Great race, great trip

(race photo courtesy of Aaron)

We had a family trip and went to the PAMBA race this weekend. We left Friday night, slept at a Flying J's and got there at about 10 a.m. on Saturday. Christopher had a blast at the park. He is climbing up a metal slide in the first photo. It started lightly raining and I did a pre-lap of the course, a little apprehensive since Rachael had mentioned the tires on my bike are not great for mud. Tom and Christopher went for a hike and then Christopher got to play with two older boys for awhile. Then, Tom did two laps (for about 13 miles) while Christopher had a blast jumping in a mud puddle -- I made him stop in the doorway of the RV so I could take off his muddy boots and clothes and wipe him down. After dinner, I decided to do another lap and things were much better. The last part of the lap had more open sections where girls might catch me and, as I was finishing the lap, the PAMBA guys were marking the course -- showing us riding around the park, an extra 1/2 mile of just grass. I knew that would be where girls would be flying past me.

Race day. Rachael and John showed up with Zoe. Christopher was excited. The two of them played on a big pile of rocks. Slid down the rocks like it was a slide, made snow angels in the dirt, played at the park, used Tom as a jungle gym, we got to explore a cabin built in the 1800's and got to do a kids race where they won water bottles with Snickers inside. Christopher thought the trip absolutely rocked. = )

There were only eight girls that lined up. I was a little disappointed that there were so many less girls than last time and that they had us line up after the Sport guys (although it probably ended up for the best). I went back and forth with Liz Baumgaurdt and Gina Champion throughout the race. I got past them in the single track but Liz got past me right before we lapped and Gina was right behind me as we lapped. I got past Liz in the single track and red lined it trying to get a gap before the end of the lap so they couldn't get past me before the finish. I always make more mistakes that way and made some bobbles in sections I should've rode cleanly but oh well. I did manage to finish without getting caught. I took fourth place, about three minutes behind Rachael. Woot!!!

I lost my gel flask before I even had any, for the second race in a row. I really like the flask so I can water down the gel, otherwise I feel like I'll puke. I have a Nashbar flask holder I've been using. People suggested sticking it in my jersey pocket or pants leg. I think it will bug me in my pants leg, if I don't lose it, and I think it'll be harder to get it out of my pocket. Hammer products makes a flask holder too I'm thinking of buying and am open to other suggestions.

Iola

I should be extremely happy with Iola -- and, for the most part, I am. I finished at 2 hours, 14 minutes faster than in 2008 (last time I raced there). I finished less than a minute than Christine, was within sights of several girls throughout the race and went back and forth with a few of them. I rode everything cleanly -- with the exception of catching a tree with my handlebars while trying to see if the guy that crashed up ahead was still down. And, probably most importantly, I felt like...I'm not sure of the correct wording but, basically, that I deserved to be out there.

Training definitely has helped. I think all the cross races helped a lot too. A chunk of racing is mental and I don't always have the right attitude/frame of mind. The CX racing helped boost that confidence, racing instinct, whatever you want to call it. And, my new wonderful bike also definitely helped. Those 29 wheels...I'm in love. = )

The 1x9 was tough. It was the first race I did with significant climbs on it and I was afraid my legs would not hold out. That fear was not helped by losing my gel flask soon into the first lap and having my Camelbak leak leaving me with no liquid for a good chunk of the last lap. I held back a little and really shouldn't have but now know better for next time.

So, I was really happy when I finished. Then, I learned I was DFL. I was ahead of Jennifer Whitedog and didn't notice when she passed me back in my oxygen-deprived state. And, I was ahead of another girl that then dropped out. Arrgh!

Tom wasn't thrilled with his result but didn't do horribly.

Christopher had a great time. He was thrilled to get a medal and, in fact, even during the race he would all of a sudden say happily "I'm going to get a medal." = )

I couldn't get him to race his new bike for the kids race. Hopefully, next time. He is soooo close to being able to ride it by himself.

Sylvan Stampede

I haven't updated my blog for ages. I've been busy, Tom's been unemployed until recently -- now, his group has started working for a new firm but are not getting paid yet. Who really wants to hear me complain about my lack of finances?

So, when Rachael posted she wanted to sell her 29er, Tom and I were torn. Then, I rode it and immediately felt like a better rider. I finished doing our taxes, realized we'd get a decent return and bought it. Yea!

Of course, I had to try out the bike ASAP and decided to race the Sylvan Stampede. Christopher had also really been bugging us for a trip so we left Saturday afternoon after I was done co-teaching a bike ed. class. We got there about 6 p.m. and I was able to get in two laps. The trails there are awesome. I knew that, even if the race went horribly for me, I would still have fun riding those trails.

We got there early on Sunday so we could find a place to park the RV and I was able to spin out the legs doing an easy lap before the novice race started. I warmed up and then we waited around for the kids' race. Christopher had a fun time and we were so happy they had a fun little course mapped out for them.

There were a lot of girls lined up for the Women's Open and we were starting before the guys. I wasn't sure what I thought of starting before the guys. I figured the Women's Open should be good for me. I always get my butt kicked in Expert but am not really "sport" either. I ended up 9th out of 25 girls. I wasn't sure if I could hold off Liz Baungart. I had never beat her in a MTB race and had beat her once at CX. Last lap, I was passed by a guy who was then really laid back about passing a slow sport guy so the three of us were kind of just riding along with me thinking girls were catching up on me as Tom was yelling a girl was right up ahead. I was just under 30 seconds behind that girl but did keep Liz behind me -- by 8 seconds. Luckily, I didn't know she was that close 'til they put the results up.

