Cyclocross thus far

It's taken me a bit to write this post because I don't quite know how to fit everything I want to say into one blog post.  I have a lot to say, a lot to process.  Lets put it this way:

3 years ago when I first started racing cross if someone told me I would be where I am right now, I would have dropped my jaw.  Let me tell you about my first cross race...ever.  It was at Maris Farms (for those of you who know the course...yuck) it was at the beginning of November and I had no idea what I was doing.  I showed up to the race with my stock tires inflated to 60psi, with 10 minutes of practice on how to dismount and mount my bike (practiced the night before), but boy was I ready to race that cross bike.  I lined up in the back row for the Cat4 women's race nervous as all heck, there were pumpkins lining the course, how was I supposed to dodge those????  Well to put a rough 30 minutes into a couple of sentences...I didn't know how to turn my bike, I crashed in a corn maze, I crashed going straight in the grass, I fell on my face on the "run up", I think I crashed 10 times, I could hardly mount my bike, but man was I stoked on life.  Even with my lack of ability and knowledge of the sport I finished 5th.  I didn't think that was too bad!  I think I fit in about 5 races that year and then I went to collegiate nationals and finished 5th!  After those first 5 races I knew I was hooked, and there was nothing better than cyclocross.  The rest is history.

Rocking the Mad Fiber wheels at Labor Day CX

This year, I decided it was time for a new bike.  I bought a new Redline in August, and I LOVE it!  It's fast and carbonliscous.  Then my dear friend Dave (last name not listed to protect the innocent) told me I needed fast wheels.  He hooked me up with Paul (last name not listed to protect the innocent) from a Seattle based wheel company Mad Fiber.  Paul set me up with a sponsorship for a set of wheels, especially for this big race I signed up for (CrossVegas).  I have never had fancy equipment before, this was BIG for me.  Since CrossVegas was September 19th I decided I needed to practice my CX skills before the big race, so I did some early races (even though I didn't really want to).  I certainly didn't want to embarrass myself in front of a lot of spectators and Pro CX racers.

I raced the Labor Day Cyclocross Championships, and that was quite a fun course for a dry fast September course.  I finished 1st in the women's race, and decided I wasn't tired enough that I decided to race in the Cat3 men's race, and finished 3rd!  The following weekend was MFG's first race of the season at Big Finn Hill.  I won again!  I felt really comfortable on my bike and with those new Mad Fiber wheels, I was FLYING.  I was accelerating out of the corners quickly, and I felt confident on my bike (and wheels) with their abilities to carry me through the turns and the straight sections.  I didn't feel like my wheels where going to going sliding out from under me (unlike my bike from last year).  I could rail the turns (given it has been bone dry) with a HUGE amount of confidence.  The dry courses always tend to be a bit bumpy, but with those wheels I hardly noticed ANY bumps.  They absorbed it all, they seriously ROCK, and they look cool too.  Did I mention how awesomely light they are?  Basically, I am one lucky girl to ride those wheels.

Lets talk about CrossVegas.  I hate Vegas (the city), it's not for me.  If I can't ride my bike out my front door, I'm typically not a happy camper.  I can't ride my bike out the front door there...well I could, but I think it would be suicide.  So for about 2 days I was stressing.  Then race day came.  The morning of the race we pre-rode the course, which doubled up as opening up our legs AND getting to know the course!  Chris was racing the USAC category race, so we had to get to the venue extra early and soak up the sun rays.  Chris raced at 5pm in the blazing heat and finished in a whopping 13th place!  With a start close to the back.  Good job husband!  After his race I started getting a little nervous, and as the night crept on, I started getting REALLY nervous.  This race would be the biggest race I had ever done.  Did I mention the best part about it...my last row call up.  If you have UCI points you are called up based on how many points you have, if you don't have UCI points then it's a random order.  Lucky me I was given number 55...of 60?  Yes folks, that's a last row call up.  To say the least I was a bit nervous, disappointed, and anxious, but there's nothing I can do about it but try to work hard to get to the front of the race.

