Race Report: Gateway Cup

Friday Night

Lafayette Square

It was hot (100ish) but fortunately no humidity.  I got to Lafayette early enough to ride five or six laps before the men's 4/5 race--I wanted to know where the wind would be.  I continued my warm up on the neighborhood roads and headed to the staging area with one lap to go in the men's race.  The course is a basic four corner sprint, almost a perfect square.  There is a slight uphill on the back side and we had a light head wind.  I made sure to be on the line at the start.  We had 42 women in our field and I didn't know most of them.  We got pre-race instructions, 30+5 and 2 primes, and got a whistle.  I went up front and this girl with RS on her butt zoomed ahead of me.  Everyone was on her quickly and we formed a tight pack.  Somewhere in lap 2 Becca tried to launch an attack, but was quickly reeled in.  The first prime came about 5 laps into the race.  I stayed up front for it, but didn't get out of the saddle for the sprint.  Becca took it.  The pack reformed and around we went again.  There was a lot of poor cornering, especially turn three of the race.  More than once I saw the RS girl wobbling and taking a poor line as she went through.  She's someone I'll watch out for as the weekend goes on.  Our second prime came about 20 minutes into the race.  I found myself sitting too far back in the pack to make a go for it, but I used it as an opportunity to move forward again.  The lap after the prime, we went to five to go on the lap cards--they cut our race time.  I worked to stay up front and have a good spot for the final lap.  Our pace slowed.  We got the bell and went into the last lap.  I was sitting about fourth or fifth wheel.  We came around turn three and someone sitting second wheel took off.  I lost a few places there, but quickly caught a wheel.  We took turn four and the sprint was on.  I knew I had no chance at top three, but wanted to get as high of place as possible.  I moved up about four or five places with my sprint, ended up 11th.

Saturday

Francis Park

It was another hot one.  It was about 97 degrees and humid at race time.  I did about five laps on the course and then finished my warm up on the trainer.  The course is a rectangle, with a gentle uphill right after the start/finish and a downhill after turn two.  Turn three is a bit sketchy because it's off camber and has two manhole covers in what should be the best line.  45 ladies started our race.  I was on the front to start.  We took off quickly, with ladies working to get position.  Lap three was our first prime.  I was in the front of the pack, but in no place to contest it.  We reformed as a group after the sprint and went around again.  A few attacks were launched, but nothing was getting away.  I moved around within the group, always trying to set myself up for a good line in the third corner...that only happened a handful of times.  The second prime came about 24 minutes in the race.  I was in better position, but was probably eighth across the line.  Two laps later we started counting down.  In two to go, an attack went.  We came back together right at the start/finish with one to go.  We turn corner one and another attack launch, the squirrelly RS girl took off.  The pack let her go.  We rounded turn two and she was still out there, pulling away.  I decided to see what I could do.  I moved to the outside and jumped to go after her.  I assume someone decided to follow my lead because I felt something on my back wheel and I started wobbling.  Down I went on my left side.  The moto ref came up to and called for the medics.  I told him to have them meet me at the line because I was finishing.  I straightened my bars and realized my chain was off.  I got it back on, but still couldn't get my rear wheel to turn.  I threw the bike on my shoulder and started walking.  I had gone about 50 yards when a friend of mine, Larry rolled up.  He asked the ref if I could finish on a different bike.  The ref gave the ok, so I took Larry's bike.  Larry is about 6'2" so I rode standing.  I pulled on the finishing straight and was stopped so the medics could get around me.  There was another crash, right at the start/finish.  Cindi was done.  They took her off on a stretcher. 

Somehow, I ended up 32/45, but I didn't get a DNF.  My injuries are on top of the scars from the crash earlier this season.  The scrapes on my elbow are pretty deep, the doc at the race thinks I bruised the bone.  My hip and shoulder have small abrasions and someone I have some scrapes on fingers on my right hand.