It was awesome although I felt like I was going to die. Anne and Roger, from CAMBr, were course marshalls and it was cool to hear them cheer for me each time I went by. Paul and Jennifer from Half Acre were also happy to have them as a Half Acre cheering section. There were open stretches that I would redline myself on trying to keep from being passed by the faster girls and I actually ended up with an average heart rate of 187.

The 29er is so fricking cool. Although, as the race went on and my thinking ability diminished, I kept shifting the wrong way with the grip shifter and had issues shifting when my hand was sweaty and all of me was tired. Once Rachael gets back from AZ though, she is going to change it to a trigger shifter. = ) The 1x9 was good and kept me from going into too easy of a gear on the short climbs.

Our plan is now to go to quite a few of the WORS races for me to get in a long ride on Saturday and have Tom and Christopher race as well as hitting quite a few of the IL series for Christopher and I to race. = )

CX & Year-end wrap ups

(Photos of Christopher, at Grandma's, loading up his new robot to shoot and a hug)

Well, I'm a little late, but I've been wanting to do a cross season wrap up. I did a total of 30 races.

10 Women's 123 races in the Chicago Cross Cup series, taking sixth

4 Women's 3 races in the Wisconsin Cycling Association's cyclocross series, taking 10th

4 Women's 35+ races -- The USGP Planet Bike Cup & Jingle Cross

3 Women's 2/3 races at Jingle Cross

5 Men's 4B races in the Chicago Cross Cup series, taking 40th

4 Men's 4A races in the Chicago Cross Cup series

In addition, I did three of the Church Cross and one Bandit Cross training race and was able to make it to a few of the Beverly Vee Pak CX practices. I love cross because it is loads of fun but also because of the great community.

It was an awesome year for me for cross. I had three races where I took 5th including 5th out of 13 at Northbrook -- my best women's race. I also took 14th in the Men's 4b at Montrose, which rocked.

As for the year, I rode 4,523 miles -- which includes, racing, commuting, mountainbiking and a few trainer miles. I also ran more than 203 miles. Shocking for me. I actually ran five miles today, stopping after the first 10 minutes to drop off the dog and change gloves.

Race wise for the year, the focus was definitely cross but I managed to get some road races in -- mainly crits, which I did a shockingly high number of 15 or 16, including two or three of the Matteson training crits and two outdoor time trials (yuck) in addition to the indoor time trials my club, ABD, puts on. Unfortunately, I only did a few mountainbike races:

Two WEMS 12 hours that I didn't actually do the whole 12 hours, the Palos Meltdown and four WORS races, including Lake Geneva where I DNF'd after I crashed and rang my bell, so to speak, and killed my helmet.

This year is still totally up in the air as Tom will be out of a job by the end of February if he does not find a new one first. I want to focus on cross again and I would like to again do a few road and mountainbike races but it depends on our finances. I've told Tom that, if our finances improve, I would be fine going to WORS races for him & Christopher to race as long as I get to do a long ride on the course during the pre-ride. Tom's small trading group did meet with another firm yesterday and will meet with a different firm next week. "Hope. Hope." (Quote from the film "True Romance.")

Happy Holidays!

Ending on a high note

(Photo from Amy)

I, finally, started getting excited about Montrose on Saturday evening. I got there bright and early on Sunday and it was cold but there was no snow. I prerode the course and was more excited. There were some technical aspects, a load of sand that was pretty rideable. You also had to go up the sled hill twice but it still seemed like it would suit some of my strengths. I was going to try to improve my overall standings in the series from sixth to fifth. It wasn't likely but it was possible.

I didn't have an outstanding start but I was doing good. I noticed Pamela Loebig ahead of me and thought I might have a chance to pass her. I noticed her getting up in the rocks under the viaduct and I was soon able to pass her right before the hill. I managed to keep her behind me and not let anyone else pass me for the race. I tend to start good but then get passed in later laps so I was considering this a small victory as was beating Pam. The Cat. 3 men kept passing me, though, and then crashing in front of me. By the end of the race, I was really getting annoyed by this. I ended up 10th out of 15. Tenth is lower than normal but we also had some fast girls show up for the race like Holly and Megan Korol. I beat Lara from MOX but there wasn't enough people in between us for me to take fifth in the series. She beat me by three points, which sucked a little but oh well. I still did a lot better this season in the series than I have in previous years so I can't really complain.

I was also signed up for the 4B race. I'm sorry to say that I was pretty unsocial in between races and spent quite a bit of time sitting in the car with the heat on. I was fine, temperature-wise, when I was riding but really fricken cold when I was just standing around. I did do one lap in between the Mens 123 and the 4A races but that was really it for my warm-up. Still, I lined up second row behind the series winner and was excited to get to do the last Chicago Cross Cup race of the season. And, holy cow, did I have a good race. At the end of the race, I knew I did good but really had no idea where I ended up. Some guys would pass me in the big sand pit -- they were running and I was riding. But, with my short legs, I think I may have ended up slower running. And, I would usually be able to get back past the guys later on. I waited for results. People would come up to me and tell me I did great or I rode the sandpit great and I would thank them but was a little confused. Then, they posted results. Holy crap, I was 14th!!! I had no idea I did so well. It was an awesome way to end the season.

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.