6 posts tagged “racing”
yea yea yea
I've been away from this blog thing. No excuses though. I'm just picking up where I left off, and moving forward (just like life and Cormac McCarthy's "The Road".
Everyone and their mother has this flu/cold/sinus infection thing right now. I'm staying home feeling rundown and hoping to kick this crap before it kicks me!
Which brings me back to my title - it's "go" time in Northern California cycling scene. Yes, it's February and that means time for the Tour of California. I cant wait! Hot Hot racing action - in what is forecasted to be another showery wintery February. The action starts on Saturday in Sacramento. Cant wait to watch!
This year - some Bay Area locals are again testing the Tour of CA action: read more here...
My first official race of the year was on January 4 - The Early Bird crit series. It was my first race after this whole elbow debacle, and it felt GREAT to be out racing again.
Training is ramping up, with my first official race at the end of this month. This year, four of my Cat 3 teammates and I hired a coach through Whole Athlete, and it's made all the difference in motivation for racing and training. We are having the time of our lives, commisserating together As Cat 3's we're riding 10-15 hours/week on top of our 40 hr/week jobs. Thats' committment for you!
More racing and hot hot action to come!
Dunnigan RR – start time 8:40 – real start time, 9:10 (or so). 46ish miles. Wom 3 – 9 women in the field.
This was my very first road race. The roads were crap last year – this year most of them were repaved/chipsealed – so much smoother overall. Last year was hot – this year was wind. Wow, was there wind. There were spots where we were moving about 8mph on flat roads. Cross/head wind, Crosswind – a few times was a tail wind. We moved at a snails pace, tried to do some escheloning, and mostly hid from the wind as much as possible. The last 9 miles of flat next to I5 that took forever last year, went flying by this year as we had a nice tail wind. We turned right – and as expected, everyone turned into the right lane, I swung left (again) and charged up and over the overpass, stunning everyone – and clicked all the way down into my 11 ring, essentially in my hardest gear. And I spun out! I was literally pedaling as hard as I could. I heard someone wheezing to my right, I glanced over and saw code 3 gal (Is it karina or Kim, tall and blonde) wheezing and that made me go faster… she faded a little…and I was thinking “wow I cant believe I’m here”– I was leading until I was beaten to the line by Carol from touchstone – but I was literally going as fast as I could go – for 2nd. I was happy with my point.
Giro Crit – start time 9:30 – Cat 3 women – field 30? Big teams from dolce, mint, code 3, and mouse. Teammates – Bergen, kate, bev (superstud mtn bike nat’l champion the day before) and me.
The plan: take a few flyers mid way thru the race to ramp up the pace and make the girls scared/hurt. With 5 to go, Bergen explodes putting a ton of hurt on the girls, then as the field catches her, have Kate go up and hurt the field, and then Bev and I can lead out for the finish. The plan was perfect…
The race: We raced about for many laps – no real attacks – a few primes went, but neither dolce or code 3 were controlling the race. We had our attack plans set, and the girly meece just sat together, watching who was doing what, and sitting in. I marked several other gals (code 3, dolce, and mint) to see what they were doing, how they were feeling, and listening for their breath on the hills. My oh MY was that the predictor of the finish! Wowza, I heard many a wheeze but I was hardly breathing hard! I kept patience, just sitting in the pack watching who was going to do something…well with 5 to go, Bergen storms out of nowhere and just splatters the field and I thought YES ITS ON! Kate works up to the front to cover any attacks that might happen, but she just controlled the field. I really thought Bergen might stay away, she was so far ahead and away for 2 ½ laps! Eventually we caught her and Kate ramped up the pace – working hard – and then with 2 to go, I was up front moving as girls were dropping on the hill, wheezing and wheezing – wow I was still feeling fresh, so I punched it on the hill and got on the front– watching the attacks. I slowed up. Suddenly on my right a dolce girl was streaming fast inside, I jumped her wheel and let her drag me around – she slowed and the field caught us – the next time around there was a group 3 gals on janelles wheel, she slowed and the group caught us. The final turn and I was joined by minty, and two others… we jammed into the final turn and I was using them as a lead out but the two between me and the minty burnt early – I came around and got on minty’s wheel, and then a last ditch effort to come around her, and had I had 10 more feet, I’d have had her… so I didn’t time my sprint just perfect but good enough for 2nd, I was so excited for 2nd that it was like I won!
The girly meece were fantastic – amazing execution of our made up strategy – we really learned how to ride together and work together this season. Our pack skills are decent and we should be really excited to race together next season. I am extremely proud how far all of us have come in just one season! J
Yes, it was my very first time racing the women's Category 1-2-3 crit. In the Bay Area, as a woman cyclist, easily 1/2 of our races (especially crit's) are combined category 1-2-3. Primarily because there aren't enough of any one category to constitute an entire race to itself. So, I moved up to Category 3 in June, and now I'm privileged to race with the pros. Yikes!
