What a race. It was just this morning so I'm still looking for a little perspective, but as of right now I'm still disappointed. (This is down from "profoundly disappointed" earlier today.)
I started at the line but on the left side, and got out ahead after the whistle blew (which took more than one of us by surprise). Soon I found myself in front with Dana, Lorri, and Mariska, setting the pace up the hill and into the first turn. In general, most of the first lap was pretty civilized. I spent some time at the front but hardly even broke a sweat. On the rollers/hills I felt pretty strong, didn't lose any ground, and even passed some people.
The back stretch on the first lap is where I burned a match or two last year by pulling at the front too much. This year, I managed to stay off the front, but I think there was a cross-wind that I wasn't wholly successful at staying out of. I was trying to keep an eye out for Emily, whom I hadn't seen since the start. Finally I looked back and saw her five or six wheels back, and was relieved that she hadn't gotten caught behind a gap as at Dunnigan Hills last week.
We got neutralized on the back stretch, which wasn't the end of the world since we were already all together anyway. Once the men's field passed us, the girls at the front of the pack picked up the pace. Soon we were on the men's tails. Confusion -- why were the men going so slowly? What were we supposed to do now? Dana figured out that the race officials were actually neutralizing the men, waiting for us to pass them. More confusion -- I don't know if it was the wind or just disbelief, but we couldn't get anyone to do anything. Finally I shouted at Dana to just "go!!" so she did. A bunch of us hit it and we passed the men.
Then the pace really picked up. I was feeling really good about being able to stay up with the leaders. We rounded the corner into town and headed back up the hill for lap two. Suddenly doubts started to creep in. "Can I really do this for a second lap? Am I crazy?" After the feed zone, I was still with the lead group, but I wasn't having fun anymore. Then, just past the turnoff to the finish line, there was a crash in front -- three women went down. I was able to brake in time and get around them, but the women who'd been in front of the crash put the hammer down. Dana and Emily both headed past me, and I watched them head off into the proverbial sunset with eight other women. "Great! At least we've got two in the top 10," I thought.
I started looking around for others to work with. I could see a SugarCRM up ahead but she was hauling ass to try to catch back on -- I could keep pace with her but couldn't bridge up. Katie passed me and I couldn't get on her wheel. I finally caught up with a Velo Bella named Jamie. Soon we were passed by Anne Findlay, who was effortlessly leaving us in her dust. Tri-Flow Lori also caught on. Jamie, Lori, and I spent the next couple of miles trying to bridge up to Anne. We finally caught her around the highway overpass, but I had burned at least one match, if not more, in the process. I had very little left, and struggled to keep up with them; they dropped me through the last rollers on the west side of the course.
Fortunately for me, the W1/2s passed us just then, so Anne and Jamie were effectively neutralized. Lori and I were able to catch back up to them so we were a group of four once more. But then the W1/2s were going really slowly; we were trapped behind them, and worried about getting caught by other stragglers in our field. We decided to pass the W1/2s, and did so just before the turn onto the final stretch.
It wasn't long before Laurie Fenech led the W1/2s past us again, but at least it was good that we gave it a try. I struggled up the hill at mile 14 (well, mile 37 at this point). I was struggling to keep up with Anne and Jamie, who were taking turns pulling hard at the front. I was hoping that I could rest enough to be able to start feeling better and participate in the pace line, but no such luck. I ate, I drank, I hung out in the back, but I never felt any better. A couple of times I tried to pull at the front but couldn't for more than maybe 15 seconds -- I was cooked.
The three of them were very positive and encouraging, and tried to wait for me, but I didn't want them to get caught so I kept telling them to go ahead. Finally they did, and I was on my own, with about six miles to go.
Ugh. Everything hurt. It was like Dunnigan Hills again, only with less energy, and no tailwind. I made myself maintain at least 20mph. I was so excited to see the turn back into town. My momentum was interrupted by a huge SUV that had decided to pull out of the race parking lot at that very moment, right into my path. I growled "race course!" at them and went around. I kept up my pace across the bridge, but at the feed zone, I fell apart. Only like 200 meters left to go, and I was afraid I wasn't going to make it; if I'd had the energy to cry, I might have done so. I kept looking behind me, but no one was there. At least I wouldn't have to get out of the saddle... although I'm not sure I've ever hated my saddle more than at that moment.
I turned toward the finish line. Lorri, Lala, and Steve Woo were all cheering for me. It felt like it was all I could do to pedal across the line.
It was like a rerun of last year -- all of the things I did wrong last year, I did again this year: spent too much time in the wind, worked too hard to (unsuccessfully) chase back on. And surprise surprise, I got the same results -- fell off at the same place, felt like crap at the end of the race.
I did better at nutrition than I did at Dunnigan Hills last weekend. Yesterday during our pre-ride I picked places where I was going to eat. I didn't always eat in those exact spots, but those spots did remind me to eat so I tried to eat/drink as soon afterward as I could conveniently do so.
Yuck.
Boo.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
2009 Dunnigan Hills RR race report
This was the first race I've done twice -- I did it for the first time last year. As I recall, last year I had a lot of trouble with the wind, fell off the back early, got back on the pack only due to the pack taking a wrong turn, and falling off again around mile 17. I don't remember much else until the last stretch, which lasted for what seemed to be an eternity. Needless to say, I didn't finish well.
Fast forward to this year's race -- my first road race after a summer of criteriums. I hadn't ridden more than 30 miles at a time in months, let alone at race pace -- and now I was going to try to race for 42 miles? Ha! On the other hand, I was in the best shape of my life. I was stronger than I'd ever been on the bike. I'd developed an ability to time trial through the low-energy phases, to keep going even when I wasn't having fun anymore. So maybe it would be interesting after all.
The race started late. We spent a lot of time standing at various lines, moving forward, moving back again, moving forward again. Most of the Velo Girls ended up toward the back of the pack at the starting line. At least I was able to position myself on the left side, which I knew from experience would be the side protected from the wind.
During the promenade along narrow roads, we realized our mistake in not more aggressively positioning ourselves toward the front at the starting line. Once the promenade was over, the front of the pack took off. A gap opened in the middle of the pack, and at least a third of the field was dropped off the back. But we still couldn't get around -- narrow roads with the centerline rule in effect. Damn.
Emily weaved her way through and hit it hard, working to bridge up to the front group. I tried to follow but couldn't stay with her. At least I was able to break away from the back group. On the hill at the first feed zone, I was able to pass a few girls; after that I TT'ed by myself for awhile until I caught up to some other girls who had been spit out the back of the front group.
A small group of us -- Roaring Mo, Early Birds Alissa, some girl named Brett, me, and... I think there was another one too -- negotiated an echelon that worked pretty well, each of us taking turns pulling at the "front" which actually was more like the side, given the wind direction. There was a bit of confusion once we turned the corner onto the frontage road, but we soon found the wind and our echelon began again. It worked so well that it wasn't too long before we caught up to a larger group that included Katie. There was a lot more confusion as the two groups merged. Finally we settled onto a regular paceline that worked OK, although not quite as smoothly as with our smaller group.
Once we turned west again and crossed over the freeway, I started cramping. Damn! I rarely cramp. Mentor Laurie Fenech told me to keep spinning, but I soon got tossed off the back of the group anyway. Damn! Now I was on my own again, at least for a short while. Alissa, Mo, and I regrouped for the hill section, but then Mo fell off pretty soon. Then it was just me and Alissa. She and I worked together for a long time.
A little bit before the second feed zone, Dana caught up to us. She'd been working with Tri-Flow Michelle and another woman named Deb (I think). The five of us cobbled together a paceline and worked for quite awhile. Near the end of the hilly section, a mile or two before the turn at Jack-in-the-Box, we picked up a SugarCRM girl.
After the JITB turn, the three Velo Girls picked up the pace -- we were in the homestretch! Dana and I did our TTT thing, all the while trying to coach Michelle as well. We were making great time! And then we realized that we'd dropped the other three girls. Oops.
