Jingle CX

(Middle photo of Christopher from Nikki Cyp with other two from Tom)

Tom and I registered for Jingle Cross a really long time ago so I didn't have to feel too guilty about us taking a trip with our dismal finances. The trip part went really well -- we had heat for the whole trip as opposed to last year when we ran out of LP gas on Saturday night.

Unfortuantely, Christopher gave me a cold so I wasn't feeling real hot. I didn't have as much energy and it was effecting my technical skills a little. Still, I did better than last year. I wasn't DFL once in the five races I did. Tom was signed up to race on both Saturday and Sunday. He didn't even make a full lap on Saturday before his rear derailleur and hanger broke. On a good note, we just need a new hanger as we had switched my stuff from Shimano to SRAM last year. But, no bike for him for Sunday.

However, it did let us sign Christopher up for the kids race on Sunday. He had such a fun time riding around with all the kids before the race. He did one lap -- with a guy picking him up on his bike to carry him over the barriers. I asked him if he wanted to be done or do another lap. He says he wants to do another lap and then a kid ended up hitting Christopher's wheel and taking him down as the kid was trying to sprint past him. Christopher was crying. He didn't seem to be hurt so I asked held him and asked him if he was hurt or just scared. After a little bit, he told me he was scared and he wanted to do another lap. = ) He got loads of cheers the whole time. Probably because he was the littlest one out there -- the race was supposed to be for five and up, but they told us he could race. I was so excited for him to do his first CX race! And, he won a teddy bear. Pretty cool and definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

Woodstock CX

Photo courtesy of Half Acre's Al Thom

As I was racing, I looked up and thought cool, a banana hand-up. Then, I looked closer and realized someone was trying to handup a banana peel. Bummin'

I remembered this course from last year thinking it had a lot of climbing, a few technical aspects but not much for the two-mile course. The course was mostly the same as last year meaning I was going to just try not to be DFL. Soon into the race I realized I was beating two girls including Lara from Mox. I've begun quite a few races in front of her only for her to pass me after the first lap so I kept going as hard as possible and checking to see where she was whenever the course allowed. I managed to hold her off! 7th out of 9. I was pretty proud of myself considering the course does not suit my strengths and wondered how the heck I was going to survive the 4A's (the 4B's were originally full).

I didn't get to the start line as quick as usual as Jason had promised me a call up. But, he forgot so I ended up about third row very close to a guy on a mountainbike who said he had not been on a bike since he was five, didn't know how to shift and hadn't prerode the course. So, I tried like hell to get away from him. My legs felt like lead to start with but got a little better as the race went on. Riding through the circle-thingy, I got too close to the post where you switch directions and locked my handlebars with it. I didn't have a problem in the girls race but, of course, there were only 9 girls as opposed to 72 starters in the 4A race. Oops. I was 55 out of 66 finishers. Not great/Not horrible.

I had lots of fun talking with everyone. Christopher would have loved the parks but we kept him home since he has a cold. I can't believe there is just Jingle Cross and Montrose. I'm going to totally go into withdrawal.

Golf courses & CX

(photo courtesy of RKryszak)

I did a total of three races this weekend. All went okay, nothing stellar, nothing horrible.

Saturday was the Chicago cross race in Bloomingdale. I went there on Friday hoping to preride and helped out with the course for a couple of hours. I was totally unsure of the course. It had some great technical aspects but also a lot of power sections. I was annoyed that I didn't ride the first sandpit clean one single time in my two races. I rode the hill after the second barrier most of the laps in the women's race. It ended up being faster to run it and I have to sometimes remind myself that being faster is the whole goal. I ended up 10th out of 13. Not a great result but I still won $35.

Second race was the Men's 4B. I wasn't sure if I should race since I wanted to do the cross race in Janesville on Sunday. In hindsight, I probably should have skipped it but it was still fun. I could see Bob from Beverly Vee Pak and Mike aka Supergirl slightly ahead of me for most of the race. The last lap I was able to get past Bob which actually yielded me 30th place out of 73 finishers and 2 DNF. An additional point towards a series score. = )

Sunday was Janesville. As we were driving there Tom was reading me what Jeremy was posting on Facebook. I was not exactly jumping for joy or in excitement as we arrived to the course. The course was okay but there seemed to be a lot of gradual climbs. My legs were not happy with doing a third race after the couple of hours of coursework on Friday and racing twice on Saturday. My goal was to finish up my races in the Wis. series without an additional DFL. I was not completely sure if I would accomplish that or not. Seven of us lined up, including Melissa who just catted up and I usually am right around in 3/4 or age group races. I actually started fairly well and was in 4th for a good part of the first lap. Heather C. got past me and then I tried to dismount on the right side so I could run on the right edge after a barrier. I tipped over and another girl got past me making me sixth where I would stay the rest of the race. Sixth out of 7. So, goal accomplished. Besides tipping over, there were no huge mistakes. My average heartrate was lower than normal though. I'm guessing the two races the day before and a lack of sleep lately worrying over finances.

