So, i raced this race not because i needed to or should have, since technically i am supposed to be resting. but i couldn't help myself- winter park has some of the most fun trails ever, and i couldn't pass up the opportunity to burn my lungs while experiencing some of the best mountain biking around.
i drove up saturday morning at 6am to get there in time to register. after drinking 2 cups of coffee on the drive up, i topped it off with a 3rd as i found a parking spot to unload and get ready. unfortunately i couldn't convince anyone else to come with me, since everyone is "resting." so i was flying solo, but there where plenty of girls who showed so it ended up being a pretty good race. i rode to the start line, which is about a 40 minute ride. the temp was about 50 degrees, so i had to peel off clothes as the sun came up and hide them behind a tree to get later.
the first 3 miles of the race is on a gravel road, and before long we had dwindled the group down to about 7 of us before the first climb. i paced myself pretty easy at the beginning, thinking back to the last time i did this race- and remembering how i blew pretty quick. to my surprise the climb was a lot easier than i remember- and that would apply to many other parts of the course too that i had thought were hard or tricky last year, but once i got to them it was no big deal. i guess thats a good sign- i must be getting better on technical stuff.
and then it happened again- i flatted. before the first rocky decent, which was pretty fast, i felt my tire bottoming out on the rocks. i rode it as long as i could, and finally stopped to put a tube in. i am pretty sure that tire is defective, so i am putting a new one on before keystone. i lost about 5 minutes, which was the gap that melissa thomas had on me at the end. suck. i ended up 5th- so i rode back to the car, cleaned the bike and headed to dillon lake to meet my brother Jay and his family for a little sailing. definitely a good way to end the afternoon- the weather was perfect, although we could have used a bit more wind- no complaints here though, the boat was a nice way to relax after the race, and surrounded by mountains, it doesn't get much better than that...
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
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Monday, August 13, 2007
finals at snowmass
the season has finally come to an end. i just got back from snowmass, CO this morning and now its back to reality and work. It was a good season up until i got sick right after deer valley, and i am still taking antibiotics to help kill the stuff messing up my intestines.
i knew racing this past weekend was not going to be easy- the course had quite a bit of climbing in it, and some good technical single track thrown in. actually the course should have been good for me, only i haven't been training really and thats not good for a race like this. but thinking that its the last race, i went out super hard on the start of the xc- thats not what i usually do. i blew up pretty hard, and got passed all the way up the second climb. after the first hour, i started feeling better, and by the second lap i found my rhythm and began picking girls off. by this time though i needed to really make up some lost time, and i rode the decent on the second lap sloppy and burped my tire. i had one CO2 in my pocket, and decided to just put some air in instead of putting a tube in. bad idea. the tire went flat again, and i had to ride it down the entire decent flat. i am pretty sure i ruined my rim, and got passed by most of the girls i had worked to pass earlier. needless to say, it was my worst finish of the season.
for the short track the next day, i was ready to go- i had a great warm up and felt good considering the suffering i did the day before. i had a great line i was looking to take off the start on the inside corner. i got there alright, but instead of moving up, i was flipping over a kenda girl who wiped out in front of me. not cool. as i picked myself up and ripped my bike from the pile of carnage, my adrenaline took over. i looked up the climb and realized i was already almost a half a lap behind. thats not good. i sprinted up the hill and caught the tail end, and began passing girls while feeling like i was breathing through a tube. im not sure if i have ever heard myself breathe that hard before. anyway, i got pulled pretty quick since i was so far back. i got a good 12 minutes in- a good opener for super D in a couple hours.
i rode the chair lift up for a super D practice run for the first time in my life without a snowboard attached to my feet. after experiencing the beauty of the mountain and the ease of getting to the top, i might have to do that more often-
for super D, i rode my hard tail. only because that was the only bike i had. a dual would have been MUCH more comfortable to say the least. but whatever, i was doing it for fun- it was the last race of the season and why not show off my lack of downhilling skills. the start was interesting- we had to lay our bikes down about 20 ft away, then lay on our backs. when the guy said go, we jumped up, ran and grabbed our bikes, ran with them up a hill around some cones, set them back down, ran to touch a line about 30 ft away, then run back to the bikes and ride up a gravel road. i was tired just from that- i could have run faster, but i was laughing too hard. i suppose if i took the whole thing more seriously, i could have done better.
