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And if there are typos of any kind, get over it. Would you want to proofread this after you wrote it?
Didn't think so.
Race Recap (x5…and then some)
Once again, I’ve failed to report in on what’s been going on
in my super exciting life…
…that’s because it’s been just so super exciting that I
haven’t been able to devote any time to writing about it. Of course, I started a draft about a month
ago, but that was only because I was trapped as a passenger in a car for four
hours and didn’t feel like doing any more homework.
So here goes . . .
KOB TT
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| King of Burlingame TT photo by Glenn Anderson |
I kicked off my race season with a swim at Burlingame State
Park.
Swim?
Well, technically it was a mountain bike time trial, but legendary
levels of rainfall left the course more suitable to a kayak race. I rode my rigid singlespeed up against some
stellar DAS teammates and the blazing fast, young cyclocross champ,
Ellen Noble who took the win on a bike more suitable for that course.
That early season (March 30th) race consisted of
some leg-shredding tech sections, white water
rapids, and floating bridges.
It’s one that will be talked about for a long time to come as people attempt to
compare wet conditions to “that time we rode against a raging current for 9
miles” (or whatever distance that was).
Two weeks later (April 13th) I lined up to start
another race on my singlespeed. This
time, it was the perfect bike choice because everyone was doing it.
SSAP
Singlespeed-a-Palooza (presented by Dark Horse Cycles at
Steward State Forest in the Montgomery,
NY area) is likely going to remain of
my favorite races of the season as it did last year. I made the drive out to
Dark Horse on Saturday before the race with SSAP first-timer, Tim Hall where we
met up with a bunch of amazing people, including a handful of DAS racers and
many other significantly awesome folks.
Here’s how it all went down:
Saturday we pre-rode a good chunk of the course and followed that up
with
a big group of DAS-peeps dining and drinking at a local Irish pub. Rather than
turn in early for a good night’s rest, we chose optimum fun at the most
happening spot in town – the backyard of Dark Horse Cycles. There was a bonfire,
an array of hoppy beverages (thanks to Clark Brothers Racing and their Moat
Mountain sponsor), and some of the very best people you could ever meet.
Needless to say, there were a few of us who had enough of a
buzz to think that riding around town looking for fun would be a good idea.
We
quickly found out our idea of fun was not shared by the people whose wedding
reception we briefly disrupted, and we shamefully retired to a very brief
night’s sleep.
The racecourse was fun and flowy as always but a bit muddier
than last year, therefore much slower. I
ran the same gearing (32x18), and felt a whole lot better on it this year –
likely due to the fact that my SS is all I’d been riding.
The first stretch of the race, a dirt road stretch designed
to break up the packs of racers before hitting the singletrack, turned out to
be the deciding factor for me. I went as fast as I could there, going back and
forth with Katina Walker and Jocelyn Linscott (super endurance singlespeed
allstar) for the first spot going into the woods. There was a prime up for
grabs, and I figured I might as well go for it.
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| SSAP winnings - thanks, Dark Horse Cycles! |
The singletrack immediately met us with a bunch of sport
class riders who were either more than willing to let us by or completely
obnoxious about it with their radios playing so loud in their camelbaks that
they couldn’t hear us coming (not cool, guys). Needless to say, the traffic
must have worked to my advantage as I quickly learned how to ask for a chance
to pass (“I’m looking to pass when there’s a chance” or “I’m coming up on your
right” – simple, yet not something I’m used to doing). Long story short (or shorter than it could
be), I won the race.
The after-party was kickass – barbecue buffet, beers,
buddies, and some sweet prizes.
So what’s the only thing that I was (and still am)
disappointed about that day? Actually, there are two things: (1) my SS buddy
Melissa wasn’t there because some f-bag in a car decided to send her to the
pavement a couple days before the race, and (2) nobody else made the effort to
wear something fancy. I felt very lonely in my fancy blouse, purple shorts, and
fanny pack (with a pack of Marlboro’s hanging out for effect). Next year I’d
better see some classy fashion.
The weather that weekend was phenomenal and perfect for
tent-dwelling.
And then the following weekend was different . . .
Rasputitsa
What!? How do you even
SAY THAT!?
*** If you are still reading, you might want to take a break
and come back . . .
. . .we aren’t even close to done yet.***
Every now and then, you have to get out of your comfort zone
and test yourself in a way that’s likely to leave you feeling significantly
inept and pathetic.
