So....my legs are still totally wiped from last weekend. Racing the Thursday night series last night validated that. But first...last weekend's race report:
TT: Uphill out, downhill back, WINDY out, but kinda windy both ways. Felt strong, and did better than I thought I would (15th out of a field of 48 gals). Rode my new (to me) front Zipp 303, but kept my Mavic powertap wheel on the rear (there's no way I can do a TT on perceived exertion, at least not yet). Thinking about lacing up another PT hub into the rear 303. Glad the wind wasn't strong enough to knock me over in my aerobars.
RR: Later that same day. Legs tired from the hard TT effort. Since I had 3 strong teammates ahead of me in GC, I was a workhorse for them. Went out on a big attack up a sizable climb, and stayed off the front in a 3-woman breakaway for a fair amount of time. It was rough. The wind made it harder, and my legs were yelling at me from wanting so much out of them still after the morning's performance. They finally caught us, but I'm hoping they shed a lot of riders in the process. The race shattered on all the rollers on the back side, and then I found myself at the back of the lead group. Clawed back on a few times. I eventually got dropped up a hill, and had coughing fits the rest of the way back to the finish line. A few times I tried to start working with other dropped riders, but my legs wouldn't go. So frustrating. But those 3 teammates all moved up in GC so the effort was totally worth it.
My mind then turned to refueling and resting for the crit Sunday morning. It was an awesome 6-corner L-shaped course, flat and perfect for me. Great course. It was cold, and actually snowing at the end of our race. Got in a good warmup and pre-rode the course a bit. Stayed with the pack the whole race, and took it as my responsibility to make sure this one girl didn't get away without me (if she won, she'd knock Heather out of 2nd in the GC). I stuck on her wheel consistently with 5 laps to go, and made it into the top 10 at the finish by the skin of my teeth. The pace was pretty high the whole time, and I was happy with my ability to change my pack position when I wanted to. I also kept an eye on the lap cards - something I've had issues with this season so far. Good practice for track, too, I think.
It was an exhausting weekend, and poor Jamie who's been training towards this course all season got sick last week and had to bail after the first stage (they had a RR Friday evening as well). I'm just trying not to get sick now too!
My legs still feel like toast. Last night I raced the Thursday night crit series, and got dropped on lap 2. There's a hill on the course, and my legs just weren't happy with that. Bummer. I hope I'm recovered by Sunday for another race in the Cat4 Women's Series. My teammate Heidi is in 1st (I'm in 6th!), so we could be in for a tough ride. It's only 26 miles or something, but I hear there's a doozy of a hill ("The Wall") at the end and in the middle (it's a loop we do twice).
My track teammate Jen and I are thinking about going to Minneapolis for the NSC Fixed Gear Classic at their velodrome in Blaine. They're putting that on in conjunction with the Nature Valley Grand Prix, and trying to attract some good women racers...hopefully they'll do that and it'll be a fun experience. Can't wait for track pre-season to start -- ONE WEEK to go!
Friday, April 25, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Kids on Stage
When I was little, my brother, our neighbors, and I used to play this board game called "Kids on Stage." I don't completely remember how the game went, but it was a sort of charades game.
Saturday begins the first stage race of the season - and my second stage race ever. I'll have to be on top of warmup, cooldown, and most of all recovery.
Two days of racing, three tough races, and 42 strong competitors.
There will definitely be some charades going on this weekend - when your body is being that beaten up, you have to put on a strong face and just muscle through it.
Time to be another Kid on Stage again...
Saturday begins the first stage race of the season - and my second stage race ever. I'll have to be on top of warmup, cooldown, and most of all recovery.
Two days of racing, three tough races, and 42 strong competitors.
There will definitely be some charades going on this weekend - when your body is being that beaten up, you have to put on a strong face and just muscle through it.
Time to be another Kid on Stage again...
Monday, April 14, 2008
Weekends Like This
It's weekends like this last one that remind me how much I wish I could get paid to train and race my bike, and how much I hate getting up for work (especially on Monday mornings). So much so, in fact, that I just stood in the women's restroom for a good 2 minutes, playing with my hair, and staring at my face, just to avoid going back to my desk and sitting at a computer.
[The great thing about my job is that it pays for my bike and allows me to train and race more or less when I want (sure, I'd like to be able to sleep till 8 or 9am, and not have to train at night on my indoor trainer in the middle of winter, but it's not a bad compromise). But I digress...]
Really the fun started on Tuesday at PR. The first race in the Women's series was last week, and I showed up along with a handful of my teammates and a bunch of other women. It's basically a training race for W4's, and the W1/2/3's show up to give us coaching advice during the race. They're not competing with us, and they're not there to lead us out or anything great like that. Just to make us be smart or work harder.
So the first ~2-mile lap is pretty neutral, getting everyone used to the course, and then we're racing. Some attacks go off, they get chased down, then the bell rings for a prime, and coming around what I've labeled "Turn 2," I decide to launch an attack. In reality, I totally forgot that this was a prime lap, and just wanted to attack. I've got some distance, and manage to keep it going all the way around Turn 3 and coming into the line. Most of the way around Turn 3 I remember that it's a prime lap, and think, "Man, now I HAVE to keep this going at least to the line!" I totally thought I had it, but neglected to look back one more time, and one girl caught me right at the line!!! DANGIT! THAT was frustrating. So the pack catches me immediately after that, and Gina (a Cat1/2, who happens to be on my team, but the 1/2's are have no loyalties for this race) yells, "You've got someone who just blew her wad!! What do you do?!?!" And some smart girl says, "You attack!" So they do that, but luckily I've still got enough to jump on someone's wheel and I sit in and rest for a bit. Attacks keep going and getting caught, my teammate Heather and I try for an attack, but our communication is sucky, and we get caught. Lap cards go up for 2 to go, and we're kinda just rolling around at a steady pace, not really slow, but nothing that intense either. Well, we are approaching Turn 2 again, and I think, "What I did last time almost worked...maybe I can make it work this time." So I sneak up on the outside and attack around Turn 2. I give it what I've got, and see that I've got a gap on the field, and glance at my PowerTap. I think to myself: "Ok, I've got a little over 2 miles to go (once around the track, plus a little bit more). In the TT on Sunday, I was able to hold 210W avg for 12.5 miles. I'm guessing I can hold ~235W for the rest of the way." So I get into a groove to try to hold that while still trying to gain distance on the pack. It was awesome. Snot flying out of my face, breathing so freaking hard.... I stayed away all down the first straightaway, into Turn 1, down the other straightaway into the wind, around Turn 2....and I'm glancing behind me, seeing them get closer. So I try to go harder. Around Turn 3, still away. I can see the finish line, and I'm coming into it, but I hear the spectators screaming, "Get on her wheel!!" and I know that the girls are close. There are 2 of them. They're gaining on me, and the finish line isn't as close as it seemed a second ago. But they still don't come around. I'm pushing harder and harder, but I know they're not far. Then we're almost at the line, and one girl comes left around me. DANGIT AGAIN. She's going to beat me to the line - I've got no sprint left - but the girl on HER wheel...maybe I can beat her. I give it EVERYTHING I have, and I can hear her moaning, and I beat her over the line! I go 2 more pedal strokes, and start retching... I totally threw up. Not a ton, but definitely a little. That's the first time I've thrown up in a race. It was crazy. I turned my body inside out for this thing! What a training session. Second in the prime AND the overall. Pretty frustrating, but a great effort, evidenced by my power numbers. I was PSYCHED.
So that was Tuesday, and my legs were pretty dead all week from that. I had a workout on Thursday that I completed, but could feel Tuesday yelling at me. (:
Then came the weekend, with back-to-back crits Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday was Volunteer Park, on Capitol Hill only a few miles from home. The non-technical course had a few nice round "corners," if you could call them that, and a small climb immediately before the sharpest, but still safe, corner. We arrived early to pre-ride the course before the first race went off, and then got warmed up and fueled for our race. At 9:45 we lined up at the front (I was particularly excited to see that Jamie and Riain both came to watch us race!), and we were off. I got clipped in quickly, and managed to stay quite near the front for the majority of the race. We could hear Gina screaming at us each time we reached the top of the climb, and it was great encouragement. I made a breakaway attempt, and managed to stay off the front for a few laps, attempting to work with a few different girls, but eventually not succeeding and getting swallowed by the pack again. But I was able to get back in and keep a good position up until a few laps to go. Then somehow the back kind of came around me and I found myself a lot closer to the back than I wanted to be. I knew I needed to get towards the front coming around the last corner, and tried to work my way back on the descent and the climb. Unfortunately, that was somewhat unsuccessful. As I came around the last corner, I could see a girl already sprinting for the finish line, and she was strong -- there was no way anyone would catch her. I tried to find a good wheel to follow for a bit of a leadout, but in the end, saw a nice open stretch of road in front of me and drilled it to the line. I ended up 4th overall -- a fair placement for my efforts, I think.
Afterwards, Dana even told me she was shouting at her girls to catch me: "There goes the race! That IS the race, girls!" which made me feel pretty good...
The weather for Volunteer Park was gorgeous, and I ended up hanging out at the park most of the day (and getting a sunburn). Jamie's race was exciting, with a one-man break for quite a while, and Jamie ending up taking 4th. Afterwards, there was a barbecue at Tom and Joannie's house, where we got to hang out and eat good food. Then we headed home to get ready for the next day...
Sunday I pre-rode the course for the Boat Street/Brad Lewis Memorial Crit, and the sun was even peeking through. But as I rode home (about 0.5 miles from the course) after the pre-ride, the sky was darkening, and rain clouds could be seen to the west. I ate, got my coffee, then rode down with my trainer to get warmed up and register. The temperature seemed to already be dropping from earlier that morning! As we rode to the starting line, Gina told me and Heidi that this was to be Heidi's race, as she was the team leader in W4 series points.
The race was a great team effort. I made a few attacks, with one long one where I bridged up to a girl from Western, I think. We tried to work together, but the pack dragged us back in. Heather eventually got into a break with 2 GH's. They kept the break going the rest of the race, and at 2 laps to go, Heidi started a successful bridge attempt. Heather ended up with a podium spot (3rd), Heidi took 6th, I was 8th, and Sara rounded out the top 10. I ended up in a pretty bad position at the back for about 1/3 of the race, and was saved by my sprint in the end. The corners were easier than I thought they'd be, and I was told that I looked comfortable, but should have been in front so I could have kept up my speed. I really wanted the race to be longer, just so we had time to DO more.
So in the end, I had some great races, wonderful team experiences, good placing, and a nice refresher on crits for next weekend's Tour of Walla Walla. My legs feel like they're getting stronger, as well as my overall fitness and endurance. Waking up this morning, my whole body felt sore, but I think that's actually a good thing. I love this feeling, I love racing, and I can't wait until the next race, until I can see how much better I'm getting, until I can see my training pay off, until I can help my teammates succeed...it's amazing.
Now, back to work...
[The great thing about my job is that it pays for my bike and allows me to train and race more or less when I want (sure, I'd like to be able to sleep till 8 or 9am, and not have to train at night on my indoor trainer in the middle of winter, but it's not a bad compromise). But I digress...]
Really the fun started on Tuesday at PR. The first race in the Women's series was last week, and I showed up along with a handful of my teammates and a bunch of other women. It's basically a training race for W4's, and the W1/2/3's show up to give us coaching advice during the race. They're not competing with us, and they're not there to lead us out or anything great like that. Just to make us be smart or work harder.
So the first ~2-mile lap is pretty neutral, getting everyone used to the course, and then we're racing. Some attacks go off, they get chased down, then the bell rings for a prime, and coming around what I've labeled "Turn 2," I decide to launch an attack. In reality, I totally forgot that this was a prime lap, and just wanted to attack. I've got some distance, and manage to keep it going all the way around Turn 3 and coming into the line. Most of the way around Turn 3 I remember that it's a prime lap, and think, "Man, now I HAVE to keep this going at least to the line!" I totally thought I had it, but neglected to look back one more time, and one girl caught me right at the line!!! DANGIT! THAT was frustrating. So the pack catches me immediately after that, and Gina (a Cat1/2, who happens to be on my team, but the 1/2's are have no loyalties for this race) yells, "You've got someone who just blew her wad!! What do you do?!?!" And some smart girl says, "You attack!" So they do that, but luckily I've still got enough to jump on someone's wheel and I sit in and rest for a bit. Attacks keep going and getting caught, my teammate Heather and I try for an attack, but our communication is sucky, and we get caught. Lap cards go up for 2 to go, and we're kinda just rolling around at a steady pace, not really slow, but nothing that intense either. Well, we are approaching Turn 2 again, and I think, "What I did last time almost worked...maybe I can make it work this time." So I sneak up on the outside and attack around Turn 2. I give it what I've got, and see that I've got a gap on the field, and glance at my PowerTap. I think to myself: "Ok, I've got a little over 2 miles to go (once around the track, plus a little bit more). In the TT on Sunday, I was able to hold 210W avg for 12.5 miles. I'm guessing I can hold ~235W for the rest of the way." So I get into a groove to try to hold that while still trying to gain distance on the pack. It was awesome. Snot flying out of my face, breathing so freaking hard.... I stayed away all down the first straightaway, into Turn 1, down the other straightaway into the wind, around Turn 2....and I'm glancing behind me, seeing them get closer. So I try to go harder. Around Turn 3, still away. I can see the finish line, and I'm coming into it, but I hear the spectators screaming, "Get on her wheel!!" and I know that the girls are close. There are 2 of them. They're gaining on me, and the finish line isn't as close as it seemed a second ago. But they still don't come around. I'm pushing harder and harder, but I know they're not far. Then we're almost at the line, and one girl comes left around me. DANGIT AGAIN. She's going to beat me to the line - I've got no sprint left - but the girl on HER wheel...maybe I can beat her. I give it EVERYTHING I have, and I can hear her moaning, and I beat her over the line! I go 2 more pedal strokes, and start retching... I totally threw up. Not a ton, but definitely a little. That's the first time I've thrown up in a race. It was crazy. I turned my body inside out for this thing! What a training session. Second in the prime AND the overall. Pretty frustrating, but a great effort, evidenced by my power numbers. I was PSYCHED.
So that was Tuesday, and my legs were pretty dead all week from that. I had a workout on Thursday that I completed, but could feel Tuesday yelling at me. (:
Then came the weekend, with back-to-back crits Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday was Volunteer Park, on Capitol Hill only a few miles from home. The non-technical course had a few nice round "corners," if you could call them that, and a small climb immediately before the sharpest, but still safe, corner. We arrived early to pre-ride the course before the first race went off, and then got warmed up and fueled for our race. At 9:45 we lined up at the front (I was particularly excited to see that Jamie and Riain both came to watch us race!), and we were off. I got clipped in quickly, and managed to stay quite near the front for the majority of the race. We could hear Gina screaming at us each time we reached the top of the climb, and it was great encouragement. I made a breakaway attempt, and managed to stay off the front for a few laps, attempting to work with a few different girls, but eventually not succeeding and getting swallowed by the pack again. But I was able to get back in and keep a good position up until a few laps to go. Then somehow the back kind of came around me and I found myself a lot closer to the back than I wanted to be. I knew I needed to get towards the front coming around the last corner, and tried to work my way back on the descent and the climb. Unfortunately, that was somewhat unsuccessful. As I came around the last corner, I could see a girl already sprinting for the finish line, and she was strong -- there was no way anyone would catch her. I tried to find a good wheel to follow for a bit of a leadout, but in the end, saw a nice open stretch of road in front of me and drilled it to the line. I ended up 4th overall -- a fair placement for my efforts, I think.
Afterwards, Dana even told me she was shouting at her girls to catch me: "There goes the race! That IS the race, girls!" which made me feel pretty good...
The weather for Volunteer Park was gorgeous, and I ended up hanging out at the park most of the day (and getting a sunburn). Jamie's race was exciting, with a one-man break for quite a while, and Jamie ending up taking 4th. Afterwards, there was a barbecue at Tom and Joannie's house, where we got to hang out and eat good food. Then we headed home to get ready for the next day...
Sunday I pre-rode the course for the Boat Street/Brad Lewis Memorial Crit, and the sun was even peeking through. But as I rode home (about 0.5 miles from the course) after the pre-ride, the sky was darkening, and rain clouds could be seen to the west. I ate, got my coffee, then rode down with my trainer to get warmed up and register. The temperature seemed to already be dropping from earlier that morning! As we rode to the starting line, Gina told me and Heidi that this was to be Heidi's race, as she was the team leader in W4 series points.
