Women's CX Single Speed Oregon State Championships and other bike related news

"SSara Tingey and Jenn Velolevo both got a podium spot in the womens SS cross race yesterday. I saw them both on the course and they were rockin' it! Congrats to both of you and nice work in some tough conditions. Levo did a cool slide out on the tough off-camber section at the top of the course. I didn't see a single person ride that section, although it didn't keep me from trying all day (stoopid!)"

-Joe Santos

Sometimes, it's best to leave the detailed race reports to more simpler formats. If that was the case here, I think Joe summed up Saturday's State Championship races pretty well. But, me being me and this being my blog, I'm going to elaborate just a little bit more.

Going into Saturday's race, I was mainly just stoked that there WAS a Women's SS Category, for the first time ever. Granted, I thought that we'd probably just have at least five women show up on the start line but to my surprise we had one of the largest women's fields of the day! (SS: 15, Beginner: 15, Cat B: 10, Cat A: 12, Master A: 19, Master B:5, 45+:10). And, it was a pretty strong group of women who showed up. Everyone from folks like Sarah T and Anna Christiansen (who race A's), a lot of the B's (who I normally place behind), and some fasters masters ladies. Prior to the race, it was fun standing on the line with everyone who is basically, your cross bike racing peer, meaning, we are all riding the same basic bike. It's a great equalizer, you know that when you're not looking forward to that big hill... that no one else is either. It's gonna be tough for you, it's gonna be tough for everyone. Speaking of hills by the way, this subject got everyone talking about what gearing they were running. While we all had single speeds, we were not all running the same single speed. Looking around and chit-chatting, I realized that I was running way too big of a gear for the "dreaded hill" at Salem HS. Whereas most of my competitors were gearing the mid-to-late 30's, my gearing was up in the 40's. This, I realized, was most likely not going to be too favorable for the race. But, instead of worrying about the fact that I'm going to have to run my bike up the hill, I just accepted it was not my ideal course and that i'd be running with the bike any time the elevation started gaining and my legs started pushing. In that case, I'd just have to make up for it by kicking the shit out of any flat spots where I could sprint and gain ground. I mean, I might as well make my big gear work for me while everyone else is spinning eh? So, that's what I did.

Once the race was underway, everyone shot straight out of the gates and in no time flat, a few people went down and got stuck in the mud. Anna C. seemed to have hit turbo and was out of sight in no time, a bit ahead of me was Sarah T but I still had about three other racers in between us that I figured were going to give me a run for my money. Bit by bit, someone would wipe out on the slippery off-camber. Being an opportunist, I made it past some folks by mostly riding this section with one foot clipped out - that way I could brace myself intentionally and just kick it through most of the time, catching myself when I needed to all the while keeping momentum up. Every time there was a little bit (or a big bit) of a hill, I just did what I said I would do and got off and ran it, conserving energy rather than expending it trying to ride. Luckily the hill wasn't that steep, it was just long and littered with momentum draining bark dust wood chips. As long as you could keep a good pace and stay moving at a quick rate, I figured you could do pretty well.

By the end of the first lap, I was only going back and forth with two other riders, MK from Ironclad and Angela from Hammer. A few times I passed Angela on the flats, but then she'd catch back up to me on the hill. By the mid part of lap two though, I caught back up to her after she passed me on a hill and she was just spinning and spinning and spinning on the flats and gaining no ground. This is where I was glad to be running a big gear as I just flew past. MK at this point was the only rider ahead of me. She was going strong but got caught up a few times in the mucky off-camber where I was able to pass her. For the rest of the race my main motivation was not to catch up with Sarah, who I'd occasionally catch a glimpse of ahead of me, but it was to keep those two other girls off my back. (I've found that not only beer, but paranoia as well is a great motivator). The rest of the race was spent hammering it in sections that I could, looking behind me, bombing down sections where I could, looking behind me, running into tree branches that covered the best lines, (looking behind me) and running up hills. It wasn't till about the third lap when I realized that I was in a medal spot and that there was only one other person ahead of Sarah, which was Anna. Cool I thought, I just have to not freak the frick out and finish strong. I managed to ride the rest of the course pretty clean aside from a big wipe out in the mud section right before the finish. It was one of those where you fall down and you fall through your bike... meaning, you and your bike have to be untangled in order to keep going. It was at this point that I had visions of having to run the bike to the finish and having one of the other girls creeping up behind me turning into a neck and neck bike vs foot race... but no, the bike kept moving and so did I.

At the finish line I happily saw Sarah and Anna there waiting. I got a little confused at first since there were some other racers standing there too, people that normally place ahead of me or at least near to, so I wasn't to sure how I placed at first, but I soon learned that they had been cut from the race a lap before me, so no... I did indeed come in third. Woop woop! As well, there was a nice chunk of time between me and 4th so even if I had had to run it in the end, I still probably would have placed third. Overall, I was stoked to medal in the first ever wmns ss category and happy to do it with my BTV teammate Sarah (who she being a superior mountain biker, I never thought I'd see the day where I was standing on the same podium.) Hopefully, with our strong field and good showing on Saturday, OBRA can make Women's SS a legitimate open wmns category at more cross races next year. Sadly though, I hope it wouldn't take away from the competitive nature of the other women's categories; for example I was a little disappointed in turnout in the Women's B field with only 10 racers. Hopefully, everyone can have their cake and eat it too.