after all that racing, it was time to have a little fun. at a local restaurant in snowmass, there was a themed 80's party with a DJ where everyone who was staying that night in town attended. i haven't danced that much since college- it was a great way to end the season. it was sort of sad though since i probably wont see some teammates until next xc season. but, the end of xc means the beginning of cross, and thats something to look forward to. look out. here i come.
i knew racing this past weekend was not going to be easy- the course had quite a bit of climbing in it, and some good technical single track thrown in. actually the course should have been good for me, only i haven't been training really and thats not good for a race like this. but thinking that its the last race, i went out super hard on the start of the xc- thats not what i usually do. i blew up pretty hard, and got passed all the way up the second climb. after the first hour, i started feeling better, and by the second lap i found my rhythm and began picking girls off. by this time though i needed to really make up some lost time, and i rode the decent on the second lap sloppy and burped my tire. i had one CO2 in my pocket, and decided to just put some air in instead of putting a tube in. bad idea. the tire went flat again, and i had to ride it down the entire decent flat. i am pretty sure i ruined my rim, and got passed by most of the girls i had worked to pass earlier. needless to say, it was my worst finish of the season.
for the short track the next day, i was ready to go- i had a great warm up and felt good considering the suffering i did the day before. i had a great line i was looking to take off the start on the inside corner. i got there alright, but instead of moving up, i was flipping over a kenda girl who wiped out in front of me. not cool. as i picked myself up and ripped my bike from the pile of carnage, my adrenaline took over. i looked up the climb and realized i was already almost a half a lap behind. thats not good. i sprinted up the hill and caught the tail end, and began passing girls while feeling like i was breathing through a tube. im not sure if i have ever heard myself breathe that hard before. anyway, i got pulled pretty quick since i was so far back. i got a good 12 minutes in- a good opener for super D in a couple hours.
i rode the chair lift up for a super D practice run for the first time in my life without a snowboard attached to my feet. after experiencing the beauty of the mountain and the ease of getting to the top, i might have to do that more often-
for super D, i rode my hard tail. only because that was the only bike i had. a dual would have been MUCH more comfortable to say the least. but whatever, i was doing it for fun- it was the last race of the season and why not show off my lack of downhilling skills. the start was interesting- we had to lay our bikes down about 20 ft away, then lay on our backs. when the guy said go, we jumped up, ran and grabbed our bikes, ran with them up a hill around some cones, set them back down, ran to touch a line about 30 ft away, then run back to the bikes and ride up a gravel road. i was tired just from that- i could have run faster, but i was laughing too hard. i suppose if i took the whole thing more seriously, i could have done better.
after all that racing, it was time to have a little fun. at a local restaurant in snowmass, there was a themed 80's party with a DJ where everyone who was staying that night in town attended. i haven't danced that much since college- it was a great way to end the season. it was sort of sad though since i probably wont see some teammates until next xc season. but, the end of xc means the beginning of cross, and thats something to look forward to. look out. here i come.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Mt Snow Vt Nationals
not even sure why i am writing about this race- i didn't do it. but, i flew out anyway since i was planning on seeing my dad in between VT and NC and i was really looking forward to that.
So basically i stood on the sidelines and watched my teammates suffer through the muddy course. I prerode the day before with the team, and actually really liked the course, but i felt like crap if i tried to go hard. watching from the feed zone wasn't fun, but it was kinda cool to see all the girls at the front suffering as much as i usually do. that was good to see. Mary won, which wasn't a big surprise, since she races well in those conditions.
we drove away that rainy monday morning towards Hershey, PA where my dad lives. Natasha drove, and Erika and i navigated. my two older brothers Jay and Lenny were there monday night, which was pretty cool since i hadn't seen lenny in years. tuesday we went for a great ride with my dad, who took us to some trails by his house. i was a bit worried since my dad hadn't been on the mountain bike in a year, but he totally tore it up- i was so proud of him. the trails were in great condition, and we played around on them for a good 2+ hours. we went to his favorite ice cream place after dinner, and i got a death by chocolate sundae. if your gonna go, go big. we stopped by the local farmers market and got a lesson from a local guy about picking the right watermelon. east coast people are definitely a little different..
my dad stuffed us full of good food (his famous pancakes, which were EXCELLENT!) and sent us on our way wednesday morning, headed down to NC for the next race. back in the car.. woohooooo!
