Cyclocross season is upon us!

In case you didn't already know, I love cyclocross. 

I started off the season racing at MFG's Cycle U Kick Off Cross at Big Finn Hill in Kirkland.  My brother came out to cheer me on, so I had to do well!  He FINALLY made it to a bike race, it only took a couple of years.  I am glad he was there to see what it is I do, and how I spend my spare time. 

The race started off hot (the temperature and the speed).  I had a pretty good start and by the first turn I was sitting third wheel.  I pretty much was there for most of the race.  My legs felt like death had taken over them and a ball of cotton was shoved into my mouth.  It was awful.  I guess a mountain bike ride up Chuckanut Mountain on Saturday was NOT the way to go into a race.  Oh well, I wanted it for training for Starcrossed.

With about 3 laps to go (maybe?) the women who was in front of me crashed and then flatted, so I was able to hold onto 2nd place for my first race of the season.  Not too shabby for having dead tired legs and a mouth full of cotton. 

This last weekend was a double header at Lake Sammamish State Park.  Starcrossed and the Rapha Focus GP where on Saturday and Sunday, two big races.  Starcrossed was my first UCI race and I was all sorts of nervous.  I had an awesome call up and made it into the 2nd row (of 4) and lined up behind pros (like Katerina Nash).  I didn't really feel I deserved to be in the field I was in, but I knew it was going to be a really good experience for me. 

Once the gun went off the race started, and it was FAST (at least to me it was...this is all relative to whom you are talking to), immediatly the race turned into one big line.   I thought to myself "this is what it's like to race with the big timers".  I was actually able to stay upright and on a wheel, when I looked back there was a gap behind me.  Within about half a lap the field was pretty spread apart, but I was able to hold onto Kari Studley's wheel (a northwest favorite and local lady hero).  I learned a lot by following her wheel, but as the race went on I couldn't hang in there!  She is so stinkin' strong!  The atmosphere at the race was spectacular, so many spectators out there cheering, totally incredible!  This race made me realize all the friends I have at the cross races.  It's heart warming hearing all these people cheer your name, and motivating you.  Sometimes when I am in pain and someone is telling me to work harder, I want to smack them, but it's actually quite motivating to be cheered/coached to.  I love you people!!!!

I finished the race in 12th place (out of 30) about 2.5 minutes back from the winner, whom I am sure wasn't going full gas like me and didn't think she was going to vomit 5 minutes after she finished racing.  Oh well, what a great experience, and who knows, maybe next year I can break the top 10. 

Sunday's race was very similar to Saturday's race, except for the start.  I learned a few things on Sunday.

#1) The cross race and skills on the 2nd day is far less smooth than the first day

#2) A good call up is really amazing

#3) I need to learn to balance on my bike at the start of the race

#4) I need to learn how to "race" against other people in the field, and chase them down, hold them off, and push push push

#5) I need to do some running track workouts along with running stairs (it's not one or the other anymore)

#6) I need to learn how to get faster

The Sand Pit/Run/Ride if you could

Race review:

I was literally the last women to be called in my field.  I had a positive mentality about it though.  The previous day I had a great call up so naturally I would get a bad one this day.  Also I didn't think a field of 30 would really matter, it can't be THAT hard to get through these women.

When I chose where to line up I decided I needed to pick wisely...who looked like they could clip in quickly and sprint.  Certainly NOT the women in their small chain ring, so I didn't line up behind them.  I lined up behind 4 women that looked strong and where already in their big chain rings.  When the official shot the gun I clipped in, stood up and sprinted...err tried to sprint but no one in front of me was moving, so I literally hit the girl in front of me.  I ran right into her wheel, I was so shocked, I had to unclip and WAIT for the ladies to actually start pedaling.  That's when I learned why people complain if they get a bad call up.  From the start I had to have been 10-15 seconds back from the leaders. 



It's a smile and not a grimace.  This sport CAN be fun.



