Photo by Casey B. Gibson
Sinead Miller is a former South Park resident and three time junior national champion who spent a lot of time racing around here before heading off to college at powerhouse cycling school Marian University in 2008. In her second year of college now, she has already picked up four collegiate national championships(pictured), traveled to race in Europe and recently joined new pro women’s cycling team, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12. I got in touch with her to ask her a few questions about her new team and how much she misses Pittsburgh.
Q. You grew up racing bikes in and around Pittsburgh, how did you get so involved at an early age?
A: Well, when I was four years old my parents and I drove past the South Park BMX track on our way to church. I immediately took notice of how cool the BMX track looked and I begged my parents to take me up to the track to ride. The first time I rode at the South Park BMX track I was hooked and within weeks I was competing in my first BMX race. As the years went by of racing BMX I started getting more and more involved in the sport. When I was about nine I wanted to start doing something to cross-train for BMX. I chose to start road cycling to just improve my BMX racing. My mom and dad both had road bikes at the time that they rode for fun, so I would head out with them for rides on the road when I was young. Before I knew it, I was racing road bikes as well as BMX. Eventually, road racing became my main focus. I stopped racing BMX when I was seventeen years old, so that I could devote all of my training time to the road.
Q. You’ve been racing bikes for a long time now, how did you stay so motivated for so many years and so many Pittsburgh winters?
A: It is definitely a challenge living in an area that has such harsh winters. I spend a lot of time on the trainer during the winter…maybe too much. Having great friends and teammates to ride with in Pittsburgh during the winter months has been a huge part in keeping me motivated to ride. Having guys to ride with, either outside or just on the trainer, keeps training fun and exciting, which I believe is really needed, especially during the cold months. I raced for UPMC Performance Cycling for many years. All of the guys who have been a part of that team, as well and many other people from Pittsburgh, have helped keep training and racing fun for me. I also always try to remind myself what my goals are and this keeps me motivated throughout the winter as well.
Q. You left Pittsburgh to attend Marian University in Indiana, was their very large cycling program was a major factor in that decision?
A: That was definitely a huge part of my decision to attend school at Marian. I actually committed to going to Penn State main campus for chemical engineering, but about a month before I was planning to start school at Penn State my plans changed. I got a call from the head cycling coach at Marian University, Dean Peterson, and he offered me a great opportunity to come to school at Marian and race collegiately. After weighing all of my options, I decided that Marian was the best fit for me. Becoming a Marian student has allowed me to pursue my goals as an athlete, competing at the highest level, while still remaining a full-time student.
Q. What did you think of collegiate cycling and the Midwest Conference? Aren’t you sad you weren’t in the super awesome ECCC?
A: I absolutely love collegiate cycling. It is so much fun!! I really enjoy racing and traveling with all of my Marian teammates. To me, collegiate racing is very relaxed and stress free. This is nice and gives me kind of a break from the normal feelings of stress or pressure that come along with racing outside of the collegiate scene. I have a great time racing in the MWCCC and I wouldn’t ever want to race in a different conference! The MWCCC is hands down the best. Nothing can beat those flat roads, cornfields, and serious headwinds.
Q. How is cycling in Indianapolis compared to Pittsburgh? Don’t you miss the challenge of ridiculously steep pot-hole-ridden hills everywhere you go?
A: Haha I of course miss Pittsburgh and the steep hills, but I am growing to like riding in Indy more and more. Out here it is mostly flat with cornfields. The biggest incline in about a 30-mile radius of my school is a highway overpass, but I have found good, long routes in Indiana that offer some Pittsburgh-like hills. But nothing will ever beat riding home from the Wednesday oval races at night. I love riding through Pittsburgh after dark and getting to check out the city from the top of Mount Washington.
Q. You’re a chemistry major? Doesn’t that really eat into your time on the bike?
A: Well, I have forced myself to become a pro at time management. I actually have a double major now in chemistry and mathematics. It is hard managing school and riding, but definitely possible. Last semester I took 23 credit hours at school, got A’s in all my classes, and still didn’t miss a workout. It is really all about setting your priorities and knowing what you want to accomplish. I have realized that for me to achieve my goals as a cyclist and student I have to sacrifice things that normal people can enjoy, such as time hanging with friends or going out on the weekends. But for me I know that making these sacrifices is worth it and will get me to where I want to be in the years ahead.
Q. The news is out about your new team, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12, how did you get involved with them?
