The race this week was in the same park as last Saturday. The weather was perfect, mid 60s, sunny, light wind. The first half of the course was new, with a lot of long straight aways and wide turns. The second half was the same as last week, just going backwards. There were seven of us in the women’s open race. I will say that I really had to talk to myself not to “lose the race” before it even began. The whistle blew and we went off. We were down and back for the first set of long straights and over the barriers when I realized I was still with the group. I went back and forth with Sally for the sixth spot. We made a right turn to a little roller coaster hill and made a 180 and I saw Gina R. in the rope on the side. We continued past her and I traded spots with Sally another time or two. In the first half of the course there was a tight right, downhill under a tree. I struggled to find a line there. Too tight and you had branches in your face, too wide and you lost ground. In the first lap, Sally overtook me at that point. I caught her again as we moved into the second half of the course. There was enough of a hill and straight section that I could put a gap on her. The other two challenging places in the course for me where on the second half. There was a sweeping off camber right that I was tentative on, thinking I would slide out. You could gain some speed from there before another right by the lake (I hate that lake). There was a tree root and dirt right there and I never found a line I was comfortable with. Right after, you continued to the right to a steep little hill before turning left, hitting the path and the s/f straight.
After I passed Sally, Gina C. was pretty close. I made my move on her in the long straights in lap two. I went after Cat next. She and I traded positions throughout the second and part of the third lap. She was able to pass me once going around the tree, but I again made my move on the climb. After that I tried to get to Chris and Teresa, closing the gap to as little as nine seconds at one point. I’d gain ground where I could use power, but they’d make it up in some of the tighter areas. By lap six I was toast, struggling mentally and physically. The barrier was a chore, and near the end I knew the leaders of the men’s race were closing in on me. That had already gotten the bell and were finishing. It I let up, they’d pass me and I could still get third and not have to do the last lap. It sounded really good for about 10 seconds. Then I got my head on straight and decided that if I want to continue to race up near the front I need to continue to work hard, all the way through. My last lap was much better than the previous one as a result. My other highlight for the race, besides getting 3rd was passing Louis. He smokes me every week at the time trials, I can only aspire to getting that quick. Small victory!
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| I had to rock my Illini knee socks 'cause it was homecoming weekend! Illini 5-0 and I nab a podium. Beautiful start to October. Photo credit: Mike Dawson. |
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| Up the steep little hill by my nemesis, the lake. Photo credit: Mike Dawson |
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