2017 Monster Cross (Minus Results)

So, it turns out, training works!

I have been riding quite a bit, with some structured workouts scattered here and there, in anticipation of Dirty Kanza.  Well, part of my training plan was to compete in Monster Cross.

This is not the first time I have done this race.  I do it every year and suffer through, finishing well after everyone else and quite a bit after the post-race beer has been tapped out.  It is always a fun time though, since this is the first time I have seen many of my racing friends since the end of cross season.  Last year, I had my best overall time, which was 4 hours 38 minutes (slow...).

This year, I felt great going into the race, with over 1,200 miles on my legs since the first of the year and several 60+ mile rides in the past few weeks.  Fifty miles should be pretty easy, right?  Well, it never is at race pace, but it was definitely better than previous years.

My only goal was to finish faster than last year's time.  I knew I was not a podium contender, and only wanted to race against myself.  Because I felt so good and was on a "gravel specfic" bike (even though drop bars are still scary!), I set my goal VERY high.  I wanted to finish 45 minutes faster than last year.  So, I needed to finish in 3 hours 53 minutes.

Lining up at the start is always a bit of a cluster.  There were over 700 racers this year.

Racers starting to line up.
Photo courtesy of Jesse Peters/VORS 

I positioned myself with my female teammates (there are a couple of groups of pink helmets, we are the smaller group in the middle left side of the photo behind all the taller dudes without pink helmets!) and chit chatted while we waited for the racer director to let the pro/elites go out a few minutes earlier than the rest of us.  I was nervous, especially since this is the first year I have lined up near the middle of the pack, and not in the back.

After a few minutes of nervous anticipation, we were off.  I HATE mass starts like this.  It was chaotic and racers do really stupid things.  I was already freaked out about doing this course on drop bars and was feeling a little squirrely when someone hit my right foot.  I managed to stay upright, but whoever it was knocked the Boa fastener on my shoe loose.  I tried to pedal it out to smoother ground, but my foot kept trying to come out of the shoe.  I had to stop and fix it.

After getting back on the bike and waiting for a break in the traffic to get back on course, I kept my elbows out (like the mountain biker I am) and practically dared someone to get too close to me.  I was NOT stopping again for something stupid and totally preventable.  Most people were good about calling their passes if they were overtaking me, but a couple of people passed way too closely without warning.  My elbows were getting ready to become weapons.

Luckily things spread out a bit and I got my confidence back.  I hung back a bit to just breathe and let the chaos ahead of me disperse a bit.  After a few minutes, I started to feel pretty good and my legs were warming up nicely.  At this point, I started picking people off and doing what I do best, which is kill them on the climbs.

I played leap frog with several guys on mountain bikes for most of the first lap.  I would pass them on the climbs and they would pass back on the descents.  I kept thinking that this really is a mountain bike course.  The gravel was deep, the sand was loose, and the rocks were pretty chunky.  Oh, and there were a few root gardens thrown in for good measure on the descents, too.  I REALLY missed my 2" knobbies!

I made it through all three stream crossings without incident on the first lap and was feeling great.  I wore a hydration pack to start getting used to it for Kanza and drinking during a rough gravel race has never been easier.  I was also trying to remember to eat, but honestly should have eaten more.

I crossed the finish area with the elapsed time on my Garmin telling me it had been 1:55 since I started it (about 2.5 minutes from the time we actually took off).  I did the math.  I could TOTALLY reach my goal!  I was elated and almost cried.  I took off with renewed vigour and determination.

On the second lap, I started to pick off the ladies in my category (Women's Open Cross) one by one.  I played leap frog with one of the gals from the DC area cyclocross scene.  She was quite surprised to see me not on a mountain bike.  I passed pretty much everyone in my category that I knew, which was surprising.  I always assume I am the slowest rider out there, even though I have been working my butt off getting ready for Kanza.  I will say that the only reason I passed Jamie (on the first lap, no less) was because she had flatted one of her tubeless tires on a stream crossing.  I swear, she needs run flat tires!

I was still feeling pretty great going into the "lollipop" section across the bridge.  I had gotten in with a couple of people that I knew and was having a grand time playing leap frog on the climbs and descents.

About a mile into that last section, things started to fall apart a bit.  My body was getting beaten up pretty badly due to the roughness on the course.  I was using tubes, so I did not want to lower my tire pressure any that what it already was.  I think going tubeless may help with the vibration fatigue.  I also failed to eat enough on course.  This is a huge problem for me and one that I really have to figure out how to fix before Kanza.  I honestly think if I had eaten more, I would not have slowed down so much on that last leg of the course.

About three miles from the finish, my friend Laurie that I had passed on the first lap caught up to me.  She was on a mountain bike and not in my category, so it was nice to see a friendly female face.  She knows my timidness descending on drop bars and rode behind me for a bit and told me I was crushing it.  And by crushing it, I am pretty sure she was just happy that I was easing off the brakes a bit and not crashing!  Either way, it was great to hear.

Laurie (and David, who was one of the guys I was leap frogging) passed me just before the last creek crossing with about a mile to go.  My body was so fatigued going into the creek crossing that I lost focus and plowed front tire first right into the muddy, leafy bog on the left side of the crossing.  I came to a dead stop in boggy water up to my front hub and my left foot completely submerged in cool (although quite disgusting) creek water.  Whoops.

