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!

My Tour of the Midwest Part 1: I felt like a train wreck

Let me tell you what it feels like to be a train wreck.

It all started in Louisville, KY.  I don't know what happened, but somewhere between Seattle and Louisville I lost my confidence.  Maybe I should have gone home to pick it up.  My time in Louisville was great, I had great company, stayed in this incredible mansion, and ate amazing home cooked food.

Enough of that.

I don't need to tell you how my races at the USGP went.  They didn't go well.  I was a head case and a cluster F***.  I couldn't ride my bike in the sand, I couldn't run, and I couldn't find my confidence.  Saturday was terrible, I literally felt like I was scooped up, chewed, and then spit back out to deal with the mess.  I thought Sunday would go better, but then my mental health got the best of me, I broke down and became a head case.  Crashed in the sand...on my bike, not sure how that happens, lost a place and lots of seconds.   Then I slipped on the stair case, broke my shoe, lost a place and lots of seconds.  Broke my shoe, the first thing that came to mind was "can I quit".  I didn't quit, even though I so badly wanted to.  I finished, had a mini panic attack by myself, had a full on crying session with someone else, and then tried to re-group.

Needless to say, when it was time to leave, I couldn't have been more excited.  So, I piled into a car with 3 other people and we drove to Sheboygan, WI.  Look it up on a map if you don't know where it is.  I was excited to literally sit around and not do anything for the week, to let my body and mind rest a little after the train wreck of a weekend.

Monday I slept in, well I think I literally slept all day.  It's amazing how travel, racing, and mental craziness can cause you to be so tired!  That evening I had my first experience in a Piggly Wiggly (I don't really want to go back), there is no Organic Section.  This made me miss my home town with home grown organic deliciousness and buy local stickers everywhere.  The week ended up being quite relaxing, ate a lot, rode around Sheboygan, checked out Lake Michigan, slept, played iPad games, and then the week made a turn for the "worse".  I was too relaxed, I forgot to register for the races in Iowa the following weekend (and my sunglasses fell out of my helmet and were hit by a car).  Train Wreck.  I wasn't sure if this was a sign that I shouldn't race that I should just fly home.

After talking to my ever relaxing husband on the phone, a phone call to the race promoter, and lots of breathing, we figured it out and I was set to race.  So Friday morning I was piled back into the large van and we drove to Iowa City for some bike racing!

Cracked

Cracked.

That's all I have to say about the USGP in Louisville.  

I cracked.  Better luck next time.

Success - Courtenay's Dictionary

Success.

Everyone defines success differently (in terms of racing).  Success to one person might be winning a race, achieving a PR, finishing a head of a nemesis, making the podium, or not finishing last.  I have reached the point in my racing endeavor that success to me is no longer winning.  

Enumclaw.  SCX #5.

Dennis Crane Photography

One of my top favorite local courses I have ever raced (that and Woodland Park).  I had been looking forward to Enumclaw since the start of the season.  Enumclaw means mud, a nasty run up, a sweet decent, and a HUGE smile on my face.  Last year after this race I remembered why I race cross, why I have such a love hate relationship with rain and cold and last year was successful.  Enumclaw defines the reasons why cyclocross is fun (some may beg to differ).  So, to say the least, I was EXCITED to race this course, I made sure I was home and not traveling around.  Un-successful describes my race.  To an every day spectator and reader you may wonder "un-successful, but you won".  Who cares that I won?  I don't (okay of course I do a little bit, but that's besides the point).  


Success to me:

A successful race to me means smooth cornering, getting into a groove, becoming "one" with the course (that's total hokey I know), no fumbling around, no slipping and falling on your @$$ (or face).  Success to me is having fun.  All of those words I used to describe a successful race make it fun.  Fun is smiling through the mud that is caked in your teeth and flinging into your eye balls.  Fun is leg cramping run ups with an equally awesome decent, fun is getting into such an awesome groove that you don't want the race to end.  Fun is success and success is fun.  

None of this happened last Sunday.  I learned a lot (like I do every race).  I don't have to be racing at the national level to learn that the tires I have are not mud tires.  I'm still so new to this sport that I don't know anything.  I finished the race in first, but I don't feel like I won.  I couldn't get into a groove, I couldn't corner to save my life, and I crashed in the most silliest places.  WTH.  My bike wouldn't go in a straight line, no matter how hard I tried to get it there, I finally figured out I had to slow down to negative miles per hour in order to corner.  I couldn't accelerate out of the corner until my bike was facing forward, or else I crashed.  It was embarrassing to say the least.  I crashed 3 times.  3 times.  3 times.  That's not fun.  Okay, 1 of those times my hand slipped off the bars on the bumpy decent and I hit the ground HARD.  I went over my bars…in a cross race.  WTH.  This is NOT success.  So let me tell you and everyone else out there.  I may have won the race, but I didn't deserve the win.  I don't even know how I won.  I had an embarrassing showing of my performance and I didn't have fun.  I finished the race disappointed and honestly…I wanted to cry.  I tried hard to hold it in, but I just couldn't put on the "happy" face.  I'm sorry.  I'm sorry to those who had to deal with me, I'm sorry to those who had to witness my lack of amazing performance.  I'm sorry to the 2 men who got caught up behind me (and thankful that they didn't hit me) when I endoed.  I'm sorry to the man who I tried to pass in an un-passable area and made us both fumble.  I'm sorry it looked like I was learning to ride a bike again.  

From Sprinker.  The embarrassment of the giant hole.
Thank you Chris and Mel!

On a positive note, I'm glad this happened at a local race and not a national race.  Now I know which tubulars are mud tires and which ones aren't.  I'm learning.  

I am also very thankful for Redline Bicycles.  They have offered a Co-Sponsorship for me for the rest of the season.  What does this mean to me?  This means a "B"  bike, pit help, wheels, a place to warm up at the national races (and a team), this means help.  Help, boy do I need it.  The last 1/8 of the last lap at Enumclaw I pitted for a new bike with actual mud tires (the lap before I came through complaining about how much the tires where sucking).  I was able to handle my bike, it went straight, and I could corner at speed.  Wow, what a difference mud tires make in your performance.  Thank you to Redline Bicycles for that extra help.  I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.  

I'm currently headed to the USGP in Louisville, KY, then heading to Sheboygan, WI for the week, then over to Coralville, IA for 3 days of racing this Jingle Cross Rock.  Which to be honest..I'm a little nervous for!  I hear lots of mud, a huge run up, and a scary decent.  Okay…maybe that's everything I really enjoy?