The race was a great team effort. I made a few attacks, with one long one where I bridged up to a girl from Western, I think. We tried to work together, but the pack dragged us back in. Heather eventually got into a break with 2 GH's. They kept the break going the rest of the race, and at 2 laps to go, Heidi started a successful bridge attempt. Heather ended up with a podium spot (3rd), Heidi took 6th, I was 8th, and Sara rounded out the top 10. I ended up in a pretty bad position at the back for about 1/3 of the race, and was saved by my sprint in the end. The corners were easier than I thought they'd be, and I was told that I looked comfortable, but should have been in front so I could have kept up my speed. I really wanted the race to be longer, just so we had time to DO more.
So in the end, I had some great races, wonderful team experiences, good placing, and a nice refresher on crits for next weekend's Tour of Walla Walla. My legs feel like they're getting stronger, as well as my overall fitness and endurance. Waking up this morning, my whole body felt sore, but I think that's actually a good thing. I love this feeling, I love racing, and I can't wait until the next race, until I can see how much better I'm getting, until I can see my training pay off, until I can help my teammates succeed...it's amazing.
Now, back to work...
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Not So Stellar
Saturday was Sequim #2. I had high hopes, with my good showing from Sequim #1. We did alright, but my legs felt tired the whole race, and I didn't have anything for the sprint. Then my number got obscured somehow and they didn't even post me in the results, although I know I'm in the top 12. (What confuses me is that they had my name listed as 11th, then I protested higher, and when the final results got posted online, I'm not even on there...huh???) Heather's not listed either, even though she came in right behind me. Whatever...guess that just gives me motivation to do well at the upcoming crits. My teammates did well, with Jackie finishing despite a crash, Vanessa riding most of the race on her own but still finishing too, Christi staying with the pack, and Heather riding strong as always.
Sunday we had a cornering clinic and my legs were just toast. Saturday I'd had a hard time fueling up and hydrating, and recovery was just shot because of that. So I guess I paid for it Sunday. At least next weekend is only a TT.
It's going to be a busy week again, but hopefully the weekend will bring some rest and recovery. What, it's already Tuesday?! It's already APRIL??? Less than four months until FSA...
Sunday we had a cornering clinic and my legs were just toast. Saturday I'd had a hard time fueling up and hydrating, and recovery was just shot because of that. So I guess I paid for it Sunday. At least next weekend is only a TT.
It's going to be a busy week again, but hopefully the weekend will bring some rest and recovery. What, it's already Tuesday?! It's already APRIL??? Less than four months until FSA...
Friday, March 28, 2008
Coffee
I'm starting to REALLY enjoy coffee. I like sitting at my desk with a nice, warm, tasty drink. I like driving to races with a calming pick-me-up. I like following a good meal with a smooth cup of sweet bitterness. I don't know what it is. But I really like it. I might have to buy a coffeemaker.
P.S. It snowed again this morning. REALLY not looking forward to freezing tomorrow in Sequim.
P.S. It snowed again this morning. REALLY not looking forward to freezing tomorrow in Sequim.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Isn't it Spring?
It SNOWED last night.
Yes, those frozen flakes that fall from the sky.
I'm cold just thinking of the possibilities for this weekend's racing conditions. I wish I were in Hawaii like Tom and Joannie.
Yes, those frozen flakes that fall from the sky.
I'm cold just thinking of the possibilities for this weekend's racing conditions. I wish I were in Hawaii like Tom and Joannie.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Pacific Raceways #2
In response to Jackie's request for details on last night's race, here's what I gave her:
I'll start at the beginning.
Jamie and his teammate Chad RODE down there (yes, Jamie rode from Wallingford). When Jamie left at 4:15pm, it was pretty nice and sunny in Seattle. Tricia and I drove down together (bringing Jamie's race wheels, etc.), leaving around 5. Well, as we got into South Seattle and beyond, the rain picked up and up and up, until we arrived at PR and it was POURING. Tricia decided she wasn't racing. I stepped out of the car, realized how cold it was (on top of all the rain), and decided not to race either. We called Jamie's and Chad's cell phones to see if they wanted us to pick them up somewhere, but no answer. So we sat and waited. Everyone who was there was totally ready - except they were all in their cars staying warm instead of warming up on the track! It was so miserable out that no one wanted to be outside! Anyways, then Tricia saw a woman who's been dominating the W1/2 field, went and talked to her, then came back to the car and said, "We're racing." Hmm. Ok. So we had like 3 minutes to register, and 10 minutes to get all changed, pin on our numbers, and get our bikes together. No warmup. But then again, not many other people had warmed up either. : p
So, yeah, I got out there and raced for 20-30 minutes with the 4/5's again. It was WET WET WET and I even attacked a few times. Those guys are all sketch-cases, but whatever. We didn't know what the officials were saying at the end -- if we were done, if we had 2 laps to go, or just 1 lap or what. I think I could have placed well in the field sprint if I'd known when the finish was. Maybe next time. But it was chaos, especially when we kept yo-yoing with the Master's field (which is what Tricia raced in with that other gal). Anyways, our race ended (officially or unofficially I'll never know for sure), and I did a cool-down 1/4-lap (~1/2 mile), then headed back to the car. Well, in the 5 minutes that it took between the end of my race and the end of Tricia's, I became extremely cold and shivering and could hardly think straight. It was awful. I don't remember the last time I was so cold. All my muscles were tensing up and all I wanted to do was get into warm clothes, but Tricia had the car key. Well, obviously she eventually finished and unlocked the car and all, but it took me a good hour and a half to be totally back to normal again. (So you can see why I'm hesitant to come out tonight if it's raining.)
A cold race yesterday, and it's not promising to be much nicer tonight for TT practice. Plus coach has me scheduled for some recovery miles anyways. We'll see...
I'll start at the beginning.
Jamie and his teammate Chad RODE down there (yes, Jamie rode from Wallingford). When Jamie left at 4:15pm, it was pretty nice and sunny in Seattle. Tricia and I drove down together (bringing Jamie's race wheels, etc.), leaving around 5. Well, as we got into South Seattle and beyond, the rain picked up and up and up, until we arrived at PR and it was POURING. Tricia decided she wasn't racing. I stepped out of the car, realized how cold it was (on top of all the rain), and decided not to race either. We called Jamie's and Chad's cell phones to see if they wanted us to pick them up somewhere, but no answer. So we sat and waited. Everyone who was there was totally ready - except they were all in their cars staying warm instead of warming up on the track! It was so miserable out that no one wanted to be outside! Anyways, then Tricia saw a woman who's been dominating the W1/2 field, went and talked to her, then came back to the car and said, "We're racing." Hmm. Ok. So we had like 3 minutes to register, and 10 minutes to get all changed, pin on our numbers, and get our bikes together. No warmup. But then again, not many other people had warmed up either. : p
So, yeah, I got out there and raced for 20-30 minutes with the 4/5's again. It was WET WET WET and I even attacked a few times. Those guys are all sketch-cases, but whatever. We didn't know what the officials were saying at the end -- if we were done, if we had 2 laps to go, or just 1 lap or what. I think I could have placed well in the field sprint if I'd known when the finish was. Maybe next time. But it was chaos, especially when we kept yo-yoing with the Master's field (which is what Tricia raced in with that other gal). Anyways, our race ended (officially or unofficially I'll never know for sure), and I did a cool-down 1/4-lap (~1/2 mile), then headed back to the car. Well, in the 5 minutes that it took between the end of my race and the end of Tricia's, I became extremely cold and shivering and could hardly think straight. It was awful. I don't remember the last time I was so cold. All my muscles were tensing up and all I wanted to do was get into warm clothes, but Tricia had the car key. Well, obviously she eventually finished and unlocked the car and all, but it took me a good hour and a half to be totally back to normal again. (So you can see why I'm hesitant to come out tonight if it's raining.)
A cold race yesterday, and it's not promising to be much nicer tonight for TT practice. Plus coach has me scheduled for some recovery miles anyways. We'll see...
Friday, March 21, 2008
Sprung?
Yesterday = First Day of Spring
Today = Coldest Morning in a While
Yesterday = Email from Teammate with Queen's Bicycle Race
Today = No Headphones or iPod
Yesterday = Thought I'd be Relieved that Today is Friday
Today = Not as Relieved as I Should Be
At least my teammates rock:
And what about this guy?
Today = Coldest Morning in a While
Yesterday = Email from Teammate with Queen's Bicycle Race
Today = No Headphones or iPod
Yesterday = Thought I'd be Relieved that Today is Friday
Today = Not as Relieved as I Should Be
At least my teammates rock:
And what about this guy?
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Working My Way Up...
Saturday was Mason Lake #3, and I was determined to build on what I learned the week before, particularly the comments in the post-race clinic by Tricia and Suz. Unfortunately, those lessons didn't do me a whole lot of good. Three women from the SAME TEAM (First Rate Mortgage) got away up the road, so I tried to get the pack to organize in order to chase them down. As it turns out, few people in the Women's 4 field know what a rotating paceline is. So we just fell farther and farther behind as people didn't want to work, slowed down, and people behind them didn't do any work either. SO FRUSTRATING to watch places 1, 2, and 3 just roll away up the road, ALL on the SAME team, and me not being able to do a THING about it. After quite a few miles of unsuccessfully trying to explain a rotating paceline, I decided to take my 2 teammates to the front of the pack and just pull everyone along with us as we rotated amongst ourselves. But one of my teammates got stuck behind some people on our way up, and since you can't really demo a rotating paceline with 2 people, that turned out to be unsuccessful as well. GAAAhhhh!!!!! So we all ended up sprinting it out for 4th. I ended up 6th overall, using much the same technique as last week. I guess I just need to line myself up closer to the front in situations like that. Positioning is key (but I knew that).
Sunday was Ravensdale (Market Street). Three laps on a 9-mile course with a few nice climbs, but nothing that bad. I did get into my small chainring on one of the hills each time, but it wasn't really a doozy. I could definitely feel my legs' fatigue from the day before, and every time I attacked I thought, "Hm, maybe that wasn't the *best* idea...." We had a team of 8 gals total, and a FULL field of 50 women 4's! It was great - I think my biggest starting field ever! Anyways, a fair amount of attacks, and finally one FRM girl went off again and somehow I wasn't paying enough attention. Before I knew it, she was a fair way up the road, but still in sight, and close enough that I thought I might be able to bridge. And no one seemed to be chasing... So I attacked the field in an effort to bridge up, and was definitely pushing my limits. I knew I didn't want to burn myself out totally, because regardless of what happened (whether I got caught by the pack, caught her, or whatever), I would want something left for the finish. Well, I was still out there in no man's land, starting to wish the pack would just catch me already, when 2 girls from 2 other teams came up behind me, and Suzy said, "Grab my wheel!" So it was 3 of us, riding away from the pack, and trying to catch FRM girl! I was in my first real break that might actually be a success! So we got organized and did a GREAT job working together, each pulling for a good time, encouraging each other, and gaining time on the pack. We eventually lost FRM girl from sight, but also lost the pack behind us. We knew they couldn't be far behind, so kept encouraging each other to keep on pedaling on the downhills (where the pack kept braking and slowing), and pushing it on the flats. We had a sharp turn and a hill before the finish, at about 1.5k to go, where I kinda got freaked out, and our little breakaway kind of broke up, but we regrouped. We could see the pack about 1/2km behind us, but they never caught us, and I outsprinted both other girls for 2nd place overall!!!!
It was awesome. My first breakaway ever, and it was near-perfect (only perfect if we had caught the 1st girl). I am ecstatic, and can't wait for next weekend. : D And MAD props to the spectacular team I'm on! (I have to keep an eye on my head, though, lest it get too big for my helmet. But I think I'm allowed to be excited over my highest placing in a road race ever, in the biggest field I've ever raced in!) Time for a celebration cupcake and decaf nonfat latte...
Sunday was Ravensdale (Market Street). Three laps on a 9-mile course with a few nice climbs, but nothing that bad. I did get into my small chainring on one of the hills each time, but it wasn't really a doozy. I could definitely feel my legs' fatigue from the day before, and every time I attacked I thought, "Hm, maybe that wasn't the *best* idea...." We had a team of 8 gals total, and a FULL field of 50 women 4's! It was great - I think my biggest starting field ever! Anyways, a fair amount of attacks, and finally one FRM girl went off again and somehow I wasn't paying enough attention. Before I knew it, she was a fair way up the road, but still in sight, and close enough that I thought I might be able to bridge. And no one seemed to be chasing... So I attacked the field in an effort to bridge up, and was definitely pushing my limits. I knew I didn't want to burn myself out totally, because regardless of what happened (whether I got caught by the pack, caught her, or whatever), I would want something left for the finish. Well, I was still out there in no man's land, starting to wish the pack would just catch me already, when 2 girls from 2 other teams came up behind me, and Suzy said, "Grab my wheel!" So it was 3 of us, riding away from the pack, and trying to catch FRM girl! I was in my first real break that might actually be a success! So we got organized and did a GREAT job working together, each pulling for a good time, encouraging each other, and gaining time on the pack. We eventually lost FRM girl from sight, but also lost the pack behind us. We knew they couldn't be far behind, so kept encouraging each other to keep on pedaling on the downhills (where the pack kept braking and slowing), and pushing it on the flats. We had a sharp turn and a hill before the finish, at about 1.5k to go, where I kinda got freaked out, and our little breakaway kind of broke up, but we regrouped. We could see the pack about 1/2km behind us, but they never caught us, and I outsprinted both other girls for 2nd place overall!!!!
It was awesome. My first breakaway ever, and it was near-perfect (only perfect if we had caught the 1st girl). I am ecstatic, and can't wait for next weekend. : D And MAD props to the spectacular team I'm on! (I have to keep an eye on my head, though, lest it get too big for my helmet. But I think I'm allowed to be excited over my highest placing in a road race ever, in the biggest field I've ever raced in!) Time for a celebration cupcake and decaf nonfat latte...
Friday, March 14, 2008
First Road Races of the Season!
Quick summary...
Saturday, Mason Lake #2
-2 teammates in the breakaway, took 2nd and 3rd.
-I took 3rd in the pack sprint, for an 8th place finish.
-Lots of attacks (by us and other teams) made for a decent pace, but nothing too bad.
Sunday, Tour de Dung #1 (a.k.a. "Sequim")
-Attacks by everyone, but none stayed away.
-I took 3rd over in the sprint for the finish!
So it turns out I'm actually using some of the stuff I've learned by racing for 2 seasons. Listening to what my teammates have to say and building on my experience is working. It feels good, and now I finally have a podium finish in a road race!
On to next weekend...the last Mason Lake and the Market Street road race in Ravensdale. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the weather...
Saturday, Mason Lake #2
-2 teammates in the breakaway, took 2nd and 3rd.
-I took 3rd in the pack sprint, for an 8th place finish.
-Lots of attacks (by us and other teams) made for a decent pace, but nothing too bad.
Sunday, Tour de Dung #1 (a.k.a. "Sequim")
-Attacks by everyone, but none stayed away.
-I took 3rd over in the sprint for the finish!
So it turns out I'm actually using some of the stuff I've learned by racing for 2 seasons. Listening to what my teammates have to say and building on my experience is working. It feels good, and now I finally have a podium finish in a road race!
On to next weekend...the last Mason Lake and the Market Street road race in Ravensdale. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the weather...
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Funny.
http://www.dothetest.co.uk/
Yes, I owe a race report (2 actually). They're on their way, but check out the link above in the meantime.
Yes, I owe a race report (2 actually). They're on their way, but check out the link above in the meantime.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Reaching Inside
Yesterday was the Icebreaker TT. It was my first race of the season. To quickly summarize, I set a power goal and reached it. I hit a good HR. And placed 14th out of 37.
All of this means that even though I worked my butt off, I am just not strong enough yet. I will get there. My fitness continues to improve. I'm loads stronger than I was at this time last year. And I know I'm only getting better.
I am still learning how to reach inside myself to find new levels of self-induced pain. Self-induced pain is much more difficult than externally-induced pain. When I am sprinting against someone on the track, I can think beyond the pain; ignore the pain; I don't even realize it was there until it's over. But in a TT, it's just me and my pain. My bike and my pain. On the road. Alone. And I am thinking today that, although I thought I pushed as hard as I could, in truth it's tough to say. Could I have pushed harder? I'll say, "Probably." How do I know how long I can sustain a certain level of pain? If I push just a bit more, will my body explode? No. Will I blow up too early and end up wobbling back to the finish humbled and slow? Perhaps. But there truly is no way to know until it happens, right? Do I have to have this happen to me before I can really know my limit? Hard to say.