PS: special thanks to Margi who can either predict the future or at least fill my head with self-full filling prophecies. Thanks for helping me believe in myself. :)

(photo by Sara F)

As well, on this note... it's with bittersweet satisfaction that I hang up my BTV kit for the 2010 bike racing season. It's been a good season for me and I've had many enjoyable races and fun times and beers with my Bridgetown teammates. However, when I return to the road in 2011 I've decided to switch teams and race with Ironclad instead. It's nothing personal as I love Bridgetown and it's been a great two years riding with and getting to know them. Most of all, I thank Bridgetown for taking a chance on a kid who came to team rides wearing tennis shoes and had cage pedals. :)

Overall, it's been a great season and a great year. In 2010, I entered in 40 races including road races, time trials, crits, track races and a cross. Which in aside from cross races (where there are 60 some plus riders), I placed in the top ten in all events with a few top five finishes (and a lot of 4th places) as well as one or two podiums. The highlights of the season were probably:

3rd place - Cherry Blossom Cycling Class Stage Race Criterium, Cat 4

1st place - OBRA State Championships, Match Sprints, Cat 4

2nd place - OBRA State Championships, 500mm TT, Cat 4

3rd place - OBRA State Championships, Wmns SS XC

Looking back on that, I am a very very very happy camper and I am really really looking forward to racing with the Ironclad crew net year. However, at the same time I am also really really happy for bike racing to be over for a bit. I am ready for the snow to start falling. I am ready to say good bye to dirt and asphalt for a while and hello to powder and pine trees. Everyone needs some time to refresh and rejuvenate and for that, I go to the mountains. See ya on the road come spring time!

(Speaking of snow, here's a photo of the podium for the Wmns SS on Saturday... who here looks like they just came out of the half-pipe?)

Cross Crusade #4 - Race Report

photo by pdxcross...

I've found that in my first short year of racing cross thus far... that I'll come back home and either love it or hate it. And sadly, most of that feeling is regulated to what the course was like. For example, if there were lots of barriers, hills or places of thick mud that required getting off my bike and running with it for a few miles (aka: basically, any thing that required me to get off my bike) I hated the race. On the other hand though, if it was flatter or drier or had less barriers (aka: basically, anything that required me to get off my bike less)... I loved it. And well, the Cross Crusade #4 at PIR fell in to the later category of love.

As one person said afterwards... "This course was all about power" and I totally agree. The places on the course where you had to get off the bike (a massive run-up with barriers in the middle and a concrete platform) everyone had to get off the bike. There was none of that "I love climbing hills so I rule" mentality to the race nor did it favor those who remount quickly. I felt like the course was a great equalizer, it pretty much came down to how quickly you pedaled through the slop and how consistent you were... it came down to riding your bike... not running with it. And for once, I found myself on the winning end of the spectrum. I for the record, am not a tactical rider... I do well when I can hustle and when I can ride my bike, not just steer it. I mean, granted, it's not like I won the race or anything, it's not like I placed top ten or anything... just that for the first time ever I think I passed more people than passed me. And for someone who has been coming in "just well enough to not get cut" at most of my races, it felt pretty damn good. It felt pretty damn good to pass people I normally only see at the start line and then again at the finish. It felt good to hear people cheering for the people in front of me... and then on the next lap - they are cheering for the people behind me.

And yeah, the course was wet - wet and muddy. It rained shit loads before, during and after the race. In fact, there were several pot holes and mud puddles out there disguised as swimming pools. They were so deep that my feet kicked through the water to get a full pedal stroke in. The spray from the water soaking through the back of my kit and filling my chammy with a little flood of moistness (delightful I tell you). My eyes filled up with mud so many times that at points I was riding a little blind, but I figured it was better than trying to clean mud off of glasses. I wiped out once really early in the race, a few folks passed me and I was trying to get back on the horse... but at least I got that "oh no... I am getting muddy!" thing out of the way.

Basically though, I rode my single speed on Sunday like it was a track bike... meaning, I just kept pedaling the whole time. No slowing down, no stopping. I was moving in a positive forward motion with the intent on passing as many people as I could in front of me the whole race. On your left, on your right, in the middle, nice socks, coming through.

It felt good, I had fun.

End story.

I can assure you I hadn't fallen on my face or anything...

After my cross race last weekend at Alpenrose... I had a few friends ask afterwards if my jaw got sore after my race? I scratched my head at their questions not really understanding what they were referring to... I mean, I was sore in several places... but I hadn't fallen on my face or anything, so I just didn't get it.

