Saturday started at Midtown Alley. It was hot and humid...very reminscent of last week in Tulsa. And, my heart rate reacted to the heat the same way it did the weekend before. I was running fast! I jumped on a trainer for the warm up and did about an hour warm up. I didn't feel like I was doing hard efforts, but my heart rate was running really high. I didn't pre ride the course because of the timing of our race, but wasn't worried about it because it was a basic rectangle, four-corner crit. The the north and south borders were long straight aways, the east and west were one block long. The backside was a gradual downhill with the start finish being a gradual up hill.
Fourteen Cat 3/4 women pulled to the line. I knew, or knew of, most of them. We got the pre race instructions and were off. Vanessa immediately began pushing our pace. She is known for her strong, relentless attacks and Saturday was no different. We were several laps in, staying together as a field, when she launched another attack on the east side, we went through the corner after her and she pulled off--broken spoke. Another lap or two and they rang the bell for a prime. That's always what I like to hear! I watched my pack position through the course. We made turn four and I started my move. This was such a long straightaway, I knew my timing was critical. I decided to go at the barricades and made my move. It was a good decision, an easy prime.
Fourteen Cat 3/4 women pulled to the line. I knew, or knew of, most of them. We got the pre race instructions and were off. Vanessa immediately began pushing our pace. She is known for her strong, relentless attacks and Saturday was no different. We were several laps in, staying together as a field, when she launched another attack on the east side, we went through the corner after her and she pulled off--broken spoke. Another lap or two and they rang the bell for a prime. That's always what I like to hear! I watched my pack position through the course. We made turn four and I started my move. This was such a long straightaway, I knew my timing was critical. I decided to go at the barricades and made my move. It was a good decision, an easy prime.
Crossing the line for the prime. *Photo credit: Paul Pate
I knew I didn't have it in me with the heat & humidity to stay away so I sat up and tried to get back in. Nobody was budging. I sat on front for about three quarters of a lap, in the wind. I finally eased back in when another attack went off. We hit the start/finish and got four to go. I looked at my data and was running a 192 heart rate--I felt really taxed. I stayed on with the group until we hit corner four. They got a small gap on me then. For the next two laps, Ashley and I worked to get back on, trying to catch Kate and another rider off the back. I was spent and knew it. I finally was able to jump back on in turn three of the last lap. We made turn four and the sprint started way early. I didn't have it in me to give. I didn't sit up, but I couldn't give as much as I would have liked. Ninth place for me. It was disheartening because I know I'm stronger. I didn't give as much for the prime as I have in other races, but just couldn't hold the race together.
I hung out and watched the other races and got to enter my kids in their first race. They were both excited as they pulled to the line. Callie had another little boy in her heat. He was about an inch shorter than she is, but was already riding without training wheels and boy could he move! She finished 2nd but and got to bring home a teddy bear. Andy's group was next up. He had a few more in his group and cruised to an easy 3rd place finish to bring home a bear as well. They were all smiles afterwards. The big win for me was that Callie said to wanted to race again (Andy did as well) on Sunday. I may get the little diva to be an athlete after all!
I headed to the street sprints Saturday night. It was nothin' but ugly. I lined up and was in the second heat. Carrie Cash, pro rider, another cat 1 rider and the winner of my earlier race were in my heat as well as another girl. Top three were to advance. We got the signal and were off. I was geared wrong off the line. I made up a significant amount of ground on the Cat 1 rider, but ended up fourth and didn't move on. That just added to my frustration about my results on Saturday afternoon. The crabby bug had bit me in the butt!
Sunday morning I was in a foul mood. I was still mad at myself over Saturday's results. I was contemplating forgoing the race and just doing the 80 mile ride with the group. Instead, we got packed up and headed over to the course. It was a three mile, 13 corner circuit race. I got to watch my friend Eric celebrate his 40th with running the 5K--he won his age group. Also, I wanted to preride it before the other races went off. I made a quick lap and made some note of some tight corners. The course would be interesting.