Sunday

Giro de Montagna

I was incredibly nervous to line up for the Giro de Montagna on Sunday.  While this is the “premier” race of Gateway Cup, it’s also the most dangerous.  It’s a four corner rectangle crit.  What makes it difficult and dangerous is that the streets are narrow.  The finishing straight is downhill and you go into turn one hot.  The end is only a block long, so you’re still taking speed into turn two.  The backside is a long uphill, nothing difficult to climb, but you know you’re climbing.  Positioning in turn three is crucial because it determines how you finish.

The weather was cooler—mid 70s with a slight wind.  We had 40 women again.  The whistle blew and we were off.  I stayed towards the back.  By the third time up the backside, I saw the field surge and I consciously let them go.  I was still feeling timid and didn’t want to be in the mix.  I spent the rest of the race chasing.  I tried to organize a group, but only one other girl had the legs to keep the pace that I wanted to keep. 

Taking a pull up the hill on the backside.  *Photo credit:  Mike Dawson

My group of three got lapped with five to go.  I stayed on, but with the pack for the remainder of the race.  I ended up 34^th on the day.

Monday

Benton Park Classic

I was hoping Monday would have been better than Sunday.  I really like the Benton Park course.  It’s about 1.7 miles long with 10 turns.  The weather was even cooler on Monday, but the wind was brutal, 18mph with gusts up to 28.  I got a great warm up in when I got there, only to have our race delay by 90 minutes.  When the men’s 4/5 started, I went back out to get warm.  I got back just in time to head to the line . . . which meant I was three rows back.  The race starts on an uphill and there were a lot of girls who had trouble getting in their pedals.  Our race was shortened to five laps because of the delay, so it went hot off the line.  I got caught behind the Team Type One girl who didn’t get in and was gapped immediately.  There were a good number of us fighting to get back on.  I came close, but could never catch a wheel.  I caught the Bikes of America girl midway through lap one.  She and I traded pulls and maintained a race pace, never letting up.  We caught the Team Type One girl during lap three.  We all worked together until the end.  As we rounded the final turn, I was pulling.  I felt TTO coming on my left.  I went into my drops, upped my cadence and pulled away.  I knew they wouldn’t let go that easy.  At about 200M, I jumped.  The BoA girl went with me.  I added gear to try to fend her off.  I felt like I was losing bike control right at the line and sat down and she got me by an inch or so.  I ended up 32^nd.

It was interesting to me that both Saturday and Sunday I would be the one pulling on the uphill.  I knew it was probably a tactical move on the part of the girls with whom I was riding, but I also felt like I could ride the hills better and even though catching the group was unlikely, I wasn’t going to stop trying.

I’m pretty disappointed with how the weekend played out.  I felt really good on Friday night and Saturday.  I know I raced injured on Sunday and Monday, I was just hoping it wouldn’t have had as much of an effect as it did.

Crash Update

It's been almost two weeks since my crash and burn at Midtown Alley and I'm doing surprising well.  As of today, I'm down to one Tough Pad (right elbow), some bruising, and lots of new pink skin.  While none of my injuries were that severe, there were plentiful:  right arm--two inches of road rash and softball size bruise.  left arm--road rash from my shoulder to mid forearm, with two deep divets at my elbow.  right leg--small road rash and bruise at my knee.  left leg--road rash from my hip bone to mid-shine with a deep spot on my knee and a nasty bruise on the inside of my knew.  Bonus: bruise on the tip of my left pelvis.  UGH!

Sleeping was rough for the first few days.  I couldn't get comfortable.  I was worried about oozing on the sheets.  And everytime I rolled over, I woke up.  Showering also sucked during that time.  I was in and out quickly, doing only what I needed to do so that I wouldn't offend anyone.

The first Monday I afterwards I went to see the wonderful Dr. Matt for an adjustment and stim.  He popped me back into place and taped my pelvis to help the bruise dissapate.  I felt instant release.  I also ruined one of my favorite skirts on Monday because my knee and hip were draining terribly.  I had to cover my Tegaderm with gauze and compression bandages to try to control it.