Then I saw a few photos from the race and it came very clear what they were referring to:

So, apparently I have a "game face".... which, under further examination looks to be most similar to this:

You can just start calling me "piranah" from now on.

Down The Rabbit Hole....

It was with great anticipation... I mean, lackluster ambivalence, that I approached entering my first cyclocross race last Saturday. It’s not that I wasn’t excited, I mean... I was, but at the same time more or less, I just wanted to get the big oooooh FIRST RACE EVER experience over with (you know, that whole thing about not being smooth on the transitions, running into barriers or other people, climbing big muddy hills, crashing, falling, getting massive amounts of gravel ingrained under your skin or picking up blood borne diseases from open wounds, etc... all those horror stories you hear) yeah... I was ready to get that part over with. So, I packed up my bike and threw it in my car along with what ever else I thought I might need and made my way to Hood River to participate in Saturday’s Double Cross Race.

First of all, I got my bike a few weeks ago, I’m riding a single speed Bianchi San Jose. I made the SS choice the other year that when/if I race cross, I’m doing it on a single speed. Don't get me wrong, it’s not because I think I’m soo bad assed I don’t need gears, it’s because I’m cheap (less parts = less cost) and lazy (less parts = less things to break & repair). As well, I figure hammering it up hills with one speed can only make me stronger in the long run and well, honestly... I’m a lousy shifter. It’s best if there are less things I have to focus on. Anyways, rather than go out and buy a brand new bike to throw around in the mud, I went with a used one that I found on the OBRA list. This bike had battled through a cross season and a half or so until an unfortunate incident where the owner/rider crashed and subsequently, broke a few of her ribs. This I think, in the bike world is the equivalent of buying a used mattress that someone died on. All that horribleness aside though, the bike was in perfect working order (aside from a flat tire) and the price was a steal... so purchase it I did.

(the battle worn San Jose)

Secondly, a few years ago I went to go watch my first cross race ever out at Alpenrose Dairy, while walking to my car to leave, a woman parked beside me asked if I wanted her husbands old SIDI cleats, otherwise, they were going to throw them away? I looked at them, they sorta fit and aside from the cleat plates being rusted through and the base flapping around a bit, but to throw them away seemed such a waste. At that point in my life I didn’t know much about bikes, but one thing I do know something about is money... and these Italian leather cycling shoes reeked of it (under a few layers of mud that is). So, I gladly took them off the lady's hand and threw them in the back of my closet, where they've sat for two years. Finally I dug them out and repaired them last month. It required several trips to several bike stores, a trip to two cobblers and a lot of gorilla glue. Aside from the shoes being a little too big and the soles needing re-gluing after every race, they work like a charm. I found a nice pair of Crank Brothers eggbeater pedals and spent a night outside in the pouring rain riding laps around my block like it was some type of urban criterium for the dismounting handicapped, all the while teaching myself how to clip and unclip them.

A few days after that I went out and took a cyclocross clinic from the kind folks at Upper Echelon fitness. The clinic was great! (Actually, I hadn’t the foggiest of any idea about anything regarding cross other than sometimes you ride your bike and then other times you carry it over things. So really, me saying the cross clinic was great isn’t really giving an honest review of it.) Thankfully a racing friend of mine, who had a cross season or so under her belt, was there and gave me more tips and tricks than the UE folks did. Thanks M! Overall, the biggest concern I had after my one clinic was my apparent failure to fully unclip properly on the left side before trying to jump over barriers. So, you can imagine this frequently resulted in me spending more time on the ground than really necessary. Oh - and note to self, when I fail, I fail hard. This means that I didn’t approach the barriers at a light, gingerly safe speed. No, I fucking attacked them... full till, race speed, balls to the wall. Which also means that when I hit the ground, I hit the ground at attacking, full till, race speed, balls to the wall. I think throughout the evening I was called “dangerous, lethal and bound to kill someone” on multiple occasions. Regardless, I left the clinic knowing that I needed to hone in my skills in a few areas (many) but I might as well enter my first race and get it over with. I reminded myself, my game plan with cross is not to take it seriously, not to get consumed by it, not to be OCD like I get in crit season, but to just enjoy riding my bike, get a little muddy and drink a little beer... all results aside. So showing up at Hood River a week or so after getting on my first cross bike, I felt like a novice all over again.

(When I told my favorite illustrator Jay Ryan that I was racing cross this year, he drew me this picture.)

However, oddly enough unlike my first road race... I wasn’t nervous.

Hell, I had a friggin huge ass party and I consumed a fair share of pints from my very own kegorator the night before, racing was merely my motivation to get up before noon. Thankfully at registration I ran into my road racing friend Karey, who would be racing her first cross race as well. She asked if I was racing Beginner or B (in cross, unlike road, you can self select the cat you want to ride in) and I informed her I would be racing Beginner, since well.... I was beginning to race cross and according to the sound advice of Maria Von Trapp, the beginning is a very good place to start. Karey, having just started riding her bike that week for the first time as well, was considering racing B. We debated back and forth and finally, against the urging of Karey’s husband, I think I persuaded her into racing Beginner with me. I am sure she would have done just fine in B, but secretly I didn’t want to be the only beginner racing in a full team kit, now at least... there were two of us.

