Bike team uses break for practice, training

The men's basketball team wasn't the only IU-affiliated team that spent its spring break in San Diego.\nThe Pi Beta Phi bike team spent its break preparing for next month's Women's Little 500 by riding on the hilly San Diego terrain. But Pi Phi, unlike the basketball team, spent more than a few days sweating in Southern California.\nThe members of Pi Phi devoted their lives to riding during the break, renting a condominium in San Diego from March 10-17. The team took long rides daily and squeezed in some sprint practice on roads running alongside the Pacific Ocean.\n"It was nice to get away from all the distractions in Bloomington," sophomore Julie Sprich said. "We were able to focus on riding." \nThis was the second consecutive spring break Pi Phi spent in San Diego. Prior to last year, Pi Phi went to Florida for spring break. The team decided to train in San Diego because of the area's varied terrain.\n"We knew riding in San Diego would be more challenging for us than Bloomington," sophomore Kate Randolph said. \nWith qualifications scheduled for Saturday, spring break training was important for Pi Phi. The team didn't qualify until its fourth try last year. Pi Phi qualified in 31st position, but finished 14th.\nCaptain Anne Wasilchuk said the team increased its endurance to the level of other teams while in San Diego. The entire team agreed that the trip should set Pi Phi up for a solid month of training before the women's race April 20.\n"The trip certainly prepared us for the race," Sprich said.\nThe team kept to a strict training schedule during its week in California. Days included waking-up around 8 a.m., and rides started no later than 9:30 a.m. The team would come back from its morning rides in the early afternoon, take a nap and then find a lightly-traveled road in the evenings for sprint practice. \nSprich said riding twice a day made everybody tired. The team spent most of its free time relaxing in the condo or laying out by the ocean. One of Pi Phi's few leisure activities included going out to dinner twice during the week. Despite being tired and having a lack of free time, nobody said they had any regrets about training in San Diego over the break. \n"Unlike many others, we will remember our spring break," sophomore Jill Kline said.\nAn average day consisted of riding about 45 miles. Randolph said the most enjoyable rides included a 46-mile trek with a 1.5-mile hill alongside the Pacific Ocean and a ride that passed by Camp Pendelton Marine Corps Base.\n"We went on some difficult rides and we feel that we are all coming back to Bloomington stronger," Randolph said.\nPi Phi improved its endurance by riding on the roads of San Diego. But Randolph said the team was glad to get back on Bill Armstrong Stadium's cinder track Monday afternoon. \n"When you ride on the road for a while, you realize how much you miss the track," Randolph said. \nPi Phi will work on its exchanges this week. One of the problems with leaving Bloomington for a week is finding track time. The team worked on its exchanges on San Diego's streets, but Wasilchuk said it's different switching riders on a track compared to the road. \n"There's a big difference doing an exchange coming around a curve and on a straightaway," Wasilchuk said.