After a couple of miles we spotted Katie up ahead with Brett. Dana kicked it up a notch and we bridged up to them. I was starting to feel the effects of my stupidity -- I hadn't been eating enough during the race, and was running out of energy. Within minutes after catching Katie, I fell off. And just like that, I was on my own, with more than six miles to go.
It was just like last year -- despairing along the homestretch, although I didn't even have Vanessa to keep me company this time. I kept my pace up but constantly fantasized about just pulling over. I was sure that Alissa and the other two would catch me any time, and I wouldn't even have the energy to hop on their wheel. I thought it would have been a relief -- once they passed me, then I could give up.
But they never did pass me. I got to the turnoff to the finish, and decided that I hadn't worked that hard for that long only to give up! I scrounged around and found just enough energy to put the hammer down, stand up for the climb up the overpass hill, and mash the pedals until I crossed the finish line. I still had no idea how far behind me they were, but they hadn't passed me! My feet were asleep, my crotch was a wreck, and somehow I had managed to pull a muscle in my left hand, but I'd finished, goddammit!
I spent much of the rest of the day kicking myself for not taking better care of myself nutritionally. Ironically, I'd even coached Alissa about eating while she and I had been riding together, before the hilly section. Ideally I would have eaten something about the time we turned the corner at JITB. But of course I was too focused on the siren song of the final stretch, with the wind at my back and the finish line apparently within reach. Damn.
On the other hand, I was pleased with my performance given that I'd only taken in about 250 calories during the race. Other than sort of bonking toward the end of the race, the only time I remember being in out-and-out pain was when my calves were cramping. The rest of the time, I was working hard, but not totally suffering. What will I be able to do next time?
Lessons for next time: kick and claw my way to the front at the starting line, eat more often!
Fast forward to this year's race -- my first road race after a summer of criteriums. I hadn't ridden more than 30 miles at a time in months, let alone at race pace -- and now I was going to try to race for 42 miles? Ha! On the other hand, I was in the best shape of my life. I was stronger than I'd ever been on the bike. I'd developed an ability to time trial through the low-energy phases, to keep going even when I wasn't having fun anymore. So maybe it would be interesting after all.
The race started late. We spent a lot of time standing at various lines, moving forward, moving back again, moving forward again. Most of the Velo Girls ended up toward the back of the pack at the starting line. At least I was able to position myself on the left side, which I knew from experience would be the side protected from the wind.
During the promenade along narrow roads, we realized our mistake in not more aggressively positioning ourselves toward the front at the starting line. Once the promenade was over, the front of the pack took off. A gap opened in the middle of the pack, and at least a third of the field was dropped off the back. But we still couldn't get around -- narrow roads with the centerline rule in effect. Damn.
Emily weaved her way through and hit it hard, working to bridge up to the front group. I tried to follow but couldn't stay with her. At least I was able to break away from the back group. On the hill at the first feed zone, I was able to pass a few girls; after that I TT'ed by myself for awhile until I caught up to some other girls who had been spit out the back of the front group.
A small group of us -- Roaring Mo, Early Birds Alissa, some girl named Brett, me, and... I think there was another one too -- negotiated an echelon that worked pretty well, each of us taking turns pulling at the "front" which actually was more like the side, given the wind direction. There was a bit of confusion once we turned the corner onto the frontage road, but we soon found the wind and our echelon began again. It worked so well that it wasn't too long before we caught up to a larger group that included Katie. There was a lot more confusion as the two groups merged. Finally we settled onto a regular paceline that worked OK, although not quite as smoothly as with our smaller group.
Once we turned west again and crossed over the freeway, I started cramping. Damn! I rarely cramp. Mentor Laurie Fenech told me to keep spinning, but I soon got tossed off the back of the group anyway. Damn! Now I was on my own again, at least for a short while. Alissa, Mo, and I regrouped for the hill section, but then Mo fell off pretty soon. Then it was just me and Alissa. She and I worked together for a long time.
A little bit before the second feed zone, Dana caught up to us. She'd been working with Tri-Flow Michelle and another woman named Deb (I think). The five of us cobbled together a paceline and worked for quite awhile. Near the end of the hilly section, a mile or two before the turn at Jack-in-the-Box, we picked up a SugarCRM girl.
After the JITB turn, the three Velo Girls picked up the pace -- we were in the homestretch! Dana and I did our TTT thing, all the while trying to coach Michelle as well. We were making great time! And then we realized that we'd dropped the other three girls. Oops.
After a couple of miles we spotted Katie up ahead with Brett. Dana kicked it up a notch and we bridged up to them. I was starting to feel the effects of my stupidity -- I hadn't been eating enough during the race, and was running out of energy. Within minutes after catching Katie, I fell off. And just like that, I was on my own, with more than six miles to go.
It was just like last year -- despairing along the homestretch, although I didn't even have Vanessa to keep me company this time. I kept my pace up but constantly fantasized about just pulling over. I was sure that Alissa and the other two would catch me any time, and I wouldn't even have the energy to hop on their wheel. I thought it would have been a relief -- once they passed me, then I could give up.
But they never did pass me. I got to the turnoff to the finish, and decided that I hadn't worked that hard for that long only to give up! I scrounged around and found just enough energy to put the hammer down, stand up for the climb up the overpass hill, and mash the pedals until I crossed the finish line. I still had no idea how far behind me they were, but they hadn't passed me! My feet were asleep, my crotch was a wreck, and somehow I had managed to pull a muscle in my left hand, but I'd finished, goddammit!
I spent much of the rest of the day kicking myself for not taking better care of myself nutritionally. Ironically, I'd even coached Alissa about eating while she and I had been riding together, before the hilly section. Ideally I would have eaten something about the time we turned the corner at JITB. But of course I was too focused on the siren song of the final stretch, with the wind at my back and the finish line apparently within reach. Damn.
On the other hand, I was pleased with my performance given that I'd only taken in about 250 calories during the race. Other than sort of bonking toward the end of the race, the only time I remember being in out-and-out pain was when my calves were cramping. The rest of the time, I was working hard, but not totally suffering. What will I be able to do next time?
Lessons for next time: kick and claw my way to the front at the starting line, eat more often!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Burlingame Criterium race report - June 28, 2009
Burlingame Criterium - June 28, 2009
Originally uploaded by emastiff_family
We decided in advance that Katie would be our sprinter. We were going to try a new team tactic, building on what had worked for us at Dash for Cash.
The course was on the streets of downtown Burlingame. Two right turns, a left-then-right chicane, followed by a big sweeper to the finishing straightaway. After a neutral first lap, the race started. The field was about 30 riders. Overall it wasn't a very fast race, and the whole pack stayed together most of the time. We strung out a bit during the prime laps but quickly regrouped each time. I spent most of the race somewhere between the middle and the front 1/4 of the pack, mostly on the right side (inside on most turns). I didn't spend any time out front, but did get caught out in the wind on the side a couple of times. Fortunately we weren't going that fast (see above), and there wasn't that much wind. (Unfortunately I forgot to turn my Garmin on until after the first few laps, so I don't have complete data -- darn.) Most of the surging occurred after the right turn out of the chicane.
I was at the head of the leadout for Katie. At three laps to go, I thought I heard Emily say "go!" So I went. Very soon I was at the front. Turns out it was too early, and we should have waited. Too ambitious for a leadout of two! I led for about a lap and a quarter, and then pulled off. I watched the pack pull away, praying that Emily could hold on longer than I had! Of course she did, and Katie got fourth, which was great. They recorded me as coming in last. *sigh* The life of a domestique.
There was a crash, at turn two on the second-to-last lap. I guess someone got her wheel stuck in one of the ruts on the road and couldn't recover (did I mention the pavement wasn't great?). Fortunately everyone else was able to ride around her, although there was collateral damage when someone rubbernecking the accident crashed out Holly the race mentor. Whoops. It was just after I'd pulled off after my leadout so I saw it, but was far enough back to avoid getting caught in it. But I think all three walked away and were fine, so that's good.
