Collegiate Nationals Race Report

AWWW it feels good to be a winner...part of a winning team, and in my books I won my own race. 

Div. 2 awesomeness

Sunday's race taught me a lot about myself, my racing, and how far I have come since last Fall.  Last year I bought a cyclocross bike in hopes to ride off road with my friends, perhaps try cyclocross and see if I like it.  I fell deeply in love with the sport after my first "race".  Last year I started the season about halfway through at the begining of November, so I really only raced half a season last year, but did pretty well for the 5 races I did.  I went to nationals and was a total nut case before the race, and during the race. 

The difference this year was the difference before puberty and after.  Yes I was paranoid, yes I was nervous, every feeling you could have before a national event.  Knowing that I could never win this race against the strong girls in my field, but knowing that I could put up a fight with how far I have come since last year helped to ease some nerves.  I never expected a win, I wanted a top 3 finish.  Thinking to myself that the girl who won last year would clearly win again, and Lindsy from UM would take 2nd again.  Both kicked my ass last year and are strong strong riders.  I was nervous, but I knew who I needed to follow once the race began. 

I was able to get a front row call up in a field of 18!  That's the biggest D2 Cyclocross field yet ( I am sure of it!).  Knowing I am not a good starter and I make up a lot of my time after the first 3 minutes of the race I told myself to not worry about trying to get my foot clipped into the pedal.  Just hit the gas, pedal hard, and your foot will fall into place.  That's what I did...1, 2, 3 riders sprinted past me.  I wasn't worried because I was able to get clipped in and the dirt and mud was coming up quickly and I know I can do pretty well through mud.  Just as in the previous races, this first turn was a cluster...even with 18 riders in the field, I can't imagine those guys who had 50+ riders.  How CRAZY.  The mud here was rutted out DEEP and would pull you wherever it wanted to.  If you didn't let your bike go, you were sure to crash.  So that's just what I did, I let my bike pull me around the rutted dirt, down the straight fast course and into the 2nd turn where I watched 3 riders take off in front me.  I was sitting in 4th place at the moment and wanted SO badly to go catch those ladies, I wasn't going to settle for a 4th place finish.  I rode in no mans land between the top three and everyone else trying to catch these ladies.  In the group was an MIT rider, the Dartmouth gal who won last year, and some random chick in a blue jersey.  I just told myself to stay calm and ride smooth and hard.  I was now at the section before the flyover and Dartmouth was in view.  My teammates were on a corner close by cheering, so I slogged through the mud and made the pass by her, went over the fly over and never looked back.  The next section was HARD.  It drained any ounce of strength I had in my legs to get one foot in front of the other over the stairs.  The turn before encountering the stairs had a giant hole in it and was MUDDY, that's where I caught the MIT rider as she crashed.  I thought to myself, alright you can do this, ride away NOW.  I ran up the stairs, mounted my bike, caught a Fort Lewis rider, wanted the line she was in so I sort of bumped her out of the way, was far too confident and caught a stake right in between my handlebars and BAM I was in the mud.  Now this is the difference between how I ride this year and last year. 

Div. 2 podium

Last year I went into paranoia mind breaking mode.  This year I quickly got up pounded my right hood back into place and jumped back onto my bike, just as the MIT rider rode on.  CRAP SHE GOT ME.  From there on out it was me chasing her, she caught me, I would catch up, but eventually she got far enough that I just didn't get her, but I was able to get farther away from 4th place.  I finished the race feeling strong in 3rd place. 

Sunday was one of those days where you wake up and know it's going to be a good day.  When I got on the trainer to warm up my legs felt great, there was no pain what so ever when I did a hard effort, it was like everything I had hoped for had come true.  My body was rested and ready to race...hard.  I cannot thank those spectators and friends who came out at 8 am to cheer myself and my teammates on.  This is when I realized that cyclocross is not only just a sport that I love, but a family.  Everyone at those races are like a family, you see them every week, you cheer for your family, they cheer for you.  We laugh together, scream together, and just have a giggly good time.  I can't get enough of the cyclocross environment, whether it is a local Bellingham race, Seattle race, or a nationals event; all the people are wonderful. 

My one rant for Sunday's race: WTF is a 38 year old women doing racing a collegiate national event.  That's momma style...props to her for going back to school, but really...38 years old?  Really?  Really?  The women who won the D2 race is in fact 38 years old.  There should be an age cut off for collegiate racing....

Div. 2 womens podium 3rd place



Div. 2 mens podium.  Steve F. 1st, Logan W. 2nd



Nationals Day #1

We made it to Bend just in time to pick up our numbers for the races!  This was a plus because my race the next day was at 8 am and Chris's was at 9:15. 

