This weekend the Illini Cycling team journeyed to South Bend Indiana for a road race on Saturday and a crit on Sunday. We had a pretty good turn out with nine of us racing on Saturday and 7 on Sunday. We only got mildly lost and rolled in to the Quality Innat about 2am local time on Friday.
So after breakfast (including a magic muffin, despite Tony Vo's advice!) we rolled out the race which was just over the border in Michigan. The women's B race was 30 miles that was pretty much flat and windy on the first half and had some sweet rollers on the back half. The pavement was pretty torn up and pot-holey so we had a 3 mile "neutral" roll out.
I really had no idea what to expect from this race. I had put in a decent week of training last week but hadn't been sleeping a lot/eating well thanks to thesis writing. I figured at the very least I'd use the weekend as good training. I led pretty much the first 10 mile lap, and took it pretty easy. I felt strong but wasn't ready to try anything. We came through the second lap without much action. All the regulars were up at the front (although Indiana was off at training camp): Purdont looked strong, as did Ohio, and St. Louis. We got to the ripped up pavement section, and just as I was leaning over to tell Morgan that it would be a good place to attack the next lap, Purdont attacked. I followed, as did pretty much the rest of the field. No one seemed to want to pull that long, but Morgan put in a hard pull as did Purdont and then I was up at the front again.
I don't really know what happened at that point, but after a descent and then one of the longer "climbs" I looked around and was all alone. I literally looked back, realized no one was there, and said out loud to myself, well now what the f*** do I do?! The whole solo-break thing really isn't my style. At all. But I was feeling pretty strong, so I figured I'd at least make everyone hurt a little to catch up to me. Before I knew it I was through the second lap, into the third and still by myself. I won the race and ended up putting about five minutes between myself and the second place girl and a lot more time on the rest of the field.
I was happy about this for a couple reasons: For one thing, winning a race is always a good confidence booster and I felt pretty strong through it. Secondly, one of my goals for the season is to work on my mental game. I tend to ease up when I get uncomfortable in a race or hesitate, which has cost me in the past. But yesterday I just kept telling myself that I had climbed much bigger hills before (I guess a summer in the Jemez and riding with WILD CARD will do that!) and that everyone else was probably hurting just as much, if not more than myself at the time.
Today was the "safety" crit-- 3o minutes in a circle with a hill on one side. I felt pretty good considering yesterday's effort, but spent way too much time jacking around at the front of the pack, instead of staying neatly tucked in, like Miss Morgan Moon (M3????) who ended up winning! I knew I was being stupid, but I kinda didn't care. Which is weird because usually I'm really competitive and would have tried to pull off the double V. But I had a lot more fun pushing the pace at the front. I won at least one of the primes (big whoop in a 30 minute race, eh? hahha. not.) and placed in the others. I revved up for the last lap, knowing that Morgan was tucked in some where. I was really hoping to lead her out, but alas no luck and she went off on her own while I sat up. I think I probably ended up 7th or 8th or something like that. Schwhatever-- I raced well up to that point, and there are bigger fish to fry....bwahahaha!
Ummmm, so I'm really really really excited about SoIll and Wild Card training camp and hills and GETTIN STRONG!!!!!!!! this week. I'm taking a train down tomorrow night and then Miz Miles and I are going to roll out. RAR!!!!
FASTGRRRLZ!!!
Showing posts with label Needlessly loooong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Needlessly loooong. Show all posts
22.3.09
7.3.09
Season Opener!!!!
So today was my first collegiate race of the season. It was hosted by DePauw University in Green Castle, IN. This is one of my favorite courses because its really well organized, not too technical or difficult and its usually great weather.
My race was at 9:30am Indiana time which means I had to leave with Morgan at 5:00 this morning. Not fun. I stayed over at her house last night so we could have the car pre packed and just hit the road in the morning. We stopped at the cupcake place shop in Monticello on the way to Bement where she lives. Morgan is quite the hostess: she made a kick ass stir fry for dinner (Delish!) and she's got some really sweet cats.
We rolled out of bed at 4:30am this morning and were on the road by 5:01am. We listened to "What White People Like" on the way. I, apparently, am very white.
So the race: I got in a good warm up and I was feeling pretty good. Sat at the line and got cold. And then we were off. There was a crash about a third of the way through the first lap of the race and I was on the lucky side of it and got into a break with three Indiana girls and Liz from Tati/UCVC. I held on to that through the first lap and barely into the second, but I wasn't feeling too hot at that point. Well, actually, I was feeling too hot- by that time it was probably almost 70 degrees and I had my pearl thermal arm and leg warmers on. Not good. What was even dumber on my part was that I chased by myself through the majority of the second lap in between the actual chase group and break. Needlessly expending energy. The chase group, which had 6+ girls in it caught me and we worked through the third lap.