By Tuesday I took my first good shower.  I actually felt clean for the first time since Friday morning.  I also started using the Tough Pads on a few of my wounds.  Those things are awesome--much better than Tegaderm. 

I actually ran on Wednesday.  It hurt when I began, but by ten minutes in I was able to find my stride and enjoy the workout.

I saw Dr. Matt again on Thursday for another adjustment and got my left knee taped.  On Friday I was able to remove my compression bandage on my knee because I was able to switch from the Tegaderm to the Tough Pad. 

I raced on Saturday.  It gave me a chance to see how much ooze mixed with sweat the bandages would hold.  My race was a less than stellar performance.  Although my legs felt fine, I could hang with the attacks.  My heart rate was out of control.  I'm not sure if it was because of my injuries or because the pack was small or something else.  I ended up with great tan lines from my bandages.

This Monday's run was much better than the one on the prior Wednesday.  I had no pain and good splits on my miles.

I had one more trip to Dr. Matt on Wednesday.  My back had bothered me a bit on my Tuesday ride and that's unusual for me.  He was amazed by my healing.

I changed my bandages today and am pleased with my progress.  My elbow will take a little more TLC because of the depth of the wounds.  The only other lingering problem is my weight.  I gained seven pounds within four days of the crash.  I've dropped three of those, but am still working on the last four.  I don't know if I'm holding weight because of the bruises and lingering swelling or because I'm not going hard enough on my workouts because of recovery.  I'll get rid of it soon though.

Race Report: Tour de Grove

I had been looking forward to the Grove since last season.  The courses are fun, the fields were great sizes, and this year it was earlier, meaning cooler weather.  This was definitely a case of be careful what you wish for.

Midtown Alley

It all started Friday night . . . 

It was in the low 70s, windy and overcast at race time. I got a good warm up in and my legs felt ok. The course was a long rectangle, wide streets on the sides, short one block and narrow on the ends. The pavement was rough in spots, with manhole covers and holes, especially in the corners. I'm guessing we had about 20 in our 3/4 field. Most of the race was pretty uneventful. We'd speed through the front side of the course, slow down on the top end and the backside due to the wind, and gain momentum through turn three and four to the finish. There were two primes. I couldn't get good positioning for either one. A break went off after the first, but it was brought back within a lap. At some point in turn one, I hit a hole or crack and my front wheel seemed to wobble a bit.  It was very windy, so at that point, I attributed the wobble to the wind and high profile wheels. 

The race all came down to the finish. I knew I needed to focus on positioning going into the third turn because that was what would make the sprint. I was fine for three, but I got pinched out in turn four. We came onto the finishing straight and the sprint was on. I was up and gaining, sitting about fourth. I think I hit a hole because the next thing I knew my front wheel was wobbling. I tried to ride it out, but couldn't hold it. I remember feeling my bike fly out from under me and wondering if I'd ever stop sliding. The only other thought I had was “at least I didn’t hit my head.”  The next thing I remember is seeing Steph running towards.  Richard helped me up, and Walker was snapping photos like crazy.  I tried to smile through it all be because I didn’t want anyone to worry about me.  My left side is pretty raw, shoulder to ankle and I have a little damage on the right side.  After the fall Lee took a look at my bike and my front wheel was barely held in.  I’m assuming that the holes I hit knocked my skewer/wheel loose, causing the wonkiness.  I’ll never know for sure, but I’m happy nothing is broken on me or the bike.  It’s also of note that this was my first, and hopefully, last DNF in a race.

