Racing To The Top Ranks Of Road Cycling:4-Questions With Rachel Wills

Having recently moved to Chicago from Southern California, Rachel Wills was anxious for the 2017 race season to begin. As a member of the Chicago Women’s Elite Team, she would be eligible to race in numerous pro-level road events, which added fuel to her already 'stoked' fire of motivation.
After hearing this news, and having never been coached or followed a structured training plan, Rachel sought the help of Coach Joy to help her prepare for what would be the biggest events in her racing career.
Following a series of successes at at the Glencoe Grand Prix, the North Star Grand Prix, and the U.S. Pro National Criterium Championships, we caught-up with Rachel to see what it has been like to join the top ranks of the road cycling world in our four-question Athlete Profile interview, enjoy!

Following a series of successes at at the Glencoe Grand Prix, the North Star Grand Prix, and the U.S. Pro National Criterium Championships, we caught-up with Rachel to see what it has been like to join the top ranks of the road cycling world in our four-question Athlete Profile interview, enjoy!
Rachel Wills had an incredible ride at the North Star Grand Prix. Photo Credit: SnowyMountain Photography
Athlete Bio:
Primary Sport/Discipline: Road Cycling
Average Hours of Training Per Week: 10-12/hrs.
Interview:
Question #1: Congratulations Rachel, on completing the North Star Grand Prix, your first PRT Stage Race! Tell us how your preparation, racing, and training, went leading into this 5-day six-stage event:
Rachel Wills: Thanks! Preparation for North Star started back in April at team camp, when it was announced that I was added to the Chicago Women’s Elite Team roster.
Typically, I would've liked more time to prepare for such an undertaking, but I was excited for the challenge. My training began ramping up, but thankfully in a manageable way.
I had some wedding trips planned to San Diego and Hawaii during this time, which allowed me to capitalize on the time-off from work and squeeze in some big training blocks {as well as catching up with old friends!}.
Before North Star, I did a couple of tune-up races {May is early for Chicago!} and our team raced the Glencoe Grand Prix in early June to build team cohesion.
North Star was a race I had heard of, but never dreamed of competing in. I must say, having the opportunity to line-up with a peloton full of incredible riders was very intimidating.
Luckily, Coach Joy was very positive and encouraging leading into the race. I had put in the training time, and as race week approached there was nothing more to do but rest and focus on the race. It was important to take care of myself, sleep well, and fuel properly during the build-up to the week-long event.
Also, I was excited that we had superstar Alison Powers as our Team Director, so I tried to soak-up as much knowledge and experience as I could from her during our week in St. Paul.
As a team, the Chicago Women's Elite program did a wonderful job of organizing everything for this race. From transportation and lodging details to gear, volunteers, food and literally everything else, each riders needs were taken care of completely.
All we had to do was race our bikes hard! I definitely felt like a professional for a week.
Coaches Perspective/Coach Joy: I was really excited when Rachel told me she would be racing the NSGP!
Having raced the event multiple times myself, I have a depth of knowledge and experience with the courses, which gave me a lot of intel to share with Rachel to enhance both for mental and physical preparation.
Although it was April when we began working together, which was a bit close to the event, I was confident in her form leading into her team training camp. We had implemented a steady ramp in training volume and intensity that formed a solid foundation before adding the race-specific work she would need prior to North Star.
Having the full pro experience at the event was awesome for Rachel, and I am so happy she had that support for her big event. With an official director, as well as staff to help with transportation and meals, this created a calm environment where she could focus on racing and recovering from this high-intensity event.
This kind of opportunity does not come around often, so I was pumped she got to be a part of it!

The smile says it all, a season full of hard work paid off for Rachel at the North Star Grand Prix. Photo Credit: SnowyMountain Photography
Question #2: After the North Star Grand Prix you raced the US Professional Criterium Championship in Louisville, KY. How did that race go? Rewind to one year ago, would these top-level pro events have been on your horizon?  
RW: Crit Nationals was such an amazing experience!
Again, I feel so lucky that I was able to line-up with so many amazing women. There is no way I would've been able to tackle such an endeavor a year ago. My fitness and confidence were nowhere near what was needed to be able to make it one lap, much less compete like I did!
Having laid a solid foundation and knowing the base fitness was there, all I needed was the confidence to believe I could do it. Having finished Glencoe with the field, and surviving North Star, helped me gain the confidence necessary for a race like Crit Nationals.
I used the experience gained in those races, plus all my heat-survival training from my years in triathlon to be able to call myself a finisher at the National Championships. {Note: Louisville is HOT!}
I am excited to report that we were the first Chicago women's team invited to participate at Crit Nationals! Again, CWEC rocked the logistics, just as they had at North Star.
The course was a 9 corner .9 mile race, with a slight downhill, followed by a straightaway into an uphill. The temperature was so hot, that officials announced there would be a feed-zone during the race for five-laps beginning 30min. into the event.
In the race I went through 2-bottles, and managed to grab another in the feed-zone, plus I used an ice sock from our support crew as well as took a Gu mid-race. That was after I started the race with 2 ice socks!
Other than two crashes during the race, it was a fairly tame event. It was either full-gas or coasting, as my TrainingPeaks summary showed a polarizing power-file, all my power was either in Zone 1 or Zone 6.
Every time there was a surge or acceleration, I was almost surprised at the response my legs gave. I had matches to burn! This is something I have rarely experienced in my cycling career, as I have never had a coach or followed a structured training plan until this year.
P.S. COACHING WORKS!
Coach Joy: I watched much of this race through the Live-Feed online and was so excited to see Rachel in the mix!
Knowing the caliber of athletes in attendance, as well as the intensity of racing at a National Championship event, I was positive that Rachel would not only survive, but thrive in this environment!
With each big event on Rachel’s calendar I have seen her become steadily more confident, more apt to be “in the mix”, and beginning to see herself with the opportunity to be a contender.
It has been really fun to work with Rachel and see her experience a few “ah-ha” moments while riding amongst this highly-skilled peloton.
I continue to encourage her to accept these successes, which she has worked so hard to create. Through her continued commitment and dedication to structured training she has developed some well-earned confidence.