Getting off my bike, I had to put both feet in the water, and it felt quite refreshing.  My right foot was hurting and my left had been threatening to cramp for a few miles.  I quickly got back on the bike and headed up the last real climb of the day just as Laurie and David sailed out of view.  I was by myself and so ready to just be off the bike.  But I glanced down at my Garmin and saw the elapsed time...  I was getting close to not making my goal, but if I just kept at it, I could finish in time.

I kept pushing myself until the last little rooty descent that comes around the bend where you could see the bridge right before the last little kicker to the finish.  Seriously, who puts the finish at the top of a 15% grade!?  I saw my Garmin as it ticked over to 3:47... WHAT?!?!?!  GO GO GO GO GO!

Elated that I CRUSHED my goal!
Photo courtesy of Jen Wheeler

I crossed the finish line with my Garmin reading 3:48:andsomeseconds.  I surpassed my already extremely lofty goal by FIVE MINUTES!  I can only imagine what would have happened had I kept up with my nutrition.

Either way, I was elated.  There was a smile a mile wide on my face.  I had a great race and even though I was tired and my body was pretty wrecked, I could have kept riding. Especially after a substantial snack.

Needless to say, I got not only ONE post-race beer, but two!  Woohoo!

Race results are pending, so I am not sure where I placed.  Due to a pretty nasty crash on course, apparently the pro/elite's and a few of the fastest citizen racers were stopped for about 20 minutes on course while the girl that crashed was med-evac'ed out.  My thoughts are with her, her teammates, and her friends/family as I have not heard an update on her condition.

Things that I learned:

• Hydration.  The hydration pack was key.  I filled it with 70 ounces of water and drained it about four miles from the finish.  I had a bottle filled with water and a Fizz tab, and drank about half of it.  I need to figure out a way to fit two bottles with my frame pack for DK200.
• Food.  I need to eat more.  I need to get better at eating while riding.  I HAVE to figure this out in the next few weeks.  Shot Bloks are great, but I need more solid fuel, too.
• Rough Terrain.  I was actually surprised by how beat my body felt after this race.  As a mountain biker (especially one that rides a rigid frame half the time), I felt I should have been more prepared for the roughness of Monster Cross.  I know tire pressure and volume have a lot to do with this.  I am second guessing my tire choice (40mm Maxxis Ramblers) and thinking I should get a slightly wider tire.  But I need to try setting this bike up tubeless and trying lower pressure.  
• Shoes.  I have no idea why my right foot started to hurt so bad.  I think I may need different insoles for these shoes.  But...  these shoes are awesome.  They are the perfect stiffness for me, plus the soles are super walkable.  Also, they dry SO fast. This is not the first time they have been fully submerged in a creek crossing (or splashed so badly that they got completely soaked) and have been dry (or almost been dry) by the end of the ride.  This weekend, they were not quite dry, but they were soaked less than 15 minutes before the end of the race.  Pearl Izumi figured this out great.  My last pair would take DAYS to dry.
• Hands.  The one thing that did not bother me all day was my hands.  Even after having a death grip on the brakes for most of the chunky descents, my hands felt great.  I think it is a combination of the most amazing bar tape ever (Supacaz Kush) and gloves that do not bunch or pinch or do anything except protect your hands (thanks Handup Gloves!).  

Lastly, I just want to say that it is amazing having the greatest team ever behind me.  From my teammates cheering me on during the race to offering support after their race was tragically cut short due to a mechanical, seeing Team Bikenetic's smiling faces on race day (and well, every day) really helps me get over my "Impostor Syndrome".   

Team Bikenetic gets photobombed by Jeremiah Bishop!
Photo courtesy of Arden Sperty and Jeremiah Bishop

All the miles...

So, in anticipation of Dirty Kanza, my training has started and I am riding as much as I can. Which, thanks to this lovely mild winter we are having here in the DC area, is more than ever.  I ended January with over 750 miles and rides greater than 100 km.  That is pretty impressive considering that my previous highest mileage month was in June 2016 with 633 miles.  I am feeling good and having fun on the bike.  That is what really matters most though.

I went out on a solo ride to Leesburg a couple of weeks ago to just get more base miles and grab a beer or two at two of my favourite breweries.  I ended up with 70+ miles and a renewed appreciation for solo long rides on the W&OD on a cold, sunny January day.

The Warbird at Crooked Run Brewing in Leesburg

Feet propped up, drinking a delicious brew in style at
Loudoun Brewing company in Leesburg

Last weekend, I started my official DK200 training with a 60 mile ride on the gorgeous gravel roads of Loudoun County, designed by the one and only Pete Beers.  Since it was my first official training ride, I thought it would be nice to have some company out there.  This was especially important since it was going to be pretty chilly and a bit windy.  I get quite discouraged with headwinds, which is something that I need to get over before Kanza.