The Grove
Saturday was better because I finished, but that’s about the only good thing I can say. It was a cold, rainy race...about 52 at start. I prerode the course and ended up with a flat, got that changed and decided to warm up on the trainer. We had about 24 women on the line. I took the lead the first half lap and then settled in the pack. The course was a technical one with about six or seven turns. My goal was just to sit in and be in a good spot for the sprint. All was fine until four to go. We were around turn four when a girl slid out. I moved to avoid her, but she took out Jamie who landed square in front of me and I hit her and went down. I got up, grabbed my bike and hauled it to the pit. Steven straightened my bars and I waited for the pack.  I asked multiple times if we got our free lap. There were six of us in the crash. We jumped in, went through the start/finished and got two to go.

We headed into turn one and another girl slid out. I moved left to avoid her. That put me in line for the curb. Gotta love cx skills cause I hopped it, cut through the grass, and hopped back on the back of the pack. We got around the course, got the bell. Everything was great until the final turns. The pack had been skiddish there all race so I was concerned. I saw the first girl go down slide across so I moved right. She hit someone else who came straight towards me. As I tried to move further right, I slid out. I got up and finished the race but have no clue how I actually finished. I was pretty discouraged. A few bumps/bruises and the bike is fine.  However what really soured me was that we (the six of us in the first crash) were not given our free lap.  We were technically a lap down when we jumped back on the group.  I would have chased and not been involved in the other two incidents had we been told that at the pit.  Frustrating!!!

Dutchtown Classic

Our weather was much the same Sunday as it was on Saturday, chilly and rainy. The course/event was a new one. It started on an uphill and went directly into a right turn and an immediate left. Next was a quarter mile straight with a soft s-turn into the wind. That went into a right turn to a false flat and a long gradual downhill that ended with a sharp right. Another right led to the finishing straight. It was about 400 meters to the start/finish with about half of it uphill. The pavement was beautiful. I think we took 12 to the line, and thankfully they were all women who knew how to ride a bike in rain. There were a few surges early in the race, but nothing got away. I'm not sure when we started shedding people, but about 15 minutes in I realized we were down to nine. We got the first prime bell and I was feeling good. The sprint started at the bottom of the hill. I crossed the line third, but no where near the girl who took it. We came back together as a group. I think it was the next lap that a girl wiped out in the last turn. I was just happy to avoid her. That split the pack even more and Britta and Jamie got off on a break. I had Skyler (Tibco), Tulsa Tough, and Ashley with me. We organized our chase and went after them. Everyone but the Tulsa girl was giving her all. At that point I wasn't sure whether she was doing all she could or sandbagging. After two laps of chasing they rang the prime bell. I knew Jamie and Britta would cat and mouse and possibly slow so it was time to make our move. I took the lead going into the downhill turn and caught Jamie at the line. Britta pulled away.

Catching Jamie at the prime. Had to wear lots of gear to keep all my bandages in place. *Photo credit: Mike Dawson

We spent the next few laps trying to chase Britta down, but the Tulsa girl would take 10-20 second pulls and slide out. By this point we had dropped Skylar. At about three to go we couldn't catch Britta. I concentrated on placement and riding smart for the finish. Jamie went on the downhill on our last lap. Ashley reacted and went after her and I stayed on Ashley's wheel. We hit the hill and I was out of my saddle. Ashley pulled in front of Jamie and away from me. I pulled past Jamie and took third. The Tulsa girl had enough in her to go for the sprint and take Jamie as well.

Overall I felt good in the race. I was timid in the last two corners every lap. If the others had been smart, they could have taken me there. I also think we should have worked hard to shell the Tulsa girl because she was content to let us work for her. This was also a race I really had to talk myself through. After two laps, I was second guessing myself. When we narrowed the field, I knew if I stayed in I would get upgrade points and payout. That kept me going. The more women we dropped, the more I got into the race. When we got it down to five, all I could think was podium and ending on a great note.