At the post-race debrief, Holly said that we were mostly good (except for rubbernecking the crash). She said that for some reason people were reluctant to be in the middle, which resulted in a sort of V-shaped pack for most of the race. She also reiterated what she had told us during the pre-race talk, which was that a faster race is a safer race, and the people up front have the responsibility to drive the pace.
Overall, very proud of the team today!
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
2009 IC3 Dash for Cash race report
Again, I've waited to long to blog about this, so some of the details are hazy. Nine Team Velo Girls members entered this race -- nearly the entire team! Angela didn't race but did come provide support. This was our first race where we had a real, honest-to-god team strategy. We decided that we were going to set up Ann to win, with the rest of us either leading out or sweeping up behind. The exceptions were Dana and Kat, for whom this would be their first criterium, and Yari and Bobbi Jo, who were designated as prime hunters.
The race started unbelievably slowly. I had my Garmin in my pocket where I couldn't see it, but someone said later that the first lap or two were only about 16 mph. At one point, one of the mentors told us that the race would be a lot safer if we went faster. The pace picked up slightly, but it wasn't until the first prime, at lap five, that it picked up significantly. Bobbi Jo didn't win the first prime, but she did win one of the later ones -- $30.
At five laps to go, we started getting into position. Before the race, it seemed like that would be way too early, but it turned out that it really did take a couple of laps to find everyone and maneuver into a line to protect Ann. Vanessa started by getting on Ann's wheel. I was assigned to be the first leadout, and ramp up the speed starting with two laps to go. I kind of got myself into a place and then hoped for the best -- I couldn't look behind me to see if everyone was there so just had to trust. Fortunately, Bobbi Jo and Emily did slot in behind me and in front of Ann. With about three laps to go I found myself near the head of the pack, basically a whole lap earlier than I'd planned to, when all of a sudden Katie pulled up next to me. She had originally been designated to be in the leadout train behind me, but for some reason couldn't get in. I asked (well, told) her to get in front of me, so I got to rest for another half lap or so. Then I started my pull in earnest. It was just me at the front for quite awhile, pulling the whole pack around the course. I might have been able to go a bit further, but I had an opportunity to pull off safely so did so just after the finish line with one lap to go, and everyone swarmed by me. I limped around the rest of the course, finishing second to last.
I only found out later what had happened -- there had been some confusion/near collision in the final turn, so a lot of stuff got screwed up. Ann got caught in the confusion, and Emily ended up having to sprint after her leadout, finishing sixth. Despite the disappointment of Ann not being able to win, we were all very happy that our strategy worked well, and that we were all able to participate -- even Kat, who hadn't originally had a "job" other than to experience her first race, ended up taking over for Vanessa in protecting Ann's wheel near the end. We had changed some things on the fly -- like Katie taking the first leadout spot instead of me -- but because we all knew the plan in advance, we were able to be flexible about it. It was great. People said it looked awesome. I wish I could have seen it, but unfortunately you don't get to see much at the front. :-)
Lessons/thoughts -- try picking an inside line for the leadout (rather than the outside line); sitting in near the front of the pack (as I did for most of the race) worked well in terms of conserving energy and not being subject to the surge-y-ness I suffered from at Memorial Day crit.
The race started unbelievably slowly. I had my Garmin in my pocket where I couldn't see it, but someone said later that the first lap or two were only about 16 mph. At one point, one of the mentors told us that the race would be a lot safer if we went faster. The pace picked up slightly, but it wasn't until the first prime, at lap five, that it picked up significantly. Bobbi Jo didn't win the first prime, but she did win one of the later ones -- $30.
At five laps to go, we started getting into position. Before the race, it seemed like that would be way too early, but it turned out that it really did take a couple of laps to find everyone and maneuver into a line to protect Ann. Vanessa started by getting on Ann's wheel. I was assigned to be the first leadout, and ramp up the speed starting with two laps to go. I kind of got myself into a place and then hoped for the best -- I couldn't look behind me to see if everyone was there so just had to trust. Fortunately, Bobbi Jo and Emily did slot in behind me and in front of Ann. With about three laps to go I found myself near the head of the pack, basically a whole lap earlier than I'd planned to, when all of a sudden Katie pulled up next to me. She had originally been designated to be in the leadout train behind me, but for some reason couldn't get in. I asked (well, told) her to get in front of me, so I got to rest for another half lap or so. Then I started my pull in earnest. It was just me at the front for quite awhile, pulling the whole pack around the course. I might have been able to go a bit further, but I had an opportunity to pull off safely so did so just after the finish line with one lap to go, and everyone swarmed by me. I limped around the rest of the course, finishing second to last.
I only found out later what had happened -- there had been some confusion/near collision in the final turn, so a lot of stuff got screwed up. Ann got caught in the confusion, and Emily ended up having to sprint after her leadout, finishing sixth. Despite the disappointment of Ann not being able to win, we were all very happy that our strategy worked well, and that we were all able to participate -- even Kat, who hadn't originally had a "job" other than to experience her first race, ended up taking over for Vanessa in protecting Ann's wheel near the end. We had changed some things on the fly -- like Katie taking the first leadout spot instead of me -- but because we all knew the plan in advance, we were able to be flexible about it. It was great. People said it looked awesome. I wish I could have seen it, but unfortunately you don't get to see much at the front. :-)
Lessons/thoughts -- try picking an inside line for the leadout (rather than the outside line); sitting in near the front of the pack (as I did for most of the race) worked well in terms of conserving energy and not being subject to the surge-y-ness I suffered from at Memorial Day crit.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Race Report - Memorial Day Crit 2009
may 25 memorial day criterium 095
Originally uploaded by SWoo
* My goal for the race was to stay with the pack.
* The W4 field was big -- nearly 50 women.
* I got to the start line late, and didn't get a spot up front. I regretted this immediately after the race started, when it seemed like everyone swarmed around me and left me hanging off the back.
* The first few laps were very fast, and quite challenging. I almost fell off the back entirely on only the second or third lap. I worked my way back up and was able to hang in for the rest of the race. It seemed to get easier after the first few laps -- I'm not sure if it's because the group slowed down, or because I had warmed back up (I tend to cool down very fast, so the time between getting off the trainer and starting the race tends to put me more or less back at square one).
* A couple of times, a few women would attack off the front, but the attacks never "stuck," and the pack mostly all stayed together for the entire race. A couple of women fell off at some point, and they were later reintegrated into the pack by the officials.
* I spent most of the race somewhere in the back third of the group, over on the right (inside). I mostly followed the wheels of a couple of women also in the same area as me -- including the woman I had worked with at Menlo Park when we had both fallen off the back.
* The leaders seemed to accelerate out of just about every corner, which caused the rest of us to have to scramble after each corner in order to catch up. It would have been even worse if I'd been on the outside. It probably wouldn't have seemed so bad if I'd been closer to the front of the pack.
* The advantage of my position was that I never had to "pull" at the front of the pack. I actually stayed fairly protected from the wind for most of the race.
* Most of the time, the pack took corners wide enough that I could make my inside position work, although a couple of times I got squeezed a bit uncomfortably, which caused me to brake and fall back.
* The mentors encouraged everyone to communicate, so there was a lot of talking/yelling at corners where we all told each other to hold our lines, set up properly, etc.
* The official had told us that they would start the lap countdown at 10 laps to go. I was starting to despair because I never saw the 10 lap card. Then, miraculously, the announcer said there were only five laps to go. My outlook brightened considerably!
* Interestingly, the pace didn't pick up as much as I expected after the five lap announcement. It actually seemed to stay more or less the same until the very last corner before the line, when the sprint began.
* I did not do well in the sprint. I wasn't very well positioned, and sprinting is not my strong suit anyway. Yari zipped past me just before the line. I finished 29th (in the video, I'm crossing the line just as the video ends).
* The mentors led a post-race debrief. They said we had been fast and safe. They said that this was the first time in years (ever?) that there hadn't been a crash in the Women's 4 field at this race.
* I recorded an average speed of 21.5 mph, max 29 mph. I had a relatively fast cadence (for me) -- average 85 rpm.