So, I made a small event on Facebook and invited teammates and a few friends.  Turns out, there are a ton of amazing cyclists that want to encourage and support me in this crazy adventure.  Over 20 people RSVP'ed that they were in for the ride!  A friend made a shorter route that stuck with those doing the full 60 for the first 25 or so miles, so most people were going to do that instead of the whole shebang, but still.  I felt SO loved.

Waking up on the day of the training ride, I made the mistake of looking at the temperature at the starting point.  It was 19 degrees.  EEK!  Luckily, it warmed up a bit.  By the time we arrived at the starting point, it had warmed up to about 27 degrees.  A few folks bailed because of the cold, which, I would have to if it were not MY training ride!

Most of the posse that came out to support my crazy adventure!
Photo by Laurie Johnson

We had 22 people at the start of the ride.  I was blown away and almost cried in my "you guys are so awesome" speech right before we rolled out.  Seriously, I have the most amazing friends.

Happy faces before starting the climb up Old Waterford.
Photo by Joe Reiman

They made me roll out first, which always makes me nervous, because I am NOT fast and the start of the ride was a three mile climb with some pretty steep sections (thanks Pete!). Turns out, I climb pretty decent out of the gate.  I felt horrible about dropping most of the group, but I heard they had a great ride without me.  Which, I am glad that I could get them out on their bikes on a cold and windy February morning, but I wish I had seen more of their awesome faces.

See that mountain, yep, we are going to climb it!
Photo by Joe Reiman

The first few miles went without incident.  I had a good chat with my friend Mark about his gravel race adventures and got some excellent advice from both him and Eric Williams, who is a very accomplished randonneur(er?).

We crossed the ford on Jeb Stuart without anyone getting fully dunked in the creek.  Frank may have gotten his feet wet, though.  But it was all in good fun.  By this time (about 29 miles in) we were down to six riders with most everyone else doing the shorter route.  One of my teammates who is also doing Kanza took off out the gate, passing me halfway up Old Waterford never to be seen again (well, until the next day, that is).  And three others were taking a more casual approach and stopped a few times to check out the scenery.  The six left with me were all pretty similarly paced and we stuck together for the rest of the ride.

We had a slight extended stop around mile 38 to refill water and grab some extra calories (Fig Newtons for the win!).  After that, it was smooth sailing until I got a little overconfident on one of the descents.  I was riding next to my buddy Crandle on the left side of a narrowish gravel road.  I hit a pot hole and it threw my bike up and on the very soft and loose shoulder.  I hit the brakes, threw my weight back, and had a mini-mental freak out that I was going down on gravel (YIKES!).  Well, down I went...  into the softest bank imaginable. It was the most incredible bike crash I have ever had.  The after effects were a wet (and cold) knee and a teeny tiny bruise on the inside of my knee where my frame it it.  Not bad for crashing going 20 mph on a gravel road.

We only had one more incident, where a teammate took a corner a little too wide and slid out on gravel.  He was fine, but according to his heart rate data (the strap came unhooked), he actually died in that crash.  Whoops.

After making it back, someone asked about beer.  I said yes, but only if I can chase it with an entire pizza.  We ended the day at Fireworks Pizza, enjoying some tasty beverages and we each ate an entire pizza.  It was a marvelous day on the bike.

OmmNommNomm!  Cheers!

So, first major training ride in the books:
Total Mileage: 60.8 miles
Total Elevation: 4,639 feet
Total Time: 5:29
Average Temperature: 34F
Average Speed: 12.7 mph
PR's: 16
Top 10's: 7
QOM's: 1 (!!!!)
https://www.strava.com/activities/855263937

January Happenings

Sometimes the things we get talked into can be the best things that ever happen to us.

At least, that is what I keep telling myself.  A couple of weeks ago, this happened:

DK200 Registration Confirmation

A huge thanks to several of the women's cyclocross group and a few of my incredibly supportive teammates for having the confidence in me that I do not have in myself.  Their unwavering faith in my strength and endurance caused me to re-evaluate what I wanted to accomplish this year.  After talking myself out of registering for the full Dirty Kanza 200, I was planning to do the 100 mile ride to support those that were actually going to race.  I got figuratively smacked in the back of the head by several people who told me that I can ride 100 miles of gravel "tomorrow if you had to" and be fine.  I realized they were right.  If I was going to travel to Kansas, I might as well set my sights high and race.  

Go Big or Go Home...  So, while in a race briefing for a winter adventure race, I frantically refreshed the BikeReg website until registration opened at 9:00.  With shaking hands (and only half listening to the race briefing), I entered my data, paid my fee, and before I knew it, I was in!  Woohoo!  

Wait...  I was in.  Oh shit.  On June 3, 2017 (that would be about 18-ish weeks from now, by the way), I am going to race 200 miles on back country gravel roads in the Flint Hills of Kansas.  Unsupported.  I only rarely ride 200 miles in an entire week, how I am going to do that in less than 21 hours (preferably less than 18)?  Did I also mention that I hate training for endurance events?  But...  I am in.  I am going to do this.  And I am going to finish.  

New planner that I even had personalized!