Finally, a good result!  *Photo credit:  Mike Dawson

Race Report: Mt Pleasant Winery Bubba

I am beginning to think I've been cursed by Murphy's Law during cx season. Today's race was a tough, tough course. It was incredibly hilly, thick grass and lots of switchbacks. I knew it would be tough. Nine women in the A race, about 15 in the B race. We took off on lap one and I rode what I could. The switchback turns were all at the top of small climbs and the thick grass made it difficult to maneuver some of the turns to go downhill the opposite way. I was able to pedal through a few that I didn't make during my warm up lap.

The grimace on my face from my scraped knee and flat tire. Photo cred: Dennis F.

The second lap I was able to ride a hill that I had to take fully as a run up last year. I was feeling good, saw 5 to go on the lap cards and headed into lap three. The course started on pavement and had a 180 sweeping turn. I took it too aggressively and laid my bike over. Amazingly I stayed clipped in as I slid through the parking lot. I unclipped jumped up and made sure everything was still attached to my body (and that I hadn't put a hole in my skin suit!) and started again. I hit the first long downhill and tried to turn and my rear wheel slipped. I dabbed and went on the second and my rear wheel slipped. I dismounted and felt my tire and it was nearly flat. I ran the next three switchbacks and remounted to see how far I could make it. Every turn I was fishtailing, and of course I had passed the pit already. I ran the bike the rest of the course, through the start finish and back to the pit. I got to the pit and had no wheels there. Sam assumed that I would DNF because the course was tough if I flatted so he left my wheels in the truck. I take full responsibility for not checking. I told him to give me the rear wheel off of his bike. Carrie put it on and I took off. I grabbed my brakes for the downhill and had none...it wasn't reconnected and I didn't check before leaving the pit. I messed with it for a couple of minutes before I was able to get it rehooked and take off again. By this time I had been either lapped or passed by everyone. I refused to quit a race though. I rode the lap and did what I could with Sam's wheel--my bike didn't like his cassette and it slipped a bit.

Sonny lapped me for a second time as I finished the lap so when I went back through I got one to go. There were a few B racers in my sight, so I made the move to catch and pass them and was able to do it.

It was amazing how many cheers I got as I ran with the bike. This season has taught me a lot about bike racing and a lot about who I am and the mental and physical determination I have. I may not be the strongest, fastest racer out there, but I have a stick-with-itness that would rival anyone.

The smile on my face as I sprinted towards the line . . . and yes, you still should sprint even if you are DFL. Photo cred: Dennis F.

Bubba #3: Hwy Farty Far Bubba

I had the most incredible experience today. I was coached pre-race by Steve Tilford. Chuck arranged for him to come through on his way home from Berryman. I learned a lot from Steve and now need to work on drilling and implementing.

Steve rode two laps of the course with me pre-race. I learned how to ride over the railroad tie that was on the first part of the course. I did it a couple of times during the warm up, but didn't feel confident enough to try during the race. He also gave me a tip on cornering, telling me to pedal the whole way through...not instinctive for me as a crit racer. We rode the rest of the course to the barriers. There were three oddly spaced ones on a slight uphill. Steve gave me a dismounting tip of holding the top bar instead of the hoods and then we worked on remounting. I am moving forward when I remount now, but I am adding an extra hop in when swing my leg onto the saddle.