 Within the first 1/4 of the first lap I was able to get past most of the women and by the 2nd sand section I was in about 13th place.  Within the next lap or so I caught the women in front of me and was sitting in 12th place, gaining on 11th.  I worked my butt off to catch 11th place, passed her on the last lap, got to the running sand section and she SPRINTED by me as she hit me with her bike.  I had to laugh as the spectators commented on her sprinting ability and how totally awesome it was.  I was trying to catch her through the turns on the last lap, then the last turn she wiped out, got up SOO fast, and her and I duked it out for 11th and 12th place.  She beat me by 1 second!  Another 12th place finish, not too shabby, I was pretty happy. 

I only hope that this early season success can continue on and I can only get stronger!  Considering I did a lot of beer drinking and beach louging and not a lot of bike riding in August, I hope that my skills, my strength, and my fitness can only improve from here!

All photos where taken by Deanna Loyd and posted on Patrick Means Flickr account.  Thanks guys!

Also I should leave you with this awesome video

 

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all I can do is pray.

Not too much to write about in the life of me.  The past month has been a little hectic, I don't think I have been home for one weekend yet, so every week has been trying to play catch up on the things that need to get done.  Chris and I are officially done going to weddings for at least 2 more months.  Every Friday/Saturday for the past 4 weekends was the same thing; shower, get ready, pack a bag, put the bikes on the car, and drive to a wedding, watch a ceremony, see some kisses, eat dinner, drink beer, and dance.  Always a good time, but I am so glad we get to take a break from it!

Last week my boss from the hospital called to let me know they where canceling the class I teach there, but only "for this go around" due to financial reasons (dumb).  Who knows if I will have a job at the hospital, so it's game time to start working on my resume and looking for another part time job.  I am sick of my income being below the poverty level.....sometimes I tell my dad I'm low class, he just likes to shake his head and tell me "im not".

Sunday I received a phone call from my brother, I always get worried when he calls, I get worried when he doesn't call.  After the 30 second small talk of how are you, what are you doing, his voice gets loud and happy and I hear him say "I'M COMING HOME"!!!!  I can't recall the last time I heard his voice with that type of inflexion.  It really was....different.  I have so many mixed emotions of him coming home.  Being down south working for the company he was at, was a safe haven, I knew he would be okay if he was there.  Then I get this phone call that he is coming back to where it all began, where his life could have ended.  Why wouldn't someone worry?  My intial reaction was "oh dear, my brother is going to be dead in 6 months".  How do you let something like that soak in?  How do you process knowing your older brother might not be alive in a few months. 

The doctors in California told him if he uses one more time he WILL die, his kidneys are not strong enough to tolerate an abusive substance in his body.  It's amazing to think he has been sober for a little over 1 year, especially after living in a high state for probably 8+ years.  I really hope it was enough to clear his head, to gain some mental strength, to realize he CAN over come an unhealthy addiction to drugs as long as he tries.

So here I am, in an even larger state of worry of the future of my brother.  I want to believe what he is saying, but like I told him the only way people can believe him is if he starts acting on his words.  Actions speak louder than words, all the people you hurt in your past, you need to rebuild that relationship with, you need to physically show them that YOU want to change.  All I can do is sit and pray that he makes the right decisions. 

Canada: An outdoor recreation mecca

VA-CA-TION!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I was on it for two weeks, and it felt good.  Is it a bad thing that I didn't want to come home?

The start of our vacation began in Squamish.  Chris climbed on Saturday and I rode my mountain bike, and it just so happens that I am so friendly I rode my bike with the Mayor of Squamish.  SO AWESOME that the Mayor of Squamish rides bikes, I wish the Mayor of Bellingham would ride bikes, and that way he might realize how totally cool Galbraith is and see that we need that mountain so we too can have a mecca of outdoor recreation.



The view from the ferry, Canada is beautiful



The following day Chris and I rode, and I showed him the same trails I rode on Saturday plus a little extra, tons of fun.  After our ride we hung out at Alice Lake for a while in the beautiful sunshine.  The lake reminded us of Padden, small and really crowded.  After that we drove south to Horseshoe Bay to the ferry terminal and sat for 2 hours with everyone and their mom to get onto the ferry to Nanaimo to make it to Comox.









