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.
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!
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.
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| Friday night mount under the lights |
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!
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