Can you ride a bike in heels?

Wedding Day

I just had to post this picture to honor my husband.  I think this picture says a lot about the two of us.  First off, it's been just over 1 month since we tied the knot, that's about 4 weeks (4 weekends too).  I have been home for 2 of those weekends.  That means, we have hardly seen each other.  Look how supportive he is.  When I can't pedal the bike because my dress is long and white and I have bright fuchsia colored heels on, I know I can count on my husband.  Okay, not only is he reliable but he helps lead me in the right direction, look at how excited he is to steer us towards the right path in life.  He is always the one to work hard (after all he is pedaling the bike) and I'm the one who gets to sit and enjoy the ride of my life.

Why don't I tell you about my enjoyable life.  I flew to LA Friday morning of the 20th to race my bike (what's new).  A smaller UCI race, means an easier way to get lots of UCI points.  The race was "Spooky Kross" and "Krosstober fest".  The races where freakishly fantastic (at the LA County Fairgrounds in Pomona, CA).  The course (same for each day) started out on a fast pavement incline with a swooping right hander onto an even faster horse track (yes the place where horses race).  We then rode real fast on the horse track before taking a left hander onto some rocky somewhat loose dirt, up some stairs, down a hill into a shaarrrp 180 degree turn, into some berms, under the fly over, through some sand, and onto the grass.  Once in the grass you wove in and out through turns, sprinted on the straight-a-ways and then you where back on a short section of the race track, went behind the track past some barns and then back onto the super fast and wide open track, where you then took a slow loose left hander back on the grass.  Once on the grass you did some more turning, accelerating, and this time leaping (over the barriers).  Once you filed you way through the grass we found ourselves accelerating up onto an awesomely steep fly over, onto a table top straight into a berm, onto another table top, to another berm, to another berm (large berms) and then a BMX pump track, around a turn, over a blip, onto the race track, make a turn and back through the finish area to do some more laps.  Whew that was a mouthful.  Say that really fast, and that's how fast the race was.

I had one thought in my head, and it was "be smart".  Looking back at the race, of course there are things I would change, but it's all a part of the learning experience, and when I'm the one teaching myself, sometimes it just takes a little bit longer.

Saturday night podium

The first day was a night race under the lights, and it was blazing fast, before I knew it, I found myself in front group of 4.  I started realizing how awesome I felt, how it felt so good to not be racing at elevation...I could breath.  My legs didn't feel like lead.  I felt good, I could do this.  With an awesome course, great spectators (including my dads friend!!!!!), and strong competitors I knew this could be a good race.  Yes, like always I fumbled in areas, got passed on sections that I sucked at (like the BMX pump track) but I knew what I had to do to finish the race.  No need to go into detail about how every lap went, but the last lap the race dwindled down to 3 of us, then 2, and then we where all alone and I was sitting in 2nd.  I finished 2nd place!  YES!!!  That's a lot of UCI points!  I was ecstatic at the end of the race, I couldn't believe what I just pulled off.  That's when I realized...I can do this.  I have it in me.

Sunday's Podium

Sunday's race I didn't race as smart as I did on Saturday.  It was the same front group of 4 and we just kept attacking each other, wearing ourselves out.  I feel like I did a lot of leading (which is probably pay back from my lack of leading on Saturday) but hey, if it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger.  On the last lap (or was it 2nd to last lap?) a rider made an attack and held it strong to the end, I did everything I could to hang onto the gal in 2nd, but I just couldn't do it, and every time I turned around 4th place was RIGHT on my wheel!  I tried everything to get her away, and then finally on the last straight section before the fly over I hit it hard (especially since I knew she was better at the BMX stuff then me!!).  I was able to get a small gap coming out of the BMX stuff, thought I would be able to hold her off and next thing I knew I hear people going "OOOOWWWWWW" and I hear a sprint taking place.  I turned around and she was up out of the saddle going HARD, so I did what I had to do to hold onto 3rd place.  I had to work for that 3rd place finish, but once again I am beyond excited with my results.  I think I can do this, I think I handle this racing business.  I only hope to go harder, faster, and further.

Overall I had a fantastic weekend in Southern California.  Of course mud would have been great, but Dorothy Wong (race promoter) put together a fantastic race and was able to hook me up with some great host housing for the weekend, it was Courtenay and the dudes.  They where all great, my host housing was extremely helpful and fantastic, the weekend couldn't have been better!

After two weeks of travel I had the privilege to stay home!!!  This last weekend was the SCX Sprinker Park.  I couldn't wait to race a local race and see my CX family!  What a fun course, wow they made some huge improvements on that course, I had a blast, plus the women made me work for the win!  I also was sporting a halloween costume.  Unfortunately for you (and fortunately for me) there are no pictures of it, I called it "The Striptease".  Yes...a piece of wire sticking off a tree tore my skin suit and there was a giant hole right on my left hip, it was probably about 4 inches long!  I couldn't quit the race and I still had 4 laps to go after it happened.  So I just tried my best to keep my cool and ride on.  I thought for a prize I was going to get some needle and thread, but I didn't.  Today I dropped my skinsuit off at the seamstress to fix it, she will surely have some needle and thread.


We got our wedding pictures back!  So here are a couple to enjoy!

My Girls and I
www.alyssabrownphotography.com

Married!
www.alyssabrownphotography.com

USGP Ft. Collins

Not a fancy title... I know, but today, I'm not creative.  Instead, I'm tired.  I had the privilage of waking up at 3am (mountain time, 2am PST) to catch a bus out of Boulder at 3:30am to get to the airport in time for my 6:30am flight back to Seattle.  I know 3:30am sounds early, but the next bus was just a smidgen too late for my comfort.  Who cares about what bus I took to get to DIA, lets hear about racing.

