Race Report: O'Fallon Grand Prix

I raced the O'Fallon Grand Prix Road Race back in 2009, my first year of racing.  That race stands out in my mind for two reasons -- 1) It cemented that I was not a road racer.  I didn't enjoy that race one single bit. 2) It was the first time I saw a crash in a race.  Several girls rubbed wheels and one went kerploosh! in a ditch full of stale water.  My initial instinct was to stop and help, but then I realized I was racing and just kept going.

That year was only the second time that race had happened.  Since then the organizers have done a fantastic job of growing the event and turning it into a full weekend of racing with a time trial, road race, and criterium.  I'm hoping next year they'll institute omnium points for it.

Prelude Time Trial

This was the first year for this event and the promoter did a great job with it.  The weather was warm, mid 80s and a strong breeze, but not unbearable.  The course was a 13 mile lollipop on Illinois country roads.  I talked with a few guys from the team who had pre-ridden it and they said there was rolling hills on the way out and a short, steep climb followed by a quarter mile or so at 8% that was a killer on the way back.  There would be a tailwind on the way out and a head on the trip home.  I got a good warm up in on the roads around town and went to the line.  I put an ice pack in the radio pocket of my skinsuit to help keep my core cool while I rode.  I went to the line and got clicked in.  My holder told me to take it easy on my start because my chain looked a little funny.  I got the start and took off.  It was my best start I've had yet this season.  My chain did skip a bit, but I was prepared.

I took the first turn at the end of the block and put my head down and rode.  I added gear until I felt a degree of difficult that was hard but manageable.  None of the rollers were unbearable.  I was able to stay in my big ring and drops the entire way.  I'm betting that the wind had died down a significant amount for me because I never really felt its effect one way or another.  I made the corner to begin my trip home and hit the short steep hill.  I got passed by a guy about that time.  I powered up the hill and began what was supposed to be the long grinder.  My perception of difficulty in a tt and what the boys told me pre-race have to be very different because I kept wondering when the hard hill would hit.  I didn't let the guy in front of me out of my sight and I began to feel like I was gaining on him.  As we got closer to town I was able to close the gap and pass him.    We started weaving through town towards the finish and he came around me again and said something.  I'm not sure what it was, but in my head I told myself it wasn't nice so I pedaled harder.  With the finish in sight I was able to move past him the final time.  23:13 was my official time.  Top woman overall.

Illinois State Road Race Championship

Saturday's temps were predicted to be HOT and the forecast was right on.  It was sunny, 94 and humid at race time.  I kept my warm up short, enough that my legs felt loose.  I took my cooler to the feed zone, iced down my sports bra and went to the line.  We had 11 women who started.  I knew about four of them, but the rest were from out of town. We rolled out neutral and chatted easily until the race started.  The first attack went there, up the hill.  We came back together and it calmed.  The first lap was fairly mundane.  An attack every few miles but it was easily answered.  The course was interesting in that it was filled with rollers and lots of turns.  It actually felt more like a long crit.  We had one girl who couldn't hold one during lap one so we were down to ten.  We neared the end of the first lap (20 miles) and I asked the group if we could agree to roll through the feed zone neutrally.  We did and everyone got fresh bottles.

The next attack happen just past the feed zone and I knew this lap would be a lot more energetic.  The attacks were much more frequent and difficult to answer.  We hit one of the short, steep hills on mile 27 and the California girl attacked.  I was slow to respond and was off the back.  I caught and passed Amy but a main group of five got away.  There was a chase group of three (Tara, Stephanie, and Joan).  I put my head down and went after the chase group.  I saw Stephanie fall off so I went after her.  It took me about six minutes to catch her.  I got on her wheel and told her I would pull after I recovered.  She told me she was done and was going to DNF when we got back.  Once my heart rate got under control, I pulled around her and set off.  I had lost sight of Tara and Joan by then.  I toyed with the idea of abandoning the race through the rest of that lap.  Around mile 32 I got passed by the MensDNF.  I grabbed my bottle from my awesome feeder and kept pedaling.

Beginning of Lap 2.  *Photo Credit: Elizabeth Rangel

I was about four miles into the second lap and a volunteer told me there was a girl in front of me close enough to catch.  That definitely gave me a push.  I started pushing harder and pretty soon I could see two riders in the distance on some of the straights.  I was still far enough back that I couldn't tell if they were girls or guys.  I kept closing in on them.  Around mile 51 I thought I could tell one of them was in a Big Shark kit.  Was it Tara?  I asked a corner marshall if they were girls or guys...girls was the answer.  Time to go, head down, time trial mode, look for a wheel.  By mile 53 I had them.  I jumped on Tara's wheel and began to rotate through with them.  As we got closer to the neutral water table, I told them I was going to grab a bottle.  I moved in front so I knew I'd be safe through there.  Somehow I managed to get a little gap on them with that mode.  I thought about trying to increase it but decided it would be better to have someone else helping me out the last six miles.  We continued to work together and take turns pulling.  I definitely was curious about how much they both had left in their legs.  We began to see the KM to go signs.  At 3KM, I heard the distinct sound of air leaking.  Tara had a flat.  It was down to Joan and me.  She was quite happy to let me sit out front in the head wind.  I kept moving so she would have to take her turn pulling.  We made the last turn and headed to the finish.  I quietly jumped back into my big ring.  I
was debating where to start my sprint.  500m came and went.  Right before the 200m mark she told me it was nice to race with me.  I took that as a sign and jumped.  I had worked hard to catch those girls and I was going to beat them, no question.  I easily gapped her and finished.  By my count, I was 6th.  I later found out that the lead group had splintered more and one of those girls DNF'd so I took 5th, last money spot.

