FAST GRRRLZ FINISH 1st

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!!!