The endless accelerations and attacks of pro-level criterium racing was something that Rachel trained for with specific workouts and prep-events. Photo Credit: SnowyMountain Photography

Question #3: What is one of your long-term cycling goals? And what is next on your cycling ‘to do’ list?
RW: I've been riding for almost 10-years now, and I still LOVE to ride my bike!
I've had some low-points along my journey, but this season has been the most fun I've had on a bike. That may be because I have Coach Joy in my corner, or because of the change in scenery that came with moving to Chicago last June, but my goal is to continue to enjoy the ride.
The increased fitness from structured training definitely helps my motivation to get out and ride. It’s fun to go fast and see improvements, mentally and physically.
As for what’s next, I got to “check off” the 10,000' Haleakala climb in Maui this year, so maybe the next 'to do' will be something more flat!
Coach Joy: Rachel is all about adventuring! She is fearless of a challenge and it was really cool she got the chance to climb (and descend!!) Haleakala just a few weeks ago!
Maybe that big climb contributed to her earning the Queen of The Mountain (QOM) jersey at the Illinois State Road Race Championship just the other week!
As a self-proclaimed sprinter she has deconstructed the barrier of speciality and is developing more versatility. Whatever objective she wants to tackle, she will be ready to take them on full-gas. 

Rachel continued her criterium success at the US Pro National Criterium Championships. Photo Credit: SnowyMountain Photography
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Question #4: Describe your favorite workout in your training program, also, please share a ‘knowledge-bomb’ you have learned while training with Big Wheel Coaching.
RW: "Favorite" is a lose term, but the one that challenges me the most is the Event Simulator, Over/Under.
I love this workout because it's intimidating, and all of the racing I've done this year has been exactly that, intimidating!
The workout seems insane to me, but if you keep going, hang on, and enjoy the very brief rest, it is exactly what these top-level races have been like, attack after attack.
That's the crit life, and I've never felt more prepared, thanks Coach Joy!
In regards to a ‘knowledge-bomb’, I’ve always considered myself a ‘spinner’ on the hills, but living in Chicago, I found my cadence was only averaging around 80rpm.
Coach Joy was insistent from the moment we started working together that I increase this to 90rpm at a minimum. This was a real challenge, but all that work paid off!
Mid-race at Glencoe I literally thought back to my cadence workouts, and felt it was so much easier to make it up the climb each time I wasn't pushing a big gear.
The quicker cadence also helped lessen the load and “dead-leg" feeling that I experienced throughout the five-day North Star Grand Prix because having a higher cadence was second nature.
Coach Joy: Awesome, great on both points! To be successful, we must train how we will race, so attacking and counter-attacking are the name of the game.
Pro-level criteriums contain volatile and relentless efforts. Ensuring that Rachel was ready to react to every bomb that was dropped by the competition was crucial going into these top-level events.
With an increased cadence, Rachel’s efficiency has grown in depth tremendously, giving her the capacity to compete in multi-day events such as the Intellegista Cup (a full 10-days of racing!) while lessoning her level of fatigue.
The quicker cadence will allow her legs to be as fresh as possible for each stage, and balance out her recruitment of her cardiovascular system and muscular strength.
Lightening the load on the legs can be a game changer!

The five-day six-stage North Star Grand Prix was a great experience for Rachel as a member of the Chicago Women's Elite Team. Photo Credit: SnowyMountain Photography
Summary:
We love seeing our Athletes achieve their best and hope that you have enjoyed reading about Rachel Wills success, having lined-up against some of the very best cycling talent America has to offer!
With her dedication to training, as well as her strong work-ethic, she has experienced racing she never thought possible and achieved a level of success that all of her friends, family, and most certainly us at Big Wheel Coaching are incredibly proud of!
And the best news is that Rachel’s 2017 race season isn’t over yet!
#TrainYourPotential
Until Next Time, Be Safe, Train Hard, & Have Fun!
-Brian & Joy McCulloch
Big Wheel Coaching