I hear we do this course again later in the season. It will be good to compare.
For now, I will work on exploring more pain; looking past the pain. Should be fun.
Next up: Mason Lake #2 and/or Tour de Dung.
All of this means that even though I worked my butt off, I am just not strong enough yet. I will get there. My fitness continues to improve. I'm loads stronger than I was at this time last year. And I know I'm only getting better.
I am still learning how to reach inside myself to find new levels of self-induced pain. Self-induced pain is much more difficult than externally-induced pain. When I am sprinting against someone on the track, I can think beyond the pain; ignore the pain; I don't even realize it was there until it's over. But in a TT, it's just me and my pain. My bike and my pain. On the road. Alone. And I am thinking today that, although I thought I pushed as hard as I could, in truth it's tough to say. Could I have pushed harder? I'll say, "Probably." How do I know how long I can sustain a certain level of pain? If I push just a bit more, will my body explode? No. Will I blow up too early and end up wobbling back to the finish humbled and slow? Perhaps. But there truly is no way to know until it happens, right? Do I have to have this happen to me before I can really know my limit? Hard to say.
I hear we do this course again later in the season. It will be good to compare.
For now, I will work on exploring more pain; looking past the pain. Should be fun.
Next up: Mason Lake #2 and/or Tour de Dung.
Friday, January 18, 2008
On quitting.
Yesterday I felt like quitting.
Tuesday's field test apparently didn't go as well as it should have. After feedback from Coach on my power file, I'm not pushing hard enough. And now I have to do it again, harder, and I can't find anyone who will do it with me outside (like Coach suggests). They all just have their own 2 cents about how another way is better.
Thursday's workout was tough to just get started, much less complete. I couldn't find my iPod, so for the first half of the workout all I had were the thoughts in my head: "This is too hard." "You're not good enough." "Push harder." "It hurts." I finally turned on the stereo, when everyone else left the house.
I just couldn't get rid of the awfully negative thoughts in my head.
Wednesday night I went to a meeting of women track racers. We're trying to figure out how to encourage more women to show up for races. I looked around the room. I thought about the elite women on my team. I remembered how much it hurt to do intervals behind Morgan on Saturday.
And thinking about all those things, I know I have a long way to go.
With these thoughts, it feels like I'll never be as strong as Tricia, Gina, or Suz, not to mention someone like Sarah Hammer or Kristen Armstrong. So why bother? Why waste my time? When I'm struggling to just make myself put on the clothes and get on the bike, is it really worth it? Am I more stressed out than I need to be?
Lots of questions hanging out there, and I don't really know what the answers are.
My dreams seem so unrealistic. Maybe they are. Lots of people would think so. I don't even tell most people because I know they'd make fun of me (or just laugh). They make fun of me when I tell them how I use visualization techniques on the trainer (when I'm not as negative as I felt last night), so who knows what they'd say about wanting much bigger things than just winning a sprint at the track.
And this morning seemed like just another test.
I was out late last night, riding with the .83 kiddos, tearing around Seattle with Christmas trees, and ending up at Golden Gardens, where there are bonfire pits on the beach. It was so much fun. And we weren't competing. I was actually with the last few folks to arrive because I was helping tie and bungee pieces of wood to people's bikes, but I had a blast.
But then this morning I got up after ~4 hours of sleep, dragged myself to work, and ended up going on an hour-long trek because I forgot my badge, and no one had told me yet how to get a temporary badge. I'll leave out the details, but suffice it to say that it was a very frustrating way to start the day. I really just wanted to quit and go home.
So there is my rant on quitting. I'm still figuring out what I'm supposed to do with all the questions I have. There are lots -- more than I've written here. What would I do if I didn't race? Would I still ride? Would I get fat? Would I get depressed?
Questions feel urgent. Remind me of a song - "No Time." I got - got - got - got no time...
Tuesday's field test apparently didn't go as well as it should have. After feedback from Coach on my power file, I'm not pushing hard enough. And now I have to do it again, harder, and I can't find anyone who will do it with me outside (like Coach suggests). They all just have their own 2 cents about how another way is better.
Thursday's workout was tough to just get started, much less complete. I couldn't find my iPod, so for the first half of the workout all I had were the thoughts in my head: "This is too hard." "You're not good enough." "Push harder." "It hurts." I finally turned on the stereo, when everyone else left the house.
I just couldn't get rid of the awfully negative thoughts in my head.
Wednesday night I went to a meeting of women track racers. We're trying to figure out how to encourage more women to show up for races. I looked around the room. I thought about the elite women on my team. I remembered how much it hurt to do intervals behind Morgan on Saturday.
And thinking about all those things, I know I have a long way to go.
With these thoughts, it feels like I'll never be as strong as Tricia, Gina, or Suz, not to mention someone like Sarah Hammer or Kristen Armstrong. So why bother? Why waste my time? When I'm struggling to just make myself put on the clothes and get on the bike, is it really worth it? Am I more stressed out than I need to be?
Lots of questions hanging out there, and I don't really know what the answers are.
My dreams seem so unrealistic. Maybe they are. Lots of people would think so. I don't even tell most people because I know they'd make fun of me (or just laugh). They make fun of me when I tell them how I use visualization techniques on the trainer (when I'm not as negative as I felt last night), so who knows what they'd say about wanting much bigger things than just winning a sprint at the track.
And this morning seemed like just another test.
I was out late last night, riding with the .83 kiddos, tearing around Seattle with Christmas trees, and ending up at Golden Gardens, where there are bonfire pits on the beach. It was so much fun. And we weren't competing. I was actually with the last few folks to arrive because I was helping tie and bungee pieces of wood to people's bikes, but I had a blast.
But then this morning I got up after ~4 hours of sleep, dragged myself to work, and ended up going on an hour-long trek because I forgot my badge, and no one had told me yet how to get a temporary badge. I'll leave out the details, but suffice it to say that it was a very frustrating way to start the day. I really just wanted to quit and go home.
So there is my rant on quitting. I'm still figuring out what I'm supposed to do with all the questions I have. There are lots -- more than I've written here. What would I do if I didn't race? Would I still ride? Would I get fat? Would I get depressed?
Questions feel urgent. Remind me of a song - "No Time." I got - got - got - got no time...
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Quick post
Thursday I got adventurous and went out night-riding with Jamie, Tricia, and Amy - all of whom are elite racers. We met up at Speedy Reedy's, rode with Amy back to West Seattle, and then Tricia, Jamie, and I rode out on Alki. We got a great view of the city from across the water, and I got a great workout...more of a workout than I'd planned on, but I felt stronger than normal, and felt like the training was still doing its thing.
To accommodate Thursday's ride, I swapped a rest day for Friday. Apparently, one rest day wasn't enough. Today, Saturday, I went out with the team, and felt like my legs were pedaling in mud. It was awful. We headed down south to Renton and practiced rotating pacelines on Jones Road - I was likely the slowest one out there. And we were on the devo ride. Ugh. I ended up heading back on the west side of the lake with Michele, and felt like my legs were going to fall off. We were both ready to be home before we hit Leschi. And now I'm debating riding tomorrow. We shall see...
Ups and downs...all part of the training, I suppose.
Good things that happened today: we got a Christmas tree, bought tree decorations, had pork sandwiches from Paseo and super-burrito from Gordito's, and the best hot chocolates (ones I imagine are served on the Polar Express) from Chocolati. And I wrapped Xmas gifts!
To accommodate Thursday's ride, I swapped a rest day for Friday. Apparently, one rest day wasn't enough. Today, Saturday, I went out with the team, and felt like my legs were pedaling in mud. It was awful. We headed down south to Renton and practiced rotating pacelines on Jones Road - I was likely the slowest one out there. And we were on the devo ride. Ugh. I ended up heading back on the west side of the lake with Michele, and felt like my legs were going to fall off. We were both ready to be home before we hit Leschi. And now I'm debating riding tomorrow. We shall see...
Ups and downs...all part of the training, I suppose.
Good things that happened today: we got a Christmas tree, bought tree decorations, had pork sandwiches from Paseo and super-burrito from Gordito's, and the best hot chocolates (ones I imagine are served on the Polar Express) from Chocolati. And I wrapped Xmas gifts!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Since it's just been a while...
It's been brought to my attention that I haven't posted in quite a while, so here is a post to satiate my fans. (;
The overview: I'm loving the Northwest, riding more than I think I did last winter, stocking up on warmer cycling clothes, making lots of plans, and STILL searching for a place to live.
The details: As of tomorrow, the 29th, I will have been here for 2 full months! I can't decide whether it seems like longer or shorter. I've done quite a bit since I've gotten here, so I guess it seems like longer, but on the flip side, it's only been 2 months! I've joined 2 teams (Wines of Washington/Union Bay Cycling for road racing and Broadmark for track racing), and am riding with Wines every weekend, and during the week on my trusty trainer (well, really Jamie's trainer). I had to get my stuff out of the Boeing-paid-for storage by last week, so I took a Friday off and had them deliver almost everything to my new storage unit. So now I get a little more time to find a more semi-permanent place for myself to live. But I did have them bring some boxes to the house, so now I have my rain jacket for riding (BIG yay), my skis, and some other random items that are nice to have around.
Last weekend I spent Thanksgiving at Jamie's dad's house, then drove up to Lummi Island with them to spend 3 days in a nice house with no cable TV and stoves to heat each room. It was a nice break from the city, and this coming weekend we're headed up to San Juan Island to visit Jamie's mom. I'm expecting another relaxing mini-vacation. We even get to stay for free at this SWEET cabin/house with amazing views of the islands and Canada and water and mountains and...
Work is busy, as I'm working on the 787 program, and I'm sure if you've been keeping up with the news, you've heard we're behind. I'm right in the thick of it, helping to get things done as quickly as possible. I work overtime just about every day, and I'm taking a new-hires class 2 days/week. The class is a nice break in the routine, and I'm even making some friends of my own, rather than borrowing them from Jamie. : p
I went to my first EWB-Puget Sound Professionals meeting last night - even rode my bike downtown to get there. It was a nice short ride, and easier than I thought it would be. The meeting was of the Executive Committee, of which I am apparently now a part. I'll be taking care of membership issues, introducing new members to EWB, and matching them up with suitable projects and tasks. How is it that I always end up taking on more than I planned??
Well, that's probably enough of an update for now. I can't believe we're gearing up for Christmas already. I'm looking forward to celebrating the holiday in Seattle, and getting up to Whistler for some New Year's skiing. The snow is already accumulating, and I'm anxious to get out on the slopes as soon as we can.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
(Oh, by the way, I can't WAIT to start RACING!!! Too bad it won't be for MONTHS. And I have a great Women's 4 team, and a sweet Women's track team to boot - wahoo!!)
The overview: I'm loving the Northwest, riding more than I think I did last winter, stocking up on warmer cycling clothes, making lots of plans, and STILL searching for a place to live.
The details: As of tomorrow, the 29th, I will have been here for 2 full months! I can't decide whether it seems like longer or shorter. I've done quite a bit since I've gotten here, so I guess it seems like longer, but on the flip side, it's only been 2 months! I've joined 2 teams (Wines of Washington/Union Bay Cycling for road racing and Broadmark for track racing), and am riding with Wines every weekend, and during the week on my trusty trainer (well, really Jamie's trainer). I had to get my stuff out of the Boeing-paid-for storage by last week, so I took a Friday off and had them deliver almost everything to my new storage unit. So now I get a little more time to find a more semi-permanent place for myself to live. But I did have them bring some boxes to the house, so now I have my rain jacket for riding (BIG yay), my skis, and some other random items that are nice to have around.
Last weekend I spent Thanksgiving at Jamie's dad's house, then drove up to Lummi Island with them to spend 3 days in a nice house with no cable TV and stoves to heat each room. It was a nice break from the city, and this coming weekend we're headed up to San Juan Island to visit Jamie's mom. I'm expecting another relaxing mini-vacation. We even get to stay for free at this SWEET cabin/house with amazing views of the islands and Canada and water and mountains and...
Work is busy, as I'm working on the 787 program, and I'm sure if you've been keeping up with the news, you've heard we're behind. I'm right in the thick of it, helping to get things done as quickly as possible. I work overtime just about every day, and I'm taking a new-hires class 2 days/week. The class is a nice break in the routine, and I'm even making some friends of my own, rather than borrowing them from Jamie. : p
I went to my first EWB-Puget Sound Professionals meeting last night - even rode my bike downtown to get there. It was a nice short ride, and easier than I thought it would be. The meeting was of the Executive Committee, of which I am apparently now a part. I'll be taking care of membership issues, introducing new members to EWB, and matching them up with suitable projects and tasks. How is it that I always end up taking on more than I planned??
Well, that's probably enough of an update for now. I can't believe we're gearing up for Christmas already. I'm looking forward to celebrating the holiday in Seattle, and getting up to Whistler for some New Year's skiing. The snow is already accumulating, and I'm anxious to get out on the slopes as soon as we can.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
(Oh, by the way, I can't WAIT to start RACING!!! Too bad it won't be for MONTHS. And I have a great Women's 4 team, and a sweet Women's track team to boot - wahoo!!)
Monday, October 15, 2007
Wenatchee MTBing
What an amazing experience for my first ever mountain biking adventure. I took out my brand new 29er hardtail (Gary Fisher Cobia), despite the fact that FedEx totally banged it up - yes, I plan on filing a claim. Jamie was wonderful and fixed it all up for me the night before we left, even removed a sheared off bolt that I was sure we couldn't salvage.
So anyways, I've never done anything like this before. We were out for 6 hours on Saturday, and 3 hours on Sunday. Saturday's route was Devil's Gulch, a grueling 13 miles uphill, through mud and mudpuddles and rivers and over tree roots and rocks, on a narrow singletrack that wound up and up and up with a dizzying dropoff and scary, DIFFICULT switchbacks and stellar views (which I mostly missed because I was so focused on the trail). The switchbacks ended right before a perfect lunch spot, where we all regrouped and ate our sandwiches together. Despite the fact that I didn't feel at all like eating, I forced down the first few bites of my sandwich, and then realized how hungry I really was and how good the food tasted. Jamie made us his famous "recovery sandwiches," which include avocado, sprouts, tomato, turkey, amazing bread, and great spreads (whatever yumminess he has on hand), plus probably other things that I can't remember. Coming up that part of the mountain, I definitely had some moments where I just felt like quitting right there. I felt totally weak and incapable. But then I thought about all I had done, and how much determination I really had in me, and got back on the bike and kept going. After lunch, it really wasn't that much farther to the top, where we again reconvened and decided which groups would take which routes back to the cabin (there were something like 19 of us in all). My group of 4 girls headed back down the same trail, and it was the best reward ever to go down the seemingly neverending downhill. I had a few small wipeouts, the worst of which gave me a tiny thumb injury and a nice big bruise on my hip, and smaller ones on my shin.
I think I pushed myself harder than I ever have before, at least in that way. I was in so much pain, but it was so much fun. My legs ached and my arms ached and my lungs felt like they would burst and I fell countless times (inevitable in mountain biking, I know), but it hurts so good. I breathed so hard for such a long time, it's amazing I can still feel my throat (though it is a little sore today). (: We climbed almost 4000 feet, and I think that's an accomplishment to be proud of. I spent all of Saturday night in disbelief of what I'd just done. I just couldn't fathom that I was actually capable of what I did. I could handle many of the technical aspects, I wasn't completely overcome by the steep dropoffs or wet roots or slick rocks, and I kept improving throughout the day.
By the end of the day, I wasn't too keen on going out again on Sunday, but I woke up Sunday morning, didn't feel as sore as I expected, and Katie proposed a nice short route, so I couldn't say no. I was the first one with my gear on and ready to go! We headed out about an hour before the boys to get a good head start, and took a ~2-hour trip uphill in a different direction from Saturday. We could all feel the fatigue in our legs from the day before, but I was getting better and I could feel it. At some really steep sections I did get off and walk, but I feel no shame in that, and know that I have plenty of room for improvement - I think I will build one of my goals next year around being better on these rides. The downhill was SWEET on that one, too, and so smooth, with some great banking that reminded me of the velodrome in spots. (: We were back from that ride in about 3 hours, and had time to shower and relax and EAT a bit before the rest of the gang arrived.
It was great that Matt's friend's cabin was so close to the trailheads! The house is right on the fire road that you can take to the different trails, only one or 2 miles away, and a great cooldown once you're off the trails. The weather treated us wonderfully, with absolutely no rain, and brisk mornings turning into comfortable afternoons. The views were spectacular, especially with the fall colors, and the smell of the forests is something that just makes you feel more alive.