I always try to keep my words short and sweet, but sometimes when I think it's short, it turns out it's quite lengthy, for that, I apologize!

Day #1:

The day started out looking like it was going to be some epic Washington Cyclocross conditions.  Lots of rain, a little wind, rain, mud, cold, did I mention rain?  Oh and some mud.  Boy was I looking forward to my first cross race of the year in the MUD!  I pre-rode around 12pm, and by 1pm the rain stopped and the course was drying out.  What-the-heck!  If that was Washington the mud would have gotten deep and peanut buttery, but To-To I don't think we're in Washington anymore.  Much to my surprise the course was actually quite tacky and was drying quickly, just in time for the Elite Women's race.  Lucky me, I drew number 43, so I had the privalge of starting in the back (you know, the last row).  I chose the right side of the course to start on, knowing lots of people would move left and that way I could swoop past them on the right side.  It worked pretty well, but I did find myself mid pack in the 3rd corner.  As I looked up ahead of me I watched the front of the race ride away about 3 corners away.  Starting in the back sucks.  I managed to crawl my way to a 12th place finish, even though my legs kind of felt like lead.  That was a weird sensation, but I heard thats what altitude will do to you.  This was my best UCI finish!  I had a great time, scored some more UCI points, made some bucks, and had a ton of fun.  I love this racing business.

Day #2:

The luck of the draw.  Literally..I wasn't so lucky with my drawing a number out of bag, number 38.  Maybe it's the 2nd to last row, WAHOO!  I started on the ride side again, made the same moves, but they didn't go too well for me this day.  My start didn't put me as far forward as I would have liked.  The bonus for today was how my legs felt.  SO-MUCH-BETTER.  But the racing was much faster, that the whole race I don't think I ever caught my breath (altitude?  I thought I was suffocating).  I was extremely tired working my booty off trying to move forward.  I was flimsy, un-graceful, and..choppy (for lack of a better word).  I was redlining it, gunning it, the whole time.  Come the last lap I found myself in a group of 3, all vying for that 10th place finish (UCI POINTS)!  On one of the up hill climbs I put in 120% effort to get in front of the girls, and I did.  the outcome?  Fatigued legs, a tired face, lack of oxygen, and a 12th place finish.  The girls passed me with about 1 minute to go in the race.  Lesson learned, suck wheel more, trust your sprint.

I can't wait for this years UCI points to kick in.  Truthfully, I am done starting in the back of the pack!  When I look at my lap times they are very comparable to 7th, 8th, 9th, place finishers, but it's that first lap time that is 15-20 seconds slower than theirs because they get to start in the front and don't have to work through all that traffic for the first lap of the race.  They don't have to work 193% to get past all 30 riders.  Soon enough I will be rewarded!

All in all I had a great weekend.  Russell Stevenson and Nikole hosted me for the weekend, I got to meet their adorable little man, hang with cool people, and see a new city.

Total UCI points since Vegas and after USGP: 10

Next time I race a USGP I will get a call up and wont have to draw my number from a bag.  YIPPEE!!!!

Lets Chase the Dream

It's here...my reality has struck and it's time I admit to myself and everyone else...I guess you could say "I'm chasing the dream" along with 2947305936202 other riders.  How I'm supposed to stand out from those riders, I don't know, but I'm sure as hell going to try.  Maybe I will just smile a lot and wink at the attractive men (do they exist in the bike world?).  Okay, maybe I wont.  Maybe I will try riding really hard at all the races, maybe I will race them like I'm going to win, because everyone has a chance to win (even if it is REALLY small).

For some crazy reason people believe in me (what the?!), they think I have the ability to go further, to go beyond what I'm doing now.  It's crazy to me, I have a large desire to, but I'm also scared.  What am I most intimidated by?  What is everyone most intimidated by?  Fear of failure.  Fear of being embarrassed, of letting someone down, of not being up to par.  I have never wanted to admit to myself, or anyone else for that matter, my desire.  My desire to race in the big leagues.  I have never loved a sport as much as I love Cyclocross.  I have never felt such a community as I do every weekend at the races.  Which brings me to why I sat down to write this blog post.

Fear

Fear of what?  Fear of the unknown.  Fear of not knowing the girls I'm racing against, of not having the friendly faces cheering for me, fear of failure, fear of not loving the sport anymore.  Fear that what I might love most about the sport is my team, the cookies, the camadarie, the family I have gained the last 2 years of racing.  Fear that it's possible I could lose it all, fear of missing the fun at home.

The other day I sat down and looked at my personal calendar.  I looked at the dates of some UCI races and then I looked at the dates of our Local races, they over lap.  My heart sank, but then it started beating faster and faster, my nerves increased, and I almost felt sick.  That's when I realized that if I do those UCI races, I'm going to miss my Local scene, the scene that has developed me as a rider, the scene that I look forward to every August.  It aches to think about not being there every...single...weekend.

I love that I can show up  and smile and feel like I know everyone.  Because really:

"Sometimes you want to go 

Where everybody knows your name, 

and they're always glad you came. 

You wanna be where you can see, 

our troubles are all the same 

You wanna be where everybody knows 

Your name"

If you can name that song...good for you!  Back to seriousness...it's incredible, people I don't even know (should I know them?) know my name!  When I pass them in the race they say my name.  Sometimes it makes me want to cry, its just so amazing!  Thank you to everyone for all your support!

Tonight marks the end of my first weekend being a "competitor" in a USGP race.  It's bittersweet not being at home racing within my comfort, but I had a good time.  Race report to follow.