding very close to 100 people really scared me. Of course now that it’s been 25 years, I guess I’m not so scared anymore, and I actually like being in a group because it is… »
(2) Comments Permalink Training Wheels

Tour de Pink!

Last month I attended the Tour de Pink. This was a fundraiser for the Young Survivor Coalition. The YSC is a group that specializes in patient advocacy for women who were diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 40. Breast cancer in this age group tends to be more aggressive, and there is less support for these women. The YSC helps these women get through all stages of their treatment and recovery.… »
(1) Comment Permalink Travel Journal

So I am on the plane coming home from the Tour...

and I can’t believe how awesome the last couple weeks have been. I was invited to attend the Tour de France as a part of the T-Mobile hospitality team. I have always wanted to see the tour in person. After 15 years of bike racing, watching it on TV and imagining what it would be like, it did not disappoint. I can’t help but rambling on, but it was an awesome experience and I want to share it all!… »
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Giro d'Italia

My latest adventure was to attend the Men’s Giro d’Italia. The Giro is considered a Grand Tour. It is three weeks and travels all over Italy. I was fortunate enough to be asked to attend the race with the USA Cycling Development Foundation. We traveled to Italy for the final week of the race. The final week was in the Dolomites. It was almost as if we were in Austria! The scenery was amazing. One… »
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A Great Reason to Ride

I recently returned from the Tour of Georgia . I was not there to race, but I had the opportunity to ride alongside Greg Lemond (cycling legend and 3 time Tour de France winner), Steve Hegg (Olympic Gold Medalist) and Norman Alvis (former Professional US National Champion) as a team leader in the 1st Annual Briar Rose Grand Peloton ride to benefit the Georgia Cancer Coalition. All the athletes had… »
(4) Comments Permalink Inspiring Women

My Sparkly Pink Bike

My ultimate bike would be light pink -- the color of the breast cancer ribbon. The top tube would feature that ribbon with an outline of silver rhinestone glitter paint. I would use the same sparkly paint to write -- strength and hope -- in cursive script and to decorate the frame. Then, I'd add a row of real rhinestones to all the tubes. My seat would be a matching light pink with rhinestones instead… »
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