I bought an actual planner.  The first one I have had since I stopped working for Circuit City in 2005.  In it, I have outlined a decent training plan that will get me several 150 mile rides before the race.  I will have to do hill and sprint intervals (ugh), I will have to do cadence work (even worse), and I will have to do long rides (those should be fun, right?).  I will be working on a nutrition plan to combat my chronic problem of never eating or drinking enough on long rides.  I will be getting more and more comfortable with my drop bar gravel bike.

Check, Check, and...  Check!

So while I am incredibly nervous and even a little terrified, I have a plan.  I have two amazingly brave and confident ladies that I raced cyclocross with that have also signed up for DK200 to train and race with.  I have lodging and support lined up.  Things are coming together quite nicely.  Now, I just need to get out and ride my bike.  A lot.  

RACE DAY!!!!  The countdown is on.

Oh yeah...  I did an adventure race on the day I signed up for Dirty Kanza.  I did it with two of my favourite cycling ladies (Bobbie Joy and Kieran).  It was cold (31 degrees) and freezing rain, but we had a blast and I learned a lot about navigation from Bobbie.  Here are some photos that tell the tale way better than I could with words!

Dry and warm before the race.
Photo courtesy of Kieran Doucette

Plan of attack!
Photo courtesy of Kieran Doucette

All smiles as we knocked the ice off our bikes and headed out from TA1.
Photo courtesy of Vladimir Bukalo

Hanging out with Mark out of the rain for a minute at TA2.
Photo courtesy of Vladimir Bukalo

 
 

Obligatory mud butt shot!
Photo courtesy of Vladimir Bukalo

I promise we were colder than we look.
Photo courtesy of Vladimir Bukalo

First Place! (I think this was our second time on the podium since we forgot to get a photo the first time!)
Photo courtesy of Vladimir Bukalo

One Weekend, Three Races: Part 2 - Sunday

Sunday was at my second favourite course of the Super 8 Series: Capital Cross at Lake Fairfax Park.  I feel like this is my home course, since I mountain bike at Lake Fairfax on a weekly basis and know the trails like the back of my hand.  Unfortunately (or so I thought), the course was going to be completely reworked due to a stream restoration project happening in the lower part of the park where half of the course used to run through.  I was a bit apprehensive about racing on a new course, especially since I loved the old one so much.

Sunday morning started out early, as per usual.  We got to the park right around 7:00.  I carried both bikes and my bike cube over to the team tent area to stake out our team's spot. Before I had even dropped the bikes, a bike friend hailed me down.  It is always great to see smiling familiar faces that early in the morning when you are having pre-race nerves!  I picked up my number and headed to the nicely heated bathroom to pin it on my jersey and help some other women get their's on before heading to pre-ride.  Several teammates were ready to pre-ride, so I headed out with them to check out the new course.  I was really apprehensive about the new design and worried it was going to be another power course instead of the techy course that I loved.

But, it turns out, the new course design was spectacular.  I enjoyed it MUCH more than the old course.  Serious kudos to Bruce Buckley and the Bike Lane team for turning what could have been a sore spot into something fabulous.  The course had just about the right amount of balance between techy and power sections.  Obviously in my opinion, the more techy the better, but then again, I feel much more at home on rooty and rocky single track than I do on a grassy false flat.

As per usual, I had a bad start.  It was compounded by being a paved uphill section that quickly turned into a grassy false flat.  I was in the top ten by the time we headed down short paved section into a downhill grassy turn.  Unfortunately, one of my teammates was knocked down hard by a passing racer in the off camber section after that corner.  She was untangling herself from her bike and tape when I came through.  She was second at that time and was pretty disappointed in addition to getting a pretty big bruise on her knee from it.

The barriers were right after a sharp corner and I was worried about scrubbing enough speed going into them.  I had trouble with the barriers on every lap, but apparently I looked pretty pro getting off my bike!

Dismounting is fun!
Photo courtesy of Trey Harris

After the barriers, we went across the dam and up the stairs, which was part of the course last year.  Other than the false flat, that was my least favourite part of the course.  Granted, anything that requires me to get off my bike on a hill that is totally rideable is never a fun thing in my book.  Remounting at the top of the stairs brought you into an amazing house party complete with energizer bunny and disco ball!  There was a mini chute with some tight loose switchbacks which was super fun!  After that was the rooty uphill that I was so glad I could ride.  While it was almost as fast to run it, I was able to put some distance between myself and others while they remounted.  At one point, I may have been in sixth place because of that hill!

Then came the best part of the whole course.  The CHUTE!  It was a relatively long and steep downhill with banked turns and amazing flow.  I LOVED it.  This was also a leftover from previous years and I am so glad they were able to keep it.  Unfortunately, I have not found a photo of me going down it yet, but I was getting some decent air off the bermed corner.  It was a blast.

After the chute was another short steep uphill that was actually faster to run it than ride it. Then back over the damn, by the team tent area and then through the start/finish hill.

By the end of the second lap, I had put a decent gap between myself and the three ladies that were chasing me.  I was feeling pretty good, and even gave some smiles and thumbs up to a teammate taking pictures!

Cross is so much fun!
Photo courtesy of Trey Harris

By the last lap, my legs were getting a little tired (mostly because of that grassy false flat!) and my competition was catching up.  A teammate, Helen, caught me coming across the damn and passed me on the little short kicker before the team tents.  We were both all smiles, though!

