Leader of the Pack

A highly observant member of the BOCOMO peloton termed the little faction that I ride with “The Rolling Sitcom.” It’s not a bad analogy—a group of idiosyncratic characters thrown together for shits and grins and more than little drama. The other day, during the latest episode of the Rolling Sitcom—Tuesday Night Worlds, it occurred to me that the wolf pack would an equally appropriate analogy. Read what follows and I think you’ll agree. (DISCLAIMER: I did not make this up—it all came from reputable sources.)

The wolf pack is a tightly knit social group with a hierarchical structure to maintain pack organization for hunting and care of the pack. The hierarchy of a typical wolf pack is as follows: an Alpha male who is pack leader; a Beta male that supports the Alpha male; subordinates; and, the Omega wolf, typically a female, who bears the brunt of the pack's stress.

Alpha wolves are not dominant because they are the strongest, but because they are effective leaders. Thus, they lead the pack by organization and rallying, rather than forceful domination and strength. This is consistent with the very nature of the pack--it is not vital that the pack be as strong as can be, but as organized as possible, so that the hunt can be as successful as possible. The Alpha wolves tend to start and guide most pack activities. They lead the pack when travelling, decide when and where to hunt, are usually the first to attack strange wolves, and tend to attack the most vigorously when encountering a hostile wolf pack.

The Beta wolf usually does the 'enforcing' of the pack structure, showing support for the Alpha, and 'reminding' the other members of who is in charge.

The Omega wolf bears the stress of the pack by acting as a kind of a scapegoat. This is an essential role, as the pack must find a way to relieve stress if the hunt is not successful, or if a pack member is angered or stressed for any other reason. Surprisingly, the Omega wolf finds comfort in its position.

You can tell a wolf's rank in the pack simply by looking at how it holds its body. Alpha wolves stand more erect with their tails held higher, while lower-ranking ones slouch toward the ground. Submissive wolves even relieve themselves differently from alphas; an Omega wolf urinates in a squatting position.

Wolves communicate in many ways. Primary communication seems to be body language, gesture, and expression. Wolves do vocalize in the form of howling and other minor ways such as whines, whimpers, yips and sometimes even barks. “Mob greetings,” wherein a large number, if not all, of the pack member gather and lick and/or sniff each other, are commonplace.

It is important to remember that Alpha wolves are the most experienced members of a pack and it is generally to every member's advantage to do what they bid.

Christa

Sometimes there are no words for the feelings.

There are no words for the sick feeling that I have from the unexpected bad news. Christa Voss was hit by a truck and killed yesterday while riding her bike outside of Tulsa.

Christa was a talented athlete--a runner and then a cyclist. She was a professor of biology at Tulsa Community College. She was my friend.

I will remember Christa for the kind of person that she was: sweet, kind, thoughtful, gentle, and optimistic. She walked in grace, always smiling. And, no one will ever fill her shoes (boots)....

I hate to say good bye so soon.

Going to class

I overslept this morning and was almost late for class. I was scheduled for some long overdue remedial lab training. Thankfully, the Professor excused my tardiness and we proceeded with the practicum as planned. After several hours of hands-on practice from a patient teacher who provided explanations of "why"--my bike maintenance skills now range beyond cleaning the chain and changing a cassette. Although we covered such topics as replacement of head-set bearings and bottom bracket rebuilding, the real lesson was one of empowerment. Thanks, Professor Beans. I will never again be intimidated by a task just because it requires tools and a basic understanding of physics!

Emancipation Proclamation

I led a "clinic," organized by the Columbia Multisport Club, for women interested in riding and maybe racing. As my own team's mission statement is, "Promoting the sport of Cycling in our Community," how could I say no? It was the perfect opportunity to spread The Gospel of Cycling, which is not one of salvation and eternal life, but Empancipation and Empowerment.

The value of the bike as a vehicle of social change was first recognized over one hundred years ago:

"I think the bicycle has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives a woman a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. The moment she takes her seat she knows she can't get into harm unless she gets off her bicycle, and away she goes, the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood." ~Susan B. Anthony, 1896



"Riding the wheel, our powers are revealed to us...." ~Maria Ward, author of Bicycling for Ladies, written in 1896.

We anticipated that maybe 10 women would show up. There were 30. It was a sight to behold. I'm pretty sure that all the cars and other riders who passed us were wondering, what the .....???!!!

Livin' the Dream

When I quit the cross-country team as a freshman in high school, I never thought that I'd someday dream of racing in Europe and eventually get there. How did that happen?

Pictures never tell the whole story. I am done chasing "The Dream." I am content with living.

Froze Toes--2009 Edition

Froze Toes lived up to its name this year--it was COLD and WINDY. Regardless of the weather, Froze Toes is always a great opportunity to test the legs and lungs and to practice some team tactics.The Women's Open race had a decent sized field considering the weather and the state of women's racing in the midwest. We started with 12, but it was clear from the start it was going to be show-down between Team Revolution and Mercy. Frankly, we were a little intimidated by the fact that Team Rev's Carrie and Chris were fresh off some impressive racing at Valley of the Sun. Nevertheless, we started the race determined to put up a good fight, and we did. We were aggressive from the get go--attacking and counter-attacking. About half-way into the race, Michelle launched a perfectly timed counter and got a gap. Team Rev tried to chase in earnest, but just couldn't quite get there. After it seemed like Michelle had the win, Jen and I started planning how we could take the field sprint. I launched some attacks and attempted to give Jen a lead out. Jen pulled out an incredible sprint finish and took the field sprint for second, while I held on for fourth. It was great to see how effective teamwork can be, when everyone's committed to a team victory. Nice work, ladies!

Thanks to:

The Columbia Bike Club for putting on a well-organized and safe race.

All of the volunteers who braved the cold and wind.

The USAC officials for being reasonable and overturning a bad decision.

Green Beans for making us amateurs feel like pros.

Chris and Carrie of Team Rev and Molly of Mesa for making it RACE, not a Knitting Circle.

Happy New Year!

What better way to start 2009 than with nearly five hours of cold forging? Well, maybe the Willow City Loop or Pecan Creek, but other than those routes, nothing beats a Fulton/Guthrie, especially when there's a stiff cross/head blowing all day long. We had a decent group, several of whom were showing off new equipment to start the new year--a powertap, a Garmin, even a brand new bike. I hadn't been on my road bike since August, so it felt like I was on a new bike.

But not even a new bike or gadgetry would've given me the legs I needed. I am grateful to those who let me sit in the sweet spot out of the wind and who pulled me back to the group going into Fulton. And, thanks to my new teammate who said "enough" after his third (or was it fourth?) interval.

Next up: secret training in the Ozark mountains.