We'll be doing the last two Chicago races and we've already paid for Jingle Cross so we'll be doing those as well. I'll be sad to see cross season end but that will of course mean spending a little less cash. Although, I did get a dollar handup during the women's race on Saturday which meant I actually got $1 dollar more than I spent. = )

bad & good races

Above is Christopher being saying "I'm a scary ghost. Boo." in his, of course, scary ghost costume going into school before Halloween.

I did three races this weekend and it was pretty much like night and day between Saturday and Sunday. Saturday I decided to go to Whitewater even though I knew it had a lot of climbing and I'd probably get my butt kicked. DFL. 7 out of 7. It definitely didn't help that I started out in a gear to sprint at the start forgetting that almost immediately there is a steep climb. I couldn't downshift quick enough and had to get off and run. I later also took out a pole and messed up a downhill/turn stretching the tape to the point that I don't know how it didn't break. Oh well.

Sunday was the Northbrook course. Leah asked me "Is this a Gina course?" Oh, yes, it most definitely was. The sled hill was out so no big climbs -- not one of my strengths anyway. There were lots of turns, including a small wooded section, off cambr stuff, a sand pit where you went through, did a U-turn and then went through it again. I prerode it and thought "I could ride this all day."

My biggest problem lately is my stupidity. Before the race a guy told us to take the outside lines as the inside lines were getting too slick. Umm, it took me three wipe outs to actually heed that advice. I believe that had to have been how I dented my frame. I didn't notice it until going over one of the barriers in the Men's 4A. I still took 5th out of 13. Woo hoo! Without the wipeouts I think I could have nabbed 4th but Wendy from Alberto's is pretty fast so who knows. I had dropped to sixth and was able to get past a girl the last lap grabbing 5th and the last money spot. = ) Yea!

I wanted to do the 4B's but they weren't letting anyone register for it in the morning so I signed up for the 4A's assuming to get my butt kicked. The best I had previously done in the 4A's was 63rd. I was actually 36th out of 64 finishers and 8 DNF's. There was a sharp left turn to a barrier that you then had to get over a ditch and run up a short steep climb. I got passed there by the guys every lap. They have a half-foot to a foot on me in height and those steep run-ups are one of my weaknesses anyway. But, I just kept trying to pass them back anyway. A highlight was grabbing a dollar hand-up after the first part of the sandpit and actually being able to shove it in my sportsbra and make it through the second part of the sandpit. Yeah, I'm odd.

The South Chicago Wheelmen course is next Saturday. I'm undecided on doing a second race as I'd like to go up to Wisconsin on Sunday and do their race. I also have a family function though on Sunday that I have to see if I can show up late for.

CX Love

(photo of 4b race from Nikki Cyp)

I love cross.

I was bummed Halloween was on a Saturday this year as I couldn't go up to the Milwaukee race. Although Christopher had a great time. He had school parties Thursday and Friday, we went to the mall trick-or-treating on Friday, visited my mom and Tom's aunt at Tastee Freez Saturday and then trick-or-treating. He went in the afternoon with me, hung around eating candy and then went in the evening with Tom. Massive sugar buzz.

Sunday, I left them to fend for themselves and went to St. Charles. It was muddy -- which is an understatement. There was a ditch after a barrier that I desperately tried to ride in the preride. Most guys could just hop over it and I was dreading how slow I'd be slopping through it with my short legs. I lined up and had a great start. I was 4th for awhile. Diane from Planet Bike got past me as did Lara from Mox. Lara went down on a turn and I was excited thinking I'd get past her when a Cat 3 guy wiped out immediately in front of me. I never was able to catch back up with her. I went back and forth with Diane and actually finished ahead of her. I'm sure she raced on Saturday but I'll take my victories where I can get them. It was a great race for me and I was actually 5th out of 10. I won $10 which paid for my 4B race. I was absolutely soaked and changed shorts, jersey, socks and shoes.

