Race registration

The Bartlett CX course was put on by ABD. Unfortunately, I didn't have a say in course layout. It was slightly more technical, I think, than last year but still mainly wide open. It did seem like we had more of an incline this year. I was 7th out of 8, which would have been 8th out of 9 but Holly had a major mechanical that took her out of the race early on. I had a crappy start and couldn't get my right foot clipped in or get it to even stay on the pedal. I then got ahead Imelda and a xXx girl. I was ahead of both for awhile and then the xXx girl came flying past me and I couldn't keep up.

I did get to race on the SRAM Rival's. I didn't have a problem shifting the wrong way but we do still have to do a little tweaking as I was having a really hard time getting in my big ring during the race.

My best performance of the day was registration. I volunteered as soon as I got changed after my race. During Tom's race the wind really picked up and would have knocked the registration tent over except for Kevin Klug and various others who helped hold it up until it could be taken down. Christopher handled it fairly well and Holly, thankfully, took him until Tom's race ended. People still kept coming in to register and one guy actually tried to shove his registration forms in my hand while I was taking someone elses. There had to have been 10 people holding up the tent at this point, I was on the other side of the table as a pole had came loose knocking over the stuff that had been behind me and my chair and stuff was still flying all over the place.

I also have to thank Debbie for buying Christopher a truck. It makes cool noises and has levers and kept him entertained during most of the time I was volunteering. Christopher has been quite the demon at times lately but I lucked out on Sunday, thanks in part to his cool new toy. Thanks.

Conversion is almost complete

Tom is down in the basement as I type finishing putting all the SRAM stuff on my cross bike. I'm so excited! What is not exciting is the stupid rain. I couldn't ride to take Christopher to story time tonight, it's supposed to rain tomorrow and Saturday morning. Icky.

I was reading my report on Carpentersville and realized how short it was. Things have been way too hectic around here. I wanted to add that I was really excited about the race. I just barely held off getting lapped by Rebecca Much (which could have very well been her being nice). I beat both xXx girls that I've been going back and forth with -- which is especially cool considering that I had raced the day before and I'm pretty sure they had not. And, I had won the water bottle and socks -- which is the first time I have ever won anything as a Cat. 3. = )

Racing, cops & braking

Not only did I get pulled over today by the police, but the guy actually called for back up. Why? The light illuminating my rear license plate was out. I was at a village board meeting for the local paper and, as I'm driving out of town, I see lights behind me. He takes my license and I sit. After awhile I look up and see two sets of lights and the two of them chatting. Finally, both officers come up to the car -- one on each side with the guy on my passenger side having his hands ready like he's going to shoot me or something if I make a wrong move. The other one gives me a written warning ticket. It'd be amusing as hell if I wasn't so annoyed.

Racing was bad and good. My race in WI on Saturday sucked. The legs felt like crap, my mounts sucked, my dismounts sucked. I prerode and figured I should ride my Schwinn with the disc brakes and second guessed myself only to then keep going off course.

Sunday was great. Great course. I finished 8th out of 13 which included two Cat. 1 girls and two Cat. 2 girls. And, I won socks and a water bottle. = )

I was finally able to order my SRAM Rival stuff today for the Trek XO after almost a month. Then, Calamity! Tragedy! Horrors! I got an email that they don't have rear derailleurs. So, now, I have to try track one down so I can finally race this weekend my new cross bike with brakes that I can actually brake with.

DFL

When I upgraded to a Cat. 3 at the end of last season, I did two races and finished last in both. This season, I had done 5 races up until today. I had finished in the back of the group but had beat a couple of girls in most races and wasn't last in any of them. Up until today. 9th out of 9 in the Women 1/2/3's.

The Hawthorne Woods course was nearly half pavement and nearly half wide-open grass. (I was told later in the day that with it being the first year for the venue they wanted to use as much pavement as possible to prevent damage.) There was also a toboggan sled hill that we rode up, rode down, went back up with a barrier at the bottom and then rode down once more. I pre-rode the course and thought immediately it was suited more to roadies and hit pretty much all of my weaknesses. I also thought immediately Damn, I might be dead last. The hill is actually what did me in. I now know what I need to work on. I rode it after the barrier three times and ran twice. I ended up with an avg. HR of 190 and a max of 199 but my lap times took a nose dive during the course of the five laps. Icky.

Tom's race went slightly better as he was 29th out of 49 but he was pretty disappointed as well. As a bonus, my car tire blew as I started driving there this morning. I had already been running late. Luckily, I was still close to home and a good samaritan came to my aid so I just had to give Tom the tire by the time he showed up. New tire: $60.

I'm thinking of racing in Verona on Saturday and the Carpentersville race with the Chicago series on Sunday but am not totally sure. I like the Wisconsin courses so much better than the Chicago ones but also need to try to beat two xXx girls for series points.

7th

(photo courtesy of Sheri)

I opted for a full weekend of racing and went up to CamRock on Saturday and then did the ChiCrossCup DeKalb race on Sunday. I rode well on Saturday and was 6th out of 8th until about 1.5 laps to go where I got passed on a flat section and couldn't keep up.

I was a little concerned about Sunday that my legs would be toast and that I still have a lingering cold. The legs actually did pretty well but I kept screwing up the same friggin' turn -- wiping out once good enough to turn my brake/shifters and another time good enough to screw up my rear derailleur. I was 6th out of 9 for a good chunk of the race and went back and forth with a girl but I screwed up the turn yet again and then couldn't catch back up with her on the pavement sections. Still, I was mostly pleased. It was a fast course and I wasn't sure how I'd do after racing the day before. My starts totally blow though. I think I'm being too tentative and am going to try to be more aggressive to get closer to the front for the next race. Of course, being faster would help too.

Well, I can get an awesome deal on the SRAM Rival's but will have to wait probably a month to get them or I can get some used short-reach Shimano's at a good price a hell of a lot sooner. I know the SRAM's would work for me. I'm not sure about the Shimano's. Decisions, decisions.

No word yet on Christopher's blood test results. So, hopefully, that's a good sign.

Spleens, cross and brakes

(photo stolen from Russell)


I had Christopher's appointment today with the oncologist. It was scary walking into the waiting room and seeing the sick kids and all the info. on cancer support services. Luckily, we probably do not need any of it. After our appointment, he had blood drawn and I have another appointment for him in four weeks.

Tom & I went up to the cross race near Madison. Unfortunately, I came down with a bad cold on Thursday that hit me full force on Friday. I took allergy and cold meds before the races on both Sat. & Sun. and it seemed to work okay but I'm still kind of sick today (thus, the late posting). The courses were great--my brakes were not. I can't get my tiny hands around the Shimanos. I went through the tape on the turns on Sat. and then went through the same section again later in the race. On Sunday I used my old cross bike which is heavier but I can brake! Yea! My legs were definitely not feeling as good on Saturday but I still did pretty good. 9th out of 13 on Sat. 10th out of 12 on Sun. I won money on both days which pretty much paid for my entry fees so that was really cool.

I checked out lots of people's brakes AND found out I can order from QBP with my part-time gig with the bike fed. so I'm going to buy the SRAM Rivals along with a new front and rear derailleurs. The thing that sucks is that CBF only does orders once a month and I haven't heard back from the guy of when they do it.

I want to do the Wisconsin cross race on Sat. and the DeKalb race on Sunday so hopefully I get better soon.