For about 15 minutes prior to the race we got to pre-ride the course. I saw this as an excellent opportunity to make sure my brakes were behaving and a great opportunity to practice unclipping before the race actually began. Things were going excellent, I was warming up, getting ampted for this, finding the zone, and then right after going into a screeching downhill ... (literally, I could hear Karey’s bike breaks squeeling behind me) I started to pedal and all of the sudden I was going nowhere. I looked down... shit! I dropped my chain. The race hadn’t even started and already I was having mechanicals. So, I pulled off to the side of the course and yanked my chain back up onto the gear. I went to hop back on and pedal away when I realized my back wheel wasn’t moving. Turns out that somehow during that one little downhill, my back wheel got bumped forward and wedged against the, well... whatever they’re called, things that make my wheel not move. Shit.

So... here I was, race time was in eight minutes, my bike is a little dysfunctional and I am somewhere far far away from the start. This was not looking really good right now for my first cross race. I shoulder the bike and run off the course on some little path leading up a hill. Luckily, this little path took me to the football field where I then ran my bike across looking for anyone who might be able to help me out. I go to the parking lot and find people mingling about. Start time? Five minutes. I see a Sorella rider I know and run over to her. “Tonya? Perchance do you have a pedal wrench?” Luckily, she carries one with her to put together her kids bikes. So, I used the wrench to loosen the wheel and then pulled back on the wheel to tighten the tension in the chain. Apparently when I put my “mud tires” on after falling down my stairs that morning (Did I forget to mention that I fell down the stairs and landed with the edge of the handrail in my back right right? I forgot to mention that it really really hurt and afterwards I laid on the floor for five minutes before moving out of sheer pain? Whatever?) So, apparently after that I hadn’t tightened the bolts down enough in the stays and they loosened on the downhill. Lesson #1: Check your chain tension and bolt tightness before you race the SS. Thankfully, that crisis was adverted and I was able to make it to the start with enough time to look cool calm and collected (and covered with chain grease).

In no time at all, we were off and racing. Both Karey and I wished each other good luck and offered back and forth tips and advice, like we knew what we were talking about. One thing I noticed real quick, was what a cluster fuck the beginning was. I can’t blame it on being a beginner admist the pack of beginners, I just think everyone bottle necks in the beginning and you can only go as fast as the hesitant rider in front of you. That first lap seemed to take forever... a few bridges, a few barriers, a nice little run up... overall, it appeared to be something I could handle for 45 minutes. I can do this shit, I told myself... no problem. Entering into lap two, I was feeling pretty good, I was on Karey’s wheel and I knew we were somewhere towards the front of our pack. I just stay here and I’ve got a pretty good shot at doing well I kept thinking. And then it happened. AGAIN. I pedal and I go nowhere. Shit, my chain fell off again. So, I stop, pull over to the side, a slew of girls pass me as I quickly fix it and then hop back on, trying to catch up. And then shit.... it friggin happens AGAIN. I sigh... pull off the course, fix it and realize that I just lost whatever pack of the leaders I was in. I hop back on and do my best to catch up, AGAIN. I totally lost sight of Karey but there are some chicks ahead of me that I know I can pass.

This cycle pretty much continues for five laps. I am not going to be one of those people that were like OMG THAT WAS THE HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE, I WANTED TO THROW UP THE WHOLE TIME.... because honestly, it wasn't the hardest thing I've ever done. And honestly, I don't even know what the hardest thing I've ever done is... but I can tell you that this wasn't it. And, don't be all like.. well, you just weren't pushing yourself hard enough... cause um... did you see me run up the those hills? If there is one thing I'm good at, it's hustling. What I will say, that that was one of the most fun bike races I've ever done. And, maybe it's because I don't ride mountain bikes that much, but I was so excited to be on dirt, dirt going uphill... dirt going downhill. There were a lot of sections that you could kinda rest and then some other sections... like the grassy muddy flats, where you really had to push it hard to try and pass people.

One thing that I found was oddly disturbing and I am sooo not used to it, was how nice everyone was, out of nowhere. And, unlike most bums in Seattle, they didn't even ask you for money after they assisted you with a problem you didn't even know you had. There were several times out on the course when I'd be gaining ground on the rider ahead of me only for them to pull off to the side saying, "you... please go ahead of me". I'd turn my head to the side and look at them with crazy eyes saying to myself... um, this is a race.... right? But, who am I to turn down a kind offer from a complete stranger to pass them? So, I obliged and as I sped away, I thanked them and wished them good luck in all their future endeavors in life. One thing that I absolutely loved about the race were all the hecklers and cheerers out on the course. I felt like I was in one of those countries like South Korea where they pay people to be fans. Never in my life have I had so many complete strangers yelling at me with such enthusiasm. My family, they will yell. My friends, they will yell.... complete strangers.... they will happily curse at me, and I love it! It was unreal. I got called crazy single speeder multiple times which I kinda liked, it was good motivation. (My roommate and some of her friends even came out and heckled me with her cowbell. And trust me, that girl is from Jersey, she will yell at you.)