I actually got a call-up for the 4B race, which I was initially excited about 'til Jason called up a heck of a lot of people. Still, being in front for these races is key since 70-something people is a heck of a lot more than the 10 that started the Women's 123. I had loads of fun and actually ended up 21 out of 69 finishers (with 1 DNF). Woo hoo! I avoided all the food handups, since a vegan food handup is pretty unlikely. I did take a dollar hand-up my last lap. My first money handup! Woo hoo!

So, it was crazy wet and muddy and insanely fun! I love cross and can't wait 'til Northbrook. Nats is out forseeing a miracle -- but I keep trying to scheme one up. If anyone wants to drive to Oregon in an RV with a three-year-old and/or wants to watch a three-year-old so I can preride, warmup, race let me know. = )

An anniversary, small successes & things to work on

(Photo courtesy of the Glinka's)

Saturday was Tom & I's ninth wedding anniversary. We had planned to do a small trip -- in part, to satisfy Christopher's constant requests for a trip with the RV. And, what could be better than doing a cross race for your anniversary? = ) We had figured on doing Saturday's Wisconsin race, coming back part of the way and then racing the ABD CX race in Bartlett on Sunday. The cancelled race changed that. I ended up getting a lot of work done while Tom and Christopher hung out. Then, we visited Tastee-Freeze, hung out with his aunt and cousins and stuffed our faces.

Sunday was the ABD cross race. Even though my club puts on the race, I was not looking forward to it. It's a fast course and I'm not fast. My goal was to not be last for either the women's race or the Men's 4A (I'd rather do 4B but it was full). I did accomplish both goals. I was 10th out of 12 (with 13 starters) for the Women's race and 62 out of 73 finishers in the men's 4A race. I lost a lot of spaces in the men's race right after the first set of barriers. As I went to hop on, someone hit my right leg causing me to somehow make it on my bike seat while my right leg was wrapped around the left side of the seat post and then over the rear tire. I have a nice scrape on my shin from the tire but nothing else. I did have to stop and untangle myself from my contortionist pose though. Other than that, I picked off guys one by one and was mostly pleased with my race.

Except -- there was a slight downhill and then right turn into a single barrier. I had no real issues with it in my first race. For my second race, I crashed/tipped over two out of the three times. Second lap, I went to hop back on, didn't hop high enough, got my shorts caught on the seat, fell back on the tire tipped over. What a dork.
Third lap, I went to get off my bike for the barrier, slid in the mud, tipped over. Dork.
So, obiviously, I need to work on still being smooth and keeping good technique when I'm fatigued.

Woo hoo!

(Photo from Russ)

I did three cross races this weekend in a little more than 12 hours. = )
On Saturday, I went up and did the cross race in Verona, WI. Last year, I was dead last -- in part, due to still having the Shimano brake levers on my bike and in part because there was a lot of climbing and a run-up. This year, the log was not there meaning the run-up was rideable but really tough. I was 9th out of 12 Cat. 3 women. I had a horrible start, passed a few girls with one not sticking. Not a great race but not terrible either.

I was a little nervous as to how all the climbing at Verona would do to my racing on Sunday. But, the course in Carpentersville was excellent for me. It had lots of turns, a spiral which I'm starting to get good at and a pump track! I was a little hesitant on the pump track at first but by the race I was sprinting towards it and not braking. It was so much fun! The sand pit seemed shallower. You actually had to do a U-turn. My first race, I rode it most of the time but did tip over one lap. The photo shows my determination to ride it as I suck at running.

My race went awesome. I was was 5th out of 10 girls. My best finish for a Cat. 3 or Womens 123 race. I beat a couple girls I never beat. I went back and forth with a girl. It was great.

I did the Men's 4B. I cut my warmup short to snag a prime starting spot in the first row. I really was feeling all the racing. I would make it through the U-turn in the sandpit and then wouldn't have enough energy to power through the last little bit. It was really frustrating and cost me spots. But, I still had loads of fun -- even when there was a crash that caused me to put a foot down, which immediately got ran over by a bike. I rode a little slower than the morning but still pretty strong and was getting better about picking spots to pass people. I actually got 26th out of 67. Being in the top 30, I actually got series points! So, I'm currently 7th in the women's 123 and 68th for the Men's 4B. = )

Next weekend is the ABD race and I'm hoping to do the Wisconsin cross race on Saturday but we'll have to see. It's Tom and mine wedding anniversary -- nine years. While I can think of nothing better than racing cross for our anniversary, I'm not sure if he'll agree. = )