Lessons: don't give up just because the first couple of laps are hard; get more proactive about positioning during the last couple of laps. I think that with some work (particularly on sprints), I could actually do well in crits, especially totally flat crits like this one. I am just not meant to race on hills!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
2009 Wildflower Triathlon
Because we had so much fun at the San Francisco Triathlon last November, Emily, Lisa and I signed up for the Wildflower Triathlon down in the King City area. Wildflower is apparently nicknamed the "Woodstock of Triathlons", probably because it's a huge draw and it's in the middle of nowhere.
Unfortunately Emily had been sick for weeks, and wasn't feeling up to going. So Lisa and I went down hoping to find someone else who could run. We shared a campsite with Dana and her friends, including Eric who volunteered to be our runner for the Olympic relay on Sunday. He didn't even seem daunted by our team name, "Autobots! Transform!"
The relay group was the last to start -- two hours after the first group started at 9 a.m. The lake was very low because of the lack of rain we've had over the past few years. This meant that Lisa's run out of the water and up into the transition area was even longer than usual. She still had a great time, and was up in the transition area within 25 minutes.
The bike course was approximately 25 miles, out and back. I had been nervous about the bike leg -- not only because I'm only recently back on the bike after about two months of achilles injury, but also because there was no room in the transition area for a trainer for warmup. Immediately out of the transition area, cyclists faced an uphill climb of about a mile. Fortunately, it wasn't as bad as I'd feared. I actually passed a lot of people on the climb, not because I'm such a fantastic climber so much as because a lot of them were Team-in-Training types who had just done the swim themselves (rather than taking a handoff from a swimmer).
Triathlon cycling is very different from bike racing. I played leapfrog for miles with several women whom I'd pass with ease on the uphills, and then be passed by on the flat. By mile 6 I was starting to despair, feeling like there was no way I could do another 18 miles. Fortunately I eventually warmed up and started feeling better. Hitting the turnaround helped, too -- at least I knew I was more than halfway done.
At last, after a long steady climb back into the park, I hit the final hill -- a fast descent back into the transition area (the same hill I'd climbed on the way out). I passed a lot of people on this hill -- a lot of runners, but some cyclists as well. Once back in the transition area, I had to run (on foot! barbaric!) to our rack number, where Eric grabbed the timing chip off my ankle, put it on his own, and started his run.
We all had good time splits -- I probably could have taken another minute or two off my time but for the most part I'm happy with it. Unfortunately, because Eric is a guy, it put us into the "mixed" category rather than all-women. I think we might have taken a podium spot in the all-women category, but alas -- we were something like 24th out of 50+ mixed teams. Oh well -- it was fun anyway.
Boring post -- apologies....
Unfortunately Emily had been sick for weeks, and wasn't feeling up to going. So Lisa and I went down hoping to find someone else who could run. We shared a campsite with Dana and her friends, including Eric who volunteered to be our runner for the Olympic relay on Sunday. He didn't even seem daunted by our team name, "Autobots! Transform!"
The relay group was the last to start -- two hours after the first group started at 9 a.m. The lake was very low because of the lack of rain we've had over the past few years. This meant that Lisa's run out of the water and up into the transition area was even longer than usual. She still had a great time, and was up in the transition area within 25 minutes.
The bike course was approximately 25 miles, out and back. I had been nervous about the bike leg -- not only because I'm only recently back on the bike after about two months of achilles injury, but also because there was no room in the transition area for a trainer for warmup. Immediately out of the transition area, cyclists faced an uphill climb of about a mile. Fortunately, it wasn't as bad as I'd feared. I actually passed a lot of people on the climb, not because I'm such a fantastic climber so much as because a lot of them were Team-in-Training types who had just done the swim themselves (rather than taking a handoff from a swimmer).
Triathlon cycling is very different from bike racing. I played leapfrog for miles with several women whom I'd pass with ease on the uphills, and then be passed by on the flat. By mile 6 I was starting to despair, feeling like there was no way I could do another 18 miles. Fortunately I eventually warmed up and started feeling better. Hitting the turnaround helped, too -- at least I knew I was more than halfway done.
At last, after a long steady climb back into the park, I hit the final hill -- a fast descent back into the transition area (the same hill I'd climbed on the way out). I passed a lot of people on this hill -- a lot of runners, but some cyclists as well. Once back in the transition area, I had to run (on foot! barbaric!) to our rack number, where Eric grabbed the timing chip off my ankle, put it on his own, and started his run.
We all had good time splits -- I probably could have taken another minute or two off my time but for the most part I'm happy with it. Unfortunately, because Eric is a guy, it put us into the "mixed" category rather than all-women. I think we might have taken a podium spot in the all-women category, but alas -- we were something like 24th out of 50+ mixed teams. Oh well -- it was fun anyway.
Boring post -- apologies....
Monday, March 09, 2009
2009-03-08 MPGP race report
This was my first criterium, and I was nervous about it. I'm not usually nervous about crashing, but I was a bit worried about this race, probably because I didn't know what to expect. I also haven't been on my bike much lately due to tendonitis in my heel, so I knew I wasn't going to do very well. *And* this was going to be my first race with spectators -- even my parents were coming. Eep.
The race started oddly. We were at the line, and then all of a sudden we were doing a promenade lap, which turned into two, and then four, and then.... We were being allowed to roll around to keep warm while paramedics were clearing the course after a crash in the previous race. Finally we got back to the starting line, more than 30 minutes after our originally-intended start time. They told us that they were going to shorten our race in order to stay on schedule (originally the race was to be about 45 minutes long). We waited at the line for probably another 10 minutes.
Finally the bell rang and we were off. I got off to a fast start, and found myself behind four other women in a single paceline, with the whole rest of the field behind us. Wild. After the chicane on the first lap, the field swarmed around us, and I found myself near the back. Turns were a bit sketchy but overall I didn't find them too scary.
Just after the chicane on the second lap, I discovered that I was getting dumped off the back -- too late to do anything about it at that point. I caught the wheel of a woman in a plain jersey, and drafted off of her for maybe half to three-quarters of a lap. I pulled ahead and she jumped on my wheel. As we passed the start/finish line, I heard the announcer say something like, "and off the back, it's Jill Eyres and ______, time trialing." Depressing! Plain jersey girl and I worked fairly well together, taking turns every half lap or so, but we weren't making any significant progress. In fact, the headwinds on the straightaway before the start/finish were brutal and we fell further behind on every lap.
After a couple of laps, as we passed through the start/finish, we got pulled. I'm not sure whether I was upset or relieved -- possibly a combination of the two. I watched the rest of the Cat 4 women's race with (see photo, seated left to right) Bess, Amy, Vanessa, me, and my mom.
Emily and Ann finished but didn't do as well as they liked, due to getting caught behind a crash at the very last turn before the final straightaway. They didn't go down but the pack got away from them.
All in all, though, it was fun, and I'm thrilled that my teammates stayed safe.
Lessons: I need to pay closer attention to staying close to the pack, and noticing earlier if I'm falling off (or stuck behind someone who is falling off). I also need to heal this darned Achilles tendon so I can get back on the bike and get some fitness back!
The race started oddly. We were at the line, and then all of a sudden we were doing a promenade lap, which turned into two, and then four, and then.... We were being allowed to roll around to keep warm while paramedics were clearing the course after a crash in the previous race. Finally we got back to the starting line, more than 30 minutes after our originally-intended start time. They told us that they were going to shorten our race in order to stay on schedule (originally the race was to be about 45 minutes long). We waited at the line for probably another 10 minutes.
Finally the bell rang and we were off. I got off to a fast start, and found myself behind four other women in a single paceline, with the whole rest of the field behind us. Wild. After the chicane on the first lap, the field swarmed around us, and I found myself near the back. Turns were a bit sketchy but overall I didn't find them too scary.
