Sometimes you need to rest... Sometimes you race in a parking garage.

So, after putting in 2,200 miles during the Bike Arlington Freezing Saddles competition, I decided to take a week off of training and hard riding to just have some fun on the bike. Plus, I recently purchased a new mountain bike and have not had a chance to ride it. So, after an easy week of only commuting four days and the last Crystal City Wednesday Night Spins Race (recap below), I spent some time with teammates and my significant other and played in the dirt.

The SO rolling down a drop.

Baker's Dozen is a 13 hour mountain bike race that happens once a year on a private farm. The owners open the trails a few weekends prior to the race for pre-riding.  Saturday was the first pre-ride of the season, which means Spring is officially here!  We headed out and suited up and hit the trails. The first lap was a bit slick and I fell back and worked on a few things solo with the SO. After the first lap, we headed back in and I ended up in a smaller group and nailed everything in the main loop except the big rock step up...  Which I will probably never be able to make it up that.

Erik on his new bike...  After getting taught the hard way about keeping your weight back!

It was a great day on the bike and I am feeling a bit more confident about doing that race after all the gravel endurance I have been doing.

Madison (non-teammate) showing us how to REALLY have fun on that drop!

Sometimes you race in parking garages!

So, part two of this update (and I guess, really the REAL reason for it), is to give a race report (or four... actually) for my first foray into non-dirt/gravel/cross racing.  Every Wednesday this month, Crystal City BID and Crosshairs Cycling puts on a parking garage race.  I guess it is kind of like a cross race, since it is a super short course with tons of twists and turns.  But WAY scarier.

Week 1:
I brought my gravel bike and did a quick lap around as I was arriving at the parking garage. I immediately felt really squirrelly and dropped the pressure in my tires. After doing 10-12 pre-ride laps (the laps are about a half mile...  maybe less?), the ladies all lined up for the race. It was great to see so many folks that I had not seen since cross season. Smiling faces made me slightly less terrified.

And then we were off! Well, sort of...  There was a crash right in front of me at the start, so I got delayed behind that. Unfortunately, one of the girls that went down broke her ankle. She is healing well, but will be off the bike for a while.

Terror...  Determination...  Trying to catch Samantha!
Photo courtesy of Bruce Buckley

It took a little before I actually caught up to anyone. And when I did, I realized it was my friend Samantha! I actually hung behind her for a while and followed her lines through the corners and started to feel a little more confident. I ended up passing her and we raced back and forth for the remainder of the race. It was super fun to actually get to "race" with someone, and it was made better because it was Samantha!

Smiles!  So many smiles!
Photo courtesy of Bruce Buckley

I was a little disappointed when the race was over, because I felt like I was finally starting to be able to take the wider corners at speed. I ended up having a blast, even though I was pretty terrified.  You would never know it by the pictures, though!

Who giggles during a race?  This girl does!
Photo courtesy of Bruce Buckley

I even had a decent sized cheering squad out there!  Huge thanks to Team Bikenetic and my Freezing Saddles friends for rooting for me!  I believe I ended up 12th of 15.

Matt & Dane...  Were not cheering me on in this photo...
Photo courtesy of Bruce Buckley

Week 2:
The second week, I felt a little better going into it since I knew what to expect. Oh, I was still terrified, just a little less so. The beginning went off a little better than previously since no one crashed right in front of me.

Well, at least not yet...  After several laps and some good racing, a junior (whom I was waiting to pass until we got out of the tight turns) crashed right in front of me. Her rear wheel clipped my front and I went down, too.

Luckily, it was a pretty slow speed crash and I was fine. However, I could not get unclipped from the bike! I am sure it was a hilarious sight. I did eventually get untangled from the bike and kept going. My knee was starting to swell, so I did about three laps of easy spinning just to keep moving and get my mojo back.

There was a huge field of women racing this week, which was a GREAT thing.  I finished 24th out of 34, which I was very pleased with, especially considering the crash.

I look way more relaxed than I felt!
Photo courtesy of Firespire Photography

Week 3:

I was MUCH more nervous going into this race because of going down the week before. There is honestly not much to say about it.

