Muddy Monroe to Muddy...LA?

If you have been keeping up with me on my blog you must know how much I love my local scene.  My local team, my local competitors, everything about them I love and miss.  I love walking around saying hello to everyone, knowing my competitors and knowing how much love everyone shares for each other, so I had to race the final race of the Seattle Series, as a bonus the weather promised mud (and mud was delivered).

The race was fantastically wonderful, the course rode really well, super smooth, no choppy weird corners, the steep decent was actually rideable this year, and there was a HUGE mud puddle plus some slippery corners.  The sand high way was in fact a high way, not a power zapping slog (like usual).  I got into a groove, and just rode my little heart out with a huge smile on my face the whole time.  I love my local scene, and because of this I have learned a few lessons along the way at the uh..not local scene.  

CXLA Cross After Dark Finale

In order to feel comfortable you need to know people, you need to talk to people and be friendly.  Don't be shy, when you meet someone, say hello when you see them again.  Running around the country racing sure isn't the local scene, but it is what you make it.  Sure these women aren't my local friends but they can be my traveling friends, they can be the ones I look forward to seeing when I travel, they can be the ones who congratulate you when you do well, and they can be the ones to push you beyond what you knew you could do.  I am thankful for my national competitors, I am thankful for their smiles, their energy, their hard work, their enthusiasm for the sport.  I am thankful for those I have met a long the way, for those that have helped me get through my races with confidence, for those who have helped me when I didn't know where to turn for help, or when I had no one.  Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be where I am today.

The weekend before Bend I chose to head down to sunny LA...excuse me, rainy La, for the finale of the CX in the Dark series.  Looking back at it, I shouldn't have gone, but I'm glad I did, because every weekend I learn something new.  The trip was quick, fly out of Bellingham at 5am Saturday, fly back into Seattle at 10pm SUnday.  The trip left me exhuasted all week long and straight into the trip to Bend.  The positives of LA:

I was able to visit my friend Marielle who I haven't seen since she moved, I scored a few more UCI points, it was muddy, I met some awesome people.  I showed up to the race on Saturday with my bikes still packed in their bike box and my luggage trailing behind me.  Thank goodness for Downtown LA Bicycles, they built my bikes for me and acted as my support for the weekend, I truly don't beleive I could have gotten through the weekend with them.  It was also nice to have some local help from Bellingham Promoter and friend Ryan Rickerts, who pitted for me Saturday night and cheered loudly all race long.

On Sunday my dad's friend and wife came out and cheered LOUDLY so I could hear!  It was fantastic.      After the race, I cleaned myself up (kind of), packed my bags, had the kindness of my lovely Downtown LA Bicycles support crew pack my bikes up for me, and away I went with my dad's friend.      They where SO kind they even let me shower at their home!  I would say the highlight of the weekend was driving by my Grandparents old home in San Marino, CA.  SOOOOO many memories in that home, it was such a treat to see it again.  Oh yea, I had a 7th and 8th place finish for the weekend.  Not too bad, considering the field was full of fast ladies.

Once again a large shout out to Dorothy Wong for putting on a fantastic race.  The course was awesome, full of fun features, and she even delivered rain and MUD!  I can't wait to attend next years UCI races in LA.

Thank you SCX for putting together a lovely local series, I am proud to say I am a part of (when I was home) the local scene.  I know every weekend you guys work hard to pull together some fantastic races and AWESOME courses.  Thank You!

My Tour of the Midwest Part 2: Iowa City Jingle Cross Rock

No matter what happens between now and 1 year from now, this race will be on my calendar.

It all started Friday morning.  I packed up my bags and was picked up in the great big van and we drove to Iowa City where I continued on my Gypsy Rein.  I was a little worried about driving for 5 hours in the car before my race, so I made sure to ride around a lot and get a good warm up in (it was also quite cold once the sun set).  

All it took was 1 lap around the race course and I knew I could do "well" (Courtenay well, everyones definition of well is different).  The Friday night course was under the lights and had this awesomely long and steep run up, with a blazing fast decent to the bottom.  Then the rest of the course was prety flat with lots of turns and with the exception of one short steep up to an off camber then another short bumpy fast decent.

We lined up under the lights and then the race began.  I had a fairly decent start and then passed more people once I arrived at the run up. The last couple of laps I found myself in a group of really strong women, and for some reason I was having a very difficult time turning my bicycle in a particular section of turns (which it wasn't until the 3rd race that I actually figured those darn turns out)!  The group ended up falling apart and I finished 6th.  Friday night was ladies night, so it was the big payout night.  Not too shabby to get handed a check for $425 (the most money I will ever make in 40 minutes).  

The following day we were in for a good technical decent.  This time, instead of running up the hill they made it so we could ride our bikes up the hill (what a concept right?  I prefer the running part though).   At the top of this steep climb was a just as steep (or perhaps steeper) technical, switch back, off camber decent.  Did I mention it was bumpy?  After a good tough battle (for 40 minutes) of me sucking at those turns (once again) I ended up 8th.  I was pleased with 8th.

Friday night mount under the lights

Sunday the course made a change for...the better?  The climb was now half a run up and half a ride up (or if you have real strong legs and a smaller gear than a 25 the whole thing was a ride up).  I chose to run half the hill and ride the other half.  I did end up passing quite a few girls by choosing to run it, because there comes a point where you just can't pedal anymore and they would bobble.  I think my technique worked well.  The first lap I found myself in a group and then solo chasing a group in front of me.  The wind...oh the wind!  I wish it wasn't windy.  The group in front of me was able to work together and every lap they put a few seconds on me and stayed in no mans land for the entire race, not losing ground to the women behind me, but certainly not making up ground to the women in front of me.  This time I finished 7th.

A 6th, 7th, and 8th place finish for the weekend.  I'm pretty happy with that.  I will be back next year, because this course and race was by the far one of the most fun I have had at a cross race in a long time.  Thank you to the promoters for putting together such fantastic-ness and for letting me call, email, and text you to get into registration when I had a brain F@rt and forgot to register.

The following day (Monday) I was in for a long travel day.  Out of Cedar Rapids, into the Chicago, then to Seattle, then the drive back to beautiful Bellingham.  Thank you to my husband Chris for picking me up every weekend.  I love you!