Buddies!
Photo courtesy of Trey Harris

As Helen and I rounded the corner onto the paved start/finish stretch, Evelyn from Pheonix Bicycles blew by us as if we were standing still!  She got almost three seconds on us at the finish with less than half a second between Helen and myself.  Out of a very strong field, I finished 9th.  I was pretty happy about that.

It turns out, I was so happy, I decided to race again!  But this time, I wanted to race for handups instead of trying to kill myself in the 3/4 race.  And I was able to talk Maureen into doing it with me.

Needless to say, the course itself was just as fun as the first race.  But, the handup game was the most fun I have had in a cross race EVER.  There was beer.  There was whisky. And there were cookies.   I am sure I will update this with more photos as I come across them.  But here are a few that I giggled at this morning when I saw them posted!

PIIIIIIIIIIE!
Photo courtesy of Trey Harris

Oh yeah!
Photo courtesy of Trey Harris

This is what I have been working for my whole life!
Photo courtesy of Trey Harris

Hmm...  Now I have to get back on my bike...  And eat...
Photo courtesy of Trey Harris

Second lap, or third...  There was whisky and another pie!

Whisky?  Why yes, yes I shall!
Photo courtesy of Trey Harris

Knocking it back like a pro! (While not riding my bike!)
Photo courtesy of Trey Harris

All smiles as I head towards more beer!Photo courtesy of Trey Harris

I dropped my chain trying to ride up the little kicker on the third lap after being goaded by some hecklers on the previous lap.  Thick gloves and a clutch derailleur (and probably the whisky and beer) made for a difficult time getting the chain back on.  Maureen waited for me and we did another lap even after being given the option for early retirement.  We ended up high fiving on the finishing stretch and coming in 24th and 25th out of 29 starters.  We totally won the whole race, even if the results say otherwise! 

 

One Weekend, Three Races: Part 1, Saturday

The race on Saturday at Red Shedman Brewery was not part of either local series, so the race times were a bit different than normal.  The women's races were at 1:00 and I was solo for the day since my significant other was not interested in another two race weekend, so no need to get up early for the men's races.  Woohoo for getting to sleep in for once!

The venue was pretty cool.  There was both a winery and a brewery on the grounds and there was beer flowing from both the local place and from Monocacy, another local brewery. One of the main reasons for me going to this race was because I had never had their beer. And trust me, it was worth the drive!

Lining up for the race was a bit confusing as there were four women's fields: 1/2/3, Master's 40+ 1/2/3, Beginner 4, and Master's 40+ Beginner 4.  There was also the added confusion of Bike Reg advising that the 1/2/3 races would be 40 minutes and the Beginner races would be 3 laps.  After doing one pre-ride lap, we realized the course was really short (barely 1.3 miles), everyone in the beginner category was confused since that would mean our race would only be about 20-25 minutes.  The officials were just as confused as we were and did not give proper instruction at the start of the race, so we all assumed all of us would race the full 40 minutes.

For once, I actually got a decent start.  I did not seem to struggle off the line and only got passed by a few women before we hit the hole shot.  I quickly started to pick people off as usual and after the barriers was in sixth spot.  The course was pretty easy with no real technical spots, so it was a course that favoured those with power, and I am not one of those racers.  I managed to hang on and ended up moving into fourth on the second lap.  I battled back and forth and bounced between fourth and sixth for the next half lap when I heard the announcer say there were four laps to go.  I slacked off, since I knew I could not keep that pace up for another four full laps (there was a LOT of flat power sections and gradual hills that I was redlining on).

Battling it out on the third lap.  Photo courtesy of Jason Calderon.

I let a couple of girls get by me to try and recover before starting the downhill into the start/finish stretch thinking I had a few more laps to pick them back off in the rooty/rocky woods section.  I could easily see the first and second place women go through the start finish and go out for another lap, so I was not setting up for a sprint up the finish stretch.  And then...  we got pulled.  The officials let several of the Cat 4 Master's and Cat 4 Open racers go through for another lap, but pulled several of us after three laps.  

Needless to say, I was not a happy camper at that point since I feel that had we all (including the officals) known at the start what the plan was, I could have had a podium spot.  But either way, it was a fun course and many of the women expressed their frustration to the race director, so I am sure next year it will be better and they will let all of the women's fields race for the full 40 minutes.

After the race, a teammate grabbed me a beer (Red Shedman Vanilla Porter, go have it, it is DELICIOUS!) and all was right with the world again.  I congratulated Laura and Sarah who both came in first place in the W4 and the Master's W4 races (they both totally deserved their wins and crushed the competition!).  High fived all the other women that raced because we are awesome and ran to my car to change clothes.  It was COLD!

Women's Cat 4 Open Podium

Women's Master's Cat 4 Podium (Not Pictured, Tania in 4th and Jocelyn in 5th)

I ended up hanging out for the last two races of the day and was glad I did.  I got to hang out with some mountain bike buddies that were helping out with the race and a few more than stopped by to spectate.  I got to heckle with friends and enjoy some more great beer.  This race, while frustrating for most of the women's Cat 4 group, was a ton of fun and at an amazing venue.  If you did not make it out this year, I highly recommend it.

