CX Whirlwind

I didn't really plan to do a big CX (cyclocross) season this year, but I had gotten some good tips from a friend and was still itchin' to race, so I started in September with the Livermore LARPD series. Not many women showed up and I raced the B's with 1 other girl and won it. Woohoo! Didn't seem like much of a victory really, but it sure was fun to get out there and get in the dirt.

My goal for the season was to win some B races since the year before the best finish I had was 4th place in the B's. At least, that was the goal at the beginning of the season. I did another LARPD race and actually lapped a few of the women I had started with, which was surprising, but again only 4 women showed up, so it didn't seem like much of a victory. Next was the first CCCX race in Fort Ord. I checked out the course, which was mostly sandy single track and was having a lot of fun with it. They started the B group 30 seconds after the A group's start, and within a 1/4 lap I was off the front of the B group. Now, I decided, was my chance to put some time into the A's. I actually passed 5 of the A's and would have finished 5th or maybe even 4th place if I had raced the A group. I beat my nearest competitor in the B group by 4 minutes. At this point I was about to be labeled a sandbagger, so I was convinced by many I better step up my game and report to the A group for the next race.




Next race up was Lion of Fairfax and it was HOT out! I was wiping out all over the place on the warm-up and was pretty nervous. We started with 9 in the A group and I took off, went around the baseball field and in the one and only mud puddle in all of Marin county, I touched wheels with a woman in front of me and went down and got covered in mud! Leave it to me to find mud and be covered in it the whole race, all the while it drying out and making me look a little strange in the rest of the dry, dusty course. I managed the stay up for the rest of the race and got 3rd place! And when I got my first prize money my eyes were big like saucers. First race out and I had already met my next goal, which was to podium in an A race.

The next day I went down to the CCCX #2 in the other side of Fort Ord and again was pretty nervous about performing well with big hitters like Stella Carey, Sarah Mehle and Mary Anne Hunter. I got a good start and was right with those girls on the first lap. We went out fast, but settled into a pace and by lap 3 I had heard mumblings of some of the girls being tired, so I attacked on the hill. I didn't think it would stick, but I actually got a gap and was in 2nd place! I kept trying to attack in the hillier sections of the course, not letting up and was able to hold off the ladies behind me all the way to the end and came within 15 seconds of Stella, our local legend in CX racing. I was on top of the world. Reeling with disbelief and enthusiasm.



At this point was when dear miss Lorri Lee Lown got in touch with me and started encouraging me to check out nationals in Kansas City, MO. I was thinking this was a little premature, but with a little more coaxing I was convinced to register for 2 events and get my plane tix to go out in mid-December. Between the end of September and mid-December I needed to prove that I belonged out there.

I went out to the LARPD series again and decided this time to mix it up in the men's B category since I had seen Sarah Mehle do that the race before. It was sooo much fun! I never get to race in groups that big and found it was great because there always seemed to be someone I could work with throughout the race, and I actually ended up finishing mid-pack. Yay! And the guys were very encouraging the whole time, which I thought was sensational.

Next up was CCCX #3 down at Laguna Seca, and that's where things fell apart a little bit. It was a very steep course, with a lot of loose gravel sections easy to slip on and off-camber turns you really had to keep your eye on. I was doing all right in 5th position, trying to hang on for dear life and a racer came up behind me on the scary section in the course right before you head back down to the start/finish line and made an attempt to pass. I lost my balance and was leaning hard into her to stay upright, but as she passed my momentum kept me going and I crashed. My chain also popped off the ring and I spent the next 5 minutes trying to get it back on as racers were passing me left and right. I finished the race, but got a sad 13th place finish. It was a bit of a demoralizing day for me. :-(

After that I headed off to Sedona on a trip with my west coast family (see blog entry) on the weekend of the Pilarcitos series race #1 in McClaren Park. Had I known I would have a chance to do well in the A group, I wouldn't have planned the trip, but considering the wounds I was nursing from the previous weekend, it was probably good to take a break...if you call 17 miles of hiking a break!

I got back into the mix with the Surf City Velo Bella Physhocross race, and dressed up as a redneck. I think I thoroughly grossed everyone out with my outfit, which the lovely Laura Walpert helped me with since she drove down with me to witness her first ever CX race. The costume was a hit! I had a moustache, billy bob teeth which I secured with fixodent, chest hair, armpit hair, tattoos, a wifebeater, bib overall shorts, tube socks with red stripes markered on them, and a PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) box taped all over my helmet. After the costume race, I didn't have time to change for the women's race, so I raced in my costume. I actually confused a few people who thought I was a guy poaching the women's ride, and when they realized I was a girl, I heard a lot of "ew" about the chest hair. It was great! Too bad the race didn't turn out as great. I think I ended up 11th overall, but the results took forever to post, and in the end they missed me in the results altogether. Oh well. Se la vie.



My first taste of mud was at the Santa Rosa race in the beginning of November. It was awesome! Racing in the mud in a downpour of rain, and I had a silly grin on my race the whole time! I also discovered the advantages of having a B bike, because I got mud jammed in my breaks after less than 2 full laps! It was a small field of 4 or 5 racers and I ended up 3rd, but had so much fun! Taking off my clothes at the car (still in a torrential downpour) I STILL could not stop smiling as I discovered more and more places where the mud had settled in on the nooks and crannies of my body. It was a mess, but I still loved it! Thanks to Aron Bonar for coming up to the race with me and helping get my bike and I hosed off afterwards. He was an awesome wingman! The best part was since I drove home in the rain with the bike on top, it was all clean by the time I got home and all I had to do was lube the chain and it was set to go for Sunday's race! Haha.