Just after the chicane on the second lap, I discovered that I was getting dumped off the back -- too late to do anything about it at that point. I caught the wheel of a woman in a plain jersey, and drafted off of her for maybe half to three-quarters of a lap. I pulled ahead and she jumped on my wheel. As we passed the start/finish line, I heard the announcer say something like, "and off the back, it's Jill Eyres and ______, time trialing." Depressing! Plain jersey girl and I worked fairly well together, taking turns every half lap or so, but we weren't making any significant progress. In fact, the headwinds on the straightaway before the start/finish were brutal and we fell further behind on every lap.
After a couple of laps, as we passed through the start/finish, we got pulled. I'm not sure whether I was upset or relieved -- possibly a combination of the two. I watched the rest of the Cat 4 women's race with (see photo, seated left to right) Bess, Amy, Vanessa, me, and my mom.
Emily and Ann finished but didn't do as well as they liked, due to getting caught behind a crash at the very last turn before the final straightaway. They didn't go down but the pack got away from them.
All in all, though, it was fun, and I'm thrilled that my teammates stayed safe.
Lessons: I need to pay closer attention to staying close to the pack, and noticing earlier if I'm falling off (or stuck behind someone who is falling off). I also need to heal this darned Achilles tendon so I can get back on the bike and get some fitness back!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
2009-02-21 Snelling RR report
This was the first Velo Girls team race of the season. The entire road race team came out for it, with all of us riding except for Tina who was there to support us as well as her husband Arley. Snelling is evidently always a popular race -- so popular that they run not one, but two W4 fields -- both of which sold out this year. Amazing! All of the Velo Girls had signed up to be in the W4A field but due to a clerical error, Kat ended up having to ride with the B field. At least we had representation in both fields....
The course is an approximately 12 mile loop, which W4 women ride three times. It's not exactly hilly, but not exactly flat -- there are some rolling hills that aren't very long or steep, but definitely reveal a lot about individual riders and their comfort with climbing. If you're at the back on the hills, you have to scramble a bit to stay with the group. Most of the roads are in OK condition, except for one stretch near the end of the lap that is bumpy enough to vibrate the fillings right out of your teeth.
The W4A field was dominated by several teams -- Velo Girls, Roaring Mouse, and Davis Bike Club being the largest. This was definitely the first race for a significant number of the entrants.
Velo Girls were at the front of the pack as we rolled out of town and along a 2-3 mile promenade. When the motorcycle pulled off, the pace instantly picked up. Probably 10 to 15 riders were dropped within the first half of the first lap. Near the end of the first lap, Vanessa was involved in a crash that caused another 8 riders or so to drop off. It happened in front of me and I'm still not sure how I avoided going down in the crash, but somehow I managed to get around it. The lead pack was sobered for a bit after that; lateral movement within the group calmed down noticeably, although it's possible that it was because the worst offenders had dropped off.
At the beginning of lap two, I still felt pretty good; however, by the end of lap two, I wasn't feeling like I was strong enough to stay in the game. Ann told me that she and Emily and a couple of others were planning a breakaway, and asked if I could help "block" -- but at that point I was barely hanging on to the back of the group, and didn't see how I could even get up to the front at all. After the hills at the beginning of lap three, the pace picked up even more, and about five of us were dropped.
A Golden Chain cyclist encouraged us all to work together, which was a great idea except it was unclear that everyone knew what that meant. No one seemed to have an idea of paceline rotation, so it was kind of a free-for-all. Someone behind me yelled at me for not pulling, which I said I was happy to do if someone would give me access to the front of the line! So the first two women fell back, and I actually felt really strong and pulled for awhile, noticeably closing the gap between us and the main pack. However, I couldn't sustain it long enough to get us all the way up. We did an odd rotation through most of the third lap. I was tired and fell off our little pack right at the end, finishing by myself.
A big part of my problem during the race was undoubtedly my inability to eat much. I had bought myself a flask for my GU but hadn't ever practiced using it; so between the fast pace/bumpy roads and my inexperience, I was unable to get more than a few small mouthfuls. Also, my achilles tendons were starting to hurt again -- during the race I think the adrenalin was masking the pain, but after I finished and turned in my timing chip, they started screaming at me. I rode back to town very slowly and in my smallest gear.
Generally speaking, though, it was a good race. Definitely suited to my strengths overall, I think. Assuming that 1) I'm in decent condition; 2) I can figure out how to improve my nutritional intake during the race; and 3) I can get this achilles thing under control, I should be able to do well. Note: it is EXTREMELY important to be up front during the promenade in order to get a good position once the race starts.
Emily took third in a sprint finish. I'm not sure how the rest of us did....
The course is an approximately 12 mile loop, which W4 women ride three times. It's not exactly hilly, but not exactly flat -- there are some rolling hills that aren't very long or steep, but definitely reveal a lot about individual riders and their comfort with climbing. If you're at the back on the hills, you have to scramble a bit to stay with the group. Most of the roads are in OK condition, except for one stretch near the end of the lap that is bumpy enough to vibrate the fillings right out of your teeth.
The W4A field was dominated by several teams -- Velo Girls, Roaring Mouse, and Davis Bike Club being the largest. This was definitely the first race for a significant number of the entrants.
Velo Girls were at the front of the pack as we rolled out of town and along a 2-3 mile promenade. When the motorcycle pulled off, the pace instantly picked up. Probably 10 to 15 riders were dropped within the first half of the first lap. Near the end of the first lap, Vanessa was involved in a crash that caused another 8 riders or so to drop off. It happened in front of me and I'm still not sure how I avoided going down in the crash, but somehow I managed to get around it. The lead pack was sobered for a bit after that; lateral movement within the group calmed down noticeably, although it's possible that it was because the worst offenders had dropped off.
At the beginning of lap two, I still felt pretty good; however, by the end of lap two, I wasn't feeling like I was strong enough to stay in the game. Ann told me that she and Emily and a couple of others were planning a breakaway, and asked if I could help "block" -- but at that point I was barely hanging on to the back of the group, and didn't see how I could even get up to the front at all. After the hills at the beginning of lap three, the pace picked up even more, and about five of us were dropped.
A Golden Chain cyclist encouraged us all to work together, which was a great idea except it was unclear that everyone knew what that meant. No one seemed to have an idea of paceline rotation, so it was kind of a free-for-all. Someone behind me yelled at me for not pulling, which I said I was happy to do if someone would give me access to the front of the line! So the first two women fell back, and I actually felt really strong and pulled for awhile, noticeably closing the gap between us and the main pack. However, I couldn't sustain it long enough to get us all the way up. We did an odd rotation through most of the third lap. I was tired and fell off our little pack right at the end, finishing by myself.
A big part of my problem during the race was undoubtedly my inability to eat much. I had bought myself a flask for my GU but hadn't ever practiced using it; so between the fast pace/bumpy roads and my inexperience, I was unable to get more than a few small mouthfuls. Also, my achilles tendons were starting to hurt again -- during the race I think the adrenalin was masking the pain, but after I finished and turned in my timing chip, they started screaming at me. I rode back to town very slowly and in my smallest gear.
Generally speaking, though, it was a good race. Definitely suited to my strengths overall, I think. Assuming that 1) I'm in decent condition; 2) I can figure out how to improve my nutritional intake during the race; and 3) I can get this achilles thing under control, I should be able to do well. Note: it is EXTREMELY important to be up front during the promenade in order to get a good position once the race starts.
Emily took third in a sprint finish. I'm not sure how the rest of us did....
2009-02-15 Pine Flat RR report
This was the day after Cantua Creek, out at Pine Flat Lake east of Merced. The terrain was neither flat nor pine-covered, so the name is still a bit of a mystery. Anyway, there were only six entries in the W4 field, four of us Velo Girls (Yari sat it out due to some knee pain). Five of us, including Christine of Reno Wheelmen, had raced at Cantua Creek the day before. At the starting line, we all talked about how this would be essentially a training ride, as none of us was feeling fresh -- we even joked about blowing the whole thing off and riding down to the Blossom Cafe for waffles. The sixth woman, also named Christine, was unattached to a team; it was her first race.
