This past weekend was exciting, tiring and frustrating. I turned 29 on Sunday so I was dealing with the whole realization I am that much closer to 30. Thirty is a tough little pill to swallow. I have one more year to make excuses and come up with reasons why putting so much time and effort into bike racing makes sense.
My birthday weekend wasn't so bad. It was spent in typical fashion, loading up the car with bikes, chamois and other bike related items to head off to some strange city where hopefully "Veronica" (that's the garmin GPS) will deliver me without being rerouted 45 minutes out of the way. Beleive me, this happens more often that not, simply b/c I refuse to let another woman, nevertheless anyone, tell me what to do in the car. This weekend it happened to be Greenville and Atlanta all in the same shot. The NC/SC State Championship RR was being held on sat, US Pro on Sunday and the US10k (yes i did say 10k) on Monday. It was the perfect schedule. Race on sat, spectate on sun and race again on Mon.
Saturday turned out to be the average regional race. About 20-something girls showed up with a few notables players. I had already determined my plan of attack and who i wanted to form a break with. It was a 45 mile race of 3 laps. No significant hills but enough rollers to get away and stay away with the right mix. The race started out pretty negative with only a couple of us working at the front. I told the group it was going to be a very long day unless some others helped take a pull. With one lap down, I saw christina, a FUJI rider, go to the front. I saw her teammate out of the corner of my eye move up a bit. A big roller hit and sure enough Kat launched an attack. I was right behind Christina so I caught Kat's wheel and then Holli from Cheerwine and Christina were able to bridge for a solid break. We looked around at the top of the hill and we had a gap. It was exactly what I was waiting for. I turned to the girls and said let's make this work. We can definitely stay away. It was a strong break. We kept putting minutes on the field. I was a little worried about the finish. It was a downhill 300 meter sprint to the finish. As the last few k's were quickly approaching, i decided I had to go early to win this. With a little more than 500 meters to go and a quick right turn approaching into the finishing stretch, I launched an attack on the break. I got just enough gap to start the downhill. Holli was very close on my wheel. With a few meters to go I sprinted as fast and my 53/12 would take me and held her off for the win.
It was a satisfying win and it gave me the title of NC State RR Champion. I had raced a smart race and worked hard while doing so. I took that win and gained some confidence for Monday's NRC race. The early attack at the finish was out of character for me but it was well worth the hell my legs were going through. Normally I would kick myself in the ass for not trying that move but I had just seen that same move succeed in the masters 30+ race. Chris pulled out a win in the field sprint by doing the same thing. He took 4th overall and bronze in the NC RR field. Check out www.nc-scstateroadrace.com for results.
Monday morning came early. US PRO was a long day and the drive to ATL from Greenville was brutal. My parents were vacationing in FL the week prior so they were going to meet us in ATL for my bday and to watch the 10k. What a fabulous race to watch. I love that my rents support me but maybe they will figure out soon that road races are NOT very spectator friendly and they can stop wasting their time trying to see me in the race. Here is a pic of my rents and me after the US10k.
The US10k is notorious for being unpredictable. My plan was to be at the front and to go with whatever tried to go early. I did that but I did it one too many times too early. I was at the front from the gun. Two attacks went on the first 2 hills and I covered both. The 3rd attack launchd and Debby from Tupelo was right on it. I was about 10 feet from her wheel climbing the QOM. I had been working hard and closing gaps. I looked back and I had a gap on the field wiht the attack in reach. All of the sudden I pulled a POP TART and just let the gap get bigger. I thought surely the field would attack and i could grab a wheel. Instead when the field caught up to me and I yelled pull through, 3 girls sat there and looked at me like we we had all the time in the world and expecting me to pull them up there. Once again i yelled pull through but nothing. As it turns out, that was the race. That 2 person break stayed away and it came down to a sketchy downhill sprint for the finish. I finished up 14th. That was the scenario I was dreading. I was going to go at the BIG Chicken but the chicken wasn't big enought for me to see at 25 mph. I was bummed but at least took home some cashola to heal wounds.
This weekend is the Carolina Cup. My racing is about to come to close for the year. Not that many races left and my legs are feeling awfully sluggish after this past weekend.
We'll see how it goes. Stay tuned for next week's recap and then off to VEGAS for Interbike and then to COLORADO for some much needed R & R.
Thanks for reading.
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