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?

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