I headed to the street sprints Saturday night. It was nothin' but ugly. I lined up and was in the second heat. Carrie Cash, pro rider, another cat 1 rider and the winner of my earlier race were in my heat as well as another girl. Top three were to advance. We got the signal and were off. I was geared wrong off the line. I made up a significant amount of ground on the Cat 1 rider, but ended up fourth and didn't move on. That just added to my frustration about my results on Saturday afternoon. The crabby bug had bit me in the butt!
Sunday morning I was in a foul mood. I was still mad at myself over Saturday's results. I was contemplating forgoing the race and just doing the 80 mile ride with the group. Instead, we got packed up and headed over to the course. It was a three mile, 13 corner circuit race. I got to watch my friend Eric celebrate his 40th with running the 5K--he won his age group. Also, I wanted to preride it before the other races went off. I made a quick lap and made some note of some tight corners. The course would be interesting.
I hit the trainer area and got set up. Sunday's races were over an hour late getting started, so I went easy and got off the bike a few times during warm ups. I made sure to do some hard efforts on the trainer because, like last Sunday in Tulsa, my heart rate was way low. I jumped back on the course with a few laps to go in the master's race. I rode it with Teresa and Courtney and we discussed our strategies. Today was Teresa's "A race" so we talked about how to support her. We made it back around and watched the finish of the race and got on course. I pulled right up to the line and took my place. We had 16 women in our field today.
The whistle blew and I struggled to get in my pedals. UGH! Turn 2 and the first attack was launched by Vanessa. We reacted and brought her back, but it set the tone for the whole race. Attack after attack was launched. Two laps in, another Proctor girl lauched an attack between turns 11 and 12. She had a little gap and bombed into corner twelve. The corners were tight and close and she hit a rough patch and grabbed a handful of front brake. Can you say endo?
Proctor girl hitting the deck. Never grab a handful of front brake! Photo credit: Paul Pate
Video of the crash. *Credit to John Musselman
I think everyone made else made it through ok, but we definitely raced more heads up for the last three laps. The attacks and responses continued to come with no one getting anywhere. It was all about riding heads up and placement for the last lap. We got the bell and began our last trip around the course. Around turn nine, Vanessa faked an attack and sat up. The pack responded and sat up when she did. There goes Tara. I had warned our Cat 3 racers about her--that she would try to go from the front. The Hub girls responded and worked to pull her back. I was worried about going that hot into turns 12 and 13 but she got reeled in just prior to them. We hit the last turn and onto the finish straight. Time to sprint. While Saturday night's sprints didn't turn out for me, I at least had that knowledge about what the sprint was like. I stood up and went with the girls. I'm not sure who the two were immediately in front of me, but I made short work of passing them. Allison had a bike length on me and I still had life in my legs. I had no idea how much gear I had left--I had been spinning up and adding gear like crazy. Please, please, please let me have more. Click--there it was! I pulled along side and then ahead. Yes! I was on Teresa's wheel with 10 yards to go. I probably couldn't have caught her and didn't want to try. This was her race. She took third, I took fourth. I felt great and still could have given more.
Heading through the finishing straight.
The new kits look great from behind too!
*Photo credit: Paul Pate
The rest of the day was spent hanging out and guarding my corner! It was a great vantage point for the pro Women's and Men's races. Of course, epic is the theme of my life and the end of the Pro Men's race was just that. With eight laps to go, a thunderstorm moved in and the rain came. We got soaked to the bone! The officials made a wise move to shorten the race and called one lap to go. In the midst of that last lap, some how four cars got on the course and one of them stalled. It was mayhem getting them off, including pushing the van, but everyone came through safely.
The rest of the day was spent hanging out and guarding my corner! It was a great vantage point for the pro Women's and Men's races. Of course, epic is the theme of my life and the end of the Pro Men's race was just that. With eight laps to go, a thunderstorm moved in and the rain came. We got soaked to the bone! The officials made a wise move to shorten the race and called one lap to go. In the midst of that last lap, some how four cars got on the course and one of them stalled. It was mayhem getting them off, including pushing the van, but everyone came through safely. Great racing, great accompanying events, excellent venue--it can only continue to get better!
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