I will admit, that by the third lap my legs were getting a little tired and I was honestly wondering how much longer the race was going to last. It wasn't that I couldn't do it, I just really really wanted to know how much longer I had to do it for. Once again, I like a fair amount of predictability in my races and I hadn't even noticed that apparently there was a lap board... but I'll look for that in the future. Eventually, I heard the announcer say two more laps and I knew, it was at that point I really had to try and focus and try and pass as many other people as I could. I couldn't promise miracles on the barriers or the run ups, but I knew in the flats I really had to hammer it. So, that's what I did. When it was all said and done and I finally crossed the finish line, I felt pretty good. I really had no idea how I placed, but I know I made up a little bit of ground on some of the people that passed me during my mechanicals. As well, other than dropping my chain twice, it was a pretty fun race and surprisingly enough, I didn't wipe out on my bike or crash into anyone else. When the results were posted I found myself once again, in 4th place, not too terribly far behind the leaders (Karey placed 1st). However, considering that I dropped my chain twice, had a big party and drank waay too much IPA the night before, fell down the stairs that morning, impaled my back and unknowingly at that time was suffering from the early onsets of food poisoning, I was fairly satisfied with the results.

From here, I think I might race my next race as a B. It's not that I don't like the beginners, but I don't like people giving me their line, I like fighting for it. Granted, I may come in the bottom of the bracket, but it really doesn't matter since all the beginners, all the B's, and all the Masters and the Junior women were all out on the course at the same time, it kinda turned into a cluster fuck of knowing exactly who you were racing against. I guess the biggest thing is just reminding yourself that you, and only you, are your biggest competitor, and then... um after you've convinced yourself of that, you'll need to remind yourself that you're just doing it for fun. For fun and beer.

(ps... all these great photos are from the swell folks at PDXCross. They happened to be one of the very few photographers out on the course on Saturday... apparently Sunday everybody and their mother and their bother, sister, uncle, third cousin twice removed was out there at the race. In return for me "borrowing" their photos for my blog, I promise to actually buy a print if they ever get a smokin shot of me.)

fourth place is back here...

(i put this photo here so you would know this post is about bike racing)

So, where last I left off, I had just finished killing myself at the Longview Crit and happily, went home with heat exhaustion and fourth place. Seeing how the weather forecast for the next few days seemed to be much of the same, I omitted racing PIR the following monday despite the fifty thousand text messages I got from my bike racing buddy, who had also planned on racing. (I have to give it to the girl for trying though, guilt and beer are my best motivators and she really worked the angles to try and get me to come out, but alas, the kind of pure exhaustion I felt on Saturday after the Longview Crit was not a happy feeling.)

That left my next and last race of the Crit season to be the “all determining OBRA Crit Championship” the following weekend in Albany, Oregon. Going into the race... I was pretty pleased with my bike racing season thus far. Granted, as far as big crit races go (PIR doesn’t really count) I hadn’t podiumed (as in, got top 3) as a Cat 3 yet, but at the same time... when looking through the results of most of everyone who did place ahead of me, they were all Cat 2’s. And since we race together, placing right behind the top Cat 2’s as a Cat 3 isn’t that shabby. I mean, if we were scored separately I would have podiumed in pretty much all but one or two of the races, but... since we aren’t... I’ll settle for just being a pretty decent runner up behind some pretty fast women. Luckily though, at the OBRA Crit Championship we Cat 3s were going to race with the Pro 1/2 women but we’d be scored separately - so, I suddenly had a new sense of resolve. Ok then... let’s see how this goes!

First of all, we had a pretty big steep field. There were a lot of really fast women and big crit racing names in Oregon out there. (I never try to name names, but if you know who I’m talking about, you know who I’m talking about.) Also, I saw a few of my fellow Cat 3 buddies that I haven’t seen since back in the day (and by back in the day, I mean last year) when we started out as Cat 4’s. Overall, there were 21 women out on the course, pretty evenly spilt with an almost equal number of Cat 3’s and Cat 1/2s.

My strategy going into the race was just to stick to some fast wheels of a few Cat 2’s that I’ve ridden behind before. Wheels that I know are safe and fast and wheels that can take me on to the final sprint. However, this was much easier said than done. With 20 some women all occupying pretty much the same amount of space, the wheels and the lines were in constant flux. Meaning, no sooner did you latch onto that spot you wanted, than that spot was gone. In crits like these, fast and technical and full of competitive women, if you keep a narrow frame of focus, like just trying to stay behind certain one or two people, or in a position, like fifth from the front, no sooner do you get there than that spot and that moment is gone - all of the sudden you look up and realize you’re in the back again. So, you’ve got to be moving, constantly. You’ve got to be looking through and over and around the pack like a salmon trying to swim upstream over the backs of the other fish. True, you’re all going to the same place... you’d just like to get there a little sooner than everyone else.