Sometimes, Winter Happens

Saturday

This past weekend was Apple Cross, a two day race weekend in Winchester, VA.  I had heard great things about the race and the venue and was excited to race a course I had never seen before.

As per usual, we got up super early and drove down to the venue to arrive around 7:00. Even though Saturday was a Sportif race and my race did not start until 10, I wanted to pre-ride a couple of times and make sure that I worked any kinks out of the techy sections before my race.  And it was a good thing I did!  After setting up the team tent, my significant other and I hit the course.  Less than a minute in, we hit our first surprise: an off camber downhill with a sharp corner hidden by a tree with a nasty short climb after it.  I was NOT expecting the climb that was hidden by the tree and promptly fell over while trying to get off my bike on it.  Whoops.

After several pass through attempts, I figured out the best line and dismount area and found that the left side was the best for running up it.  My significant other took some convincing that because of the loose dirt and rock on the hill that it was almost unrideable and it would benefit him to figure out the best dismount area.  And I thought I was the stubborn one.

There was another off camber section that I wanted to try again after coming out of it too close to a stake.  The second pass was much better and I felt a lot better about NOT running into the stake on that attempt.  Most of the rest of the course was fine until we got to the "Belgian Wall".  It was long, it was steep, and it was not rideable for me.  I immediately decided that I was just going to run the whole thing.

The course on that day had a nice rocky and rooty climb that I loved.  It was perfect for my mountain bike skill set and flat bars.  I knew that I would be able to either pass folks or drop folks on that climb.

The early races started and we stood around and cheered.  It was nearing race time and the sun had come out.  It was starting to get nice and warm.  I took my arm warmers off and changed to a less insulated hat and went to go get lined up.  There were 11 of us racing the women's Cat 4 race.  I got a first row call up again.  Yay!

Well, the whistle blew and I felt like I got a good start, but my mountain bike gearing and inability to sprint caused me to fall pretty far back as usual.  However, once we got to the grass, I started to gain momentum and started to pass a few of the other women.  All of my playing around on the first corner came in handy as I was able to dismount and run up while passing several other women.  The rest of the first lap was pretty uneventful.

The second lap, Andrea caught up pretty close behind me.  I cheered her on and taunted her telling her I was right here that she could catch me.  We played leap frog once or twice on that lap.  On the third lap, she caught up pretty close behind me coming into the barriers. My teammates were yelling at me that someone was catching up to me.  She yelled back, "She knows!  It's okay!" and started to laugh.  Of course, she passed me on the remount after the barriers.  We played leap frog a few more times on the second half of the course.  As usual, she would catch up to me on the power sections and I would drop her on the techy sections.

The last little section before the finishing sprint was pretty techy, so I was feeling a little over confident and slowed down behind a friend who is a new racer so as to not freak her out on the techy section.  Once I got around her, I saw Andrea around a corner and realized she was closer than I expected.  I hit the gas on the last grassy patch hoping I could keep my distance.  I hit the pavement as fast as my mountain bike gearing would let me.  I heard my teammates screaming as loud as they could, so I knew she was gaining on me.  I did not dare turn around, I just pedaled as hard as I could.  Luckily, it paid off.  I beat her by not even a second, coming in fourth out of only eight finishers.

For a Sportif race, it was a tough field and everyone was extremely strong that day. Unfortunately two friends DNF'ed and one was DQ'ed.  Sarah G, who was doing her very first cross race, double flatted on a concrete step up on the first lap.  She got back on the bike and finished the men's noon race strong though.  Anna had a major equipment failure when she snapped her carbon saddle rails and hit the dirt pretty hard.  She was a trooper though and immediately started looking for a saddle to borrow for the next day's race.  I told her that I was going to get her on a mountain bike because she had the best attitude about crashing. Unfortunately, Hillary was DQ'ed for feeding on the course after another racer complained to an official.  She still looked like she was having a great time though.

Saturday Women's Cat 4 Results

As the men's 1:00 race was getting ready to start, winter decided to crash our cross party. What had started as a sunny, 65 degree day quickly turned into 35 degrees, windy, with some rain and sleet mixed in.  We hung around to watch the 1/2/3 race to see an old teammate who was visiting from Texas race.

Jamie and Arny - The cutest cross puppy ever!

Once that was done, we high tailed it down the road through more wind, rain, and sleet. The next day was looking quite miserable.

Sunday

As usual, the day started super early.  It was cold and incredibly windy.  We arrived back at the venue a little after 7 where I immediately got my number from registration and started my pre-race freakout since I was doing the early race.  I met up with another friend, Sarah B, who was interested in racing cross, but nervous about doing a race.  She brought her bike so we were going to pre-ride the course together.  Unfortunately, the changes they made to the course overnight did not make it less challenging.  It made it way more technical (sorry Sarah!).  But she was a beast and rode most everything out, even though she thought she was going to die (she was fine!).  There was a new off camber section into the first steep run up.  There was a different line going into straight away before the barriers.  The Belgian Wall was shorter, but SO much steeper (but I was able to ride the short kicker after it).  There was a paved climb (ugh... who does that?) and a loose rocky, rooty climb that I immediately determined was faster to run it than to try and ride the slightly less steep option to the left.