Illinois Cup Criterium

FAST group of ladies leading it out. *Photo Credit: Brian Keller

I was feeling the results of the two prior two days of racing.  It was going to be another hot one.  I got a great warm up in, on the course.  It was eight corner figure eight course.  The pavement was awful!  We had 12 girls in our race, seven of them coming with fresh legs.  The attacks started after turn two.  Nothing was ever able to stick, but they were frequent.  The pulse of the race was that an attack would go and we'd be flying.  It would be brought back and we'd slow way down -- over and over and over.  My struggle with the race came on the primes.  I tried to stay with the lead ladies, but my legs didn't have it to sprint against them.  After each of the three I was gapped and had to push to get back in the group.  At some point we had two ladies drop out and had lapped someone.  At the end, it came down to the sprint.  I tried to position myself well as we turned the final corner, but was near the back.  The sprint went and I tried to respond, but my response was limited.  I ended up in 7th for the day.  No fat cash for the day, but a fun race regardless.

Race Report: O'Fallon Gold Cup

Well, I could spin the story really well and tell you I finished 6th, but that result doesn't really tell the full story.

It was beautiful weather, sunny, low 80s, some humidity and wind.  The course started on a hill and was constantly rolling, with the majority of the uphill on the front side and the backside being primarily downhill.  There was only one true turn with the course being more of a loop.  There were six of us in the race, all local (Carrie, Chris, Emily, Jamie, Teresa and me).  We got instructions and the whistle and I couldn't get clipped in.  I think I freak myself on uphill starts worrying about this situation, thus causing it to happen.  I chased half of the first lap to get back on with the group.  Less than a minute later, Carrie attacked and off we went.  We came back together as a group at the start/finish and another attack went.  It took me till the turn, but I got back on with the group.  We got the prime bell at the end of lap three and the pace immediately accelerated.  We slowed a bit on the back side, but as we headed to the hill on the finish, the sprint took off.  I knew I didn't have it in me to contest the prime, but I tried to hang with the group to no avail.  I was gapped.  Teresa was with me.  We rode together for two laps before admitting we weren't going to catch them.  She and I began trading pulls each lap.  About 23 minutes in the pace moto was behind us at the start/finish and I heard the announcer say that Jamie had gotten dropped on the last attack, so she was off the back as well.  If I have one regret from this race, it's that Teresa and I didn't pick up the pace then to go after her.  On the beginning of the next lap, we got lapped by the three leaders.  We jumped in with them.  The next time around there was another prime.  We held with them until the sprint and they were off and out of site again.  The next time around was five to go.  Teresa and I continued to take turns pulling and agreed to not sprint each other for 5th and 6th. 

I'm not sure why I wasn't able to race a stronger race.  My heart rate felt really high when I was reacting to the attacks.  And I know having such a small field really increases the work load.  My legs felt fine through the race and on my ride Saturday. 

Race Report: O'Fallon Gold Cup--The Sweet Taste of Victory

I got to the park and registered with plenty of time for a good warm-up. There was not a level spot on the course. My mental message to myself about it was "Pop It and Drop It" meaning that the front half of the course would pop my HR and the back half I would need to concentrate on getting it to drop.

We rolled to the line and got started on time. There were seven women in our field and we were on course with the juniors. We got pre-race instructions and the whistle and were off. It was an uphill start and I struggle to get clicked in the pedals. Once I was in I caught up with the pack and we were off. The first two laps we stayed together as a field, with one little surge led by Kate. During the third lap, on the back side of the course, I decided to see who had the legs today and attacked. I peaked back and saw I brought three with me--Ashley, Kate, and Mary. We had shaken the other three off. Around a few more times and we got a prime bell for cash--the same amount as my entry fee. Boy would it be sweet to race for free! Around we went. We were in the sweeping turn at the end of the back side descent and Ashley started to go. I jumped on her wheel and we started the uphill to the line. About 200M before the line, I pulled along side of her and got out of the saddle. I pushed it and kept going. I got the prime and a gap. OMG! That rocked.

The next three laps or so I was out by myself. I was about 17 minutes in and was going past the start/finish and heard someone yell "Hang in there, Mary." They had caught me. I looked back at Kate and told her if they were on, they could work. I sat in with the group for a lap and a half and we got another prime bell. We were in the sweeping corner and Kate went. I jumped on her wheel. I didn't want to be greedy, but I also didn't want to "give" it away and lose good position. I pulled alongside of Kate as we started uphill and told I was gonna make her work for it. I kept encouraging her to sprint. As we got closer to the line, Ashley pulled on my right. She pulled even with me and kept going as we hit the line. Ashley and Kate were fighting it out with Ashley getting the prime. She and I kept going and put a bit a gap on the field. Around again and three to go was on the lap cards. She and I shared the work and were at the line with two to go. I heard someone yell for Mary again. She had bridged up to us. I sat up slightly and let her take the pull. She asked me how many laps were left and I told her. I got on her wheel and followed her around. At some point I looked back at Ashley and mouthed "let her work." The juniors almost took us all out on the backside because they couldn't find a line and hold it. Mary did some great evasive manuevers.

We got the bell lap and I continued to sit on Mary's wheel. I held on to her through the downhill. I noticed she was out of gears and was standing to accelerate and I was still holding on with gears and legs to spare. We hit the sweeping turn and I decided to make my move. I spun up my cadence, added gear and pulled around. I didn't know if Ashley jumped on or not, but I wasn't taking the chance to lose it at the line. At the bottom of the hill I was up and sprinting. Across the finish with a good deal of daylight between me and the other two! My first win and it was oh so sweet! I think I enjoyed it so much because I felt like I made it my race--I made things happen when I wanted them to happen.