Once the race started and we went through the start lap I found myself in the top 20.  I then found myself vying for spots with the top riders at the race.  Within the first 2 laps I realized I was riding with the pros, I was number 55 amongst a sea of sponsored riders.  I realized at that moment, that I could keep up, that I belonged there, that I could do this.  I fought for my placement in Vegas.  I fought for my 13th place, and I couldn't be happier.  13th place out of 46 starters.  What?  I'm still trying to soak this in.  The week after Vegas I had a huge out poor of support from my community, from my team, from people I hardly even know!  I feel like a celebrity, at the races people know my name, they know who I am, and I don't even know if I have ever seen their faces!

Lake Sammammish GP Cat3 Men

With the support I have received from my team (and others)  I will hopefully be able to race all the USGPs, I will hopefully be able to get my name out there, and I will hopefully find my spot in this crazy bike racing scene.  The only love (besides Chris) that keeps me going, that gives me reason to keep riding, to keep moving every day, to wake up early every Sunday and drive for 4-6 hours total to race for 45 minutes, this is Cyclocross and for 4 months of the year I devote my life to this silly sport.

And they lived happily ever after...

Wow, I just had the best week of my life...thus far.

Two Saturday's ago, September 15th, Chris and I shared our vows in front of all of our friends and family (almost 180 people)!  The day was such a blur I don't even know if I remember it!  It was seriously one of the best days of my life.  Yes, timing ran a little...over, with..everything, but I had a ball.  I spent some serious girl time with my best girl friends, and I wed my best friend.  The wedding was amazing.  Chris and I wrote our own vows, we left the ceremony on a tandem bike, then left the wedding on a fire engine for some alone time!  The reception was a blast, even though my father chose to roast me instead of toast the newly wed couple, but I guess it's all for the name of love.  The day and night would not have gone any better without the help of some awesome vendors.

My dad and mom.   

My dear dear (and 8 months pregnant friend) Stefanie did my hair.  She always cuts my hair and I always love it.  She rocks, and works at Salon Bellissima in Fairhaven.  Sarah Rorvig helped me feel like a beautiful princess by doing my make up perfectly!  I wish I could have her make up skills, she is awesome!  Alyssa Brown and her trusty sidekick Andrea Devisser (who was Alyssa's assistant for the day) did a fabulous job acting as our own personal paparazzi.  I am in love with our little bit of what I call "teaser photos" that Alyssa posted on Facebook.  Drew Graham (Wanna Dance, the mobile DJ) was our DJ for the Ceremony and the Reception, and boy did he do a fabulous job.  Lots of feedback regarding his awesome playlist, his ability to manage a crowd, and his amazingly fantastic personality.  I don't think I left the dance floor all night, every song was a hit!  Renea Roberts of Glacier Lily Design acted as our Day of Coordinator, and I couldn't have had a better person for the job.  She was on site the Friday before the wedding making sure set up went well, ran us through the rehearsal, and didn't flinch (too much) when we told her we were riding out of the ceremony on a tandem!  As we all know, I love deserts, so naturally I picked the best dessert shop in town to make my cake.  Pure Bliss Desserts, thank you for making my cake so beautifully simple and elegant.  I didn't want to cut into it!  My new cousin did our flowers, and I LOVED my bouquet!  It was just perfect.  I can't thank my bridesmaids enough. They were so helpful and supportive on the day, I couldn't have picked a better group of girls to stand next to me as I said goodbye to my single life!  

www.alyssabrownphotography.com

Even my brother showed up dressed to impress

It was a perfect day.  Could life have gotten any better after that night?  Stay tuned for my next blog post.  BIG STUFF!  Well...sort of.

What The?

Don't worry, I'm still alive.

I know it may seem as if I have passed, but I'm still here running in circles.  Let me bring you up to date.

