Tuesday, October 12, 2010

UCI cyclecross

I haven't written in a while but its been a busy year. My mountain bike season as a first year expert rider wasn't the best. Big difference trying to race woman that are all fit and know how to handle their bikes. Summer is kind of an off season for me because of family obligations. I raced when I could and just lived with the results. Now that my daughter is back in school I can train and start the cyclecross season also as a first year cat 3 racer. The season started out in Alabama, I knew that 15 more minutes of racing would be so painful. I lined up with women that looked really fast. One of them I knew was super fast and that was Kym , my teammate. She would probably lap me but that would be ok. After the first lap I found myself in second place, but a friend that rode up with us was breathing down my neck. Dang, I was frothing at the mouth trying to escape her. Finally, she was gone and there was two laps to go. I kept my second place and was hooked again for the season. By the way Kristy , if you are reading this ,you are strong and will have an incredible season.

The following weekend brought the big UCI cross race in Ohio. Not just one race but three. How in the world do you race three days in a row? Well , its hard, and painful. Everyday was a different course which brought all kinds of new little painful challenges. Day one was my best, it would of been fun on a mountain bike. The course was up or down and way off camber with a lot of holes everywhere. There were so many women at the start line. I was called up in the last row. How in the world do you pass any of these people. Somehow I found ways around corners and came in 5th. I was really happy , but didn't know how I would race for two more days. Saturdays course was more flat with tight , twisty corners around trees. Could not find a way to pass many girls and ended up 9th. The last day was the hardest. I had an incredible start, aggresive , and found myself passing women but boy was I redlined. The last lap I ended up on the ground while trying to pedal on a off camber downhill. When I got up my bike was on the wrong side of my body. I was so flustered that I fumbled and it took me forever to get back on. The sand pits sucked any energy that was left and I probably looked like a fool trying to run them. I don't know why they had to put those right in front of the anouncer. I ended in 8th place which was a bummer but thats cross.

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