So the race . . .
The course today was one for which I was well-suited. Lots of long straights needing power, little to no technical portions and about two miles in length. The ground was hard and bumpy and there were lots of sections with high grass. Around 24 women lined up with eight or nine of us in the A race. (We had a contigent go to Louisville for the US Grand Prix). I was strong off the start and was in fifth. I moved up to fourth on the first dirt straight. By the end of the second lap, I had fallen into seventh. I jumped in my big ring as I turned onto the start/finish straight and worked at making up ground. I was back onto Alice and Amy B's wheel and I tried to shift into the small ring so that I could spin though the high grass and long slow climbs. I dropped my chain and got impatient trying to back pedal and hopped off to get it back on. I lost the wheels and never made it back to them. Lap 4 I came up on Stephanie M. and Liz on the first straight. At that point, I had no idea how I had caught them, I just knew I need to get them. Steph is a teammate, so I close to her and offered my wheel. She said she was spent and offered to pull me up. I took her wheel and waited for the opportunity in the high grass to pass. I got it and went. I made the left for the long stretch to the back of the course. I didn't know Liz was coming on my inside. Before I knew it, I was over my bars in the tall grass with Liz and her bike on top of me. It was an amicable crash with both of us checking on the other. We both got up and took off. I rode her wheel as much as I could. She gained a little ground on me on the barriers. (Steve told me the last time over was my best but still not good). I went as hard as I could to catch her. We turned onto the long paved uphill before the turn to the start finish. I sat up, adjusted my gearing and spun myself past Liz. I knew she would take my wheel and tried to gap her, but she still had something left. We turned onto the start finish and I was out of the saddle sprinting as hard as I could. I heard Liz pull to my right and the crowd yelling at us. She pushed her bike and got me on the line. I ended up in 5th.

I worked with Steve on remounting after the race as well. I know I need to put what I learned into practice now.

I found out after the race that Steph M had fallen back because she was cooked from Berryman yesterday. Liz had lost count of the laps, sprinted against a B racer, and pulled off the course only to realize there was still a lap to go. I'll still take a top five finish anyway I can get it.

My picture today comes from the Men's C race. I was watching with Steve, wondering where Klucker had gone. A few minutes later I got my answer. He come walking up, pushing his bike with his bars in two. He hadn't crashed, they simply broke. It may have been a left over from last weekend's dump in the gravel. Steve's take is that you shouldn't ride carbon bars in cx anywhere. It'll be off to the Big Shark for Klucker today . . . new bars and tape. This sport gets expensive very quickly.

(You'll note there is no photo for this post. I wrote my text after taking this shot and waited to upload. I uploaded three days worth of shots and came to the blog to post. When I went to look for the shots, my computer wasn't recognizing my flash drive where my photos were saved. IT has had no luck recovering them. The photo was a black and white shot of the bars of the bike, with one side hanging, only attached by the cables. It was very painful to look at if you're a bike lover.)

Giro della Montagna: The Hill

The confusion from Saturday's race led to something good. On Sunday, the 3/4 Women and 4/5 Men got split. We each had our own race. Knowing that, I got to the course early so I would have time to ride it before the men raced. This course was again a basic four corner crit, more of a long rectangle this time. The trick to this course was that the roads were narrow, corners tight, and manhole covers a plenty. The backside of the course had a long uphill with a headwind, and the front side was a downhill to the finish.

I had to do most of my warm up on the trainer because the men were on the course. We rolled to the line 27 deep, another wonderful sized women's field. The whistle blew and we were off. I immediately saw why everyone warned me about the corners in this course. A wrong move here could easily have you meeting the pavement. We went out hot, but slowed down on the backside. And so it went for most of the race. At some point, Amelia from xXx attacked and Aubree went after her. I went after Aubree. There were lots of surges, and I frequently had to work to stay on after turn two. I spent a good deal of the race anaerobic. At some point there was a prime, I stayed with the group, but knew I had no business even attempting it.

During the later half of the race in turn three someone rubbed my back wheel sending me over towards the Hannah, the Pegasus girl. We rubbed arms and I quickly apologized. We started counting down laps and I was happy. This course was taking a toll on me. I was working to get set up, because I knew I would be at a disadvantage on a downhill finish. Around turn one I heard it and saw it all at once. The Fusion girl slid out, taking Amelia with her. I was on Amelia's wheel. I quickly got around her and stood up to get back to the group. We took turn two and at the small flat in the middle of the backside, I moved into position. I wanted to go at the intersection before turn 3. We got there and I was stuck. I was second wheel, but they were spread five wide across the road. There was no getting through. I eased up going through turn three and four and lost position. We hit the downhill and I prayed I could make up my losses. The ladies in front sped away from me; I was around 12th position at this point. I was not ready to quit though. I added gear until I ran out. We hit the bottom of the hill and I stood and went. One by one, I passed girls, not easing until I crossed the line. Sixth place! I'd take it.