So basically i stood on the sidelines and watched my teammates suffer through the muddy course. I prerode the day before with the team, and actually really liked the course, but i felt like crap if i tried to go hard. watching from the feed zone wasn't fun, but it was kinda cool to see all the girls at the front suffering as much as i usually do. that was good to see. Mary won, which wasn't a big surprise, since she races well in those conditions.
we drove away that rainy monday morning towards Hershey, PA where my dad lives. Natasha drove, and Erika and i navigated. my two older brothers Jay and Lenny were there monday night, which was pretty cool since i hadn't seen lenny in years. tuesday we went for a great ride with my dad, who took us to some trails by his house. i was a bit worried since my dad hadn't been on the mountain bike in a year, but he totally tore it up- i was so proud of him. the trails were in great condition, and we played around on them for a good 2+ hours. we went to his favorite ice cream place after dinner, and i got a death by chocolate sundae. if your gonna go, go big. we stopped by the local farmers market and got a lesson from a local guy about picking the right watermelon. east coast people are definitely a little different..
my dad stuffed us full of good food (his famous pancakes, which were EXCELLENT!) and sent us on our way wednesday morning, headed down to NC for the next race. back in the car.. woohooooo!
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Still sick
so, this whole sickness thing is really getting to me. I have to restart my antibiotics again since it didn't work the first time. So, i have another 10 days of drugs. suck-o-rama.
just got back a couple days ago from the last 2 norbas, nationals in VT and in NC.
thats all for now. kinda tired. write more later.
jen
just got back a couple days ago from the last 2 norbas, nationals in VT and in NC.
thats all for now. kinda tired. write more later.
jen
Friday, July 06, 2007
Firecracker in Breckenridge
wow so, i really had no idea how hard the national marathon race in Breckenridge was going to be. I figured, i would ride it, and enjoy the awesome trails while getting a little training in. I didnt realize it was going to be one of the most mentally and physically challenging races i have done this year. actually, maybe ever.
the race was 2 laps of 25 miles each, with each lap consisting of around 5,500 ft of climbing. thats a lot of climbing.
the atmosphere of downtown main street was perfect for 4th of july- the hot sun shining, hundreds of people congregating, flags and plenty of red white and blue. behind us where we lined up to start racing, a parade was waiting to begin after us. the racers started in waves, being a neutral lead out through town, as kids lined the street extending their arms hoping to get a high five from us as we rode by. i think that was the highlight of my race. at the end of main street, the racing began. i knew it was going to be a long race, so i paced myself. and after not feeling so hot and being on antibiotics, this race was purely for fun. so i thought.
the first climb, which was over 5 miles, took longer than i thought. i had a really hard time figuring out what kind of pace to do in order to make it through the race. i backed off a bit at the top, and looking back, i think i could have gone a bit harder. it was hard to see everyone go passed me, but i knew i had to race my own race.
after the first lap, my arms and back hurt worse than i had ever felt. i really didnt think i could do another lap- the downhills were way more rocky than i remembered from preriding, and i wished i had ridden a soft tail since my back began to spasm and i had to stop before the first climb. i lost about 10 minutes as i waited for my back to stop piercing with pain. i rode up the first climb again, and i decided to divide the race up into sections- and i congratulated myself as i completed each climb and decent. these small personal motivations and accomplishments was all i had to get me through that last lap. i think i became a bit delirious toward the end, since i was mistaking stumps for other racers. pretty funny actually. there was plenty of aid stations to feed us, so i think i did an ok job of drinking. but now that i am home, and now that i have some sort of stomach virus that is causing me to be in the bathroom every hour and i can't keep any food or water in my body since the race, i am wondering if the volunteers where reusing the bottles that where thrown from other racers. i haven't had a real meal since before the race on the 4th. not so good for recovery. i was going to do a race in winter park tomorrow, but i think i am too weak. i may just have to stick around boulder and do some road riding to get myself back up and going.
i am glad i did it, and i think once i recover i will be fine. every race after this will seem so short!
the race was 2 laps of 25 miles each, with each lap consisting of around 5,500 ft of climbing. thats a lot of climbing.
the atmosphere of downtown main street was perfect for 4th of july- the hot sun shining, hundreds of people congregating, flags and plenty of red white and blue. behind us where we lined up to start racing, a parade was waiting to begin after us. the racers started in waves, being a neutral lead out through town, as kids lined the street extending their arms hoping to get a high five from us as we rode by. i think that was the highlight of my race. at the end of main street, the racing began. i knew it was going to be a long race, so i paced myself. and after not feeling so hot and being on antibiotics, this race was purely for fun. so i thought.