View from Cumberland of the Valley



That Monday Chris and I rode mountain bikes in Cumberland.  So we went to the local bike shop, picked up a map and head out onto the trails.  Last year we rode there and I loved it, so I was really looking forward to more awesome riding.  To make a long day short, the ride turned out to be an Epic Fail worth blogging about.  It started when I crashed over a drop and re-split my knee open (about a month ago I gashed my knee open on Hush Hush and it's still healing).  Then, I crashed again on some stupid root that I blame on my breaks (my front break needs to be bled).  Then, we went down into some ravine dip and back up and I heard a terrible crack, crack.  Chris's bike broke...big time.  He had to walk out, so I continued on to ride.  Then I realized I lost my sunglasses, so I turned around to where I crashed the 2nd time, they weren't there.  So I retraced my steps back to where I crashed the first time (this was a total hike a bike not ride-able up hill trail).  They weren't there.  So I rode back to where I crashed the 2nd time and they were glowing inside a log.  So I continued on until I heard some growling, when I looked up and saw Momma Bear staring at me, then I saw her cubs.  I freaked out, got off my bike, and stood sooo still (for what felt like eternity).  I would have taken a picture had I not been shakin' in my skin.  They continued on into the woods and I turned around and sprinted as fast I could out of the trail and descended back to the car on the logging roads.  4 hours later I made it back to the car and just wanted to get home.

The part in the middle should be attached right below it...that is a sheared bolt

Broken Carbon

 

 The next day we ride road bikes around town and stopped at the local bike shop in Comox (Simons Cycles) to see what the chances are of fixing the bike (none) or renting a bike (positive).  One extremly awesomely friendly worker named Craig offered to let us ride with him and his friend on Thursday, we accept.  The best part about this offer was he was sooo kind he let Chris borrow a test bike for nearly the whole 2 weeks we where there (how cool is that)?!  So it wasn't a total fail that I brought my bike and his broke.  Riding with people who know the trails is so much better than stopping every 10 minutes to look at a non-waterproof map. 

That first week in Kye Bay we spent lots of time just hanging out, riding bikes, kicking back on the beach.  I even let Chris take me rock climbing, my cousin and his "special friend" even came!  On Sunday we rode our bikes to the top of Mt. Washington.  From the cabin it's about 25ish miles, and the last 10ish are the uphill to the mountain.  I am really glad I didn't know how steep it was at the time.  The whole climb it averaged 8-12% grade.  We even invited my mother, she nearly died. 




Lovers on the beach (it was cold)




Myself at the bottom of the sand cliffs




Chris in the middle of the sand cliffs




Chris jumping around in the sand



Rock climbing at Comox Lake.  This was called the devels ladder (scary huh)?


That Monday we rode mountain bikes again with our new found friends, this time we rode at the Forbidden Plateau (an old Ski Mountain), then we jumped into the river.  That was the first and only jump into the river this year, the water was so cold it took my breath away.  Damn late summer weather didn't warm the rivers up for us!

The second week we were even more lazy than the first week.  Lounged on the beach, rode for a little bit, went on a couple runs, and drank in the sun.  One morning I was reminded of my childhood in Kye Bay when we were woken up by F18's (??) that were flying and turning right over the cabin.  The first time they came through the house shook!  These jets used to fly ALL the time, but now the Air Force Base has some what retired there and it's more of an airport, so we don't see regular shows like that a lot.  Chris loved it.  I swear if the jet was turning in the opposite direction we could have waved at the pilot and looked right into his eyes.  It was perfect timing considering it was just a couple of days before the Blue Angels were flying at Sea Fair. 



My Grandpa and myself.  I found that hat in the duplex so I gave it to him to wear (since it was originally probably his)



Chris and Grandpa heading out to golf



Beach Day!!!