That’s why I signed up for a road race.
And it wasn’t just any road race; it was one of those trendy
dirt road fiascos where they named the race, “Rasputitsa,” which is Russian for
the mud season in Russia where the roads become mostly impassible.
While the roads of this particular race were mostly
passible, there was one section called, “Cyberia” that forced most people off
of their bikes. That section began
gently with some easy patches of snow, ice, and mud, but it quickly gave way to
what can only be described as a washed out river bed, interspersed with chunks
of ice, river stones, running water, and of course, mud. It wasn’t long before the terrain became a
climb, and the bike race morphed into a snowy, icy hike uphill.
But don’t worry; the walk uphill was well worth it; that’s
because, at the apex, we were met with a support crew (including a yeti)
offering shots of fresh maple syrup in ice cube shot glasses. There was also an
amazing view.
The rest of the race was more of the dirt roads interspersed
with sections of pavement that we’d seen in the first half of the race. At one point, we found ourselves pelted with
tiny balls of ice about the size of corn kernels.
I spent much of the race riding by myself. I didn’t really
have a plan going into this race, but I probably should have thought about it a
little harder ahead of time and stuck to one.
A plan would have prevented me from riding into the wind all day
singing, “All by myself.”
This event pushed me to do a few things that a mountain bike
race does not usually do (at least for
 |
| My traveling companions: Tim, Jesse, and David Breakfast Club |
Back in town, we were met with one of the best after parties
I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying (second to the one at SSAP). There was a well-stocked buffet and a cash
bar, and it was inside a large building on Main Street in downtown Newport –
right next to the start/finish area.
I enjoyed chatting with friends, stretching my aching back
(Cyberia was rough), and watching the finishers arrive. My time was 3:28:57, about 40 minutes behind
the winning women’s time of 2:48:38 (Lyne Bessette).
When I signed up I had intentions of treating this as a race,
but with my lack of experience on the road, I knew there was no way I was
attempting to hang up front. About a mile into the race I knew that if I was
going to put in a race effort, it wasn’t going to be then. I typically need a
good 30-60 minutes of warm-up to feel good, so it was a little disappointing to
watch everyone ride away from me.
The best parts of that race were before it, after it, and
the day following because all of those parts consisted a friends and a lot of
laughing. Have you ever seen The Girl Code on MTV? I had not.
But my travel companions and I stayed up late learning lots of extremely
important things about women from that educational program.
***Still reading!???
I hope you are taking notes for the quiz afterwards.***
Crazy F-ing Hundred (that did not happen)
I’d planned months ago to do a renegade epic mountain bike
race on April 26th (complete with absolutely no support), out in Big
River, Arcadia, and Pachaug.
Unfortunately, a combination of busy schedules, lack of planning, no
childcare, and shit-tastic weather forced this ‘race’ to become a ride. A fast
group of guys dragged me about for 40ish miles in Big River and Arcadia, and
that was plenty.
While I was initially disappointed at the lack of mileage, I
made up for it the following weekend.
6 Hours at The Game (Efta’s Battle at Burlingame – long version)
I signed up for the Battle at Burlingame when the race
entries fees were ridiculously low, and then a couple of weeks later, they announced
a 6-hour version of the race. I promptly emailed the promoter (the wicked
awesome Kathy Robbins) to have her switch my race entry and sent her an
additional small sum of money. This race was a bargain!
 |
| 6-Hours at the Game photo by Tamara Wong |
Fortunately, the weather that day was favorable. Long story short, the course was a nice combo
of the KOB TT loop and Battle’s XC race loop, and I managed to get in 4 laps in
about 6:08 for a total of approximately 60 miles and a 2nd place
finish to the ever-powerful Karen Potter (aka, my mentor for TSE).
Of course, I had no idea Karen was even out there racing
because (1) I didn’t see her at the start, and
(2) I recall her mentioning to
me months before that she’d be doing the XC race that day. So when she heckled
me as she passed me while I was stopped grabbing a banana in between laps 2 and
3, I just thought she was out warming up for her race. Funny. I eventually
figured it all out.
Most notable moment in the race? Finishing.
I should also note that this was my first race on the Kona
Hei Hei Supreme, a supremely awesome bike that absolutely shreds anything and
everything on the trail. I’m learning to appreciate a new sensation on the bike
– gliding.
Of course, a race like that must immediately be followed up
with a 5 day training block from hell that begins with a brutally technical XC
mountain bike race, right?