the first climb, which was over 5 miles, took longer than i thought. i had a really hard time figuring out what kind of pace to do in order to make it through the race. i backed off a bit at the top, and looking back, i think i could have gone a bit harder. it was hard to see everyone go passed me, but i knew i had to race my own race.
after the first lap, my arms and back hurt worse than i had ever felt. i really didnt think i could do another lap- the downhills were way more rocky than i remembered from preriding, and i wished i had ridden a soft tail since my back began to spasm and i had to stop before the first climb. i lost about 10 minutes as i waited for my back to stop piercing with pain. i rode up the first climb again, and i decided to divide the race up into sections- and i congratulated myself as i completed each climb and decent. these small personal motivations and accomplishments was all i had to get me through that last lap. i think i became a bit delirious toward the end, since i was mistaking stumps for other racers. pretty funny actually. there was plenty of aid stations to feed us, so i think i did an ok job of drinking. but now that i am home, and now that i have some sort of stomach virus that is causing me to be in the bathroom every hour and i can't keep any food or water in my body since the race, i am wondering if the volunteers where reusing the bottles that where thrown from other racers. i haven't had a real meal since before the race on the 4th. not so good for recovery. i was going to do a race in winter park tomorrow, but i think i am too weak. i may just have to stick around boulder and do some road riding to get myself back up and going.
i am glad i did it, and i think once i recover i will be fine. every race after this will seem so short!
Monday, June 25, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Deer Valley 07
I was really looking forward to Deer Valley, since its the first norba at altitude and finally some climbing. i was ready to test out my fitness and if doing all the climbing in boulder has helped- and i have to say i felt way better this year at this race than the past two years. i got the chance to drive to a race finally, and save the money of flying and packing the bike which i was glad to miss. i got in thursday night and met up with some teammates at kimber's house, who live about 10 minutes from the venue. the next day i prerode with kristin and shannon and the trail was faster than i remember- or maybe i just felt better. who knows. but i was pretty excited about it. yeah, there was quite a bit of climbing, but thats the part i usually like. but on this course, i liked every part of it- the downhills where so much more fun than last year. on saturday, we had the luxury of racing earlier, while the men's race didn't start until 2pm- they sweltered in the heat. it was hot for our race, but i was pretty glad we started at 11am, so we were done by the time it got sticky hot.
anyway, i had an ok start, and then i got caught behind some chaos (as usual in a women's field) that set me back a bit on the first lap. it was frustrating, but knowing that i had 3 laps i figured i could make up some time. as the race went on, i felt better and better. on the third lap though i think i settled into my rhythm too much and could have pushed a bit harder. but, i am happy with my result, which was 28th. although i had thought after finishing i was 26th, but oh well. i am feeling stronger at every race, so thats something.
the next day was short track, and i had a great start. i was second row behind chloe and shonny, and after discussing starts with Wendy, i felt like it was now or never- i went for it, and was top 10 for about 2 minutes- and then chaos found me, and i was stuck behind crashes and girls unable to ride their bikes in front of me. how do i always get stuck in that? needless to say, i had an ok finish of 30th. kinda sad since i knew i felt good, and i had the perfect hole shot.
afterward krisitin and i went and rode away our sorrows from another pitiful short track by riding some trails.
the next morning i drove back to broomfield, back to work and reality.
anyway, i had an ok start, and then i got caught behind some chaos (as usual in a women's field) that set me back a bit on the first lap. it was frustrating, but knowing that i had 3 laps i figured i could make up some time. as the race went on, i felt better and better. on the third lap though i think i settled into my rhythm too much and could have pushed a bit harder. but, i am happy with my result, which was 28th. although i had thought after finishing i was 26th, but oh well. i am feeling stronger at every race, so thats something.
the next day was short track, and i had a great start. i was second row behind chloe and shonny, and after discussing starts with Wendy, i felt like it was now or never- i went for it, and was top 10 for about 2 minutes- and then chaos found me, and i was stuck behind crashes and girls unable to ride their bikes in front of me. how do i always get stuck in that? needless to say, i had an ok finish of 30th. kinda sad since i knew i felt good, and i had the perfect hole shot.