Beach, sun, and water.  What more could I ask for?



Saturday came and it was time to pack it up and head home.  It was agreat 2 week vacation, maybe next year I can convince Chris to vacation for 3 weeks?!  :-) 

NAH, I think 2 weeks was just right!

They say things come in sets of 3

So when will be my 3rd?  Nationals was race #1 of crap, and now race #2 of crap just passed by.  I need to race again before the fall so I can get my 3rd mishap out of the way before cyclocross season.

On Thursday Chris and I, once again packed the car with the bikes and our stuff for yet again, another race.  This time we drove to Suncadia Resort in Roslyn, WA.  Raleigh was hosting a cyclocross race out there.  The top 3 Elite men and women where given cash prizes of $1500, $500, and $250.  Who wouldn't want that kind of money?  The top amatuer Elite man and women where offered a "pro contract" with Raleigh to race the Cross in the Dark series.  They where also given 2 Raleigh cyclocross bikes, with their entry fees paid for, and travel stipe-end.  Not to shabby right?  I didn't say it allowed because I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I really did want that contract.  How cool would that be?  Once I saw the list of registered riders, I wasn't really sure it would be something I could claim.  So I just told myself race for fun, lets see how you stack up to the other ladies you will be racing agianst in the NW.  If anything it will be a tough hard workout, see what cross skills I need to work on, etc. 

At the start of the race I was feeling pretty good, my start wasn't too shabby either.  For the first half lap I was sitting in 6th, and moving on up!  I was pretty sure I was going to get past some of those ladies, I just needed my cotton mouth to go away!!  As I was riding down a small decent just after the pits on the very first lap, fate struck and I my rear wheel was flat.  I was somewhat confused for a moment...do I run the entire lap to the pits?  Do I ride on my flat wheel?  I tried both, and then I realized it wasn't going to happen.  The course was so dry and fast that by the time I would have reached the pits, I would have been lapped.  It just wasn't something I wanted to do, so I pulled out.  I wanted to whine for a little bit.  So that's just what I did.  I pouted for a little bit, until I had to perk myself up and give myself a mental talk "at least you didn't pay for the race".  That's right, I didn't pay to race, it was a free entry.  So instead I test rode a Raleigh bike, that was pretty fun!  The bike had SRAM on it, and it convinced me to convert from Shimano to SRAM.  I think I'm going to go for it. 

Once I got over pouting over the fact that my race was over in half a lap, I heard there was a bike I could pedal that would blend a margarita for me (courtsy of Cyclops)!  So instead of worrying about my half lap race, I drank tequila while the Elite men raced and had a good time heckling Chris.  Love you Boyfriend.

This race really teased me, and it has me mentally ready to race cross, but it's July!!!!  I have nearly 2 full months before cross season.  I am so sad!  I have a lot goals for myself in the coming season.  I want to win, I want my Cat1 upgrade, I want to stand out, I want to be fast, and skilled.  Every race I do, I do it so it makes me stronger in CX.  Every time I suffer through a road race I do it for CX (and a little bit for me), any time a scary section in a mountain bike race comes, I try it for CX.  I race for 4 straight months to get me fast and in shape for CX.  I also race road and mountain because I like it, but I believe it helps me.  Road gives me the fitness, mountain gives me the handling skills, and CX gives me the love of my friends every Sunday. 

I just love Cyclocross, there's no other way to put it.  I love the sport, I love the spectators, I love my team, I love the scene.  With the summer we have been having, Fall just might be my favorite season these days (since I get to race CX).

SEPTEMBER GET HERE!!!!!!
(Okay maybe not)

Chris and I are officially on vacation for 2 weeks.  We are headed up to Vancouver Island to my families beach house in Comox.  I absolutely love it up there.  I was named after the town Courtenay, and there is awesme mountain biking in Cumberland (part of the Comox Valley).  We will probably do lots of mountain biking and road biking, along with hanging out on the beach and at the river.  I love vacation.

A disappointing way to end a fantastic season

I hate the year of the La Nina, we can't even have a summer!!!