The race began down at a marina, with a steep promenade up to the course from the starting line (see photo). There was a lot of grumbling on the way up. Up on the road, I got to the front of the group, because the Velo Girls had agreed that Emily should not pull at all during the race if possible, to help make up for her pulling the day before at Cantua Creek. We were keeping a very recreational pace at first, on an out-and-back section of about 20 miles. Unattached Christine launched a few small attacks off the front; we all picked up the pace a little but for the most part we were happy to let her go off on her own if she wanted, not believing that she could last for long on her own on a 62 mile course. However, after the turnaround on the out-and-back section, Reno Christine decided to follow Unattached Christine on an attack, and Emily chased along.
Vanessa, Dana, and I half-heartedly worked together but none of us really believed that we were going to catch the other three. My achilles tendons were starting to ache, and I decided that trying to ride another 42 miles on them would probably be a mistake, so as we passed by the marina I peeled off and called it a day. Dana was determined to finish, and I talked Vanessa into going with her. So I was alone down at the cars for awhile.
According to Lorri and Yari, who were following Emily and the Christines in a car, it was an epic battle to the finish. The three of them worked together for awhile, until Reno Christine dropped off, and Unattached Christine went ahead. Emily finally got UC back in sight somewhere on the final climb (which went on for miles and was reportedly very steep). Emily would close the gap, but UC would launch ahead again, until finally UC had nothing left -- Emily passed her with less than 100 meters to go until the finish line. I wish I could have seen it! Lorri said that she and Yari were holding hands in the car and screaming.
Vanessa apparently called it quits around the beginning of the final climb. Dana finished by herself, but she finished, and was rewarded with a t-shirt. I wish I could have finished but even if I could have muscled through the achilles pain, it probably would have put me out of commission for the rest of the season. It also doesn't sound like the kind of course best suited for my abilities -- too much climbing. I think I have a better shot at flatter courses like Cantua Creek.
The race began down at a marina, with a steep promenade up to the course from the starting line (see photo). There was a lot of grumbling on the way up. Up on the road, I got to the front of the group, because the Velo Girls had agreed that Emily should not pull at all during the race if possible, to help make up for her pulling the day before at Cantua Creek. We were keeping a very recreational pace at first, on an out-and-back section of about 20 miles. Unattached Christine launched a few small attacks off the front; we all picked up the pace a little but for the most part we were happy to let her go off on her own if she wanted, not believing that she could last for long on her own on a 62 mile course. However, after the turnaround on the out-and-back section, Reno Christine decided to follow Unattached Christine on an attack, and Emily chased along.
Vanessa, Dana, and I half-heartedly worked together but none of us really believed that we were going to catch the other three. My achilles tendons were starting to ache, and I decided that trying to ride another 42 miles on them would probably be a mistake, so as we passed by the marina I peeled off and called it a day. Dana was determined to finish, and I talked Vanessa into going with her. So I was alone down at the cars for awhile.
According to Lorri and Yari, who were following Emily and the Christines in a car, it was an epic battle to the finish. The three of them worked together for awhile, until Reno Christine dropped off, and Unattached Christine went ahead. Emily finally got UC back in sight somewhere on the final climb (which went on for miles and was reportedly very steep). Emily would close the gap, but UC would launch ahead again, until finally UC had nothing left -- Emily passed her with less than 100 meters to go until the finish line. I wish I could have seen it! Lorri said that she and Yari were holding hands in the car and screaming.
Vanessa apparently called it quits around the beginning of the final climb. Dana finished by herself, but she finished, and was rewarded with a t-shirt. I wish I could have finished but even if I could have muscled through the achilles pain, it probably would have put me out of commission for the rest of the season. It also doesn't sound like the kind of course best suited for my abilities -- too much climbing. I think I have a better shot at flatter courses like Cantua Creek.
2009-02-14 Cantua Creek RR report
I'm writing this more than a week later, so some of the details are already fuzzy. This was the first road race of 2009 that the Velo Girls road team attended in any significant number.
Dana, Emily, Lorri, Vanessa, Yari, and I drove out the night before. We pre-drove the course but didn't have a chance to pre-ride it. It was an out-and-back course of approximately 12 miles each way, mostly flat except for some rolling hills at the very north end (start/finish). W4 were to do two out-and-back laps for a total of about 48 miles.
The W4 field was medium-sized -- maybe 20 or so women. With five of us entering, I think the Velo Girls were the largest team presence in the field. The first lap was reminiscent of Henleyville last year -- very slow. There were a couple of half-hearted attacks, but basically everyone was killing time until the second lap and the final sprint. Only a few women actually pulled at the front, and their pulls would be fairly long, because no matter how much they slowed, everyone else would slow down too. Poor Emily got caught up there for quite awhile during the second lap, which was when the winds picked up too. She worked hard.
My goal for the race had been to stay with the front pack, which wasn't too difficult given the overall slow pace. The north end of the course was gentle hills, which seemed steeper on the way up than on the way down, but I still felt strong at the end of the first lap so wasn't too worried about what it would be like at the end of the second lap.
However, I was very surprised to discover that, at the 1km sign (about where the final climb began), my energy was totally gone. The front group took off (or seemed to), and I had nothing left to give in order to keep up with them. I did manage to pass one or two women who seemed to be having the same problem that I was having. The only thing that kept me going was the desire to not get passed on the way up. After what seemed an eternity, I got to the finish line, using the last bit of oxygen left in my lungs to shout profanity as I crossed it. (Lorri later told me that fines and/or disqualification can be imposed at the officials' discretion -- whoops.)
Emily finished 5th, despite having worked so hard to pull the field around for so many miles. I ended up finishing 8th. Dana was strong and would have definitely beaten me across the line, except that she kissed wheels with Emily just before the 1km sign and fell -- she got up, though, and finished -- even with a seriously out-of-true rear wheel that was rubbing on her brake all the way up. Vanessa finished 11th -- would have been top 10 if the officials had actually disqualified a woman in our field who had hopped onto the Women's 35+ field as they passed us during the first lap. I'm not sure where Yari finished in the overall field, but considering that it was her first race, she'd done really well -- learned a lot about pack dynamics and seemed very comfortable moving around in it. (She had launched an attack near the end of the first lap that she couldn't sustain -- later we joked that she suffered from "premature attack-ulation.")
Anyway, all of the Velo Girls met or at least made significant progress on our goals that we had set for ourselves the night before, and we all had a good time, which certainly counts for something too!
Lessons for me: work on steadiness while eating/drinking (I accidentally overlapped wheels with another woman and hit her rear derailleur while putting my bottle back, bending one of my spokes and putting my wheel slightly out of true); work on endurance and intervals/intensity training.
Dana, Emily, Lorri, Vanessa, Yari, and I drove out the night before. We pre-drove the course but didn't have a chance to pre-ride it. It was an out-and-back course of approximately 12 miles each way, mostly flat except for some rolling hills at the very north end (start/finish). W4 were to do two out-and-back laps for a total of about 48 miles.
The W4 field was medium-sized -- maybe 20 or so women. With five of us entering, I think the Velo Girls were the largest team presence in the field. The first lap was reminiscent of Henleyville last year -- very slow. There were a couple of half-hearted attacks, but basically everyone was killing time until the second lap and the final sprint. Only a few women actually pulled at the front, and their pulls would be fairly long, because no matter how much they slowed, everyone else would slow down too. Poor Emily got caught up there for quite awhile during the second lap, which was when the winds picked up too. She worked hard.
My goal for the race had been to stay with the front pack, which wasn't too difficult given the overall slow pace. The north end of the course was gentle hills, which seemed steeper on the way up than on the way down, but I still felt strong at the end of the first lap so wasn't too worried about what it would be like at the end of the second lap.
However, I was very surprised to discover that, at the 1km sign (about where the final climb began), my energy was totally gone. The front group took off (or seemed to), and I had nothing left to give in order to keep up with them. I did manage to pass one or two women who seemed to be having the same problem that I was having. The only thing that kept me going was the desire to not get passed on the way up. After what seemed an eternity, I got to the finish line, using the last bit of oxygen left in my lungs to shout profanity as I crossed it. (Lorri later told me that fines and/or disqualification can be imposed at the officials' discretion -- whoops.)