(here I am using photos to illustrate the story)

So, needless to say I couldn’t stick to my strategy that well. I’d find myself on the wheel I wanted and then I was off of it in less than a lap. Or, I’d be kinda where I wanted, but then soon realize I was getting boxed in or get stuck behind someone who went into every corner so timidly that I had to totally lay off the gas to avoid ramming them. Once again, there were a few sketch riders out there. Before every race, you normally know which ones to stay away from and sometimes mid way through the race, you surprisingly discover who that person is. Personally, I had to slow up hella lot at some points to avoid some sketch moments... and I apologize for anyone who had to readjust their line during the race to make up for me readjusting my line to avoid a mishap. But, that’s part of the race you know....

Speaking of part of the race, I almost forgot! Somewhere during the first half of the race we all flew around a right hand corner and boom.. just there in the middle of the race course was a college age red haired kid, stopped in the middle of the race, bike down by his feet, headphones on, texting someone on his phone! I shit you not. The dude had NO IDEA that a bike race was going on around him, didn’t notice that that all of the roads were marked off with yellow tape and that racers had been speeding through the streets all morning and afternoon up to this point. Luckily, the dude was as clueless as he was dumb and didn’t even look up as a mass of twenty or so women clad in spandex and carbon fiber, swooshed around him, parting like the Red Sea. He just stood there... looking down at his phone and texting, completely oblivious to the scene around him and everyone yelling at him. For the next 20 or so laps after this, it was an amusing scene as eventually the cops arrived, then the next lap you could see them questioning him, and then another lap they were giving him a sobierty test, and then eventually he was sitting on the curb in handcuffs. It defiantly made for some amusement outside of just trying to ride your bike fast.

(dumbass) -photo by Heather V.

Anyways, back to the race... a few women jumped out front at points attempting break aways, but no one really stayed out for too terribly long. There were eight corners on the course, lefts and rights, so you really couldn’t break away and keep the gap for too long before the constant slowing allowed people to quickly absorb you back into the pack. Going into the finals laps I was trying to plan my sprint but my biggest concern rather than sticking to someone’s wheel, was just trying not to get boxed in. And well, going into that final lap... shit, what happened? I found myself boxed in. Going into that last corner I desperately was looking for gaps, a wheel, anything to get me out of the mess that I could envision happening. I saw a gap... I saw a gap between two teammates, one was going for the leadout and the other, a Cat 3 rival of mine was set to jump on her wheel. I contemplated getting in the mix and going for that opening, and maybe I should have... but I hesitated.. not knowing if that was kosher or not. In my hesitation I missed the moment and then the pack started to surge forward, going for the sprint. I wasn’t in the front, but I wasn’t in the rear either... and quickly, the back of the pack was coming around the sides and I’d have to do what I could with the little gaps of space I had around and infront of me. I knew at least one or two Cat 3’s were ahead of me and well, I know that the other Cat 3 rival who’s wheel I didn’t jump on was going to be my main competition for that podium, and she was right beside me still. Gears shifted, she jumped, I jumped. We both sprinted for the line and well, she reached it by inches ahead of me.

Shit.
Well, you can’t win them all. Or better yet, you can’t come in second or third in all of them. Actually, I’ve had a pretty good habit this year of placing 4th in a lot of races and wouldn’t you know it, when the dust settled on the OBRA Crit Championship, that’s exactly where I placed again, 4th in the State of Oregon for Cat 3 Criterium racing. I mean, that’s not too shabby, especially when peeking at the officials notes after the race, I came in across the line overall at 9th or 10th. And especially when you think that I just started racing last year and just upgraded this summer, I’m pretty pleased.

As well, I’m pretty pleased that the summer of bike racing is over and I finally have weekends and evenings free to do as I wish. This week I finished up my last race at PIR (placing 4th once again... behind three Cat 1/2’s) and polished off a decent season at the track as well (placing 4th overall for Cat 4 women). Also, even though I’m not a Cat 4 road racer anymore, according to OBRA I’m currently sitting in 4th place overall for Cat 4 women in overall BAR points? Who knows what’s up with that... but... anyways, I think the highlight of the season was probably winning a State Championship in the Match Sprints at the track, as well as taking 2nd place in the State in the 500m. So that was defiantly a highlight of the season, as well as the Ironclad Crit, I really enjoyed that race. Regardless of placements though, I think I can look back on this summer as one of gaining growth, experience and respect.

Oh, speaking of gaining growth and experience, I just picked up a new bike with attempts at trying my hand at cyclocross; which is a cult sport within a cult sport. I have no expectations for placing or doing well, especially since I’m racing it as a single speed. I just want to go out, have fun, get muddy, ride my bike, get a good work out, and drink beer. Once again, beer is a great motivator, especially when it comes well deserved after a good work out. Who knows, maybe I can get 4th place again?