A: The team manager, Nicola Cramner, actually contacted me about the team after Downer Grove National Crit Championships last year. After talking to Nicola about the team, I knew that it would be the perfect fit for me and I didn’t want to be on any team other than Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12. Talk with the team progressed and now I am heading into the 2010 season in the best possible situation.
Q. What do you think of your new director, Kristen Armstrong, and the winning experience she brings to the table?
A: Having Kristin as team director and as a mentor is so important and provides value beyond measure to the team. She is an Olympic and World Champion! Kristin knows what it takes to be the best and she knows exactly what to do to get there. Having her to guide the team and riders is the best possible scenario. All of the riders on this team have their goals set on the Olympics and there is no person better than Kristin to provide us with the information we need to make our goals happen. I am so happy and fortunate to be a part of team Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12.
Q. What about the rest of your team? Have you met them already and what do you expect your role to be?
A: I have known mostly all of my teammates prior to joining the team. All of them are great racers and just great people in general. I am so happy to have these women as teammates. I am one of the youngest members on the team and I still have a lot to learn. Most of my teammates have a lot of racing experience, internationally and domestically, so I am going to be able to feed off of their knowledge and continue to grow as a racer.
Q. Do you know what your upcoming schedule is going to be? What races are you excited about participating in?
A: As of right now my upcoming schedule is not set in stone, but I am racing in the Ladies Tour of Qatar next week. I am so excited for this great opportunity. When I first found out that I was invited to race in Qatar I was driving my car and I about crashed off the road because I was so ecstatic about the news.
Q. What are your goals for the upcoming season?
A: One of my goals for the upcoming season is of course to learn as much as possible from Kristin, Nicola, and my teammates. I also really want to do well in European races, as well as the U.S. road, crit, and track national championships. The collegiate road and track national championships are also a big focus of mine.
Q. There is a lot of talk of the 2012 Olympics in London, are you excited about that possibility?
A: I am more than excited about the possibility of going to the 2012 Olympics. This team provides all of the resources that are needed, plus more, to help my teammates and I achieve our Olympic dreams. Having the support of Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 and the guidance of Kristin Armstrong provides me with so much motivation and assurance that I can make my dreams of the Olympics a reality.
Q. Do you miss racing at the oval? And will you bring your new team by sometime to show them some real bike racing?
A: I miss racing at the oval so much!! I am hoping that I get some opportunities this season to race over there with you guys. Anytime that I am home this summer I will be sure to head over to the oval for some hard-core racing. I will try to convince the team to come to Pittsburgh for a bit so we can race at the oval lol. You will have to tell Jared and Jake to watch out though because we have heavy hitters on the team. I don’t want the boys to feel embarrassed when the women come out and give them a run for their money haha.
Q. What is your favorite ride in the Pittsburgh area?
A: My favorite road ride, hands down, is the ride from the oval to my house in South Park, but it has to be dark and after 9 o’clock at night. This just takes the ride to a whole new level. The ride consists of leaving the oval and first going though East Liberty. At this point in the ride you have to stop at the Sunoco gas station in East Liberty and buy a huge energy drink (I prefer Monster). Then chug the entire thing before mounting up again on your bike for the rest of the ride. Next, I ride through Downtown and head to the top of Mount Washington. Then I ride down through Arlington and somehow make my way to Mount Lebanon. Eventually arriving at my house in South Park usually around midnight.
Q. Can you get some of that Peanut Butter for Steevo ?
A: Next time I come to Pittsburgh I will definitely bring Steevo a lot of peanut butter. I have heard that it is the only thing the man eats!! Peanut Butter & Co. makes ten different flavors of delicious peanut butter. I will be sure to bring Steevo some flavors other than the original, so that he can add some variety to his life.
Q. Any tips for other Pittsburgh area cyclists on how to achieve their cycling dreams?
A: I know that I am still young in the grand scheme of things, but I have already learned so much throughout my cycling career about dreams and goals. I truly believe that anything is possible with the right amount of hard work and dedication. Never limit your goals and dreams because of fear of failure. This type of thinking will never allow you to reach your greatest potential. Also, once you have set your goals you must visualize them constantly. Imagine what a great impact achieving your dreams will have in your life. Finally, remember to never limit what you can accomplish, whether that is in cycling or any other aspect of life.
I think I speak for everybody when I say we all want to wish Sinead good luck in all her endeavors on and off the bike. And I’d especially like to thank Sinead for being my first interviewee on the site. I look forward to more interviews and learning even more about Pittsburgh racing this year.
[photo by Rob Lochner]