June was crazy busy with a race every weekend.  I had fun, rode my bike really hard, lost one of my jobs, and tried to not curse at the weather.  The last weekend of June my friend Tina threw me a bridal shower!  It included my closest friends, and I had such a good time!  I seriously have the best friends a girl could ask for.  THANK YOU!

Happy 5 years!

July came around (faster than I could have asked for it) and then all of the sudden Chris and I had been dating for 5 years.  We did the usual trip to Winthrop for the weekend and we had a blast.  Although unlike the past couple of years, it was HOT!  As in 90 degrees plus.  The first day Joe Brown (owner of the Methow Ski and Cycle) sent us on (what I called) a death march up some long fire road climb, to some pretty awesome single track.  Although I felt like I was only climbing the whole time on the single track, it was pretty fun.  You know it's going to be a long weekend of riding when your legs are already tired and it's only Friday. 

The usual ride!

The folllowing day we did a "mellow" ride called "bear mountain figure 8".  Last year we tried to do this ride but they hadn't cleared one of the trails out, so we did bear mountain figure 0.  Then on Sunday we did the usual highway 20 ride up to Washington Pass.  We left ultra early to beat the heat, but it was still hot as hell when we came down.  We both went through 6 water bottles, it was THAT crazy hot! 

The following weekend I was blessed with a weekend at home!  I didn't have to drive anywhere, but it was also the weekend of the Padden Mountain Pedal.  And since that was literally in my back yard, I HAD to race it.  I wasn't looking forward to it, especially since I was the only open women, but I went out and ended up having a ton of fun.  I love to support as many local races as I can.  Besides, there is nothing like riding the padden course for 5 laps.  The following day a couple of my teammies from Voler/Bicycle Centres came up and us Bellinghamsters played tour guide in the Chuckanuts. 

The weekend after Padden was the last race of the Fat Tire Revolution series.  This race was in Roslyn and I had never raced it, but I wasn't looking forward to it.  To say the least, I was pretty burnt out on racing.  The race didn't start well, or end well.  It was hot and I didn't hydrate pre-race...at all.  So when I stopped sweating and started getting goosebumps I decided to call it quits.  I ended up 2nd in the series overall.

The rest of July went really fast. I had been working on crazy fun wedding plans, and figuring out the fun details of wedding planning. Then we took a vacation to the usual Vancouver Island. We had a complete blast and it was seriously awesome to leave town and not think about anything, espeically wedding planning!

At the top of Mt. Washington.  We climbed, climbed, and climbed!

In case you couldn't tell....

On the decent down from the top.  The Valley is behind us.  Seriously...beautiful views up there. 

Too funny not to pass up



We spent some time on the beach, as usual

Had some river days



Mountain biking on the forbidden plateau, looking down onto Comox Lake

A sand bar island.  Watching as the tide engulfs the fam



And lots of rides to other beaches. 

Alright, we had a really good time.  I almost cleared the toughest stuff ever on the Forbidden Plateau(on my mountain bike), but after having enough jitteries from decending real scary steep downhills, I decided I didn't want to push my limit.  Then...I had a minor crash and decided to walk the rest of the scarys teep stuff.  Next year, my goal will be to clear it ALL!  We spent 11 days on the Island, and it was just right, especially with a wedding right around the corner.  The views in the Comox Valley are absolutly breathtaking.  I love being there so much, I feel so lucky to have a beautiful and awesome place to visit every summer. 

I thought my life would calm down in August, but it didn't.  I had another Bridal Shower, this time thrown by Chris's mom, Sue.  It was a great time!  We had a wedding, and my Bachlorette party to attend!!!  My girls and I decided we wanted to go to Leavenworth, and that we did!!!  What a blast.  We hiked, floated the river, played games, drank tequila, and sang Kareokee.  I couldn't have had a better time.  I would do it again in a heart beat!  LOVE YOU (my friends). 

I am going to make you wait for the juicy details of how the early season cyclocross racing has been going.  I need a whole new post to tell you about that.  Besides, it's time for me to go for a ride in this beautiful sunshine.