I Will Cut You! Seriously, no.. I mean for reals.

When last I reported from my summer of bike racing, I had just competed in the Inaugural Ironclad Crit and I was very very pleased with my 4th place finish. I was looking forward the next weekend, to racing the challenging Vancouver Courthouse Crit, but... as it frequently happens, life kinda took over. My mom came into town and that weekend was spent moving from one tiny apartment to one larger apartment. I thought that I could pack and move all of my stuff and my roommates and my GF’s in a few hours, up and down a flight of stairs, and then race the following day. But honestly, two hours into the 22 hour ordeal, I realized that racing on Sunday was not going to happen. As a matter of fact... racing on Monday was not looking very promising either. Not only were my legs shot from climbing and the heavy lifting, but I was departing on Thursday of that week to go to Reno for a wedding just to come back 24 hours later and play in an all weekend long camping softball tourney in Washington... so, putting my life back in order and finding my toothpaste amongst the sea of boxes, was honestly at the top of my list of priorities.

By the time life had finally settled down, I had missed out on two weekends of racing and two Monday Nights at PIR and a few nights out at the track. No fear though, I would make up for all of it by driving to Longview Washington to race in the Longview Criterium. A new race on the OBRA calendar, this course was unlike any other crits in the fact that it had no corners. That’s right, no corners. It was just a big round circle that we’d race lap after lap after lap on. That means... no breaks, no coasting. And, depending on who’d show up, that means sufferfest after sufferfest. This should be noted, that as a bike racer, I am commonly not one to “bring the pain”. No, more often than not, I am the one to chase the pain bringers. I don’t lead the race, I sit in a relatively safe spot behind others and pedal only at the cadence I need to to coast on to a sprint finish. I race with conservation in mind and I am pretty decent at reacting to other people’s actions and making informed decisions about when to move and where. So, having said all of that, I was ready to be in some pain at the Longview Crit, especially when I saw the field of women who also showed up.

(this is me in the orange showing some cleavage in a ill-fated attempt in trying to talk my body into racing)

It’s not that the field was big by any means... really, we only had eight riders. But three of those seven riders were pretty damn fast Cat 2 women and one lady was a Cat 1 rider recovering from a big back injury. Added in that the race was around 3:15 pm and by this time heat had escalated to a disgusting 97 degrees out, I knew that this was going to be one of the harder races I’ve ever done. Basically, my willingness to expend my energies goes waaaaaay down when you add in any kind of heat element to the equation. Nevertheless, I hadn’t raced in two weeks and I had driven all the way to Longview and I told myself I was going to race this race and I had paid my fee... so, I was going to race it, heat stroke be damned.

I warmed up as usual and tried my best to drink tons of fluids and subsequently, had to use the bathroom a few dozen times. As it came time for our race, we lined up on the start line and the official went over the rules, and then... just like wishful thinking, asked us if we would mind if they shortened the race from 45 minutes to 35. This, was the most amazing thing I had heard all day! Shorter? Oh hells yes...! But then I realized he was “asking” us, meaning, someone had the opportunity to say: "No, I paid to race for 45 minutes in 100 degree heat so damn it I’m gonna get my money’s worth!" Fearing the worst, I glared over at my fellow racers and thought to myself.... “if any of you say anything I WILL CUT YOU!!!” And honestly, I think I meant it. Luckily though, no one audibly objected and soon, we were on our way. It didn’t take long to realize this was going to be rough race. And, it didn’t take long for me to wonder if I could really hang at all. Every breath felt like trying to breathe in a sauna... hot, dry, gasping for air. Two laps felt like they took twenty minutes to complete when in all honesty, it had only been two minutes. I found myself glaring at the clock at each lap... 32 minutes left? WTF? We’ve been out here forever!! And it was round about that time that the “pain bringers” decided they had had enough of dragging our sorry hot asses around, and made a break for it. I saw it happen, I heard the gears shift and people rise out of their saddle and go. I felt my body react in the way it normally does, to respond to the sudden bursts of speed, to do the same... but when I went to sprint to catch them... my legs, my lungs said “FUCK NO! Are you CRAZY? It’s 97 friggin degrees out here! And when/if you catch them, what are you gonna have to do? You’re gonna have to stick with them. Sit back down.” And, so I did.

(me, hanging out at the back of the pack for about 30 minutes trying to avoid a DNF)

I tried to do my share of work with the remaining five of the pack but my body was not cooperating. At each go around the lap I looked on the clock, expecting to see some time frame slightly more manageable, but it wasn’t even at 25 minutes yet. We hadn’t even been racing for a full ten minutes and I wanted to quit. I’ve never DNF (did not finish) in a race before, but I was so ready to here. At one point, I even stopped pedaling and pulled off to the side, but for whatever inane reason jumped back into the line of racers, at the end. There were a few sprint prize laps thrown in there, a few mini break attempts for the remainder of us not in the front three. And at each attack by an opposing rider... I responded by doing just enough of what I needed to to not throw up or get dropped. And eventually, following this strategy of extreme conservation, the clock counted down and eventually the laps themselves started counting down.