My favorite part of the race was when the Purdont girl rode up to me and asked if I was being lapped. Betch, please. (I made sure to beat her.)
The last 1k of the race wasn't all that exciting. We just sort of sped up to the finish line. I'm definitely not in any sprinting form so I don't think I even got out of my saddle at the line. Thinking I was leading Morgan out, I unintenionally won the group sprint. No epic bike throw, just sorta motored in.
We sorta rolled around for part of another lap and a couple miles down the road I got a really strange flat on my front tire. When I got back to camp finally I checked my back tire and saw that I had 60psi and hadn't inflated it that morning. So I had raced on low tire pressure. Great.
All in all I was pleased: I ended up 6th out of 30(+?) girls and I obeyed Rule No. 1. BUT! note to self for the next race:
1. Eat more breakfast
2. In the words of Dr. K (or is it leTSK?): Attack or get off the front.
3. Always always always check tire pressure prior to racing.
4. Don't dress for the arctic.
I guess the most frustrating thing about all this is that all of my stupid mistakes are things that I know, I just didn't do. I'm just really glad I have collegiate season to get this crap out of my system.
So now I'm back, a day early. Lame, know. But in my own defense, there is a 80% chance of thunderstorms predicted for Green Castle starting at 7am and 22mph+ winds. Great for a crit, if it were to even happen. Plus I have to get some work done on this thesis that apparently is due in TWO WEEKS (eek!). Annnd to top it all off, judging by how progressively shitty I have been feeling over the past couple hours, I think I am getting the flu. Again. Great.
Oh, and I got into UPenn and Texas yesterday, in addition to UOregon, UVirginia and Cornell U. Keep you eye out for a forthcoming poll and vote in the current one. Now if only that power tap would come in....
My race was at 9:30am Indiana time which means I had to leave with Morgan at 5:00 this morning. Not fun. I stayed over at her house last night so we could have the car pre packed and just hit the road in the morning. We stopped at the cupcake place shop in Monticello on the way to Bement where she lives. Morgan is quite the hostess: she made a kick ass stir fry for dinner (Delish!) and she's got some really sweet cats.
We rolled out of bed at 4:30am this morning and were on the road by 5:01am. We listened to "What White People Like" on the way. I, apparently, am very white.
So the race: I got in a good warm up and I was feeling pretty good. Sat at the line and got cold. And then we were off. There was a crash about a third of the way through the first lap of the race and I was on the lucky side of it and got into a break with three Indiana girls and Liz from Tati/UCVC. I held on to that through the first lap and barely into the second, but I wasn't feeling too hot at that point. Well, actually, I was feeling too hot- by that time it was probably almost 70 degrees and I had my pearl thermal arm and leg warmers on. Not good. What was even dumber on my part was that I chased by myself through the majority of the second lap in between the actual chase group and break. Needlessly expending energy. The chase group, which had 6+ girls in it caught me and we worked through the third lap.
My favorite part of the race was when the Purdont girl rode up to me and asked if I was being lapped. Betch, please. (I made sure to beat her.)
The last 1k of the race wasn't all that exciting. We just sort of sped up to the finish line. I'm definitely not in any sprinting form so I don't think I even got out of my saddle at the line. Thinking I was leading Morgan out, I unintenionally won the group sprint. No epic bike throw, just sorta motored in.
We sorta rolled around for part of another lap and a couple miles down the road I got a really strange flat on my front tire. When I got back to camp finally I checked my back tire and saw that I had 60psi and hadn't inflated it that morning. So I had raced on low tire pressure. Great.
All in all I was pleased: I ended up 6th out of 30(+?) girls and I obeyed Rule No. 1. BUT! note to self for the next race:
1. Eat more breakfast
2. In the words of Dr. K (or is it leTSK?): Attack or get off the front.
3. Always always always check tire pressure prior to racing.
4. Don't dress for the arctic.
I guess the most frustrating thing about all this is that all of my stupid mistakes are things that I know, I just didn't do. I'm just really glad I have collegiate season to get this crap out of my system.
So now I'm back, a day early. Lame, know. But in my own defense, there is a 80% chance of thunderstorms predicted for Green Castle starting at 7am and 22mph+ winds. Great for a crit, if it were to even happen. Plus I have to get some work done on this thesis that apparently is due in TWO WEEKS (eek!). Annnd to top it all off, judging by how progressively shitty I have been feeling over the past couple hours, I think I am getting the flu. Again. Great.
Oh, and I got into UPenn and Texas yesterday, in addition to UOregon, UVirginia and Cornell U. Keep you eye out for a forthcoming poll and vote in the current one. Now if only that power tap would come in....
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