Today I'm sore and I have a boo-boo on my thumb and quite a few bruises, but nothing major, no broken bones, and all my teeth. I am still somewhat shocked that I actually accomplished what I did, and trying to process it all. I have to admit that I'm rather proud, and know that this was GREAT training for climbing all the hills they've got here. I just hope I can get in a few more rides before the snow hits the mountains!
So anyways, I've never done anything like this before. We were out for 6 hours on Saturday, and 3 hours on Sunday. Saturday's route was Devil's Gulch, a grueling 13 miles uphill, through mud and mudpuddles and rivers and over tree roots and rocks, on a narrow singletrack that wound up and up and up with a dizzying dropoff and scary, DIFFICULT switchbacks and stellar views (which I mostly missed because I was so focused on the trail). The switchbacks ended right before a perfect lunch spot, where we all regrouped and ate our sandwiches together. Despite the fact that I didn't feel at all like eating, I forced down the first few bites of my sandwich, and then realized how hungry I really was and how good the food tasted. Jamie made us his famous "recovery sandwiches," which include avocado, sprouts, tomato, turkey, amazing bread, and great spreads (whatever yumminess he has on hand), plus probably other things that I can't remember. Coming up that part of the mountain, I definitely had some moments where I just felt like quitting right there. I felt totally weak and incapable. But then I thought about all I had done, and how much determination I really had in me, and got back on the bike and kept going. After lunch, it really wasn't that much farther to the top, where we again reconvened and decided which groups would take which routes back to the cabin (there were something like 19 of us in all). My group of 4 girls headed back down the same trail, and it was the best reward ever to go down the seemingly neverending downhill. I had a few small wipeouts, the worst of which gave me a tiny thumb injury and a nice big bruise on my hip, and smaller ones on my shin.
I think I pushed myself harder than I ever have before, at least in that way. I was in so much pain, but it was so much fun. My legs ached and my arms ached and my lungs felt like they would burst and I fell countless times (inevitable in mountain biking, I know), but it hurts so good. I breathed so hard for such a long time, it's amazing I can still feel my throat (though it is a little sore today). (: We climbed almost 4000 feet, and I think that's an accomplishment to be proud of. I spent all of Saturday night in disbelief of what I'd just done. I just couldn't fathom that I was actually capable of what I did. I could handle many of the technical aspects, I wasn't completely overcome by the steep dropoffs or wet roots or slick rocks, and I kept improving throughout the day.
By the end of the day, I wasn't too keen on going out again on Sunday, but I woke up Sunday morning, didn't feel as sore as I expected, and Katie proposed a nice short route, so I couldn't say no. I was the first one with my gear on and ready to go! We headed out about an hour before the boys to get a good head start, and took a ~2-hour trip uphill in a different direction from Saturday. We could all feel the fatigue in our legs from the day before, but I was getting better and I could feel it. At some really steep sections I did get off and walk, but I feel no shame in that, and know that I have plenty of room for improvement - I think I will build one of my goals next year around being better on these rides. The downhill was SWEET on that one, too, and so smooth, with some great banking that reminded me of the velodrome in spots. (: We were back from that ride in about 3 hours, and had time to shower and relax and EAT a bit before the rest of the gang arrived.
It was great that Matt's friend's cabin was so close to the trailheads! The house is right on the fire road that you can take to the different trails, only one or 2 miles away, and a great cooldown once you're off the trails. The weather treated us wonderfully, with absolutely no rain, and brisk mornings turning into comfortable afternoons. The views were spectacular, especially with the fall colors, and the smell of the forests is something that just makes you feel more alive.
Today I'm sore and I have a boo-boo on my thumb and quite a few bruises, but nothing major, no broken bones, and all my teeth. I am still somewhat shocked that I actually accomplished what I did, and trying to process it all. I have to admit that I'm rather proud, and know that this was GREAT training for climbing all the hills they've got here. I just hope I can get in a few more rides before the snow hits the mountains!
Thursday, October 04, 2007
I live in Seattle?
Well, I know I do, but it's still hard to believe. Reality should kick in once I get a routine down, start work, find a team, etc... But for now, this all seems so unreal.
Tuesday I went out for my first bike ride as a Seattlite, and towards the end, a guy actually gave me a thumbs up out his truck window, and yelled, "I love cyclists!" as he nodded his head with a big smile. Crazy. In Houston, a guy would have given me the finger as he yelled curse words out his window. What a contrast already. And what a great welcome to Seattle.
Yesterday, Tricia took me on a ride to Seward Park. Despite the fact that it was probably an easy ride for her, I was gasping for air the entire time just trying to stay on her wheel. She said I could pull through if I wanted, or just stay and draft, and I told her I didn't think there would be any pulling through. There wasn't. (: But it was a great ride, even though we got a little rained on towards the end. The days have been spectacular so far, with mostly sun (the only really rainy day so far was Sunday), and some threatening clouds in the distance most of the time. It's been cold (well, cold for someone who's lived in Houston for 4.5 years), but I just throw on another sweater and I'm fine. Then last night I went and did yoga. That was a disaster. My body was already exhausted, so I just got frustrated at myself for not being able to hold the poses.
Since Jamie's been off at Elite Track Nationals, it's given me some time to settle myself in, and get to know his roommates (and Tricia) without him around. Although it'd be great if he was here, it's kind of nice to have that time to bond with them alone. Riain and I share bad TV shows at night, and Paul even gave me ride back from the airport after I dropped of my rental car today, after which we went and had some great pizza in the U-district. And of course Tricia is amazing, letting me borrow her car (AUDI) to pick up my stuff from storage, taking me on rides, and inviting me to yoga (and Monday night dinner). How awesome is she?!
Speaking of Jamie at Elite Nat's, his team took 3rd in the Team Pursuit yesterday - pretty freakin' awesome, considering this is NATIONALS. We're all so happy for him. I wish I could have seen it, but I think I definitely plan on being there next year - to RACE.
I've been having a hard time finding a place to live, especially since I want to be in Wallingford, and not pay out the *%! for a room. I'm picky, what can I say? And it's difficult to find the motivation to look any harder when I am currently living with some awesome people in a great location.
Well, that's all for the update. Riain should get home soon, show me how to feed the cat, and then I'm off on a short, easy ride for today. (: I love Seattle.
Tuesday I went out for my first bike ride as a Seattlite, and towards the end, a guy actually gave me a thumbs up out his truck window, and yelled, "I love cyclists!" as he nodded his head with a big smile. Crazy. In Houston, a guy would have given me the finger as he yelled curse words out his window. What a contrast already. And what a great welcome to Seattle.
Yesterday, Tricia took me on a ride to Seward Park. Despite the fact that it was probably an easy ride for her, I was gasping for air the entire time just trying to stay on her wheel. She said I could pull through if I wanted, or just stay and draft, and I told her I didn't think there would be any pulling through. There wasn't. (: But it was a great ride, even though we got a little rained on towards the end. The days have been spectacular so far, with mostly sun (the only really rainy day so far was Sunday), and some threatening clouds in the distance most of the time. It's been cold (well, cold for someone who's lived in Houston for 4.5 years), but I just throw on another sweater and I'm fine. Then last night I went and did yoga. That was a disaster. My body was already exhausted, so I just got frustrated at myself for not being able to hold the poses.
Since Jamie's been off at Elite Track Nationals, it's given me some time to settle myself in, and get to know his roommates (and Tricia) without him around. Although it'd be great if he was here, it's kind of nice to have that time to bond with them alone. Riain and I share bad TV shows at night, and Paul even gave me ride back from the airport after I dropped of my rental car today, after which we went and had some great pizza in the U-district. And of course Tricia is amazing, letting me borrow her car (AUDI) to pick up my stuff from storage, taking me on rides, and inviting me to yoga (and Monday night dinner). How awesome is she?!
Speaking of Jamie at Elite Nat's, his team took 3rd in the Team Pursuit yesterday - pretty freakin' awesome, considering this is NATIONALS. We're all so happy for him. I wish I could have seen it, but I think I definitely plan on being there next year - to RACE.
I've been having a hard time finding a place to live, especially since I want to be in Wallingford, and not pay out the *%! for a room. I'm picky, what can I say? And it's difficult to find the motivation to look any harder when I am currently living with some awesome people in a great location.
Well, that's all for the update. Riain should get home soon, show me how to feed the cat, and then I'm off on a short, easy ride for today. (: I love Seattle.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Germany tomorrow!
I leave tomorrow for Germany. The movers came today and took all my stuff. Well, most of it. I couldn't get the pedals off my mountain bike, put a huge gash in my arm trying to undo them, and ended up at Sun & Ski because they have a big sale going on. Then I ended up buying an entire Yakima rack system. But at least it was all 15% off!!! But enough about that...
I get on the plane tomorrow, and meet up with Dad in Frankfurt! And if I'm lucky, I'll catch the Elite Men's Time Trial of the UCI Road World Championships in Stuttgart on the 27th! How SWEET would that be?! We'll have to wait and see, though. The timing could be off.
And when I head back to the States, it'll be to Seattle. I'm becoming so drained, though, that the anticipation is wearing off. I just want to get my last box of stuff shipped off to FedEx and my luggage loaded on the plane to Germany, and I'll be off daydreaming and relaxing. This stress is starting to get to me. Being on edge 24/7 is not always the best policy. Plus I haven't ridden my bike in days (Don't tell Steve!) and I miss it. Can't wait to go riding in my new 'hood...
Catch y'all lata!
I get on the plane tomorrow, and meet up with Dad in Frankfurt! And if I'm lucky, I'll catch the Elite Men's Time Trial of the UCI Road World Championships in Stuttgart on the 27th! How SWEET would that be?! We'll have to wait and see, though. The timing could be off.
And when I head back to the States, it'll be to Seattle. I'm becoming so drained, though, that the anticipation is wearing off. I just want to get my last box of stuff shipped off to FedEx and my luggage loaded on the plane to Germany, and I'll be off daydreaming and relaxing. This stress is starting to get to me. Being on edge 24/7 is not always the best policy. Plus I haven't ridden my bike in days (Don't tell Steve!) and I miss it. Can't wait to go riding in my new 'hood...
Catch y'all lata!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Alkek Elite Regionals
Yesterday and today. Lots of racing. 200mTT, 15k Points race, Keirin, Team Sprint, Sprint, Pursuit, 500mTT, 7k Scratch race, and a MADISON! I am toast. Again - much like FSA. Anyways, the usual suspects showed up: Shelby, Cristin, Cyndy, and even Maureen. Unfortunately Julia crashed hard on a ride 2 weeks ago, and though her broken nose and face are healing, her concussion is worse, so she was not racing. I took 3rd in the points race, pursuit, Keirin, and scratch race. Cyndy raced the team sprint with me, so that was a really fun new experience. And of course the Madison! Now, I wasn't *planning* on doing the Madison, but only 3 or 4 teams had signed up, and they needed 5 to actually make it worth running. So at the beginning of tonight, Jameson came up and asked if I'd be his teammate, so they'd have enough teams. For some reason, I said yes. So there I was, racing a 60-lap Madison after I'd already raced 9 times this weekend, and had JUST finished my 7k scratch race. Well, it was a BLAST. Jamison and I agreed to just do the hand-tap exchange, but halfway through we decided to try a sling, and it ROCKED. He slinged me, and it was so much fun! We tried it again the next time, with me slinging him, and it didn't work so well, but I've never done this before, so I was rather happy with our performace (and no crashes). All in all a great race weekend. I came home with a few extra bucks, and some hardware to boot. I actually took Cyndy and the finish a few times, which was a little encouraging since I was off the bike for essentially a month for Africa. It's nice to know I haven't lost as much fitness as I thought. And this whole thing just reminded me how much I LOVE racing. It just makes me feel so awesome.
I said goodbye to everyone at the track tonight, and it was a little hard. I almost started crying when I said bye to Leigh. And he told me he'd introduce me to some really awesome racers in Seattle (whose names I actually recognize from FSA), which simply ROCKS. I'm definitely taking him up on that offer.
Well, now I have to get ready for Andy to arrive, finish organizing my stuff, finish my last day of work, get ready to move, and pack for my trip to Germany - all in the next 5-and-a-half days. Aaaa! Wish me luck...
I said goodbye to everyone at the track tonight, and it was a little hard. I almost started crying when I said bye to Leigh. And he told me he'd introduce me to some really awesome racers in Seattle (whose names I actually recognize from FSA), which simply ROCKS. I'm definitely taking him up on that offer.
Well, now I have to get ready for Andy to arrive, finish organizing my stuff, finish my last day of work, get ready to move, and pack for my trip to Germany - all in the next 5-and-a-half days. Aaaa! Wish me luck...
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Moving to Seattle!
So, on the 19th or 20th of September, the movers are coming to take my things. On the 21st I travel to Germany for a week. When I return, it's to Seattle! I'm starting a job with Boeing, to live in a place where I can ride my bike on hills and mountains, and compete in bigger and stronger women's fields. I can NOT wait! This is a dream come true.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
FSA GP
Quick report. IT WAS AWESOME. I had so much fun. Met a bunch of Jamie's teammates. Learned a buttload and then some. Raced faster than I've ever raced before in fields of 20+ women - amazing. I was so high on adrenaline at the end of both nights, Fri and Sat. My legs were toast, and then I went and raced (kind of) a crit on Sun. I blew up immediately, but got $30 for showing up anyways. : p
In the 5-mi scratch I actually led a few laps, and was in the first few riders leading the group for a fair amount of time. I felt great, responded to accelerations and attacks, and was totally wiped at the end. The Keirins were FAST and awesome and I feel like with a little more practice, I could be pretty good at them...
My individual times sucked (pursuit, 500mTT, and 200m qualifier for the sprints), but I have never done any of those before, so what did I expect? Now I know what I need to practice. (:
It was an amazing week(end), and I can't wait to go back and race it again next year. There were racers from all over the US, plus Canada, Australia, New Zealand... And I got to meet Jen Triplett, a racer local to Seattle, super fast, and also super nice.
Racing rocks! And the track is just plain SWEET. Oh! And at Marymoor, when you come down the homestraight, you're looking right at Mount Rainier. How much more can you ask for??
One last note - Jamie ended up in the paper - check him out!
In the 5-mi scratch I actually led a few laps, and was in the first few riders leading the group for a fair amount of time. I felt great, responded to accelerations and attacks, and was totally wiped at the end. The Keirins were FAST and awesome and I feel like with a little more practice, I could be pretty good at them...
My individual times sucked (pursuit, 500mTT, and 200m qualifier for the sprints), but I have never done any of those before, so what did I expect? Now I know what I need to practice. (:
It was an amazing week(end), and I can't wait to go back and race it again next year. There were racers from all over the US, plus Canada, Australia, New Zealand... And I got to meet Jen Triplett, a racer local to Seattle, super fast, and also super nice.
Racing rocks! And the track is just plain SWEET. Oh! And at Marymoor, when you come down the homestraight, you're looking right at Mount Rainier. How much more can you ask for??
One last note - Jamie ended up in the paper - check him out!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Gearing up for the FSA Grand Prix
So I really just wanted to post because I found this awesome pic on a website:
But I also thought I'd just post a quick update. I've been training my butt off in preparation for the FSA Grand Prix on July 27 & 28, and the Whale of a Crit on the 29th. Both are up in the Seattle area, so I'll be shipping my track bike, and either checking my road bike on the plane, or borrowing one from someone up there. My legs are definitely feeling the workouts, but I can see the results, too, when I look down at my computer and see my power numbers sustained higher than they've ever been. It's a pretty neat feeling to know that the training is working. It's so gradual, but there's a point where you realize what's happening, and it's wonderful.
Now I'm just nervous about the specific races I'll be doing at Marymoor Velodrome. I've never raced a pursuit before, and I've never really done a 500m or 200m TT either. It should all be very interesting, and I'm sure I'll learn quite a bit while I'm there. Jamie also told me that Jennie Reed may show up!
I've got another week-and-a-half or so of training, and then I'll be put to the test...wish me luck... (:
But I also thought I'd just post a quick update. I've been training my butt off in preparation for the FSA Grand Prix on July 27 & 28, and the Whale of a Crit on the 29th. Both are up in the Seattle area, so I'll be shipping my track bike, and either checking my road bike on the plane, or borrowing one from someone up there. My legs are definitely feeling the workouts, but I can see the results, too, when I look down at my computer and see my power numbers sustained higher than they've ever been. It's a pretty neat feeling to know that the training is working. It's so gradual, but there's a point where you realize what's happening, and it's wonderful.