By the time we got to 5 laps to go, I started thinking about what I’d need to do to at least place well. I mean shit, I’ve stayed in the race this long so I might as well try to at least win the bunch sprint for 4th. So, I plotted it out... steady, safe, hydrate, good wheel, bad wheel... and eventually we came to that final lap. From here, I put myself in a position about three from the back and as we entered into the final curve ahead of the sprint, the two ahead of me made a jump while in an extremely unlevo like move... veered waaay off to the left hand side of the wide road, across the seam I was sure was going to grab my wheel, and made a break for it. Trying to shave off anyone from behind me intent on sucking my wheel and all the while, trying to surprise attack my unsuspecting pack leaders. I guess it worked, I came from behind and nailed a pretty clean sprint finish for 4th place overall, right behind those Cat 2 ladies in the break.

At first, I felt a little bad for winning the bunch sprint since I was in the back most of the race, not really racing or working... just more or less trying to survive and not quit. But... that feeling or any feeling of happiness was quickly replaced with “Ooooh, I don’t feel very well. It’s about 100 degrees outside and yet I’m shivering and I have goosebumps. This can’t be a good sign.” So, I paid a nice little visit to the medic tent there at Longview and sure enough, I had a little bout with what they like to call “heat exhaustion”. I hung out with the medics for a bit with cold compresses all over my body and ice cold water. The medics and I discussed many a things there under that canopy: life, love, race promotion, and before I departed assuring them I was good to go home, they gave me a t-shirt to show their gratitude with hanging out with them. Sweet!

Despite the awful race day heat, the course wasn’t that bad. Sure, the pavement had some seams with massive gaps in it, but as far as crits go, the course was fast. And that’s what made it so challenging. As well, the people of Longview were really excited and supportive of having a race there and for all the racers in attendance. Even better, they put together a pretty impressive purse for the top five women finishers. Sure, I got a little heat stroke, but coming home with a check for my efforts didn’t make it seem as bad. Hopefully next year this race won’t happen on the hottest day of the summer and also the same day as the Rapha Race (which, from what I’ve heard was epic) so that this town can get some more riders out and some more people out watching and buying sausages and coffee from their vendors. As for me, well... check or no check, I think I’ll play this one by ear depending on the weather forecast for next year.

No Complaints here....

photo: Suzie Bush

Last weekend was yet another highlight of my 2010 year in racing... I placed 4th in the Ironclad Crit. There were about 13 riders overall in the field of CAT 1/2/3's and it was a pretty competitive and fast group of ladies out there. I was pleased to place right off the heels of the podium but close enough to gardner my first top 5 finish racing against the stronger women.

Overall, it was a fun race... but really really friggin hot (I don't do well in heat). The start was rather shitty for me because as soon as the gun went off the ladies were out of the gate and well, it took me half a lap to actually get fully clipped in my pedals. By this point, I was pretty much playing catch-up for the first 10 laps or so. Through out the race... the field never really seemed to truly split as it sometimes does, but there was a definitive "front" of the pack and a clear cut "rear" of the pack. My goal was to pretty much stay towards the rear of the front. Ideally, if I had a big ole team with me I'd try my hand at taking some turns up front leading the pace, but pretty much my m.o. for the race was about conservation and trying to catch the attacks when they happened and to stay in good positioning throughout. I'm never one to really go for the prize laps as I'd rather save it for the finish.

The fun thing about crits is that yeah, good wheels are good to have, but it's not like you can camp out behind one person because it doesn't take much for a good wheel to suddenly become a bad one. In crits, the race is constantly in an ebb and flow, in a constant state of flux as it is always moving and always changing and people are always jockeying for position. I would attribute it to be most like surfing, you have to change how you ride based upon the people around you and what they are doing. Sometimes a wave will come at you funny, sometimes it is predictable, sometimes you'll miss it and sometimes you'll get it just right. In this race, I had a lot of things happen that seemed "just right". Some of it could be luck, some of it could be hard work, but I think a lot of it comes from just observing and learning as you go through the race, learning to predict and anticipate and then figuring out what is going to stick and what will quickly wash away (all while trying not to step on anyone's toes or throw in a headbutt ;).

photo: Suzie Bush

Anyways, a special thank you shout out goes to Ironclad for first of all putting on a great weekend of racing, but secondly to the ladies of Ironclad who were throwing out attack after attack and making it fun. As well, thanks for the nice prize package! I got a sweet Ironclad hoodie (did you know the smallest size they make is a medium?) a nice pair of riding gloves and some socks. And boy, let me tell you, I always forget to clip my toenails so I always need socks! This is so much better than the EK Memorial Track Race where all I got for 3rd place was a handshake (while the dudes 3rd place riders got gift certificates). I give it up to Ironclad for making even 4th place feel like a rock star! I mean...I don't race for the sawg, but it certainly helps make up the deficent of funding that goes into this spendy habit called "bike racing".