Emily finished 5th, despite having worked so hard to pull the field around for so many miles. I ended up finishing 8th. Dana was strong and would have definitely beaten me across the line, except that she kissed wheels with Emily just before the 1km sign and fell -- she got up, though, and finished -- even with a seriously out-of-true rear wheel that was rubbing on her brake all the way up. Vanessa finished 11th -- would have been top 10 if the officials had actually disqualified a woman in our field who had hopped onto the Women's 35+ field as they passed us during the first lap. I'm not sure where Yari finished in the overall field, but considering that it was her first race, she'd done really well -- learned a lot about pack dynamics and seemed very comfortable moving around in it. (She had launched an attack near the end of the first lap that she couldn't sustain -- later we joked that she suffered from "premature attack-ulation.")
Anyway, all of the Velo Girls met or at least made significant progress on our goals that we had set for ourselves the night before, and we all had a good time, which certainly counts for something too!
Lessons for me: work on steadiness while eating/drinking (I accidentally overlapped wheels with another woman and hit her rear derailleur while putting my bottle back, bending one of my spokes and putting my wheel slightly out of true); work on endurance and intervals/intensity training.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
2009 TBF MTB Challenge race report
I went with Thea to her first mountain bike race this morning, up at the state park in Granite Bay. I agreed to go along because no one should have to do her first race alone! Originally we were both going to do the "first-timers" category but I talked her into racing Novice, because she's young and fast and I knew she'd do well and I didn't want to race against her. :-) First-timers did one lap of a seven-mile course -- no extended climbs, lots of swoopy singletrack, and a couple of technical challenges (read: BIG ROCKS). We got up there yesterday afternoon early enough to pre-ride the course once. Despite the rain the day before, the trails weren't overly muddy - a bit slick in spots but not enough to tempt us to put fenders on.
This morning it was cold. Thea and the Novice group (combined start with Juniors) started about two minutes before my group. I don't know how many people were in the first-timers group -- 20, maybe? Mixed men/women, although the placings would be separated at the end. A mixture of ages -- some boys, at least one girl younger than me, and the rest probably older. I think the younger girl was probably in her teens, and she was wearing pink, I think.
I started off fast -- more or less sprinting away from the starting line in order to get a good position. Unfortunately I hadn't had much of a warm-up, so the sprint hurt more than I'd hoped -- I was breathing really hard and it was only a few minutes into the race. I started getting passed by men and boys which was sort of depressing, but at least no women passed me. It took me at least the first mile to warm up -- maybe the first two -- and then I started to feel better. I also felt better once I started to pass some of the Juniors and women in the Novice group (who, to be fair, were going to have to do the lap twice -- I might have conserved more energy at that point if I were only on my first of two laps).
Pre-riding the course the day before was INCREDIBLY valuable. I had tried to grind through it yesterday afternoon in my medium gear, and it just sucked everything out of me. Today I was in my smallest ring in the front for about 80% of the race, and I tried to gear down in back before I absolutely needed to. There were a couple of spots that I knew how to avoid, including one downhill where if you chose the path to the left, you quickly got blocked by a tree growing over it at an angle -- so I was able to avoid that during the race. There was another spot right at the top of a climb with a huge granite boulder and some rocks that were just too tough for me to get over. I had decided in advance that I'd just dismount and run over it, which was fine because during the race, the woman in front of me decided to do that too.
Some of the technical stuff got me during the race. I choked on a rocky downhill section and nearly went over on my face -- unfortunately it was where the pro photographer was standing. Not looking forward to seeing that one. Another time I hit something wrong, and nearly caused a big problem for the Expert cyclist coming up behind -- but he rode past me (and down the rocky ickiness) like it was nothing. Impressive.
I don't remember exactly when the younger girl in pink passed me the first time. I passed her for the first time by riding on a couple of boards across a little ditch rather than going around like she did. The second time she passed me was when I got stuck behind a preteen boy who inexplicably crashed for no apparent reason -- the girl was behind us but had enough time to reroute around us. Damn! I hauled ass after her. At about mile 4.5, when we got to a section where we were briefly on a road, I kicked it into a high gear and passed her. I managed to stay in front of her for the rest of the race. The trail widened at the end, and I sprinted for the finish line not knowing how far behind me she was. She came in maybe 10 seconds behind me. I was dead tired! But I was reasonably sure that I was the first woman in the first timers group, as I didn't think any of the others had ever passed me.
I'm very happy with winning. Unfortunately I can never race first timers again, so now I have to race against Thea, who took first in her age category in Novice women.
Lessons: find some way to warm up, use a low gear, pre-ride the course!
This morning it was cold. Thea and the Novice group (combined start with Juniors) started about two minutes before my group. I don't know how many people were in the first-timers group -- 20, maybe? Mixed men/women, although the placings would be separated at the end. A mixture of ages -- some boys, at least one girl younger than me, and the rest probably older. I think the younger girl was probably in her teens, and she was wearing pink, I think.
I started off fast -- more or less sprinting away from the starting line in order to get a good position. Unfortunately I hadn't had much of a warm-up, so the sprint hurt more than I'd hoped -- I was breathing really hard and it was only a few minutes into the race. I started getting passed by men and boys which was sort of depressing, but at least no women passed me. It took me at least the first mile to warm up -- maybe the first two -- and then I started to feel better. I also felt better once I started to pass some of the Juniors and women in the Novice group (who, to be fair, were going to have to do the lap twice -- I might have conserved more energy at that point if I were only on my first of two laps).
Pre-riding the course the day before was INCREDIBLY valuable. I had tried to grind through it yesterday afternoon in my medium gear, and it just sucked everything out of me. Today I was in my smallest ring in the front for about 80% of the race, and I tried to gear down in back before I absolutely needed to. There were a couple of spots that I knew how to avoid, including one downhill where if you chose the path to the left, you quickly got blocked by a tree growing over it at an angle -- so I was able to avoid that during the race. There was another spot right at the top of a climb with a huge granite boulder and some rocks that were just too tough for me to get over. I had decided in advance that I'd just dismount and run over it, which was fine because during the race, the woman in front of me decided to do that too.
Some of the technical stuff got me during the race. I choked on a rocky downhill section and nearly went over on my face -- unfortunately it was where the pro photographer was standing. Not looking forward to seeing that one. Another time I hit something wrong, and nearly caused a big problem for the Expert cyclist coming up behind -- but he rode past me (and down the rocky ickiness) like it was nothing. Impressive.
I don't remember exactly when the younger girl in pink passed me the first time. I passed her for the first time by riding on a couple of boards across a little ditch rather than going around like she did. The second time she passed me was when I got stuck behind a preteen boy who inexplicably crashed for no apparent reason -- the girl was behind us but had enough time to reroute around us. Damn! I hauled ass after her. At about mile 4.5, when we got to a section where we were briefly on a road, I kicked it into a high gear and passed her. I managed to stay in front of her for the rest of the race. The trail widened at the end, and I sprinted for the finish line not knowing how far behind me she was. She came in maybe 10 seconds behind me. I was dead tired! But I was reasonably sure that I was the first woman in the first timers group, as I didn't think any of the others had ever passed me.
I'm very happy with winning. Unfortunately I can never race first timers again, so now I have to race against Thea, who took first in her age category in Novice women.
Lessons: find some way to warm up, use a low gear, pre-ride the course!
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Camp Velogirls 2009
Team Velogirls kicked off 2009, the year of the Ox, and a new year of riding with a fabulous weekend retreat at lovely Costanoa.
The team's endurance riders, racers, and dirty girls met on Saturday morning for a round of team photos, followed by a discussion of nutrition. Heather D'Eliso Gordon of Kaiser Permanente and Wenzel Coaching talked with us about mindful eating and the choices we make about food. While some of us disagreed with Heather's opinion that a pint of Ben & Jerry's contains at least four servings, overall it was a really informative discussion that gave us lots to think about in terms of eating for optimum performance both on and off the bike.