Now I'm just nervous about the specific races I'll be doing at Marymoor Velodrome. I've never raced a pursuit before, and I've never really done a 500m or 200m TT either. It should all be very interesting, and I'm sure I'll learn quite a bit while I'm there. Jamie also told me that Jennie Reed may show up!
I've got another week-and-a-half or so of training, and then I'll be put to the test...wish me luck... (:
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Now I know how that works...
"USA Cycling announced the events that will serve as 2008 Track Talent Pool qualifiers. Competitors will have three opportunities to gain entry into the Talent Pool. The first event will be held Aug. 21-22. The second event will be the USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships, Oct. 3-7. The final event will be held Dec. 11-12. All three events will be held at the ADT Event Center velodrome in Carson, Calif. In order to be eligible for the 2008 Olympic Games and other major international competitions such as the world championships, world cups and Pan American championships, all athletes must be a member of the USA Cycling Talent Pool."
Food for thought.
Food for thought.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Weekend Update
It's been a little while since I've posted, so I'll write a short update...
At the end of May, Evan drove up to Dallas/Fort Worth with me so I could do a crit in Frisco and the state crit in FW. Frisco was less-than-stellar, but I placed 8th in the state championship, so that was cool.
Since then I've been racing FNR at the velodrome and I did the first 2 crits in the Memorial Park series. I have my on-days and off-days, but steady improvement shows through.
Two Fridays ago I had a great performance in the 3-lap handicap, coming in 2nd. Leigh said he's going to have to give me less of a handicap next time..."Bring it on!" I say. Earlier that night, I'd attacked on the backstraight with 2 laps to go, and got lots of kudos from all sorts of people. I lost, anyways, but you don't know if you don't try, right? This past Friday I attacked in the 8-lap scratch and managed to break away. I almost had it until Shelby caught me on the homestraight. I'm getting stronger, though, and they're figuring out that they can't let me go much longer -- they'll have to chase me, and sooner rather than later. (:
Then immediately after races were over this Friday, I drove the 2.5 more hours out to Austin to race the AT&T Downtown Crit sponsored by USA Crits. I spent the night at a wonderful Hampton Inn (they are GREAT hotels), ate a wholesome complimentary breakfast, and headed downtown. Our race, a W3/4, was at 10:40am. It had rained the night before, but the roads were drying out. The clouds were lingering, and threatening more rain, but were kind throughout the race and left us "cool" (or at least shaded) and dry (except for the copious amounts of sweat). It was a great race, with lots of attacks, and I stayed with the pack the whole time, and even tried attacking once just for kicks. But I had a lot of trouble staying in the front half of the pack, and ended up at the back most of the time. In the final sprint, I gave enough to come in 10th, so I got $10 back for my efforts. I think I got in a good warmup, and I played it pretty smart, so I just need to learn how to stay up front so I can start getting real results.
There's just one more Friday night of racing left for the Alkek season, then a Texas Cup track race in July, then on July 27th and 28th I'll be at Marymoor Velodrome in Redmond, Washington, racing the FSA Grand Prix! Should be exciting...!
Maybe I'll have something fun to write about after FNR next week, when Paul and Evan are planning on coming out to watch. That's all for now, though. Thanks for checking in. (: (So much for the *short* update...)
Monday, May 21, 2007
When do you know when to go?
Well, I can't answer that question, except to say that you just DO. Short story is:
Final BMW Crit was Sunday. I raced the 25-minute W4 category. 35 racers in all, 6 of them women. Three of us ended up in the lead, trading places, making the new girl pull a lot. Sugar Cycles' Amy Taylor didn't feel like pulling very hard and we played leapfrog for a while. After it seemed like more than half the race must be over, we came around the turn where her teammate outsprinted me in the final lap last time. I was behind Amy, but in front of new-girl Melissa. I knew this was my chance. I jumped inside, and gave it everything I had. I pushed like hell and tried not to look back for about 10 pedal strokes, stomping those things down as hard as I could, pulling up with my entire body. The next chance I had, I glanced behind me, and they were waaay back there! I'd done it! I'd dropped em! But they were definitely trying to catch back up, and I sure didn't want to let them. Pushing harder and harder, I thought about my track racing the night before, and the week before that, and how my insides wanted to come out but I didn't let them and just kept on pushing. I wanted to stop, let my heart rate fall back down, let my stomach stop churning, but I reminded myself that I am stronger than that! And then I dropped them for good. It was amazing. Turned out we had about 7 or 8 laps to go when I jumped, and I kept my lead until the end. Awesome. The win felt so pure and wonderful. (:
Final BMW Crit was Sunday. I raced the 25-minute W4 category. 35 racers in all, 6 of them women. Three of us ended up in the lead, trading places, making the new girl pull a lot. Sugar Cycles' Amy Taylor didn't feel like pulling very hard and we played leapfrog for a while. After it seemed like more than half the race must be over, we came around the turn where her teammate outsprinted me in the final lap last time. I was behind Amy, but in front of new-girl Melissa. I knew this was my chance. I jumped inside, and gave it everything I had. I pushed like hell and tried not to look back for about 10 pedal strokes, stomping those things down as hard as I could, pulling up with my entire body. The next chance I had, I glanced behind me, and they were waaay back there! I'd done it! I'd dropped em! But they were definitely trying to catch back up, and I sure didn't want to let them. Pushing harder and harder, I thought about my track racing the night before, and the week before that, and how my insides wanted to come out but I didn't let them and just kept on pushing. I wanted to stop, let my heart rate fall back down, let my stomach stop churning, but I reminded myself that I am stronger than that! And then I dropped them for good. It was amazing. Turned out we had about 7 or 8 laps to go when I jumped, and I kept my lead until the end. Awesome. The win felt so pure and wonderful. (:
Friday, May 11, 2007
A Good Night Tonight
Tonight turned out pretty well - a good confidence-boosting night. I knew it would be a good night because I was well-rested from this week, and there was NO wind out at the track tonight, plus I got in a great warm-up because traffic wasn't too bad and I actually got there early. (:
We started out with a Masters/Women 5-lap scratch, which wasn't too eventful. We just rolled around in a paceline at a pretty good pace until the last lap, where I came in a few bike lengths behind the women. Poop. That's ok, cuz it was a great warm-up at a good speed, and got me ready for the upcoming 20-lap scratch.
We started out the first few laps about the same as the 5-lap, and then 2 guys take off and I'm all of the sudden the one pulling the rest of the group up to them. I take a hard, half-lap pull, then pull off and let the rest of them do the work. After a bit, it's just me, Shelby and Julia again. With about 8 to go, we ALMOST catch the leaders, but then they went and sprinted again, and we didn't make it. We never got lapped, and we worked our butts off, though. A good race.
Then we had the 3-lap handicap. Julia decided to leave before this race, and I'm not sure why - she didn't say. A little odd, but whatever. So it was me, Shelby, Cristin, and Michele. Cristin was at scratch (0), Shelby was at the 50, I was at the 70, and Michele was at the 200. The whistle blew, Robert gave me a nice push, and off I went. I could feel how strong my legs were as I pedaled my way onto the track. It felt awesome, and I was still standing up as I came into turn 3. I pushed as hard as I could through the start-finish line, and had a huge mental lapse where I thought that this would be my last lap. So I gave it my ALL on that lap, and as I approached the start-finish line, I saw the lap card showing a big 1, and heard the bell ringing, telling me that THIS was in fact the last lap! Oh no! I felt like I didn't have much left! But I kicked it up again, and finally caught Michele along the backstraight, just after Cristin passed us both. I figured Shelby must be right behind me, so I used every ounce of energy I had in me, and ended up crossing the line in 2nd!!! Amazing! My teammates told me that Shelby almost caught me on lap 2, but I took off and she couldn't catch up. I left her in my dust. Unbelievable. This is how I know I'm improving. Not only does my coach tell me my power levels are increasing, but compared to all the other girls, I'm doing better than I was before. It's a great feeling.
Also, at the beginning of our 20-lap scratch, we had our neutral lap, then Doc Bing said, "20-lap scratch race! Be safe!" and blew the whistle to send us off. Right then, a HUGE smile spread across my face. I couldn't help it! I just love racing, and it felt so good to be out there, feeling *almost* competetive. (: Of course, after 2 seconds of smiling, I realized I needed to start working, so I wiped the smile off and started concentrating pretty hard... : p
Now hopefully I'm off to Jamaica in the morning (or anywhere else, really...)! : D
We started out with a Masters/Women 5-lap scratch, which wasn't too eventful. We just rolled around in a paceline at a pretty good pace until the last lap, where I came in a few bike lengths behind the women. Poop. That's ok, cuz it was a great warm-up at a good speed, and got me ready for the upcoming 20-lap scratch.
We started out the first few laps about the same as the 5-lap, and then 2 guys take off and I'm all of the sudden the one pulling the rest of the group up to them. I take a hard, half-lap pull, then pull off and let the rest of them do the work. After a bit, it's just me, Shelby and Julia again. With about 8 to go, we ALMOST catch the leaders, but then they went and sprinted again, and we didn't make it. We never got lapped, and we worked our butts off, though. A good race.
Then we had the 3-lap handicap. Julia decided to leave before this race, and I'm not sure why - she didn't say. A little odd, but whatever. So it was me, Shelby, Cristin, and Michele. Cristin was at scratch (0), Shelby was at the 50, I was at the 70, and Michele was at the 200. The whistle blew, Robert gave me a nice push, and off I went. I could feel how strong my legs were as I pedaled my way onto the track. It felt awesome, and I was still standing up as I came into turn 3. I pushed as hard as I could through the start-finish line, and had a huge mental lapse where I thought that this would be my last lap. So I gave it my ALL on that lap, and as I approached the start-finish line, I saw the lap card showing a big 1, and heard the bell ringing, telling me that THIS was in fact the last lap! Oh no! I felt like I didn't have much left! But I kicked it up again, and finally caught Michele along the backstraight, just after Cristin passed us both. I figured Shelby must be right behind me, so I used every ounce of energy I had in me, and ended up crossing the line in 2nd!!! Amazing! My teammates told me that Shelby almost caught me on lap 2, but I took off and she couldn't catch up. I left her in my dust. Unbelievable. This is how I know I'm improving. Not only does my coach tell me my power levels are increasing, but compared to all the other girls, I'm doing better than I was before. It's a great feeling.
Also, at the beginning of our 20-lap scratch, we had our neutral lap, then Doc Bing said, "20-lap scratch race! Be safe!" and blew the whistle to send us off. Right then, a HUGE smile spread across my face. I couldn't help it! I just love racing, and it felt so good to be out there, feeling *almost* competetive. (: Of course, after 2 seconds of smiling, I realized I needed to start working, so I wiped the smile off and started concentrating pretty hard... : p
Now hopefully I'm off to Jamaica in the morning (or anywhere else, really...)! : D
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Three Days
That's how many days I raced this weekend. And I didn't win once (sorry to ruin the ending, but I figured if you're waiting for me to tell you I won with a flourish, I'd let you down right away).
BUT I had an awesome time, my legs are goo, and I learned a boatload (as always).
Friday night was racing at the velodrome. Three races as usual, and I'm happy with my performance, I can feel I'm getting better, all that good stuff. The highlight of the night was the 24-lap points race where 2 of my male teammates (Women race with the Masters) lapped the field, and I worked with them for a little bit...until I couldn't keep up anymore and dropped back to the pack. But it felt good to bridge up to them from the pack! It was a nice rush, and it was one of those times when you realize the strength you actually have.
Which brings me to Saturday night - more track racing. It was threatening to rain the entire night, and some brief, light sprinkles even came down, but no real rain. I came in last in all three races. But there was one instant, in our 18 lap points race, where I took off on my own from our little group of 4 women (the only ones racing), and I pushed so hard that I don't know where it all came from. I felt like I was pulling the strength from somewhere deep inside of me and working harder than I've ever worked before. I could feel every single muscle in my legs and arms and back contracting perfectly and intensely. It was amazing... I just need to learn to dig like that all the time now... I did realize that racing with the Women 1/2's as a new 3 really tests your abilities to their limit, and I'm pretty pleased that I just kept up with them every time someone made a go for it -- I was right behind. Soon I'll be right there with them, and even making some of the jumps myself - I'm determined!
Today I woke up, stepped outside, and it was hot, VERY humid, and also VERY windy! My legs were jelly last night, and were slightly better this morning - I finally got to sleep in. (: In any case, I was only slightly wanting to race, and once I got there, registered for the W4 25-minute crit, instead of the Women Open 40-minute. We race with the Juniors and Cat 5's, and apparently more than half of the ten or so of us racing were first-timers. Off we went, and of course I lost the wheels I had around the first few turns, and the headwind along the middle half of the course was brutal. There's always a wind on this course, but I think today's was the worst we've had. There were only 2 other W4's on the course, and I caught up to the one who was only a few bike lengths ahead of me pretty quickly. We played with each other a bit, and I kept trying to figure out how I could lose her or wear her out. I made her pull for quite a few laps in a row, hoping that would help me out. Then she ended up making me pull, but I kind of just rode along not trying too hard, but still trying to figure out what to do. I kept trying to pull off, but she just stayed behind me. The lap cards went up for 5 to go, and we just kept at it. At 2 laps to go, I decided to pull to the side and just kick it into high gear to try to shake her, but it didn't work. On the last lap, I tried to get our to the outside on the last 2 turns, but she edged inside on the second-to-last turn, and the last turn was too wide for me to get around her fast enough, and she outsprinted me to the finish. Dangit!! I got some socks, a Clif Shot, and some hair gel as a consolation prize, though...
So, this weekend was a learning weekend. I didn't win, but I feel strong, and I know where I need to work. I got tons of tips from lots of different people at the track both nights. And I have a prospective woman teammate now! An exhausting weekend, but productive. And I can feel it getting better all the time! (:
BUT I had an awesome time, my legs are goo, and I learned a boatload (as always).
Friday night was racing at the velodrome. Three races as usual, and I'm happy with my performance, I can feel I'm getting better, all that good stuff. The highlight of the night was the 24-lap points race where 2 of my male teammates (Women race with the Masters) lapped the field, and I worked with them for a little bit...until I couldn't keep up anymore and dropped back to the pack. But it felt good to bridge up to them from the pack! It was a nice rush, and it was one of those times when you realize the strength you actually have.
Which brings me to Saturday night - more track racing. It was threatening to rain the entire night, and some brief, light sprinkles even came down, but no real rain. I came in last in all three races. But there was one instant, in our 18 lap points race, where I took off on my own from our little group of 4 women (the only ones racing), and I pushed so hard that I don't know where it all came from. I felt like I was pulling the strength from somewhere deep inside of me and working harder than I've ever worked before. I could feel every single muscle in my legs and arms and back contracting perfectly and intensely. It was amazing... I just need to learn to dig like that all the time now... I did realize that racing with the Women 1/2's as a new 3 really tests your abilities to their limit, and I'm pretty pleased that I just kept up with them every time someone made a go for it -- I was right behind. Soon I'll be right there with them, and even making some of the jumps myself - I'm determined!
Today I woke up, stepped outside, and it was hot, VERY humid, and also VERY windy! My legs were jelly last night, and were slightly better this morning - I finally got to sleep in. (: In any case, I was only slightly wanting to race, and once I got there, registered for the W4 25-minute crit, instead of the Women Open 40-minute. We race with the Juniors and Cat 5's, and apparently more than half of the ten or so of us racing were first-timers. Off we went, and of course I lost the wheels I had around the first few turns, and the headwind along the middle half of the course was brutal. There's always a wind on this course, but I think today's was the worst we've had. There were only 2 other W4's on the course, and I caught up to the one who was only a few bike lengths ahead of me pretty quickly. We played with each other a bit, and I kept trying to figure out how I could lose her or wear her out. I made her pull for quite a few laps in a row, hoping that would help me out. Then she ended up making me pull, but I kind of just rode along not trying too hard, but still trying to figure out what to do. I kept trying to pull off, but she just stayed behind me. The lap cards went up for 5 to go, and we just kept at it. At 2 laps to go, I decided to pull to the side and just kick it into high gear to try to shake her, but it didn't work. On the last lap, I tried to get our to the outside on the last 2 turns, but she edged inside on the second-to-last turn, and the last turn was too wide for me to get around her fast enough, and she outsprinted me to the finish. Dangit!! I got some socks, a Clif Shot, and some hair gel as a consolation prize, though...