Sunday was BASP #2 at Candlestick Park. It was warm and the course was tacky instead of a full on mud-fest like the day before. I got an OK start and finished 7th overall. I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed talking and socializing after the race and catching up on how everyones' seasons had been going, plans for next year's road and track seasons, etc. Great fun and great people. I felt like I was getting back into the game at that point.

The most exciting race of the year was the Saturday night race at Coyote Point as part of the BASP series. I led my women's ride earlier in the day and got in 40 miles on the road, then hung out in the 80 degree weather at the race (seriously...can you believe the temps in early November?). It was exciting to watch as the sun went down and the dust clouds were everywhere all over the course and the big lights were put up for the night races. I started at 6pm, right after the sun went down. We got a great turn out and the gun was off! It was fast from the get go, but I was hanging on to the lead group, and by the 2nd lap around onto the pavement through the start finish an attack happened and I tried to hang on, but the group split up. I managed to grab onto Stella Carey and Karen Brems and work with them throughout the rest of the race.

By the time bell lap came I decided to punch it and see if I could get a gap. And low and behold I did get a little one. I managed to make it through a series of loop-dee-loos unscathed and heard a scuffle behind me, not knowing Karen and Stella had tangled. I kept going as fast as my little heart could stand and by the time I hit the last straight stretch on the grass before you U-turn to the paved finish, I realized I still had a gap and gave it everything I had. I sprinted for the finish and managed to get 4th place! I was so stoked I couldn't believe what just happened. My first podium in a well attended race against a strong group of ladies. I was on top of the world. I had my whole team cheering for me and was glad I didn't disappoint. It was a night I'll never forget.



Here's a link to Mike Hernandez's race report, which Beth Newell was so kind as to point out to me the next week. It totally made my day and I am so thrilled there just aren't words to describe. Thanks Mike! You're the best! BASP #3 Race Report

Next day was CCCX back at Fort Ord and there was but a small crowd as most people were still recovering from the previous night's race. Again, I was up against Karen Brems and Stella Carey and stayed with them through the first lap. Karen attacked halfway through the 2nd lap and got away. I stayed with Stella for most of the rest of the race, until we were just about to come around for bell lap and I hit a loose sandy burm and went down hard on my right knee. It hurt sooo bad, and it was sooo hot, but I tried to get back on my bike and finish up the race. I had lost Stella at this point, but decided to finish since my knee seemed to be able to take it and try to maintain 3rd position. I finished it up in 3rd place and nursed a sore, swollen knee all the way home. Thankfully, I had carpooled with Lauren Haughey and she was driving, so I was able to prop up and ice my knee all the way home.

The next two races were districts as part of the CCCX series at Manzanita Park and BASP #4 at Golden Gate Park. Both great races and both tons of fun. I had raced the Manzanita Park race last year and loved it! It had rained prior to the race in 2007 and the course was nice and soft. This time it was bone dry though, giving it an entirely different feel and making the turns a little more precarious. Golden Gate Park, on the other hand, was dry the year before and little more soft this year since it had rained earlier in the week. The course set up was great and I had an amazing time out there. It was well attended by racers and fans alike, making the race all the more exciting. I ended up 5th for both races, which wasn't as fabulous as prior results, but nothing to get too upset about either.



The last race before I was to head off to nationals was the BASP #5 at Coyote Point. Right before this I had managed to get another bike together with the help of some great friends, Jon Suzuki for getting me an awesome Ridley X-fire painted in team colors, which was my first carbon frame ever! He also helped me round up all the extra parts I didn't already have and I talked to my friend Josh Snead to do all the switching around to get both of my CX bikes set up and ready to go for the Coyote Point race and more importantly for nationals. So, Coyote Point was the first time out on the new X-Fire and I had a great time. Although, I had a little hiccup in the beginning. I was a complete space cadet and forget to register for the race and pin my number! The first time ever I have done that, and thankfully I realized it about 30 seconds before our race went off so Casey Kerrigan could note my number and tell the officials at the start/finish line.



Here I am racing and I don't even know if it will count. I yelled out to my teammates as I was headed over a log barrier "I forgot to register for my race! Someone register me!" Heading around in lap 2, still a little rattled, they were trying to assure me it was all taken care of, so I could get my head back in the game. I managed to bridge up to a group of girls, and stay with them for the remainder of the race, even though I was having some shifting problems with the new bike. On the final lap I shortcutted on the sidewalk (totally legal) and got ahead of Katrina Baumsteiger, who had also had some great results this year. Stella got a little gap on us, and it was her, Sarah Bamberger and I sprinting for the finish with me in 3rd position. I got around Katrina, but Sarah staved me off, and I ended up 5th for the day. Overall, I finished out the BASP series in 7th place...not bad considering I missed the first race!



And then there were nationals...see blog entry for that one.

All in all, it has been in incredible season for me that I totally did not envision for myself. I guess all those hours in the saddle and a good road racing season under my belt was the right recipe for success. More than all the fun and all the challenge of it though, I really appreciate all the support from all my friends and family. I couldn't have rocked it as much as I did without you! Sorry, but I had to throw in the last little bit. ;-)