Following Heather's lecture, we enjoyed a nice lunch at the Costanoa restaurant, each of us at least theoretically making mindful, healthy choices from the menu. We then changed into our kits and split up into groups: the endurance team headed out with Lorri; Jenny and Thea grabbed their mountain bikes and headed down to Wilder Ranch; and the rest of us raced (almost literally) down Highway 1, trying to keep up with Linda Jackson of Team TIBCO. Linda led us on a fast-paced ride that ultimately led to the top of Bonny Doon Road. I know I had my doubts about whether I could make it to the top, but we all made it, and enjoyed the fruits of our labor -- a killer descent back down Bonny Doon to Highway 1. Our exhilarated smiles soon turned to gritted teeth, however, as we battled a killer headwind back to Costanoa -- a welcome sight after our 47.5 mile ride.
From what I hear, the endurance team had a nice ride focused on skills and strategies for leading group rides, while the dirty girls had an awesome time jumping pipes and swooping along singletrack... followed, of course, by beer.
After dinner at the Costanoa restaurant, we retreated back upstairs (with protesting quads) for a ride debrief with Linda. She had some very helpful suggestions for the racers on how to improve our riding so that maybe someday we can all have our own Wikipedia pages too. She also had some great tips that gave the racers lots to think about as we plan for our upcoming races. Being (mostly) good girls, we all then went our separate ways, forgoing the original campfire/wine/s'mores plan in order to get a good night's sleep. (I say "mostly" good because I went home and rather unmindfully stuffed myself with cookies.)
Late Sunday morning we all met back at Costanoa for a group ride. Race, endurance, and dirt team members alike hit the road together. We rode about 45 miles, heading up north for a loop through Pescadero and San Gregorio, up 84 to Haskins Hill, and back to Costanoa through Pescadero and along Cloverdale/Gazos Creek Roads. According to my Garmin data, our overall pace for our Sunday ride was respectable but -- although significantly flatter -- only slightly faster than the racers' Saturday ride with Linda Jackson. D'zam.
Alas, our camp weekend came to an end. But the memories will live on, along with a bazillion photos on Facebook and Flickr....
The team's endurance riders, racers, and dirty girls met on Saturday morning for a round of team photos, followed by a discussion of nutrition. Heather D'Eliso Gordon of Kaiser Permanente and Wenzel Coaching talked with us about mindful eating and the choices we make about food. While some of us disagreed with Heather's opinion that a pint of Ben & Jerry's contains at least four servings, overall it was a really informative discussion that gave us lots to think about in terms of eating for optimum performance both on and off the bike.
Following Heather's lecture, we enjoyed a nice lunch at the Costanoa restaurant, each of us at least theoretically making mindful, healthy choices from the menu. We then changed into our kits and split up into groups: the endurance team headed out with Lorri; Jenny and Thea grabbed their mountain bikes and headed down to Wilder Ranch; and the rest of us raced (almost literally) down Highway 1, trying to keep up with Linda Jackson of Team TIBCO. Linda led us on a fast-paced ride that ultimately led to the top of Bonny Doon Road. I know I had my doubts about whether I could make it to the top, but we all made it, and enjoyed the fruits of our labor -- a killer descent back down Bonny Doon to Highway 1. Our exhilarated smiles soon turned to gritted teeth, however, as we battled a killer headwind back to Costanoa -- a welcome sight after our 47.5 mile ride.
From what I hear, the endurance team had a nice ride focused on skills and strategies for leading group rides, while the dirty girls had an awesome time jumping pipes and swooping along singletrack... followed, of course, by beer.
After dinner at the Costanoa restaurant, we retreated back upstairs (with protesting quads) for a ride debrief with Linda. She had some very helpful suggestions for the racers on how to improve our riding so that maybe someday we can all have our own Wikipedia pages too. She also had some great tips that gave the racers lots to think about as we plan for our upcoming races. Being (mostly) good girls, we all then went our separate ways, forgoing the original campfire/wine/s'mores plan in order to get a good night's sleep. (I say "mostly" good because I went home and rather unmindfully stuffed myself with cookies.)
Late Sunday morning we all met back at Costanoa for a group ride. Race, endurance, and dirt team members alike hit the road together. We rode about 45 miles, heading up north for a loop through Pescadero and San Gregorio, up 84 to Haskins Hill, and back to Costanoa through Pescadero and along Cloverdale/Gazos Creek Roads. According to my Garmin data, our overall pace for our Sunday ride was respectable but -- although significantly flatter -- only slightly faster than the racers' Saturday ride with Linda Jackson. D'zam.
Alas, our camp weekend came to an end. But the memories will live on, along with a bazillion photos on Facebook and Flickr....
Saturday, January 03, 2009
San Bruno Hill Climb 2009
Ann and I did the New Year's Day climb up San Bruno Mountain. The weather (at least at the bottom of the hill) was cool but not uncomfortable. I had neglected to bring my trainer so I took my warmup out on the streets of Brisbane, which wasn't altogether unpleasant (at least compared to the trainer).
There were two mass starts. The Women 4 were in the second start. It was a fast start and people hit the hill hard. It felt like everyone in the world was passing me, but I decided that I'd rather finish than keep up (and blow up). Ann rode with me for about 30 seconds and then went on ahead.
I still felt OK at park entrance but knew that the hardest part was still ahead of me. There was an older guy (clearly Masters 55+) who passed me right at the start of the climb from the parking lot. I caught up to him and almost passed him but then decided against it. I stayed on his wheel for five minutes or so but then let him go.
The fog got thicker with each vertical foot -- visibility was so low that I lost track of where I was, despite having done this climb about a bajillion times before. I was starting to think that it would never end, but then (finally) I got to the hairpin turn and knew that it was almost over. Around this point was when I passed a woman in a red jacket.
I didn't see the finish line until I was nearly over it. Ann was waiting with our bags of clothes (Roaring Mouse had provided bags at the bottom near registration for clothes that were then driven to the top). A quick photo op and then we headed down the hill. Of course that's the best part of the climb -- the descent! After leaving the park, I was finally able to get some decent speed....
I knew that I wasn't last because I'd passed that one woman. Turns out that I finished 15th out of 22 in Cat 4 women (total time 27:43.30). Ann finished 10th (25:02.06). Yay! The #1 Cat 4 woman finished in just over 20 minutes.
Lessons for next year -- be in better climbing shape by January 1!
Here's a photo of Ann: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24838791@N07/3158097121/in/set-72157611983201103/
There were two mass starts. The Women 4 were in the second start. It was a fast start and people hit the hill hard. It felt like everyone in the world was passing me, but I decided that I'd rather finish than keep up (and blow up). Ann rode with me for about 30 seconds and then went on ahead.
I still felt OK at park entrance but knew that the hardest part was still ahead of me. There was an older guy (clearly Masters 55+) who passed me right at the start of the climb from the parking lot. I caught up to him and almost passed him but then decided against it. I stayed on his wheel for five minutes or so but then let him go.
The fog got thicker with each vertical foot -- visibility was so low that I lost track of where I was, despite having done this climb about a bajillion times before. I was starting to think that it would never end, but then (finally) I got to the hairpin turn and knew that it was almost over. Around this point was when I passed a woman in a red jacket.
I didn't see the finish line until I was nearly over it. Ann was waiting with our bags of clothes (Roaring Mouse had provided bags at the bottom near registration for clothes that were then driven to the top). A quick photo op and then we headed down the hill. Of course that's the best part of the climb -- the descent! After leaving the park, I was finally able to get some decent speed....
I knew that I wasn't last because I'd passed that one woman. Turns out that I finished 15th out of 22 in Cat 4 women (total time 27:43.30). Ann finished 10th (25:02.06). Yay! The #1 Cat 4 woman finished in just over 20 minutes.
Lessons for next year -- be in better climbing shape by January 1!
Here's a photo of Ann: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24838791@N07/3158097121/in/set-72157611983201103/
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