The Aftermath

I hurt. I don’t like hurting. I can’t run, ride, move or breathe without being reminded of my crash. Showers are uncomfortable. Taking off a sports bra brings tears to my eyes. I cringe when my kids are on my right side because I’m afraid they’re going to bump the wrong area. I haven’t slept well in days because moving or rolling over wake me up because I jostle a sore spot.

I’ve tried to be proactive about my injuries. I diligently iced my hip 15 on/15 off during my drive home from Springfield. I stopped every hour and stretched as well. I spent more money than I won on good first aid supplies to protect my road rash. I’ve seen the world’s most wonderful chiropractor twice for adjustments, ART, kinesiotaping and muscle stimulation, but I still hurt.

I feel like a guy. I don’t like being injured and I don’t take it well. I don’t lay on the couch and whine, but I can’t sit on the sidelines either. And then I get crabby because I hurt or can’t perform as well as I think I should. My friends and family outside of the racing community don’t get it. They just tell me to rest. They don’t understand that my last seven months have been building for the two races coming up this weekend. I’m not going to be 100% for them. The best I can hope for is 80%. Is my 80% going to be enough to take against everyone else’s best form? I will be a Cat 3 racer next year, I will race hard, but I know my chances of taking a state race will be slim. This is my last best chance for a jersey.

I did power sprints this morning. The deep breaths weren’t as painful as I expected, but getting out of the saddle made me wince every time. I know the girls against whom I am competing, and as much as they care about me, they won’t take it easy on me and they shouldn’t. How will I react to the attacks? Can I stay on? Can I give the sprint I’ll need to give at the end? I don’t know if I can even support my weight in the aero position for the tt .

I believe there are a reason and a purpose for everything. I am trying to maintain a good perspective on this. I now know how I will react if I go down; I’ll get back up and race. I know my injuries could have been worse—the girl who hit me/ran over me has a broken wrist. I know this weekend I will give my all to my races and I will learn something about myself and my skills. I always do. And I know that even if I was healthy, I would be going up against tough competition and anything could happen.

It Was Bound to Happen Sooner or Later!

What a day! Let's start with the course...I loved it! It had seven corners, all 45 degrees, the pavement was beautiful, and there were some false flats but no real climbs. It was about 75 and overcast at race time. The second half of the course had wind to contend with, but not awful.

I got to the course, registered and did laps. Women's 4s was the first race, so I was able to do my warmup on the course. We pulled up to the line and had about seven in our field. A few triathletes, two other bike racers, and a few first time racers. We also had about 12! juniors in our race.

We got the go and the ABCycles girl took off. I had flashbacks of Carondelet and wasn't about to let that happen. I immediately went after her and by turn four was on her wheel. I hung on her wheel for the first three laps until she finally got tired pulling. (I was willing to let her go the whole race.) I took a pull, and waved Mandy (Tyson) around. I realized as I moved back, I realized there were only four of us by this point. We took turns pulling. At one point, the ABCycles girl tried an attack, I answered and held her wheel. We had about a half block gap when she sat up. I urged her to keep going, but she was spent. The others, with some lapped riders, jumped back on. We again took turns at pulls. It came down to 3 to go, then 2, then the last lap.

The ABCycles girl took off after turn five. I went after her and sat on her wheel until the final turn. I had figured out a good sprint point during my warm up so I knew where to start. I eased into my drops at turn six. We made turn seven and I was up and off. I added gears and spun up until I crossed the line. Win number two for me in the books! SA-WEET!

I went back to registration and got my Women's Open number. There was Aubree Dock from Tulsa Tough. She's a strong, strong three. I knew then the Open race was not going to be a walk in the park. I spun easily around the neighborhood and kept my legs warm. The 4/5 race ended and I jumped back on the course for a few laps. The clouds had cleared and the sun was out in full force by the time we pulled to the line.