Sunday was a Super 8 race, which puts the Women's Cat 4 race with the Men's Cat 5 race. Usually, there are about 60+ Cat 5 men and between 15-25 Cat 4 women.  Today was a bit different.  There were TEN men and 13 women.  We finally outnumbered the men!  It was pretty empowering.

As in the day before, I got a front row call up and botched the start.  I really do sense a pattern here and need to figure out how to be better at starts.  I quickly started to pick off women and settle into fourth spot.  Jamie took off and I saw her a total of once on the course after the hole shot.  That girl was on FIRE.  It became pretty apparent that this was going to be an actual race, with actual racing happening.  A group of five of us (Mia, myself, Becky, Maureen, and Evelyn) were in a pretty tight group with a lot of passing and repassing.  It became pretty apparent that Becky (whom I had never raced with) was a mountain biker as she was keeping up with me on the techy sections.  It was nice to have someone to race with that could match me on bike handling skills.  It really kept me on my toes.

After some jockeying back and forth, I was able to get in second for a bit.  It was a pretty awesome feeling until I washed out in a corner and had to put a foot down for a second. Evelyn was behind me and I think she did the exact same thing that I did.  But either way, we both got passed by Becky.  I kept on Becky's wheel for the most part through all of the techy sections.  But she had a cross bike and was able to pull away from me on the power sections.  I was in third, but had a taste of second and I wanted it back, but just could not catch her.  On the last lap, Sarah G caught up to me with her ridiculous roadie strength and passed me on the barriers.  I grabbed her wheel and yelled at her that she was not stealing my apple butter (which was a prize for the top three the day before, so I assumed they would do it again for this race).  I am pretty sure she had no clue what I meant by that, but she put the hammer down and dropped me like I was standing still.

She also quickly passed Becky, whom I caught up to on the Belgian Wall.  Apparently I could mosey up a hill on foot faster than she could.  But she broke away on the next power section.  I spent the rest of that lap trying to catch up to her.  I was pushing as hard as I could and as fast as my gearing would let me.  It was not enough, she finished with 15 seconds on me as I came in 4th out of 13 finishers (no DNF's today!).

Sunday's Women's Cat 4 Results

Women's Cat 4 Podium - Not pictured: Jamie and Sarah G (who were nice and warm inside the rec center!)

This was a great race and an excellent learning experience for me.  I think this sealed the deal for me buying an actual cross bike for next year.  I just need to get used to drop bars before next season.  Yikes!

Race Report: Podiums and Pedals

This is my first full year racing cyclocross.  Last year I completed three races and absolutely fell in love with this new-to-me discipline of bike racing.

To fully comprehend what happened this past weekend, I am going to rewind the calendar to last year.  My second 'cross race happened to be at Rockburn.  The venue was right next to the Avalon area of Patapsco Valley State Park in Maryland, a place I had mountain biked several times.  I had heard great things about the course and was really excited to check it out.  In 2015, the beginner women raced with the junior fields, which was not a healthy combination.  This race was the first experience I had with "Cross Dads" and what happens when a ten year old has no bike handling skills whatsoever.

The Rockburn course was (and still is) a pretty technical course.  There were a lot of off camber corners, some fast, some not so fast.  There was a mandatory run-up in the form of a large telephone pole at the bottom of the hill.  There was a long singletrack section, while not technical to me, would be to someone who is not a mountain biker.  There was an optional log that had a penalty if you chose to go around it.  And lastly, there was a long paved climb that was absolutely torture.

This was my first actual "race".  There was a woman who raced for Sticky Fingers that I was back and forth with most of the race.  She was a power person and I was good on the technical stuff.  So I would pass her on the single track and some of the off camber sections and she would get me on the straight sections.  And I absolutely fell in LOVE with having someone to race with.  In most mountain bike races, I am pretty much by myself.  At my first cross race, Ed Sander Memorial Cross, I was in the same place pretty much the whole race.

Having someone to keep me competitive was something completely different.  And I loved it. Right until the point where I freaked out on one of the super sharp off camber turns on the back side of the course.  I had to get off my bike and walk it.  Every lap.  And then I met "Cross Dad" for the first time.  I had just passed a junior and an adult male yelled at the kid to put me into the tape.  What?!  We were not even in the same field, why would you tell a kid that?!  And then...  it happened.  A junior that I was about to pass fumbled and came straight across the course and hit my wheel.  Unfortunately, the kid went into the tape.  I apologized, made sure he was okay, and went along my way.  Sure, the kid was fine and did not even hit the ground, but it freaked me out.

Well, I ended up finishing pretty well for my second ever cross race: 12 out of 22.  Seven seconds behind the girl that I played leap frog with the whole morning.  She totally dropped me on the finishing stretch.

2016 Rockburn CX - Photo Courtesy of Ben Kristy of Dominion Cycling Photography

This year is a completely different story.  Before the Rockburn race on Sunday, I had seven races under my belt already for 2016's cross season.  With the exception of two races with mechanical issues, I had top ten finishes every week.  I was feeling fairly confident and strong and I remember loving the Rockburn course.