afterward krisitin and i went and rode away our sorrows from another pitiful short track by riding some trails.
the next morning i drove back to broomfield, back to work and reality.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Winter Park Hill Climb
Wow, so i guess i am not a climber- i just got my butt kicked at the hill climb in winter park. it starts at 9,000ft and it climbs up service roads for 5 miles to Mary jane ski area, to over 11,000ft. i heard the view up top was cool, but i just went through the finish, and immediately turned around and rode back down. i know, i shouldn't be such a sore looser, but i felt like i was going backwards and everyone passed me after the start. i pulled my way back up to 6th, but i didn't feel very good. i figured that i needed a good warmup for this, so i rode for about 2 hours before. didn't help. i am the kind of rider that always has a better second half of a xc race- so i am blaming it on the fact that if i had another 5 miles or 2,000ft, i could have won. just kidding. but seriously, i am hoping i was just having a bad day, and that i really am ok at climbing. really.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Teva Games
Last saturday i went up to Vail to meet up with a couple teammates and a climber for the teva games. i really had no idea what it was all about, other than there was a huge purse for the pro racers and i figured i would give it a shot since there is usually no money in mountain bike racing so what the hell. i drove down friday night and we all stayed in this nice but small condo- there were a set of bunk beds in a closet (no joke) that i had the honors of sleeping in- i called the bottom, in case i got too claustrophobic. it was pretty funny actually. barb got the room, which i figured, she did all the logistics of it, and Shannon G got the couch. Gabi claimed the top bunk, but she is so tiny i don't think it bothered her. by the way, she rocked the climbing competition- she's 16 years old and got 9th in the pros. crazy.
So the morning of the race, we got up and rolled down to the main event at the mountain. there were so many tents set up- so much free stuff to be had! i have never been to an event that gave out so much good stuff for free- t-shirts, running clothes, camelbaks, and the usual stuff like granola bars. there were good sponsors like VW (who also had a killer band playing), teva and Trek. Barb and I went to town getting everything we could- we went back to the hotel with 2 bags full of stuff. awesome.
so i suppose i should talk about the race- so i prerode the first small loop of the course, and i think i forgot how to ride technical stuff for a second- we haven't had to ride anything hard in the norbas yet, and my balance was way off. i was flopping around like a fish. so there ended up being like 25 girls on the start line, which was good but bad since they only pay 5 deep. so we start by climbing for about 10 minutes, and i didn't warm up at all. so that hurt pretty bad. probably one of my worst starts of the year. great. the first lap hurt so much and i was pretty far back from the front girls. i didn't think i would make it through the next 2 laps. but as the race went on, not only did i warm up but my skills got better- it was actually a fun race and after my body remembered how to descend technical stuff, was even more fun. i moved up 5 places on the last lap when i finally started getting my legs back. I caught up to Barb, and its always more fun to race with a teammate and keep each other going. its funny, the last couple races we have raced together finishing close- hopefully we will be able to do the same for cross this season too. it just proves how important a good warm up is. if i had more time, another lap maybe, i could have done even better. i was pretty sore the next day- and the day after that. yeah, its all about the warm up. seriously.
that night Barb and i celebrated by getting some ice cream and going to the bars in Vail. who knew that there was such a raging night life there? we met some interesting people and got our groove on at the Red Lion until pretty late. luckily i was not doing the hill climb the next day, which a few of the girls who did the mtb race did- overachievers. we woke up Sunday morning/afternoon, got more free stuff and said goodbye to the teva games. Gabi, Barb and i went back to boulder and hung out for the evening, rewarding ourselves again by getting some good burritos. tasty.
So the morning of the race, we got up and rolled down to the main event at the mountain. there were so many tents set up- so much free stuff to be had! i have never been to an event that gave out so much good stuff for free- t-shirts, running clothes, camelbaks, and the usual stuff like granola bars. there were good sponsors like VW (who also had a killer band playing), teva and Trek. Barb and I went to town getting everything we could- we went back to the hotel with 2 bags full of stuff. awesome.