The next day we wake up around 6am do the usual pre-race stuff and when we go to ride the course someone informs us my race was delayed by 30 minutes.  GREAT!  Chris and I start riding the course, and holy smokes it was SO icy!  If you could ride on the slushy stuff that was a plus, you just had to get to the slushy stuff.  Around 8:20 I head over to the start line.  We were there for about 45 minutes while USA cycling started shoveling off the ice on the pavement, hoping the sun would come out to melt the ice a little bit.  Then the de-icer came, and we FINALLY lined up, around 9:15. 

The call-ups were done by use of a deck of cards.  I pulled out a 4, they started at ace's and went up from there, so I got a front row call up!  HECK YEAH!  We started the race, and as per the usualy start of my races I couldn't get my foot clipped in, but then I realized that not many people were flying by me so it wasn't a big deal.  Once I did get clipped in I got on the course about 4 people back (from 25ish) and I realized it wasn't going to be a fast race.  Once on course the ice had melted quite a bit so it was a combo of slush and mud, and some icy spots.  After the first half of the first lap it was myself and another rider in the front, and it was clear that race was between her and I.  By the 2nd lap I had caught up to her  in the super snowy section, then she crashed and I got in front.  A bit after that she took the lead again, and on one lap to go I wasn't too interested in pushing myself really hard in the icy stuff.  I didn't feel the need to crash before the Sunday race. 

One thing I have learned this season is it's good to push yourself, but when you push yourself too much you begin to lose control of your bike as you get tired.  There is a fine line between working hard and working too hard to the point where you begin to lose your smoothness around the corners, and in this races circumstance through the ice and snow. 

It was a fun race, fun course, and I can't wait for Sunday's race. 

Women's B race podium.  2nd place with some new tires.

Season Finale

Well everyone it appears I have been a lazy blogger since my last bike race.  Last Sunday (Nov. 29?) the team headed to the Monroe fairgrounds and raceway for the Seattle Series season finale.  The morning was cold and wet!  I don't think it could have been over 38 degrees!  BBBRRRRR!  My goal for the race was to finish strong.  As you may have read I took the week before this race rather easy.  I needed to see how my body would respond by taking a rest week.  IT WAS HARD.  I don't like to rest, I learned, but the snow and ice on the ground helped to keep me in check with my rest week. 

I did the usual pre ride the course before the Men 1/2s and then a little warm up while they race.  I always wonder why I spend so much time warming up because they usually have us stand at the start line waiting for what seems to be forever.  Basically my warm up goes to hell!  Going into this race I was 3rd overall for the Elite Women.  I started the race and for the first time all season I had an awesome start.  I hit the gas hard and felt pretty good.  Unfortunately lots of people felt great too.  The first couple of laps I was fighting for spots 2-4 with a couple other women.  The women who finished 2nd took off so I was then fighting for 3rd with another girl.  I spent majority of the race chasing her trying to catch up!  Around lap 4 I crashed on the silly decent.....I knew it before I even started decending, I just took the wrong line because someone was in my way so I tried to go around them.  It didn't work out very well.  I lost some more time there.  BOOO!  By my 5th lap I could see Craig Ethridge (Single Speeder) who usually laps me every week.  Well I knew he was going to knip me in the butt if I just didn't go faster, and I wanted an extra lap to try and catch the girl in front of me!  So I kicked it up a knotch and didn't get lapped!  Unfortunalty I realized I was getting somewhat tired and I didn't catch the women in front of me.  I finished 4th but I was still happy with my results.

Overall in the season I finished 3rd in the Elite Women.  It was pretty cool to stand on the podium!  The best part of racing in the Elite Women's field....is getting paid!  It's not much but it's something!  I have never made money racing my bike before so it was such a shock to be handed a check!  I made some cash for placing 3rd at Maris Farms and Sprinker Park, then finishing 3rd overall I made some more.  It almost covered my entry fees for the season! 

Of course I wish I would have performed better in the last couple of races, but  have to continue to tell myself how proud I am.  I have come a long way since being a Cat4 racer 1 year ago.  Then I laugh when I realize I only raced in 3 Cat3 races!!!  So I shouldn't get down on myself and I should be proud of what will come next year!

My next race in Nationals next weekend in Bend, OR.  Western is aiming for the Stars and Bars jersey and Gold medal!  Wish us luck, or better yet visit Bend and cheer us on!!!!  We are sending 3 women and 4 men.  That's the largest Cyclocross team Western has ever sent to nationals.  We have it covered.