Right…
Team Bums’ Treasure Valley Rally (EFTA): aka TVR
… and that’s just what I did beginning Saturday (I am
writing this mostly on
Wednesday).
One of my very favorite local races happened earlier in the
season than usual and on a Saturday
this year. What’s even better: it did not fall on a date where I’m away for TSE
(like the Gnar Weasels race, unfortunately).
Last year, the course was dry and fast, and I raced my rigid
singlespeed. It hurt so much that I didn’t ride that bike again for over a
month.
 |
| TVR photo by Tamara Wong |
Since I’m working to get comfortable on the Kona before TSE
arrives, and because I really didn’t want to blow my elbows out two weeks
before Singletrack Summer Camp (the other name for TSE), I enjoyed a nice cushy
ride around the course this year.
But as anyone who has raced this course is aware, there is
nothing cushy about it – even if your bike
is a couch. Overnight rain left the
already gnarly course greasy and extra challenging.
I was delighted to see 8 women lined up at the start of the
elite race (including myself), and I managed a strong start. Of course, that
didn’t last long because I made the silly mistake of testing a new position for
my water bottle. No sooner had we started hammering singletrack (where I was
surprisingly in 2nd position) and the bottle fell out. I had no
choice but to stop because loosing liquid then would have meant disaster
later. I lost a few spots there,
immediately picked one back up, and then settled in 5th for much of
the race.
The first lap was spent in a constant state of flustered
because I had suddenly and tragically forgotten how to ride my bike in tech. I
tried to regain my focus, free my mind, and let my body do what it knows how to
do on a bike. My goals for lap 2: loosen up, ride more (and walk less) than I
had on the last lap, and get my head back in the game. Fortunately, the course
was drying out.
By the final ½ lap (elite racers complete 2.5 laps), I’d
finally started to figure out how to ride my bike, and I somehow unleashed some
extra speed and strength. I finally caught back up with Mo, who I’d lost sight
of during the shit show that was my first lap, and I managed to pass her and
power on to the finish in 4th.
While my time was about the same as last year’s, the
conditions proved to be pretty harsh on everyone else too, and everyone was
slower. I heard a few complaints about
the amount of time it took to race TVR, but there are no complaints from
me. In my opinion, an XC race should not
take 1.5 hours; it should take 2.5 or more. But that’s why I’m racing endurance
events this year – save the short races for cyclocross.
 |
| Karen at the Uxbridge lookout spot |
So…what’s next?
On Sunday, I let Karen drag my sorry tired (and sore) butt
around the trails of Uxbridge, MA – an
amazing combo of trails that give you a
bit of everything imaginable, including more tech. After 3+ hours, I was ready
to put my feet up and not do a damn thing all day. It was mother’s day, my
school semester had ended Friday, and anything else that needed to be done
could freakin’ wait!
This was the second day in a 5 day training block designed
to make me suffer in preparation for TSE, and suffer I did…along with Monday
night and Tuesday night. Tonight’s suffering will be the ultimate though – I
have to do my workout on the trainer because I need to simultaneously spend
time with Skyler.
The big race is just a week and a half away now. It’s going to be amazing, and I need to give
a big thank you to everyone who dragged me around on their wheel helping me
prepare for this – especially those of you who conceded to joining me for
ridiculously early morning rides.
One last thing
This school semester was intense. I think I made it through
unscathed, but grades aren’t posted yet. I’ve already gotten started at my
summer internship (paid) working in a Drosophila
(fruit fly) lab at UMASS. It’s a sweet
gig in the neurobiology department, and I’ll be learning some cool stuff
relating to genetics and of course, neurobiology.
When the summer is over, I’ll go back to my other internship
(also paid) as a writer and my FINAL SEMESTER at Eastern where I’ll be taking
only two classes (one with a lab), doing research in an independent study, and
working as a TA for a course on stem cells and regenerative medicine. This
might seem like a hefty workload, but I assure you, this is going to be pretty
damn sweet.
I’m thinking I’ll avoid cyclocross racing as much as
possible and extend the mountain bike racing through December. I’m taking
recommendations for races to put on the calendar after August (Bradbury is
already in mind) . . .
PS - for some sweet video coverage of Rasputitsa, 6-Hours at the Game, and TVR, hit this site: Dirtwire.tv
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Hey, thanks for commenting. Please keep it respectable and mostly PG. Thanks, Liz.