so i suppose i should talk about the race- so i prerode the first small loop of the course, and i think i forgot how to ride technical stuff for a second- we haven't had to ride anything hard in the norbas yet, and my balance was way off. i was flopping around like a fish. so there ended up being like 25 girls on the start line, which was good but bad since they only pay 5 deep. so we start by climbing for about 10 minutes, and i didn't warm up at all. so that hurt pretty bad. probably one of my worst starts of the year. great. the first lap hurt so much and i was pretty far back from the front girls. i didn't think i would make it through the next 2 laps. but as the race went on, not only did i warm up but my skills got better- it was actually a fun race and after my body remembered how to descend technical stuff, was even more fun. i moved up 5 places on the last lap when i finally started getting my legs back. I caught up to Barb, and its always more fun to race with a teammate and keep each other going. its funny, the last couple races we have raced together finishing close- hopefully we will be able to do the same for cross this season too. it just proves how important a good warm up is. if i had more time, another lap maybe, i could have done even better. i was pretty sore the next day- and the day after that. yeah, its all about the warm up. seriously.
that night Barb and i celebrated by getting some ice cream and going to the bars in Vail. who knew that there was such a raging night life there? we met some interesting people and got our groove on at the Red Lion until pretty late. luckily i was not doing the hill climb the next day, which a few of the girls who did the mtb race did- overachievers. we woke up Sunday morning/afternoon, got more free stuff and said goodbye to the teva games. Gabi, Barb and i went back to boulder and hung out for the evening, rewarding ourselves again by getting some good burritos. tasty.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Quad Cities, 2007
Another weekend, another race. i was super excited to fly back to kc to see all my old training buddies and to drive up to one of my favorite races, quad cites up in Iowa. The first race was on Saturday- snake alley. this one is my favorite, since its almost like a mountain bike short track- nice steep brick climb and super fast decent. i was really hoping to do well since i have been working on my sprinting and descents in CO. as the women's race grew near, the black clouds and lightning started. great. i didn't really care since it was about 80 degrees, and most girls are scared of descending in the rain. perfect for me. so it poured before the start and drenched the course. as we began, i felt really good up the first climb. maybe in 7th or so. as i came around the corner for the second lap of 14, my chain broke. i couldn't believe it. third mechanical in the last 3 races. talk about bad luck. but then a bella who i had just met before the race stops, and hands me her bike. i was like, is this legal? i hopped on her bike and rode the rest of the race. considering i had almost gotten lapped after the chain thing, i managed to salvage my placing of 16th. i was so thankful i got to finish- that was so nice of her to do that for me, and sacrifice her own race. if you are reading this, thank you!
The next day, Melon City, i was on a mission. i was ready to finish a race. the crit course had a nice long hill before the finish which suited me just fine. i felt really good, and got to the front by the last climb. unfortunately i didn't sprint so well, but still ended up 5th. i'll take it. That was the best finish i had ever done at quad cities, so i was happy, and made a little money. sweet. Rock Island was on monday, and the course is flat and fast. i was concerned about being able to sprint all the corners, since i hadn't done a crit like that since last year. it turned out i felt really good, and placed myself top 10 most of the race. instead of power, this race was won on tactics- which i don't have much of. i ended up 7th, but i do think if i had used my head a little better and had more practice doing crits i think i could have been a bit better in the sprint. i was happy though since my friend Catherine Walberg won. all in all it was a great weekend, and good training for upcoming races. i am hoping to go again next year, and tackle that snake alley again..
The next day, Melon City, i was on a mission. i was ready to finish a race. the crit course had a nice long hill before the finish which suited me just fine. i felt really good, and got to the front by the last climb. unfortunately i didn't sprint so well, but still ended up 5th. i'll take it. That was the best finish i had ever done at quad cities, so i was happy, and made a little money. sweet. Rock Island was on monday, and the course is flat and fast. i was concerned about being able to sprint all the corners, since i hadn't done a crit like that since last year. it turned out i felt really good, and placed myself top 10 most of the race. instead of power, this race was won on tactics- which i don't have much of. i ended up 7th, but i do think if i had used my head a little better and had more practice doing crits i think i could have been a bit better in the sprint. i was happy though since my friend Catherine Walberg won. all in all it was a great weekend, and good training for upcoming races. i am hoping to go again next year, and tackle that snake alley again..
Friday, May 18, 2007
Norba #3 Fontucky
I suppose that I should also write about the third norba, in Fontana, CA. This race was the next weekend after Santa Barbara, and I was not looking forward to it, since i had such a bad race there last year. All i remember is hot, super sandy and crashing. So the day we drove down, it was actually cloudy and about 65 degrees. nice.
