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.