I started fairly strong after my initial terrible start, but got passed by a few folks throughout the race since I was definitely being more cautious on the corners.

Slow and smiling!
Photo courtesy of Trey Harris (I think?)

I still had fun, though and enjoyed the extra experience! 

Easy spinning and LOTS of concentration after the previous week's crash.
Photo courtesy of Trey Harris (I think?) 

I finished 15th out of 21.  

Week 4:

The FINAL in the women's series. After the previous week, I decided I was going to ride my rigid mountain bike just to see how I fared. I am always more confident on flat bars and even decided to keep my pretty aggressive mountain tires on the bike for an additional boost. This turned out to be the best decision I could have made.

Starting in the pre-ride, I felt pretty unstoppable. I did not want to get over-confident, as that could lead to some pretty...  disastrous results. So I kept the speed down and worked on leaning the bike around the corners. I was at a disadvantage because my gearing is for mountain biking. I ended up keeping it in the smallest ring in the back and treated it as a 36x12 singlespeed. Apparently that worked well.

We lined up for the start, and my favourite photographer of all time made a snide remark about those of us in the "back row"...

"Hey now!"
Photo courtesy of Bruce Buckley

 As per my usual race starting procedure, I had a terrible start. But, I made up for it, and immediately started passing people. They could definitely tell I was coming, my tires were NOT stealthy.

Passing Amy on the inside.
Photo courtesy of Bruce Buckley

Being able to corner with flat bars made a huge difference in just about everything in the race. I felt confident and could take corners tighter than I had been able to in the past. Things just seem to work for me on flat bars.

It also helps to have friends yelling at you to go faster. Yes, I know your grandma can ride a bike faster than me!

 All in all, I felt great and had the best finish for me all month.  I ended up 11th out of 20. (Almost Top 10!)  If I had appropriate gearing on that bike, I might have squeaked out another place or two.

This coming week is Week 5, but there is no women's race. I will be teaming up with two Bikenetic teammates for the relay. It should be fun, but I am expecting it to be a little more terrifying with men on the course at the same time. I will be riding the rigid Niner again, since I am definitely more confident on that bike. Plus I can throw my elbows out and make those dudes give me more space!  

What do you mean there is no smiling in racing?!
Photo courtesy of Bruce Buckley

2,000 Miles - All Smiles

So, on my commute to work this morning, I surpassed 2,000 miles for the year.  For some of you, this may not be a big deal.  For me, it is pretty huge.  I already have more than 600 more miles than I did at this point last year.  I have racked up six metric centuries, four of which were on gravel.  I hit an all time monthly mileage high for January and then surpassed it in February.  I feel GOOD.

Even though we have had a relatively mild winter, the cold and the wind came back with full force this past weekend.  The weekend that I had an 80 mile training ride planned.  I had several people commit to riding at least part of the way with me, so I dragged myself out of bed early Saturday morning and checked the temperature outside.  It was 22F degrees at my house, which means that it was even colder in Leesburg at the ride start.  The forecast did not indicate it would warm up much and it was going to be quite breezy.

What to wear? What to wear?  This winter has left me forgetting how to dress for long cold rides.  But, I planned appropriately and was fairly comfortable most of the day.

The few, the proud, the cold.
Photo courtesy of Laurie Johnson

In addition, I had been noticing some pretty significant mid back and shoulder pain while wearing a standard hydration pack.  I know that I will need more than two bottles for Kanza and drinking out of a pack is so much easier on gravel than bottles.  So I needed a solution. Luckily for me, I went out to Stokesville, Virginia the previous weekend for Shenandoah Mountain Touring's 60/40 race with Team Bikenetic (I ended up doing a jeep road "gravel" ride instead of the trail ride...  Because Kanza).  Two awesome bike friends had just purchased "fanny" packs and rode with them and RAVED about them.  I was intrigued.  I talked to another friend who rode with a different type of "fanny" pack and she also really liked it.

So I spent three days researching and ended up ordering one.  I ended up with Source's Hipster pack, which is the same one that Chris and Libby had at the Stokesville 60/40.  I was a little skeptical about how it would fit as I am fairly tiny and it is unisex, but it worked out well and I still had about six inches of belt left to tighten if needed.  It felt great on the hips empty, but I was a little worried about how it would feel with 50 ounces of water balanced on my butt.  I probably should have tried it out before starting an 80 mile ride, but...