I prerode with a few teammates, and it turned out that the course was actually sort of fun- i don't know what was wrong with me last year. anyway, i felt really good, so i was pretty excited to race again. we stayed with the host family in Redlands who we stayed with last year, and they are super nice and the house is awesome with plenty of room. definitely more relaxing than being stuffed into a hotel room.
anyway back to the race. so on saturday, the day of the cross country, i was warming up, doing some sprints, and my chain skipped and i almost went flying over the handlebars at 30mph. pretty scary, but my strong arms held me back (haha). i didn't think too much of it, or to tell our mechanic Tim about it. i felt really good, and definitely ready to race. my start was ok. i was able to get into a rhythm early on so not much pain- besides the part where i endoed over since i forgot to unlock my fork- i had sprinted up the pavement climb to get ahead of a bunch of girls, and maybe was 20th or so, and jumped onto the single track. i was totally gassed but i didn't care. i was completely into the course that i forgot to unlock the fork, and as i came up over a small berm and down the other side, instead of compressing, my fork pushed against me and i crashed pretty hard. i was ok, but the long line of girls that i had just worked so hard to pass were all passing me. suck. all i could do was get back on and hopefully catch them. as the race went on, i felt better and better. i started my second lap and i was actually enjoying it. weird. maybe i should have been going harder..
so before the last uphill (not sure if you could call it a climb) i stood up to get up a steep part, and it felt like my chain dropped, so i started pedaling to get it back on. not so much. it broke. double suck. and i was as far out on the course as you can be. figured. so i decided to ride the downhills, and run uphill. needless to say, i got pretty tired doing that. so, i cut the course and went back and dnf'd. i should have told Tim about the chain thing during warmup- that was a pretty big indicator that something was wrong. oh well, the race was good up until then.
sunday was the short track, and it was a beautiful day- i was happy to have another chance to race. i prerode the course, and tried to make it fun- but i knew it was gonna hurt- riding up the dual slalom course, you need quite a bit of upper body strength to make things easier. im trying to pump up at the gym, but im not quite there yet. so, it was a struggle in every way. i actually placed higher than i ever have- 27th, so thats something. i am slowly making my way to the front girls.. well, not quite.
I prerode with a few teammates, and it turned out that the course was actually sort of fun- i don't know what was wrong with me last year. anyway, i felt really good, so i was pretty excited to race again. we stayed with the host family in Redlands who we stayed with last year, and they are super nice and the house is awesome with plenty of room. definitely more relaxing than being stuffed into a hotel room.
anyway back to the race. so on saturday, the day of the cross country, i was warming up, doing some sprints, and my chain skipped and i almost went flying over the handlebars at 30mph. pretty scary, but my strong arms held me back (haha). i didn't think too much of it, or to tell our mechanic Tim about it. i felt really good, and definitely ready to race. my start was ok. i was able to get into a rhythm early on so not much pain- besides the part where i endoed over since i forgot to unlock my fork- i had sprinted up the pavement climb to get ahead of a bunch of girls, and maybe was 20th or so, and jumped onto the single track. i was totally gassed but i didn't care. i was completely into the course that i forgot to unlock the fork, and as i came up over a small berm and down the other side, instead of compressing, my fork pushed against me and i crashed pretty hard. i was ok, but the long line of girls that i had just worked so hard to pass were all passing me. suck. all i could do was get back on and hopefully catch them. as the race went on, i felt better and better. i started my second lap and i was actually enjoying it. weird. maybe i should have been going harder..
so before the last uphill (not sure if you could call it a climb) i stood up to get up a steep part, and it felt like my chain dropped, so i started pedaling to get it back on. not so much. it broke. double suck. and i was as far out on the course as you can be. figured. so i decided to ride the downhills, and run uphill. needless to say, i got pretty tired doing that. so, i cut the course and went back and dnf'd. i should have told Tim about the chain thing during warmup- that was a pretty big indicator that something was wrong. oh well, the race was good up until then.
sunday was the short track, and it was a beautiful day- i was happy to have another chance to race. i prerode the course, and tried to make it fun- but i knew it was gonna hurt- riding up the dual slalom course, you need quite a bit of upper body strength to make things easier. im trying to pump up at the gym, but im not quite there yet. so, it was a struggle in every way. i actually placed higher than i ever have- 27th, so thats something. i am slowly making my way to the front girls.. well, not quite.
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