So, this weekend was a learning weekend. I didn't win, but I feel strong, and I know where I need to work. I got tons of tips from lots of different people at the track both nights. And I have a prospective woman teammate now! An exhausting weekend, but productive. And I can feel it getting better all the time! (:
Friday, May 04, 2007
BMW Crit #4
Not much to say about this except coach looked at my power file and I've apparently improved since the beginning of the season already. It didn't feel like it, since despite me getting a good, quick start, I was promptly dropped around the first few turns, and then lapped countless times by Joyce and Laura M. The last 10 minutes felt like forever, and the 40-minute race was just plain rough. It probably didn't help that I went wakeboarding a few hours prior, and had never been wakeboarding before then, leading to me being extremely sore afterwards.
But it certainly was an ego boost to find out that both Evan and Max couldn't even get out of the water, whereas I ended up actually wakeboarding behind the boat.
My real reason for posting is to add this sweet photo to my blog. I think it's pretty cool, and shows me working my a$$ off in the crit. : p Hope y'all like it, too.
But it certainly was an ego boost to find out that both Evan and Max couldn't even get out of the water, whereas I ended up actually wakeboarding behind the boat.My real reason for posting is to add this sweet photo to my blog. I think it's pretty cool, and shows me working my a$$ off in the crit. : p Hope y'all like it, too.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Thought
Yesterday I sat in a restaurant working on my presentation for class, and staring out the window (more of the staring, less of the working). It was the second time in about as many months that I'd looked at the sunset and thought about Colorado.
Ah, Colorado.
This weekend should be interesting. Three races back to back to back -- Friday Night Racing at Alkek, then Texas Cup racing at Alkek on Saturday night, and finally the BMW crit on Sunday. Exhausting! Let's hope I have something worth writing about on Monday. : p
Ah, Colorado.
This weekend should be interesting. Three races back to back to back -- Friday Night Racing at Alkek, then Texas Cup racing at Alkek on Saturday night, and finally the BMW crit on Sunday. Exhausting! Let's hope I have something worth writing about on Monday. : p
Monday, April 23, 2007
Meeting Another C-Squared
Last Thursday I met Chris Carmichael, and then on Friday he came to the velodrome! That's the short story. Longer (somewhat) version: I went to the Bike Barn in Rice Village on Thursday night to hear Chris Carmichael talk about his new book, and brought the copy that I got for Christmas for him to sign. When it came to be my turn in line, I introduced myself and explained that I was a CTS-er, and he came around the table to give me a hug! It was pretty cool, and we chatted for a brief few minutes about stuff. Then I met Ingrid who also trains with CTS and has my same coach! She lives in Dallas and was hanging out with Chris for the weekend. In any case, our conversation ends with him saying he just might come out to the velodrome the next night, where I'd be racing. I tried not to get my hopes up, but the whole drive home from Bike Barn I was ecstatic! Friday night rolled around and I tried not to keep checking to see if Chris had gotten there, and after an hour or so had passed, I gave up hope. Then all of the sudden, Kathy takes the microphone and says she wants to introduce a special guest, and I knew immediately that it was him - so cool! We talked for a little (me, Chris C, and Ingrid), but they had to leave pretty early, probably because the MS150 was starting early the next morning. Anyways, that was a neat experience, and I felt pretty cool to have met him (and Ingrid!). (:
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Paperclip Ride
Today's group ride was interesting. It's called the Paperclip Ride because the route takes you down the feeder road of IH-45, then turns around and heads right back up the other direction, so it looks like a paperclip. We start off and I'm barely putting out any watts, and everyone's just spinning along like we're out with the kids or something. : p Then someone kicks it up a notch and I'm working harder...then harder...then even harder and I'm still just drafting! Then I take a pull, and I'm thinking, "eh, this isn't TOO too bad," and when I pull off I'm to the back of the pack in seconds cuz I'm so tired and they're so strong. I somehow work hard enough to cut back into the middle somewhere, and try to stay in the draft as well as possible with the ridiculous headwind, and being in the draft was QUITE noticeable at that point. After a while, they just keep accelerating so much that I can't hold that kind of power anymore, I lose the guy's wheel, and I get spit out the back. That was a little deflating. So now I still am working pretty hard, and putting out pretty decent power on my own, and after I make the turnaround, I notice a few guys way up ahead that got dropped too. I think to myself, "if i can get them at a traffic light, then at least I'll make it back not alone." So I keep cranking away, and every time I catch sight of them again around a bend in the road I get another little boost of energy, and I finally caught them. It felt good, and they laughed with me when they realized I was right behind them, panting like a dog. LOL But I'm proud of myself for working to catch them, and it was then that I realized it was mostly P123's that I was riding with in the first place, so I should expect to get dropped, right? : p All in all a good ride, and I am POOPED. Time for bed. (:
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
First Crit of the Season
Sunday was the first crit of the year, and the first in a series of 6 that are raced at this awesome BMW test track. See an aerial view of the 1km track here. The two 180-degree turns coming into and out of the wind sucked big-time, but made me realize how far I've come since last year, too.
Unfortunately, there were only 5 gals racing my category, and about 20-25 in the entire race (Cat5, W4, & Jrs). It was a rough race, as I got stuck at the back from the start, and 2 girls (Amy T and Angela) on Sugar got ahead of me. I kept up my pace the whole time, mostly alone, and never got too far behind them. With 4 to go, I finally caught a wheel and caught up to them, but I was too gassed from the effort and didn't even hear the bell, so I came in 3rd. Apparently I did enough work for a water bottle, a pair of socks, and some Gu's and chamois cream. : p
In any case, I know I can do better, and can't WAIT for next week. Plus the first Texas Cup track race is Saturday at Alkek!
There were crashes in the P123 race, and 3 guys from Tilson went down. Slade broke his arm, unfortunately... And Bike Barn's Kremke lapped the field once, and was halfway through lapping it again when he won. I spent the first half of their race admiring Kremke's pedal stroke. It was so beautiful that it was hynotizing... (:
Hopefully I'll have something interesting to say after this weekend!
Unfortunately, there were only 5 gals racing my category, and about 20-25 in the entire race (Cat5, W4, & Jrs). It was a rough race, as I got stuck at the back from the start, and 2 girls (Amy T and Angela) on Sugar got ahead of me. I kept up my pace the whole time, mostly alone, and never got too far behind them. With 4 to go, I finally caught a wheel and caught up to them, but I was too gassed from the effort and didn't even hear the bell, so I came in 3rd. Apparently I did enough work for a water bottle, a pair of socks, and some Gu's and chamois cream. : p
In any case, I know I can do better, and can't WAIT for next week. Plus the first Texas Cup track race is Saturday at Alkek!
There were crashes in the P123 race, and 3 guys from Tilson went down. Slade broke his arm, unfortunately... And Bike Barn's Kremke lapped the field once, and was halfway through lapping it again when he won. I spent the first half of their race admiring Kremke's pedal stroke. It was so beautiful that it was hynotizing... (:
Hopefully I'll have something interesting to say after this weekend!
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
False Peak?
Last Friday I raced for the first time in over a month. I was at the track, and glad to be there, but not expecting anything spectacular since (a) I hadn't been training and (b) I had hardly even ridden my bike in over a week. Well, I'll keep this post short, but the news is basically that I think I performed better than I have all year. I even lapped the main field a few times. I was the last one pulled in the miss-and-out because the field got disintegrated by some antsy juniors. I had a decent showing in the 6-lap scratch. And I took all the 4th place points in the 18-lap points race. I felt strong, and Cyndi even complimented me on my tactics in the miss-and-out, then complimented me to Doc after the races (he had to work and just showed up to pick up Ethan). I talked to Jamie for a while afterwards, too - haven't seen her in months. It was nice to chat, plus she commented on my new muscles. : D I feel good, and I'm hoping that I can keep that up for this Friday, as well, since it's the last track race of the season.
I'm looking forward to buying my own track bike, trying out racing at the Superdrome (in Frisco, near Dallas), and maybe even cat-ing up one of these days...
I'm looking forward to buying my own track bike, trying out racing at the Superdrome (in Frisco, near Dallas), and maybe even cat-ing up one of these days...
Friday, October 06, 2006
Psyched Out or Psyched Up?
Yesterday was my second day back on my bike after my trip, and I was only able to ride for half an hour due to time constraints. It gets dark so early now, plus I didn't get off of work until late. So I wanted to make the most of the short time I had. I was riding up the closest stoplight-free stretch of road (Space Center Blvd., for those who know it), and crankin' it pretty hard. All of the sudden I noticed another rider behind me. He soon passed me. After he was far enough ahead that I couldn't draft, I picked up speed and just tried to keep pace with him. I don't know how he felt about it, but I felt great! All I needed was someone to pace me, and I no longer thought about how my legs or lungs were feeling -- I thought about my front wheel's distance from his back wheel. It's amazing what a psychological battle it is to tell myself that I really CAN push that much harder for that much longer. But when there's someone else there, I work so much more, without thinking twice about it. It's so easy to psych myself out when it's just me on the road trying to do one more Power Interval or Climbing Repeat. When I've got competition, there's nothing I won't try. So I've found that the difference between being psyched out or psyched up is simply the presence of another individual - some competition, whether they know it or not. (; Just a thought - a realization, if you will. I guess I really am a competitor at heart.
And no wonder the TT doesn't seem like my strong suit... : p
And no wonder the TT doesn't seem like my strong suit... : p
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Back in Houston
Home, sweet home. At least for now. (: I'm back from one of the best trips I've ever taken. I wish I could keep riding for another 3 months (or more)! So much to say, but I won't leave it in the blog. I'm safe and sound and back with my friends. Elisa, my roommate, even made me a welcome back cake, and Bryan put together a little shindig for tonight! I love my friends. I sure did miss 'em.
But I sure do like Seattle. : p
But I sure do like Seattle. : p
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Newport, Oregon
Just a quick update. We rode approximately 30 miles to South Beach State Park, just south of Newport, OR, today. We'll catch the 6am bus from Newport to Albany, and catch the train there. That is, as long as we can get our bikes on the bus! We'll figure it out somehow.
It's quite warm here today - I'd say it's up into the 80's even! When we got to the top of a hill called Cape Foulweather, the temperature there was 76 degrees. It's been beautifully sunny, and is supposed to stay that way for a while now.
On to San Diego!!
It's quite warm here today - I'd say it's up into the 80's even! When we got to the top of a hill called Cape Foulweather, the temperature there was 76 degrees. It's been beautifully sunny, and is supposed to stay that way for a while now.
On to San Diego!!
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Lincoln City, Oregon
We made it to Lincoln City today! We knew we had a big hill to conquer before we got into town, and I was a little scared, knowing that I had to tow all of our gear to the top of it. But it turned out to be a nice gradual climb, albeit long, and it had a nice rewarding descent, all through Siuslaw (sp?) National Forest. It was a beautiful day to boot, and we are a bit sunkissed now, finally, after covering up all week long to stay warm! We set up our tent at Devils Lake State Park, and went to grab some grub at the local brewpub. We filled a 4-person table with appetizer, entree, drink, and dessert, and proceeded to finish it all! Yum! (:
We are now at the library looking up bus and train schedules to get us inland and southward. We will either ride a bit farther south tomorrow to Newport (South Beach State Park), take the bus to Albany on Monday, and catch the train Monday night; or stay in Lincoln City tomorrow night and bus it to Albany from here on Monday, and then catch the train Tuesday.
Once we're done here, we'll head over to the laundromat to do some MUCH needed laundry, and maybe tour around town for a bit.
The past 3 days have brought us some great weather, and for that we are extremely thankful. I was almost complaining about the heat today! Luckily, riding in Houston has made me accustomed to warmer temps, so I just reminded myself of that... One thing I can say is that this entire trip has taught me a lot, not only about my physical capabilities, but also my mental strength. There were a few times where I believe it was only my will to continue which pushed me up the last bit of a hill, or made me keep going when all I wanted to do was pull over and quit (or just turn around). This afternoon, we had to walk up a very steep path to get to our campsite, and as I was pushing my bike with the trailer still attached, I couldn't even walk it up the hill! I had to change into my regular shoes just to get enough grip. I don't know HOW I towed all of that up those hills just by pedaling...
Well, I should get back to helping Kathryn figure out our travel plans. The next time I post we will either be in Newport, Oregon, or San Diego, California!!
We are now at the library looking up bus and train schedules to get us inland and southward. We will either ride a bit farther south tomorrow to Newport (South Beach State Park), take the bus to Albany on Monday, and catch the train Monday night; or stay in Lincoln City tomorrow night and bus it to Albany from here on Monday, and then catch the train Tuesday.
Once we're done here, we'll head over to the laundromat to do some MUCH needed laundry, and maybe tour around town for a bit.
The past 3 days have brought us some great weather, and for that we are extremely thankful. I was almost complaining about the heat today! Luckily, riding in Houston has made me accustomed to warmer temps, so I just reminded myself of that... One thing I can say is that this entire trip has taught me a lot, not only about my physical capabilities, but also my mental strength. There were a few times where I believe it was only my will to continue which pushed me up the last bit of a hill, or made me keep going when all I wanted to do was pull over and quit (or just turn around). This afternoon, we had to walk up a very steep path to get to our campsite, and as I was pushing my bike with the trailer still attached, I couldn't even walk it up the hill! I had to change into my regular shoes just to get enough grip. I don't know HOW I towed all of that up those hills just by pedaling...
Well, I should get back to helping Kathryn figure out our travel plans. The next time I post we will either be in Newport, Oregon, or San Diego, California!!
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Manzanita, Oregon
Wow, 2 days of a library/computer in a row! I'm getting spoiled... Today held dry skies, and we made it approximately 40 miles from Astoria down to Manzanita. This is a cute little beachfront town, and it's on the other side of 2 very trying hills. Since I'm currently towing Kathryn's trailer AND my panniers, the climbs were particularly interesting. (: We even got to go through a tunnel! There's a button you press to light up a flashing sign, which then warns motorists that there are cyclists in the tunnel - pretty cool. Oregon is SO beautiful. The views from the tops of the cliffs overlooking the ocean made the ridiculous climbs worthwhile. We've set up our tent for tonight already, and we can hear the ocean from our campsite. It will be so unreal to listen to the ocean as we drift off to sleep.
Per some combined advice we've received in the past day or so, we're likely going to head inland a bit sooner than originally planned, and catch the Amtrak in Albany, Oregon. That may even give us a few more days in southern California, with warmer temperatures and sunnier skies! But so far the trip has been great - and an amazing learning experience. I know that it will be over before I know it, and Kathryn and I are already saying how we don't want to go back to work. (; I'm already considering options for where my next touring trip will be. Perhaps I'll make it an annual journey, and go different places every year. At lunch today in town, I was looking at some Arizona Highways magazines, and that sure looks like a beautiful place to visit...
Well, enough for now. I'm sure I'll post again soon. Keep your fingers crossed for more dry days for us!
Per some combined advice we've received in the past day or so, we're likely going to head inland a bit sooner than originally planned, and catch the Amtrak in Albany, Oregon. That may even give us a few more days in southern California, with warmer temperatures and sunnier skies! But so far the trip has been great - and an amazing learning experience. I know that it will be over before I know it, and Kathryn and I are already saying how we don't want to go back to work. (; I'm already considering options for where my next touring trip will be. Perhaps I'll make it an annual journey, and go different places every year. At lunch today in town, I was looking at some Arizona Highways magazines, and that sure looks like a beautiful place to visit...
Well, enough for now. I'm sure I'll post again soon. Keep your fingers crossed for more dry days for us!
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Astoria, Oregon
We made it to Astoria - finally across the border! I'm 10 minutes overdue on my computer usage here at the library, but I figured I'd post a quick update. This was our 4th day of riding, and our 3rd day of rain. We've camped 2 nights, hostelled 1 night, and tonight we're staying at a motel to stay try (or rather, to dry out). We've met a lot of other cyclists, and a bunch of kind people.
Our plan now is to head south on 101 to Waldport, then take Rte 34 inland to Peoria Rd to Eugene, where we'll catch the train southward. I might even get to meet my coach in Santa Barbara!! I sure hope that works out in our plans...
I'd better get off the computer now. Hope to post again soon! (:
Our plan now is to head south on 101 to Waldport, then take Rte 34 inland to Peoria Rd to Eugene, where we'll catch the train southward. I might even get to meet my coach in Santa Barbara!! I sure hope that works out in our plans...
I'd better get off the computer now. Hope to post again soon! (:
Thursday, September 07, 2006
I can hardly believe it's really going to happen...