Unfortunately, no one got a photo of me from the rear (Crandle, where were you when I needed you?!), so I do not have a great photo of the pack on.  But, because I like posting photos, here is the only one where you can kind of see the pack:

In the end, there were only three.
Photo courtesy of Jan Feuchtner 

When I first got on the bike, it was a little weird having this thing hanging off my butt.  But once I remembered it was there, getting on and off the bike was fine.  Sitting and pedaling, I barely noticed it was there.  It was SO much better than wearing a standard pack.  Standing up felt a little weird because I could feel the water sloshing, but I got used to it pretty quickly. It was pretty amazing not having a super sweaty back (or back/shoulder pain), especially when we stopped for snacks.  The only issue I had was trying to put away the hydration hose once I was finished drinking. I suspect this is just because it was my first time using it, and I need to learn where the little magnetic clip is on the belt.

There was plenty of storage for extra CO2 cartridges, snacks, and my wallet.  I probably could have even fit an extra tube in there if needed.  And while I bought this for use with the drop bar gravel bike, I can definitely see me using it for mountain bike rides, too.  I am curious to know how well it stays in place going over some large obstacles and drops.  

So, I DEFINITELY recommend the Hipster for long gravel rides where you need more than two bottles but hate wearing a pack.  I will probably post an actual review at some point after I have used it more than once and have done some rough single track rides with it (and have more photos!).

Anyway, the ride itself was great.  The temperature had risen to about 27F degrees at the start and there were some snow showers.  All in all, a "lovely" way to start the ride.  As soon as we left the parking lot, the wind smacked us right in the face.  I seriously thought my sinuses were going to freeze solid right then and there.  Luckily, the first three miles or so of the route had us climbing up Old Waterford Road.  So we warmed up pretty quickly.

Most everyone in the group decided to peel off for the shorter route (42 miles versus 81) since it was so cold and windy.  Five of us (Chris, Jan, Maureen, Tony, and myself) forged on.  We skipped a water stop in Round Hill at about mile 30, since everyone was still good on water and the normal routes have us in Philomont in about 10 more miles.  I had forgotten that I had added some extra miles to this route, since it was originally only supposed to be 70ish.  So, we ended up doing 20 more miles before hitting Philomont.

We stopped and a couple of the guys went in and grabbed some snacks, but everyone was still doing pretty good on water, and the ford crossing was coming up soon and we wanted to head out.  So it was a five minute stop there to shove some snacks in our faces before we headed down Jeb Stuart Road to Beaverdam Creek.  This is my favourite part of these rides, especially if I am with people who have never forded the creek before.  I was a little behind the three guys (who had never crossed the ford) and stopped a little farther up the road and watched them for a second try and figure out how to cross the creek.

For those that have never seen it, here is a picture from June (keep in mind I am 5'9" and have long legs):

A nice cool dip in the Beaverdam Creek Ford.
Photo courtesy of Pete Beers

It was probably a few inches less deep in this spot since we have had such a dry winter, but it was not yet above freezing at this point in the ride.  I did not say anything, just made my way up the bank while they kept looking at the creek.  There is a nice shallow section that you have to drop down to get to, but as long as there are at least two people, it is pretty easy.  I laid my bike down and hopped down and waited for the guys and Maureen to catch on.  They came over, handed me my bike, and we started the process of getting bikes and people down the bank.  

They were totally conferring about how much of a genius I am.

The water in this section was pretty shallow, maybe 4 inches deep.  

Jan got to be the guinea pig and go first.

It was an easy ride across and most everyone's feet stayed dry.  Tony may have ridden a little too far to the left and put his foot down in the water.  Whoops.

Water is a little deeper on that side.  Sorry, Tony!

Everyone made it across with ease and Maureen has now agreed that she should buy a mountain bike.  YAY!

She says, "Nothing to it!"

Luckily, Jan grabbed a photo of me coming across to join the rest of the group. 