Nine women lined up, beside Aubree, Pam Hinton, the women's open MO RR champ was there. Three other women from the 4's race was there and another girl, Megan, in her first race ever. We got the whistle and Pam went out hard. I went right after her. My legs felt great and I was ready to play! The first lap was fast. We got back to the start/finish and it calmed down. Pam, Aubree, and the girl in yellow were happy taking pulls. I made sure to sit 4th or 5th wheel so I would be ready to answer anything that went. About three laps in, Pam yelled at Megan because she was all over the place. Pam and Aubree gave a few more attacks, and I felt comfortable going after them each time. I took my turn pulling, but made sure not to work more than I needed to. 21 minutes in came the prime bell. I toyed with what I wanted to do. I decided to wait and see who jumped. Pam and the girl in the yellow went. I gave chase, but just enough to stay on their wheels and not be gapped. The girl in yellow took it. Aubree and Pam each launched another attack. They were quickly reeled in. We cruised past the start finish with 38 minutes on the card. I remember thinking, next time we'll get 4 to go.

Mandy was in front pulling at this point. I was sitting second wheel and our pace had slowed. I knew to expect something, I just didn't know when. We made turn seven and Pam went. From her earlier attack, she always took the far right. I glanced over my shoulder and saw her coming. The girl in yellow was hot on her wheel. I was up and out of my saddle, ready to go with them. Holly Guacamole! Mandy wasn't going and there was her wheel. I moved right but still grazed it. We were on the cobble strip and I felt my back wheel go. KABOOM! Helmet meets cobbles, right side meets pavement. I heard skidding behind me and felt someone ride over me. It was Megan and down she went! I jumped up and tried to figure out whether to grab my bottles or bike first. Megan was face down and groaned. I wondered if she had broken a wrist or collarbone. My first thought was that I couldn't believe I had raced so hard and lost it so close to the sprint. Someone picked up my bike and I asked if it was ok. He said the chain was off. Somehow that caused me to think what Larry told us at the start, up until 4 to go, we got our free lap. We hadn't crossed the line with four to go when I crashed. I got a free lap!

I told the guy, "Give me my bike, I wanna race." I started fussing with it to get the chain on and I heard Richard ask me if I was ok. "I just wanna race." He told me ok and took my bike. I grabbed my bottles from someone. Larry was running down telling them to get me to the pit. Richard told me go and I ran 50 or so yards and went in the pit. Megan followed. The pace car came around and I saw the pack. We were warned to jump on the back. Someone gave me a push and I jumped on the back of the group. The crowd went nuts cheering. There were three to go and I immediately worked to get in a good spot. Somewhere on the lap I heard "Hey Big Shark, glad you're back." We got the bell and I was calm and ready. I was sitting sixth wheel and knew the sprint would be hard. The pace of the lap was fast. In no time we were on the finishing straight. Let's see how bad I was hurt. I was out of the saddle and sprinting with all I had. I ran out of gear and kept going. I knew I had 5th, but tried to take 4th from Pam. I came within a wheel of getting it!

I took a cool down laps and found the medics and let them clean me up. The sum of the damage is as follows: quarter size abrasion on my right knee, some good scrapes on my right forearm, a softball size lump on my right hip, pain on the right side of my rib cage when I take a deep breath. I know my run will be slow and laborious tomorrow. Hopefully, with some TLC, tape, and stim from Dr. Matt, the ride tomorrow afternoon won't hurt.

Roxi looks good. She'll need new bar tape. There's a scuff on my seat. Gotta love a ti titan! I think my helmet survived too. No holes in the kit...most of the road dirt came out in the wash, but there are a few marks there to remind me.

Crashes happen. They suck! If you're going to ride or race hard, you're going to meet the pavement at some point. If you never do, you're not going hard enough!