Tomorrow morning I leave town with my bags packed full of cycling and camping equipment. I will make a quick stop in Massachusetts to visit the fam, then I'm heading to Seattle to pedal down the coasts of Washington and Oregon. I've been wanting to do this for years, and now it's finally happening! It's hard to believe, and I don't think it will really sink in until I'm actually on my bike, on the road, without a care in the world except where I might sleep that night.
I'll try to post updates if I come upon an internet cafe, but no guarantees. (: I'll be thinking about all my loyal blog readers, nonetheless, and I appreciate the words of encouragement I've already gotten from quite a few people.
Catch you on the flip side!
I'll try to post updates if I come upon an internet cafe, but no guarantees. (: I'll be thinking about all my loyal blog readers, nonetheless, and I appreciate the words of encouragement I've already gotten from quite a few people.
Catch you on the flip side!
Monday, September 04, 2006
Back at the track!
Friday saw me back at the velodrome. I couldn't WAIT to go back and race! They don't have races in the middle of the summer (too hot, perhaps). Last week was the beginning of the Fall season, but I was at the HHH. So this Friday I'd race the 6-lap handicap, a miss-and-out, and an 18-lap points race. I knew the points race would be my best, and I'd just do the best I could on the other two.
For the handicap race, I was surprisingly NOT given the largest handicap - one junior was ahead of me - wohoo! I had another Spincycle rider hold me for the start, and we were OFF! Except he didn't let go of me! "GO! GO! GO!" I yelled. He finally let go, and as I tried to accelerate, Shelby zoomed past me. I caught her wheel, and was feeling pretty good. She pulled off, and I pulled for half a lap, and pulled off. Then I realized we were all there in the paceline. Eek! At this point there were about 3 laps left. Where was I supposed to go?? I didn't want to get caught at the back for the sprint, but I didn't want to be out in the wind for the rest of the race... I stayed to the right for a while, but eventually rolled to the back. I came in second to last, sprinting pretty hard to try to beat out Shelby, but I just couldn't make it.
After a few races to rest, I had the miss-and-out. My initial goal was to not be first out. Then I thought maybe I was setting my goals too low - maybe I should try not to be the first 2 out! Well, I made the first goal, but fell short of the second...nothing too surprising, but better than I've ever done before in that race!
Like I said, I knew that the 18-lap points race would be my best. We lined up, and I found myself a pretty good position after the neutral lap. But the quick juniors quickly picked up the pace, and I found myself struggling to hang on. As the points laps came and went, the pace quickened and slowed accordingly. I was able to work my way back to them so that I was never lapped, and sucked one kid's wheel quite a bit. Sometimes he would drag me back up to them, sometimes I would drag him, and sometimes we were too spread out to work together a lot. But I felt pretty good, and even lapped 2 other people. Definitely a good race.
The racing that night was sponsored by NWCC (Northwest Cyclery Club), which supports the Alkek Junior team, so Kathy made a big speech about how well the juniors had done at nationals this year. After she rattled off all the medals they'd won, I felt a LOT better about them beating me all the time. (: They're even sending 3 of their juniors to worlds!!
So I guess I learned that I've improved my fitness enough to not get lapped by the jr's in an 18-lap points race, and I'm getting better at the miss-and-outs. Other than that, still just working on fitness. But MAN I love racing the track!!!
By the way, if you didn't know, the City of Houston has decided to hand over track management to a newly formed non-profit organization, the Greater Houston Cycling Foundation (GHCF). We currently need to raise a lot of money just to keep the track alive. If you are interested in learning more, and/or donating money or items for an auction we'll be holding, visit http://www.houstontx.gov/alkekvelodrome/GHCF.htm. Thanks!!
For the handicap race, I was surprisingly NOT given the largest handicap - one junior was ahead of me - wohoo! I had another Spincycle rider hold me for the start, and we were OFF! Except he didn't let go of me! "GO! GO! GO!" I yelled. He finally let go, and as I tried to accelerate, Shelby zoomed past me. I caught her wheel, and was feeling pretty good. She pulled off, and I pulled for half a lap, and pulled off. Then I realized we were all there in the paceline. Eek! At this point there were about 3 laps left. Where was I supposed to go?? I didn't want to get caught at the back for the sprint, but I didn't want to be out in the wind for the rest of the race... I stayed to the right for a while, but eventually rolled to the back. I came in second to last, sprinting pretty hard to try to beat out Shelby, but I just couldn't make it.
After a few races to rest, I had the miss-and-out. My initial goal was to not be first out. Then I thought maybe I was setting my goals too low - maybe I should try not to be the first 2 out! Well, I made the first goal, but fell short of the second...nothing too surprising, but better than I've ever done before in that race!
Like I said, I knew that the 18-lap points race would be my best. We lined up, and I found myself a pretty good position after the neutral lap. But the quick juniors quickly picked up the pace, and I found myself struggling to hang on. As the points laps came and went, the pace quickened and slowed accordingly. I was able to work my way back to them so that I was never lapped, and sucked one kid's wheel quite a bit. Sometimes he would drag me back up to them, sometimes I would drag him, and sometimes we were too spread out to work together a lot. But I felt pretty good, and even lapped 2 other people. Definitely a good race.
The racing that night was sponsored by NWCC (Northwest Cyclery Club), which supports the Alkek Junior team, so Kathy made a big speech about how well the juniors had done at nationals this year. After she rattled off all the medals they'd won, I felt a LOT better about them beating me all the time. (: They're even sending 3 of their juniors to worlds!!
So I guess I learned that I've improved my fitness enough to not get lapped by the jr's in an 18-lap points race, and I'm getting better at the miss-and-outs. Other than that, still just working on fitness. But MAN I love racing the track!!!
By the way, if you didn't know, the City of Houston has decided to hand over track management to a newly formed non-profit organization, the Greater Houston Cycling Foundation (GHCF). We currently need to raise a lot of money just to keep the track alive. If you are interested in learning more, and/or donating money or items for an auction we'll be holding, visit http://www.houstontx.gov/alkekvelodrome/GHCF.htm. Thanks!!
Monday, August 28, 2006
Who's ever heard of Wichita Falls, Texas???
It was finally here - my goal event for the year: the Hotter 'n Hell Road Race and Criterium. The Hotter 'n Hell Hundred is a rally ride and 2-day race all in one. For a lot of people, it's just an awesome place to do a century (if you like the challenge of 100+ temps and LOTS of wind), and for some, it's a great weekend of racing. I went for the competition!
On Friday I left work at noon, and began my drive to Wichita Falls, a small town about 100 miles northwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. I drove into the parking lot of the events center where I'd pick up my packet, parked my car *in the shade*, and got out. WHOA. It was HOT! And it was already 7pm! The wind was blowing -- and the WIND was HOT! I was already starting to get psyched out. I had talked to my coach on the drive up, and he said I just needed to remember to hydrate. Man, would I ever! Laughing out loud (alone, mind you), I went to collect my race number and timing chip.
After that I drove to my hosts' house. (Side story: I ended up staying with a couple (Steve and Camille) whom I met on an airplane from Houston to Denver. We sat next to each other, and I inevitably ended up talking about cycling. They mentioned this famous ride that takes place annually in their town, and offered me their place to stay if I ever decided to go. Of course I took them up on the offer, since hotels are impossible to get, and expensive to boot -- there were 12,000 riders this year!) When I arrived, they were making a wonderful spaghetti dinner, "so that I could carb-load," according to them. They were also hosting one of Steve's friends, Scott, who was racing the Masters 35+ category. We had dinner, and I went to bed early because I had to wake up at 5am.
Saturday morning I followed my routine, ate my oatmeal and instant breakfast, got dressed, aired up my tires...the usual. Scott and I had decided to ride from the house to the starting line, and leave our spare wheels behind. (Luckily I never flatted or had any mechanical problems, so that was a good choice.) I filled 4 water bottles - 2 for my cages and 2 for my jersey pockets. There was only going to be 1 neutral feed, about 25 miles into the 62 mile race. That didn't make much sense to me, so I knew to not rely on that at all. As we rolled down to the race, it was still pitch black, but we saw more and more cyclists as we got closer. I was starting to get excited!
Lining up for the 7am start of the 100km race, I looked around and sized everyone up. There were apparently about 50 Women 4 racers, some first-timers and some racing veterans. Soon the head official gave us our pre-race schpiel and we were racing! It was starting to get light out, and definitely not too hot yet. We kept a relatively leisurely pace for quite a while, and then people would start to pick it up a bit as they alternated leading. I tried to at least stay in the front half of the pack. When I found myself drifting back, I'd work my way up again and find a good spot. The wind started to pick up, and it got harder to find a nice place in the draft. All in all, the race wasn't too interesting - a few times a girl or 2 would attempt a breakaway, but the pack chased them down immediately, and no one got away. The wind was the worst part of the whole race -- it felt like we only had a tailwind for about 5-10 miles. The rest of the time it was a stiff headwind or a brutal crosswind. This race was a great lesson in finding a good draft, and figuring out how to save your energy. At a fork in the road, some volunteers told us to go one direction, which turned out to be the wrong one. Luckily we were corrected less than half a mile later. I hear that some other categories weren't as lucky. About 15 miles from the finish, I looked behind me, expecting to see the second half of the pack, and no one was there!! Whoa. Two thoughts went through my head: (1) I need to work my way back to the middle, and (2) Where did everyone go??? I did a quick helmet-count, and came up with about 21. Crazy... Once we got closer to the finish line, the pace picked up more and more. I was at the back, and was having a hard time working my way up to the front, partially because I wasn't sure *when* I should make that move. The sprint seemed to start way too soon, and I came in 13th, inches ahead of someone else whom I caught just as we crossed the line. As I stumbled out of my pedals, a volunteer ran up to me to take off my timing chip from my ankle. I knew I hadn't done spectacularly, but I had stayed with the lead group the whole time - definitely an achievement.
Sunday was the criterium. Now, the race flyer said our race was at 1:45, with the W123 at 2:45. The race "bible" that they handed to us at check-in said that all women were racing at 2:45. When I got to the race around 10:30am, I went straight to the registration area to double-check -- they told me the time was indeed 2:45, according the race book. I have worked out a good timeline that I follow for all my races, so knowing how much time I have before the race (much less just knowing when to be at the start/finish line!) is important. About 2 hours before my race, I noticed other girls in my category already starting to get warmed up - did they know something I didn't?? I went up to an official who was obviously on break, and bothered him for an answer. According to his schedule, we raced at 1:45!!! AAAAHHH!!! Ok, no need to panic, just get changed and warmed up ASAP! Stupid registration people! So anyways, after all that, I went through my warmup routine as best as possible, and rolled over to the starting area. The head official seemed to know there had been a schedule mix-up, but all except for 1 of the registered women were there, so we started on (scheduled) time. There were about 10 of us, and we were dropping people left and right until there were only 5 of us left. We pacelined for the rest of the race, and in keeping with my lessons, I didn't sprint for any primes. The problem was that towards the end, I was starting to get mighty tired trying to catch up to the other 4 after the prime sprints. Luckily, Shelby's mom was there cheering my name, and that gave me a surprising amount of temporary energy to get back up and hang on. They were wearing me out! The final lap, everyone slowed down and we fell apart. Everyone was just looking around, and then one girl just took off. We tried to catch her, but it was too late - she had enough in her to keep her position, and came in first. I ended up in 5th. Afterwards, I was talking to the girl who came in 2nd, and she said that they were purposely trying to wear me out. She had pinpointed me, along with 2 other girls, as ones who could outsprint her, so she did her best to get rid of that possibility. I still feel like I should have beaten the woman who came in 4th, but I think I have some sort of psychological barrier that makes me feel like I can't beat her. I know how long she's been riding, and I know the way she acts and talks...and I guess I just still get psyched out by her.
What I learned:
(1) I can stay with the lead groups now. I've got the fitness. Now I just need to work on pack placement and sprinting. (Hahaha, "just" those things...probably the most difficult ones!)
(2) Apparently I've got the respect of my peers, if they think I can outsprint them. Now I need to work on being on the offensive instead of the defensive.
(3) Get rid of baseless psychological barriers!
What a GREAT race weekend. My host couple was AMAZING, I met a whole bunch of other women races from Texas and Oklahoma, and I learned what I've gotten good at and what I need work in. Definitely a success! (:
On Friday I left work at noon, and began my drive to Wichita Falls, a small town about 100 miles northwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. I drove into the parking lot of the events center where I'd pick up my packet, parked my car *in the shade*, and got out. WHOA. It was HOT! And it was already 7pm! The wind was blowing -- and the WIND was HOT! I was already starting to get psyched out. I had talked to my coach on the drive up, and he said I just needed to remember to hydrate. Man, would I ever! Laughing out loud (alone, mind you), I went to collect my race number and timing chip.
After that I drove to my hosts' house. (Side story: I ended up staying with a couple (Steve and Camille) whom I met on an airplane from Houston to Denver. We sat next to each other, and I inevitably ended up talking about cycling. They mentioned this famous ride that takes place annually in their town, and offered me their place to stay if I ever decided to go. Of course I took them up on the offer, since hotels are impossible to get, and expensive to boot -- there were 12,000 riders this year!) When I arrived, they were making a wonderful spaghetti dinner, "so that I could carb-load," according to them. They were also hosting one of Steve's friends, Scott, who was racing the Masters 35+ category. We had dinner, and I went to bed early because I had to wake up at 5am.
Saturday morning I followed my routine, ate my oatmeal and instant breakfast, got dressed, aired up my tires...the usual. Scott and I had decided to ride from the house to the starting line, and leave our spare wheels behind. (Luckily I never flatted or had any mechanical problems, so that was a good choice.) I filled 4 water bottles - 2 for my cages and 2 for my jersey pockets. There was only going to be 1 neutral feed, about 25 miles into the 62 mile race. That didn't make much sense to me, so I knew to not rely on that at all. As we rolled down to the race, it was still pitch black, but we saw more and more cyclists as we got closer. I was starting to get excited!
Lining up for the 7am start of the 100km race, I looked around and sized everyone up. There were apparently about 50 Women 4 racers, some first-timers and some racing veterans. Soon the head official gave us our pre-race schpiel and we were racing! It was starting to get light out, and definitely not too hot yet. We kept a relatively leisurely pace for quite a while, and then people would start to pick it up a bit as they alternated leading. I tried to at least stay in the front half of the pack. When I found myself drifting back, I'd work my way up again and find a good spot. The wind started to pick up, and it got harder to find a nice place in the draft. All in all, the race wasn't too interesting - a few times a girl or 2 would attempt a breakaway, but the pack chased them down immediately, and no one got away. The wind was the worst part of the whole race -- it felt like we only had a tailwind for about 5-10 miles. The rest of the time it was a stiff headwind or a brutal crosswind. This race was a great lesson in finding a good draft, and figuring out how to save your energy. At a fork in the road, some volunteers told us to go one direction, which turned out to be the wrong one. Luckily we were corrected less than half a mile later. I hear that some other categories weren't as lucky. About 15 miles from the finish, I looked behind me, expecting to see the second half of the pack, and no one was there!! Whoa. Two thoughts went through my head: (1) I need to work my way back to the middle, and (2) Where did everyone go??? I did a quick helmet-count, and came up with about 21. Crazy... Once we got closer to the finish line, the pace picked up more and more. I was at the back, and was having a hard time working my way up to the front, partially because I wasn't sure *when* I should make that move. The sprint seemed to start way too soon, and I came in 13th, inches ahead of someone else whom I caught just as we crossed the line. As I stumbled out of my pedals, a volunteer ran up to me to take off my timing chip from my ankle. I knew I hadn't done spectacularly, but I had stayed with the lead group the whole time - definitely an achievement.
Sunday was the criterium. Now, the race flyer said our race was at 1:45, with the W123 at 2:45. The race "bible" that they handed to us at check-in said that all women were racing at 2:45. When I got to the race around 10:30am, I went straight to the registration area to double-check -- they told me the time was indeed 2:45, according the race book. I have worked out a good timeline that I follow for all my races, so knowing how much time I have before the race (much less just knowing when to be at the start/finish line!) is important. About 2 hours before my race, I noticed other girls in my category already starting to get warmed up - did they know something I didn't?? I went up to an official who was obviously on break, and bothered him for an answer. According to his schedule, we raced at 1:45!!! AAAAHHH!!! Ok, no need to panic, just get changed and warmed up ASAP! Stupid registration people! So anyways, after all that, I went through my warmup routine as best as possible, and rolled over to the starting area. The head official seemed to know there had been a schedule mix-up, but all except for 1 of the registered women were there, so we started on (scheduled) time. There were about 10 of us, and we were dropping people left and right until there were only 5 of us left. We pacelined for the rest of the race, and in keeping with my lessons, I didn't sprint for any primes. The problem was that towards the end, I was starting to get mighty tired trying to catch up to the other 4 after the prime sprints. Luckily, Shelby's mom was there cheering my name, and that gave me a surprising amount of temporary energy to get back up and hang on. They were wearing me out! The final lap, everyone slowed down and we fell apart. Everyone was just looking around, and then one girl just took off. We tried to catch her, but it was too late - she had enough in her to keep her position, and came in first. I ended up in 5th. Afterwards, I was talking to the girl who came in 2nd, and she said that they were purposely trying to wear me out. She had pinpointed me, along with 2 other girls, as ones who could outsprint her, so she did her best to get rid of that possibility. I still feel like I should have beaten the woman who came in 4th, but I think I have some sort of psychological barrier that makes me feel like I can't beat her. I know how long she's been riding, and I know the way she acts and talks...and I guess I just still get psyched out by her.