 

"Donotfalldonotfalldonotfall...  Everyone is watching!"

Ten miles later, we stopped in Middleburg for water/snacks.  Chris and Tony ended up at a coffee shop down the street and Jan, Maureen, and I ended up at Middleburg Deli.  It was warm, the food was delicious (and much needed), and they had a bathroom.  The only other thing I could have asked for was beer.

At this point, we had thawed out and had 20 miles to go.  I felt surprisingly good, especially after an egg salad sandwich and some juice.  We hit the road with good spirits and full-ish bellies.  

We ended up on Hogback Mountain Road, which I keep meaning to avoid on Saturdays, but fail miserably because it is such a lovely climb. There is a huge "fancy" winery at the top that creates a lot of traffic on the climb. The road is wide enough, but on a dry day, that much traffic creates a LOT of dust.  Plus, some of them are coming FROM the winery, so could potentially be intoxicated.

We finally passed by Zephaniah Winery (owned by a teammate's family) after several "Oh!  I think this is the road to Zephaniah!" cries by me.  Whoops.  It was getting pretty late, so we did not stop, but waved to the barn as we rode by.  At this point, we had about four miles to go and we were getting hungry again.  Frozen shot blocks do NOT count as a full meal, by the way.  

As we came back into Leesburg, the wind met us head on again, which was a fitting way to end the ride.  We landed back in the parking lot at Rust Library right at 5:00.  Perfect timing. Jan, Maureen, and I ended up at Loudoun Brewing Company to rehydrate and eat some greasy Pizza Hut carry out since Fireworks Pizza had a 45 minute wait.  We ran into Crandle there and hung out with him for a bit.  

Beer and Pizza.  No better way to end the day!

Reflecting on the ride now, I felt great and could not have asked for a better support team. So a huge thanks to those that came out and brave the cold and the wind! 

Things that went right:

Clothing - My clothing choice was just about perfect.  My hands were a little cold, but I honestly think it was because my gloves were too think under the Bar Mitts.

Bike - The bike felt great.  Thanks Salsa!

Contact Points - Chamois Butt'r for the win. Hands felt great.  Feet were fine.

Nutrition - I felt great, but I probably should have eaten more on the road.

Hydration - Also felt great, but I only went through the equivalent of 2.5 bottles and a bottle of juice.  

Battery Power - I had my Garmin plugged in the whole time with routing and live track. Ended with 100% power on the Garmin and more than 70% power on the battery backup.  I think I will only need three for DK200.  Two for my Garmin and one for phone/lights.

Things that could be improved:

Nutrition and Hydration - Obviously.  I am getting better, but still need to dial this in.

Pacing - I would like to be faster.  But, at an average moving speed of 12.4 mph in below freezing temperatures with 20+mph winds...  I will take it.  

Pedals - I think it might (SOB) be time to replace my beloved Time Atac Alium pedals.  They are getting increasingly difficult to get in and out of.

Descents - I am still breaking a little more than I would like to.  I have been trying to pedal through the downhills to refrain from braking, which is helping.  But...  I still freak out a bit with the drop bars.  I think doing a ride when it is warmer and without Bar Mitts may help, since I will be able to get in the drops and modulate the braking a little better.

Gear List

Bike:

Bike - Salsa Warbird, SRAM Rival

Bar Tape - SupaCaz

Bar Mitts - Bar Mitts for internally routed cables

Pedals - Time Atac Alium

Saddle - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow

Tires - Maxxis Rambler 40mm

Clothing:

Shoes - Giro Alipineduro

Gloves - Gore Windstopper

Chamois - Shebeast (blue chamois)

Base layer - Underarmour Cold Weather

Outer layer - Zoic Knickers

Base layer (top) - Smartwool mid-weight

Outer layer (top) - Gore Windstopper

Neck - Turtle Fur Gaiter

Head - Buff & Bikenetic Cap

Helmet - Lazer Pink

Etc:

Source Hipster hydration pack

Garmin Edge 520

Anker PowerCore 5000 battery back up

Huge thanks, as always, to Pete and Jan (and everyone else) at Bikenetic Falls Church for everything they do to keep me motivated and rolling!  You people are AWESOME!