They told her to go for it, and she got it

Published 10:00 am Saturday, July 2, 2005

Lisa Lund surprises herself with a top five finish at bicycle time trials at Park City.

Lisa Lund wasn’t thinking about winning. She didn’t even think she was going to compete.

So when Lund finished fifth to earn a medal in the Masters Women’s 45-49 division time trials at the U.S. National Road Championship last Monday in Park City, Utah, she was shocked.

“I was flying by the seat of my pants,” Lund said. “I didn’t expect it at all, so I was really excited.”

The championship, held during the recent Park City Cycling Fest, follows a 20-mile course and is one of the toughest time trials in the country, said Steve Rhoades, Lund’s coach of two years.

He knew she could pull it off.

“We’ve been really working hard for eight months,” Rhoades said. “We did a lot of work during the winter to get ready.”

But Lund, 48, wasn’t sure she would even show up for the competition, as she didn’t feel her training was at its peak. Plus, she was moving back into her newly remodeled house and helping her daughter get ready for college.

“I signed up thinking I would go, but then I decided not to, because my life was so crazy,” she said. “But after I started riding, I thought, ‘Maybe I can be ready.’ Then my husband (Mark) told me to go for it, so that’s what I did.”

That was 13 days ago.

She took Rhoades’ advice to watch her heart rate, and burnished by training rides to Poulsbo earlier this spring, went to Park City and turned in a time of 56:41.51, just 4:25 behind the winner.

It was her best finish at Nationals since she took sixth at the time trials in Spokane four years ago, when she first started competing in races.

Lund has been cycling for 20 years and has taken part in several events, including the Round Rod trip around Mt. Rainier twice and the Seattle-to-Portland run three times.

She’s even competed in an Ironman contest in 2000.

“I’m an endurance athlete,” Lund said.

She’s also tough and extremely competitive.

After tearing her ACL skiing in December 2000, right after she competed in the Ironman, she came back six months later to take part in the STP, a 200-mile ride.

Her top five finish at Park City has motivated her to work toward next year’s event. She’ll take with her the memory of a 91-year-old cyclist she saw at the time trials, a former Olympian who has won 19 time trial medals.

“I want to do it every year and try to get first, even if I turn 90,” Lund said. “That (cyclist) is my motivation.”

Rhoades will get together with Lund today to help her work on her goal.

“We’re going to get the game plan down for next year,” he said. “She has the ability to (place first).”

Several other Bainbridge Island cyclists rode at Park City.

Justin Morgan, 23, finished fifth in the time trials. It was his third consecutive trip to Nationals and his highest finish, as he was 13th in 2004 and 27th in 2003. He also finished 39th in the road race.

“It was really a surprise,” Morgan said. “I haven’t really ridden my bike in four months or my time trial bike, but I’m really good at time trials, so I was hoping I could finish.

“I’m really happy with it.”

Christopher Gillette overcame a touch of bronchitis to finish 22nd in the junior boys 10-12 road race.

Zach MacDonald finished 28th in the boys 13-14 time trials and 39th in the road race.