So I had to escape to Sun Valley, ID for some Mountain Bike Nationals and oh what fun did I have!  Sun Valley is not close.  Chris, Whitney, and I packed the car up on Tuesday morning and we headed to Sun Valley.  We didn't get in until 2:30am Wednesday morning, it was a long long long drive.  Thank goodness Idaho has a speed limit of 75mph.   I was able to get us some host housing from someone who used to work at the gym, it was so genorous of him (thanks Randy)!  He had the sweetest little dog named Kaiya, and I am not a dog person, but she was just so stinken' cute!  I should have taken a picture of her. 

If you have been following my blog you know that I have been racing in the Open women catgeory.  I originally wanted to race in this category for the challenge and the pay!  As it turned out, it is the category I should be racing in for our local races.  Which tells me that at a sanctioned race I should probably be a Cat 1 rider.  Unfortunately in WA we do not have sanctioned mountain bike races, with the exception of the 1 national qualifer race we had this year.  I raced in the Cat 2 race because that's my official category on my licence.  So at nationals I had to race in the Cat 2 race as well, which I wasn't too stoked about, but I did it so I could get my official Cat 1 upgrade.



Pros are awesome.  Georgia Gould hustling through the rock garden



Wednesday afternoon we pre-rode the amature race course, and it was SOOO hard!  The course was set up on Baldy Mountain (one of the ski mountains there) and we were around 6,000 ft elevation.  Our course started with 2 prologue loops which took about 5 minutes or less.  You started up a steep steep ski run and turned left into the start of a single track decent and down and over to the main staging area, over a fly over, and onto the rock garden and then back up the prologue or to the main large loop.  The main loop of the course took you through a steep single track climb with loose dirt, sand, and rocks.  Along the climb there were tough roots to get up and over at the top of the steep climbs, they were challenging!  I was breathing really hard, but I was enjoying the toughness of the course, it suited me well.  Once at the top of the single track there was a fire road climb, before decending down some fire road and onto the long single track decent.  The decent was entertaining, but the switchbacks where really loose!  The decent wasn't technical at all, just very very loose and marbly.  When we finished the loop, I thought to myself, this wont be too bad tomorrow, it might be a cluster ***k the first time through the prologue loops, but I think it will be okay. 

I was wrong.

Do you ever wake up and you just aren't ready to race?  Or your nerves are so twisted in knots that you can barely function?  I felt a lot of pressure that day.  Everyone I ran into kept saying to me "oh you're going to smash the field, and you're going to win, blah blah blah".  It made me really nervous, and when I look around at people all dressed up in their spandex, I get intimadated, everyone looks so freakin' fast.  When I got to the race I looked at the start list, and my jaw dropped.  They where starting each category 30 seconds apart, there where roughly 10 categories, with about 200 people total.  I got to go 2nd to last.  This wasn't good. 

Chris and I warmed up and went to staging.  My group slowly crawled forward as the other racers where starting, and then it was our turn, and I got the hole shot!  I was the first one up the hill, and I wasn't even working at full capacity, so I just told myseld, hold steady and you will win.  Then, I got to the first set of single track and I had to get off my bike and wait in line.  There was probably about 10 men in front of me waiting to enter the single track.  So all that work I put into climbing the hill, didn't get me any further away from the women in my field.  Once I hit the rock garden there where a couple of men in front of me but I was able to maneuver my way around them and get through it unscathed and on my bike.  2nd prologue lap up the hill and into the single track and the line to enter was even longer (how is that possible?).  So I got off my bike and I waited in line for the 2nd time in 10 or less minutes.  It was stupid.  I managed to pull away from the women on the decent and this time through the rock garden there where lots of men in my way who didn't know how to ride their bikes.  They got in my way and forced me to get off my bike and run with the damn thing (can you tell I'm getting fired up writing this?).  I thought to myself, this is not a cross race this bike is heavy, I don't like this.  I entered the single track as the first women, and I was feeling SO good!  Then about 3 minutes into the single track all of my hopes and dreams where crushed when I saw the line of 30 plus people WALKING their bikes up the trail.  My first thoughts where...okay this happens, it wont be long.  But then it really was a long time, people where seriously NOT riding anything, and most of the stuff was ridable.  I was so angry, but then I got even more angry when all of the sudden I heard female voices behind me.  Turns out they where pushing men out of the way to get further up the walking train.  That didn't make me happy, and nor did it make the man that was directly behind me happy.  THeir conversation went something like this:

Man: What are you doing?  I am not letting you by me

Females: We want to race with the women

Man: Uh the race leader is right in front of me, you ARE racing with the women.  She has been walking behind all these people too, wait your turn. 

Females: Let us by, you aren't even racing

Me (at this point I am incredibly angry): I have been patiently waiting behind all these people, if you really want first place THAT bad come up here and get it.

Females procede to push by the man, the man then pushes one of the females into the hill side and she falls down.  That makes me happy because she was having poor sportsmanship. 

75% up the hill and people finally start riding their bikes and I don't see the women again, because THEY CAN'T CLIMB!   I am pretty sure if people would have not been dumb and walked their bikes, or if they would have gotten out of my way I would have rocked that course.  But instead I had to push my bike up the fun stuff because too many people didn't know how to ride.  Once I was finally on my bike and pedaling I caught even more men, and they wouldn't let me by them.  I would ask and they would say no, it made me even more mad.  So I would ride next to them on the hill side to get by.  Then I hit the fire road climb and I was angry and not tired.  Then I hit the decent and was still angry and bitter.  I couldn't find an ounce of positive in me.  On the last switch back of the course I pulled over to let a man go that was behind me, and turns out a really fast women on the downhill whizzed on by as well.  OOPS.  I shouldn't have been so nice.  At that point though, I didn't even care.   When I finished I don't think I was even sweaty, I wasn't even tired.  I went on another ride and a run later that day. 

 I finished the race in 1 hour and 3 minutes and 59 seconds.  Their estimated time was 1 hour and 30-45 minutes.   I paid $63.50 to hike my bike up Baldy Mountain.  Dear USA Cycling, I WANT MY MONEY BACK!  That race was the most poorly planned out race I have ever participated in.  I am so dissapointed with the way the lower categories where treated.  I put in for my Category 1 upgrade today, so I should be able to race in the ACTUAL catgeory I belong in, that is if I decide to go back next year. 

Chris managed to pull off a first place finish in his race.  He was the first category to go off so he had a very different race experience than I did.  He didn't have to hike his bike up the mountain because there was no one in front of him, except for one rider!  I was jealous of him.  The climb would have been such a feat to do...if only I could have experienced it during the race. 



Chris on the podium



On a really positive note Sun Valley has awesome riding and weather.  The day after the race Chris, Whitney, and I rode around the outside perimeter of Baldy Mountain.  We went up Cold Springs and down Warm Springs, for about a 3 hour beautiful ride!  The decent down Warm Springs was incredible, you hardly had to use your brakes, the trail flowed so well.  Here are some pictures:



Us three at the intersection of Cold Springs and Warm Springs



Myself and the mountains of Sun Valley



 On Sunday Chris raced the Super D race.  This race is a cross country downhill event, with some hills interspersed to prevent people from racing on straight downhill bikes.  This particular course had the riders take the Gondola to the top of the mountain, immediatly start with an uphill half mile climb and then they hit the blazing fast sketchy marbly decent.  This picture is of Chris coming down the rock waterfall.  Of course, he didn't take the right line and almost crashed hard core, then he almost ran into course tape and spectators.  It gave the spectators something aww at. 

There you have it, our weekend of racing and riding packed into one long blog post.  On Thursday Chris and I head back over the mountains to Suncadia for the summer cyclocross race.  This should be a good race to see how much I need to train for the fall.  I am giving myself some high ambitions for this coming cross season so I can't wait to see what I need to work on.