I am still racing on a rigid mountain bike, but I bought a gravel bike a few weeks ago.  Drop bars are scary.  I have not ridden a drop bar bike regularly since the summer of 2013 and have gotten very much out of practice on drop bar handling skills.  But, teammates have been pressuring me to race it for cross.  I figured if I did well in the beginner race (Cat 4) that I would race the Warbird (my new gravel bike) in the intermediate race (Cat 3/4).

Unfortunately the beginner race is at the beginning of the day, and I have no photos of the actual race.  *sad face*

I started the race with a front row call up even though I am terrible at starts (I can start in the front row, but literally as soon as the whistle blows, more than half the field passes me). The usual chit chat was happening at the start until the officials blew the whistle for the men's beginner race to start.  We all kind of quieted down, since we only had a minute between their start and ours.  

The whistle blew, and off we went.  Up a paved hill to a straight stretch before hitting the hole shot, which is the first turn of the race (usually from pavement onto grass).  I have no clue what place I was in, but was trying to pass as many women as I could on the turns towards the sand pit.  I was behind a teammate coming into the sand pit and she had an unfortunate fall with another racer.  I made sure she was okay as I passed and settled into the straight stretch before the singletrack.

About halfway through the singletrack section, I caught up with a couple of girls.  Then Jamie (who won the last week's race) was pulling over.  I asked her if she was okay, and she shouted "flat".  That was a bummer, I think she could have won this race also.  But, that is cross racing, sometimes you have a great race and sometimes you get a flat (or bust your chain like I did two weeks ago at Tacchino).

I kept going and caught up to another friend.  I noticed two juniors who were racing in the beginner women's field ahead of us.  I told her that they were teenagers and we HAD to beat them, just on principle.  I passed her and one of the juniors and kept my sights on the other.  (I should add that both girls are very talented and incredible young women.)

I passed the young woman in front of me, but she passed me back.  This happened a few times and reminded me very much of last year's race.  On my third lap, I put a little distance between us on a gravel climb and was just trying to hold her off when I went by my team's tent.  Someone yelled out, "GO GO GO, YOU ARE IN THIRD!"  Apparently my reaction was pretty off the charts.  I remember yelling "holy shit" and dropping down a gear or two and taking off.  The junior's dad commented to me after the race that he saw she was right behind me on the second lap but there was a good gap between us on the third.

I knew I could put more space between us on the technical sections.  So I concentrated on not making any mistakes through there and pedaled as hard as I could on the power sections.  Coming out of the off camber section towards the officials and the timing arch, I saw the lap counter was at one.  I had heard the bell (meaning last lap) about a quarter of my way through my third lap, so I was expecting that to be it.  I was not prepared to do a fourth lap and was not sure I could hold the junior off for another two miles.  Luckily, about 50 feet from the line, the counter turned to zero.  I smiled, mouthed "thank you" at the official as she told me I was third, and probably could have lit up the entire DC metro region with my grin.

My first cyclocross podium!  And it was at my favourite course!  And I beat a teenager! Woohoo!  

Women's Cat 4 Podium - 2016 Rockburn CX
Photo Credit: Charlie Lewis

Well, as promised, I also raced the Women's Cat 3/4 race on my Warbird.  I convinced a couple of other beginner women to race with me (thanks Maureen and Christine!).  We lined up near the back, since this was going to be a "see what happens" kind of race.

"I have no idea what I am doing."
Photo Credit: Charlie Lewis

As per usual, my start was terrible.  The first lap was pretty terrible.  It was terrifying going over technical terrain with drop bars.

The sandpit was especially scary, but I made it through with Christine, a fellow Bikenetic teammate) right on my wheel.  As the race went on, things got a little less terrifying.  In fact, Charlie caught me grinning a couple of times!

"This is a little more fun."
Photo Credit: Charlie Lewis

"Just riding along, nothing to see here."
Photo Credit: Charlie Lewis

By the third lap, I had caught up to a friend that was having some trouble on the off camber tight turns.  Instead of passing her like I did on the second lap (only to have her pass me back on the straight sections...  I see a pattern here), I told her that she absolutely can make the turn, to take it slow and pedal out of it.  And she DID!  I was so proud of her and even though I could not see her face, I am pretty sure she was quite happy.  The next one came up and I encouraged her to do the exact same thing and she crushed it.  I spent the last lap yo-yo-ing behind her.  I would catch her on the techy stuff and she would drop me on the power stuff (again, I see a pattern here...).  I felt pretty confident on those drop bars on the last lap and passed a couple of ladies.  I felt great going into the techy stuff at the end of the course and Charlie caught a big grin this time around!

"Oh, I have TOTALLY got this!"
Photo Credit: Charlie Lewis

Crossing the finish line was pretty amazing.  Sure, I finished not even remotely in the top ten (23rd out of 29, actually), but I finished with a great group of supportive women and we all had a blast.

The gearing on my gravel bike is not really all that great for cyclocross.  So, with the help of a teammate, I am planning on building one up over the winter so that I will stop getting harassed* for riding "FLAT BARS!"

*and by harassed, I mean lovingly teased by all my bikey friends