What I learned:
(1) I can stay with the lead groups now. I've got the fitness. Now I just need to work on pack placement and sprinting. (Hahaha, "just" those things...probably the most difficult ones!)
(2) Apparently I've got the respect of my peers, if they think I can outsprint them. Now I need to work on being on the offensive instead of the defensive.
(3) Get rid of baseless psychological barriers!
What a GREAT race weekend. My host couple was AMAZING, I met a whole bunch of other women races from Texas and Oklahoma, and I learned what I've gotten good at and what I need work in. Definitely a success! (:
Thursday, August 10, 2006
One-Year Racing Anniversary!
This past Sunday, I raced in the Bear Creek Criterium for the second year. Last year this race was my very first USCF race ever! I actually met Aimee Cormier at this race last year, and it was the first race for both of us. She was there again, and we greeted each other accordingly.
I got to the race in plenty of time to register, change, and, most importantly, WARM UP SUFFICIENTLY! I really tried hard to warm up better than I have been, by doing my prescribed intervals and all that good stuff. I had made sure to eat a good breakfast, and had a Clif bar 2 hours before the race. Then I just kept drinking water.
As I rode over to the start/finish line, I started to get a litle nervous, but after the normal pre-race lecture, we were off, and I had no time to be nervous anymore. Once again, we raced with the juniors, and they took off right from the gun, as usual. I knew I needed to keep up with the fast women in order to even be in the running, so I took off with them. The course wasn't very technical - just one sharp turn, that took a bit of getting used to. At one point, the wheels of the girl ahead of me seemed to slip out from under her, but she somehow stayed upright, and there wasn't an incident.
As the race continued, I was definitely expending energy trying to keep up with the lead group. By this time there were about 4 of us Women 4's riding together, with the occasional 5th person grabbing a wheel. At some point, we were passing a line of juniors on the inside, and someone wobbled, someone else braked, and 2 girls went crashing into the gravel. I screamed as I heard someone get a flat, but I stayed upright, and we kept going. At this point, I think there were just 3 of us in our paceline: me, Joyce, and Michelle. Joyce and Michelle pulled much more than I, but I saw that as their own fault for not pulling off when they got tired. So I just sat in and enjoyed the draft. As they started putting signs up with 5 laps to go, I started getting pretty excited -- I could actually be a factor in the final sprint! With 1 lap to go, 2 or 3 juniors got between me and the 2 other women (I was in the back). This made me a little nervous, because I didn't want the women to jump away from me, in case they knew I wasn't right behind them. But I hung on, and as we came through the final turn, I crept a bit closer. Then the juniors started to sprint. As the 3rd junior passed me, another W4 came out from behind, and I jumped on it. I just KNEW Joyce would be right behind me, but as I passed her, she showed no signs up picking up her pace. The girl who came from behind me was still ahead, but I thought we'd lapped her, so I just dug in, panting like crazy. I crossed the finish line beside 2 juniors, and behind that other W4. As I rolled around the course to cool down, I was having trouble believing I'd just won my first race! I wasn't sure if the girl in front of me was really lapped, but when I spoke to Joyce and Michelle afterwards, they seemed convinced that I'd won (and they'd taken 2nd and 3rd). I waited around for the results, and my name was listed as 2nd. I didn't argue, and took my silver medal. But Mike, who'd come to watch, was also positive I'd been 1st. So today I checked the race results on the TxBRA website, and, sure enough, I came in FIRST!
Wow.
There are 4 main reasons this happened:
1) Committment to my training, along with the fact that I have a coach to guide me.
2) Fueling well.
3) A great warm up.
4) Lessons learned from previous crits:
Lesson 1: Don't bother sprinting for primes if I want to be in the final running. This one I learned at the Houston Grand Criterium.
Lesson 2: Staying with the pack is ESSENTIAL. There's no way I'm catching up if I don't hang on in the first place.
Lesson 3: I have to warm up more than I think I do. I won't wear myself out on a warmup!
I'm sure there's a lot more, but that's what I've got for now. It feels really dang good to be a winner. Now I'm gearing up for the Tour of Columbus crit this Saturday...we'll see how it goes!
In other news, I flew on the "Vomit Comet" today and it was AWESOME. I got to feel weightless. : D
I'll hopefully be posting after the TOC crit.
I got to the race in plenty of time to register, change, and, most importantly, WARM UP SUFFICIENTLY! I really tried hard to warm up better than I have been, by doing my prescribed intervals and all that good stuff. I had made sure to eat a good breakfast, and had a Clif bar 2 hours before the race. Then I just kept drinking water.
As I rode over to the start/finish line, I started to get a litle nervous, but after the normal pre-race lecture, we were off, and I had no time to be nervous anymore. Once again, we raced with the juniors, and they took off right from the gun, as usual. I knew I needed to keep up with the fast women in order to even be in the running, so I took off with them. The course wasn't very technical - just one sharp turn, that took a bit of getting used to. At one point, the wheels of the girl ahead of me seemed to slip out from under her, but she somehow stayed upright, and there wasn't an incident.
As the race continued, I was definitely expending energy trying to keep up with the lead group. By this time there were about 4 of us Women 4's riding together, with the occasional 5th person grabbing a wheel. At some point, we were passing a line of juniors on the inside, and someone wobbled, someone else braked, and 2 girls went crashing into the gravel. I screamed as I heard someone get a flat, but I stayed upright, and we kept going. At this point, I think there were just 3 of us in our paceline: me, Joyce, and Michelle. Joyce and Michelle pulled much more than I, but I saw that as their own fault for not pulling off when they got tired. So I just sat in and enjoyed the draft. As they started putting signs up with 5 laps to go, I started getting pretty excited -- I could actually be a factor in the final sprint! With 1 lap to go, 2 or 3 juniors got between me and the 2 other women (I was in the back). This made me a little nervous, because I didn't want the women to jump away from me, in case they knew I wasn't right behind them. But I hung on, and as we came through the final turn, I crept a bit closer. Then the juniors started to sprint. As the 3rd junior passed me, another W4 came out from behind, and I jumped on it. I just KNEW Joyce would be right behind me, but as I passed her, she showed no signs up picking up her pace. The girl who came from behind me was still ahead, but I thought we'd lapped her, so I just dug in, panting like crazy. I crossed the finish line beside 2 juniors, and behind that other W4. As I rolled around the course to cool down, I was having trouble believing I'd just won my first race! I wasn't sure if the girl in front of me was really lapped, but when I spoke to Joyce and Michelle afterwards, they seemed convinced that I'd won (and they'd taken 2nd and 3rd). I waited around for the results, and my name was listed as 2nd. I didn't argue, and took my silver medal. But Mike, who'd come to watch, was also positive I'd been 1st. So today I checked the race results on the TxBRA website, and, sure enough, I came in FIRST!
Wow.
There are 4 main reasons this happened:
1) Committment to my training, along with the fact that I have a coach to guide me.
2) Fueling well.
3) A great warm up.
4) Lessons learned from previous crits:
Lesson 1: Don't bother sprinting for primes if I want to be in the final running. This one I learned at the Houston Grand Criterium.
Lesson 2: Staying with the pack is ESSENTIAL. There's no way I'm catching up if I don't hang on in the first place.
Lesson 3: I have to warm up more than I think I do. I won't wear myself out on a warmup!
I'm sure there's a lot more, but that's what I've got for now. It feels really dang good to be a winner. Now I'm gearing up for the Tour of Columbus crit this Saturday...we'll see how it goes!
In other news, I flew on the "Vomit Comet" today and it was AWESOME. I got to feel weightless. : D
I'll hopefully be posting after the TOC crit.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Short Update
Racing has been uneventful lately. On July 19th I raced the Memorial Park Crit, and stayed with the pack for over 30 minutes - a major improvement for me. Last weekend I did the Texas State Time Trial (40 km), and sucked it up horribly. Out of 14 riders, I was 11th, over 14 minutes behind the winner. But looking back on it, I can really see my improvement over the past year or so. To average 18.98 mph on my own, over a period of 1hr, 18min, 34sec, is something I couldn't have done a year ago. Since my start in the racing scene last August, and especially since starting with CTS, I can tell that my endurance is up, my thresholds are up, and I'm just stronger overall. I know that the road I've chosen is a long one, so I'm learning to get my satisfaction from these small improvements.
I'm also enjoying the challenge of finding a way to do my workouts when I'm on the road. I've gotten to ride around the Cocoa Beach, Florida, area, as well as rural Maryland just this past week. And I even got to bring my bike with me to South Dakota! The places I've gotten to see are ones I wouldn't have if I didn't need to ride my bike all the time.
Now I'm gearing up for a month of 3 crits and a road race, followed by a month of riding down the West Coast!
I'm also enjoying the challenge of finding a way to do my workouts when I'm on the road. I've gotten to ride around the Cocoa Beach, Florida, area, as well as rural Maryland just this past week. And I even got to bring my bike with me to South Dakota! The places I've gotten to see are ones I wouldn't have if I didn't need to ride my bike all the time.
Now I'm gearing up for a month of 3 crits and a road race, followed by a month of riding down the West Coast!
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Memorial Park Crit Series (x2) & Saturday Night @ the Track
A few Wednesdays ago I went out to the second night (my first) of the Memorial Park Crit series in downtown Houston. I left work late, ate too much at lunch, couldn't find the registration table or race area, and didn't have time to warm up. Taking all that into consideration, I think I did alright. I hung on to a group with a few other W4's and a bunch of Men (maybe 8-10 of us total). The category was 4/5 (mixed M/W). At the end, 2 of the W4's on GCCA blocked me out for the sprint finish. Oh well, that's what they're supposed to do.
Then on Saturday, June 17, I raced with Team SpinCycle at the velodrome. The Saturday Night Races are much more relaxed than the Friday ones, but challenging as well. They're mostly sprints (which I didn't do), and a few scratch and points races. I raced in the Senior 4/5 Category. I earned a few points for the team in 2 separate races, and even came in 4th in the last race. I think by the time the 3rd (last) race came around, I'd figured out where I needed to be in the pack, and learned whose wheel to follow. My teammates gave me some good drafts and breaks, and it turned out alright. All in all, my first experience on a team was pretty positive. Plus another team attempted to recruit me (Team Tilson Homes). They're trying to increase their female membership, so I'm apparently a hot commodity. : p
Yesterday I raced the Memorial Park Crit again. This time I left work early enough to get there, register, and warm up for a decent amount of time. I stayed with the lead group for about a lap and a half, when I started to freak out with all the people around me on the corners. Now, don't get me wrong, this isn't a very techinical course. There are corners and such, but the roadway is nice, no gravel, no big potholes, no manhole covers...just corners. So anyways, I got nervous, backed off on my pace, and lost the pack. I tried to catch back on, but couldn't, and spent the rest of the race until the last 3 laps all by myself. Literally. I would look as far ahead of me and as bar behind me as I possibly could, and would see NO ONE. And this is only a 1.1-mile course. When I finally caught glimpse of a guy ahead of me who'd fallen off the back of the pack, I set myself an intermediate goal of catching him. But a half-lap later, I noticed the pack gaining on me, and lost my guy. Well, I got lapped about 3 times by the pack. The second time I got lapped, I tried to catch back on, was doing great, and then heard a big POP! sound. The guy next to me looked at my bike and yelled, "FLAT!" so I pulled off, got off my bike...and realized I DIDN'T have a flat. Boy, was I frustrated. Well, now I know not to listen to other people during a race. So then I got back on my bike, with a little less enthusiasm now, and kept going. Three laps from the finish, I was able to catch and draft off a SWCC rider, but the finish was very anticlimactic. Mike came to watch, and, when prompted, admitted it wasn't one of my better races. It was all very strange, though, because I was all alone. Later, Mike told me there were a few people behind me, and obviously at least that one guy ahead of me, aside from the lead pack, but I had no one to work with, and was all by myself for basically the whole race. It made the race seem pretty pointless, since part of my purpose in doing these crits is to practice pack riding in technical situations. Afterwards, I talked to Rod (a Cat4 who got 2nd) and Mark (from Tilson who must be a Cat2), and they both told me I have the fitness, I just need to work on my nerves and trusting my bike and stuff... I guess that's encouraging.
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. Life has just been too busy! This weekend, I'm headed to the Cape (Canaveral, that is) for the Space Shuttle launch. Next week I might race Memorial Park again if I'm back from Florida in time. The State Road Race Champs (north of Austin) got postponed because they were intended to be held on a military base, but the troops there got activated so we weren't allowed on. State TT Champs in Patterson (west of Houston) are in a few weeks - only my second TT ever, so should be interesting. I'll let y'all know how it goes!
Then on Saturday, June 17, I raced with Team SpinCycle at the velodrome. The Saturday Night Races are much more relaxed than the Friday ones, but challenging as well. They're mostly sprints (which I didn't do), and a few scratch and points races. I raced in the Senior 4/5 Category. I earned a few points for the team in 2 separate races, and even came in 4th in the last race. I think by the time the 3rd (last) race came around, I'd figured out where I needed to be in the pack, and learned whose wheel to follow. My teammates gave me some good drafts and breaks, and it turned out alright. All in all, my first experience on a team was pretty positive. Plus another team attempted to recruit me (Team Tilson Homes). They're trying to increase their female membership, so I'm apparently a hot commodity. : p
Yesterday I raced the Memorial Park Crit again. This time I left work early enough to get there, register, and warm up for a decent amount of time. I stayed with the lead group for about a lap and a half, when I started to freak out with all the people around me on the corners. Now, don't get me wrong, this isn't a very techinical course. There are corners and such, but the roadway is nice, no gravel, no big potholes, no manhole covers...just corners. So anyways, I got nervous, backed off on my pace, and lost the pack. I tried to catch back on, but couldn't, and spent the rest of the race until the last 3 laps all by myself. Literally. I would look as far ahead of me and as bar behind me as I possibly could, and would see NO ONE. And this is only a 1.1-mile course. When I finally caught glimpse of a guy ahead of me who'd fallen off the back of the pack, I set myself an intermediate goal of catching him. But a half-lap later, I noticed the pack gaining on me, and lost my guy. Well, I got lapped about 3 times by the pack. The second time I got lapped, I tried to catch back on, was doing great, and then heard a big POP! sound. The guy next to me looked at my bike and yelled, "FLAT!" so I pulled off, got off my bike...and realized I DIDN'T have a flat. Boy, was I frustrated. Well, now I know not to listen to other people during a race. So then I got back on my bike, with a little less enthusiasm now, and kept going. Three laps from the finish, I was able to catch and draft off a SWCC rider, but the finish was very anticlimactic. Mike came to watch, and, when prompted, admitted it wasn't one of my better races. It was all very strange, though, because I was all alone. Later, Mike told me there were a few people behind me, and obviously at least that one guy ahead of me, aside from the lead pack, but I had no one to work with, and was all by myself for basically the whole race. It made the race seem pretty pointless, since part of my purpose in doing these crits is to practice pack riding in technical situations. Afterwards, I talked to Rod (a Cat4 who got 2nd) and Mark (from Tilson who must be a Cat2), and they both told me I have the fitness, I just need to work on my nerves and trusting my bike and stuff... I guess that's encouraging.
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. Life has just been too busy! This weekend, I'm headed to the Cape (Canaveral, that is) for the Space Shuttle launch. Next week I might race Memorial Park again if I'm back from Florida in time. The State Road Race Champs (north of Austin) got postponed because they were intended to be held on a military base, but the troops there got activated so we weren't allowed on. State TT Champs in Patterson (west of Houston) are in a few weeks - only my second TT ever, so should be interesting. I'll let y'all know how it goes!
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