Timpani Criterium: Easy four corner crit.
Lots of wind on the long backstretch (which i think ended up a good thing for me!)
Teammates: beverly, Bergen, and me
wom 1-2-3 crit - 55 minutes (longest crit for me!)
Goal: to get Bergen the win (or at least podium) for the three's, and for me to stay
and finish in the pack - gauge my fitness level right now coming off being sick for 2 weeks.
The field: lots of Code 3 and Testarossa gals - so they were the ones to watch - quite a few mintys and dolce to boot.
Race, off like lightning from the start - we were racing together, not as separate - but 3s were picked separate... So - whistle blows and we're off - About the 3rd lap I thought "damn this is fast, i'm going to struggle to hang on and if I get gapped that's it"
Fortunately the pace mellowed a bit - the wind really stopped any big gaps from forming - and i sat in the back with Bergen - trying to hang on for the ride.
Things of note - no (well almost none) scary riders in sight, everyone pedaled through corners (for the most part) and hardly any braking needed - no corner swarm, and everyone held lines - so hey, riding with 'the big girls' is much more relaxed and less nerve wracking.
Middle part: a protech gal that tried to move up on the outside - along the cones in the road separating road (cars) from race (cyclists) - she just yelled "left' to me as the entire peloton (to my right) was moving left - so i had nowhere to go with gals moving into me on my right and her on my left...- and i didnt budge from my spot so she had
nowhere to go except over the cone - nearly taking out Bev and Bergen in the process. she didnt crash - just lots of cone bouncing around - we all stayed up and she took herself out of the race voluntarily (not sure if she had to do that or not...)
Lots of strong capable dependable wheels in code 3 and poggio - and poggio several times led a train up the outside, which i hopped on and we ended up in front - totally fun to freak out the 1/2s... "someone do something!" is what i heard as we passed the front girls...
with 4 to go, we start ramping up speed. With 3 to go i started moving up. I wanted to bridge Bergen up to Bev in the front with 2 to go, and deposit her with Bev and have them ride a fast train to sprint out for the podium - but i hopped a great train up to the front and Bergen didnt catch my wheel (need to practice that) - i started my sprint a tiny bit too late (because i really wasnt sure i had much in my legs - but it turns out I had more gas in the tank then I thought!) but i was so unsure of my fitness (after being sick for 2 weeks) that I underestimated my strength.
Finished somewhere after bev - maybe 8th (turns out it was 12th but I think they messed up the finish - however, doesnt matter, because it definitely wasnt top 6) in 3s and 20something overall out of 30something girls.
next up: Winters RR.
Lessons - excited to race with the big girls as much as I can - I'm more confident that I can hang with the pace, stay on wheels, but have lots to learn - keeping on wheels - closing gaps as they open, so need to work more over unders in the next coming weeks! I'm looking to be more confident, faster, and ultimately able to move around in the pack and up in my category!
One of my favorite crits of the year! I find that a power climb in the middle of crits is 1) more fun and 2) suits me reallly well! So it has a long homestretch - 90degree left, then another sharp right (narrows down, but you can pedal all the way through), and another right, (the figure 8 part) switches left and then sharp right and up the hill, over the hill, and back down with a sharp right, then a wide right into the homestretch...
There were 32 cat 3/4 girls. 14 laps - about 45 minutes...it was HOT outside - probably 85 - 90 degrees by 10am (our start time) and air was bad - really hazy DANG FIRES.
I started in the front, the only mouse. I worked with Mel from Team Oakland, and some of the mintys (laurie, jessica? and some others I dont know).
I didnt have a particular plan for how I was going to do the race, I had raced badly in davis on Friday and did a nice hill ride on Saturday gaining some confidence in my fitness, and so I felt pretty good...but wasnt totally sure how the hill would favor me... So, I sat in for the first few laps - girls were going slow - finally a prime lap, and I went out for it - why not? I was working for myself mostly - well, I got nipped at the line but in doing so 3 of us made a break from the pack - it was awesome! So I timetrialed quite a bit out in front, (not the smartest) but it was FUN! We worked together a little bit but were eventually caught in the hill after being in front nearly 2 laps.
Things I learned, I have some much improved cornering pack skills, and found I actually passed girls in the corners... as the outside line was one of the best lines to take - I also found that girls were going SLOW during the flat part of the race and trying to maintain up the hill - so I"d race up in front (because i wasnt the strongest climber) before the hill, sometimes crest first, definitely cresting in the top 10 always - regaining good positions on the downhill... Two things I HAVE to work on is my 'jump' and my "top end sprinting" - I lost it when doing triathlon trainings... I hadnt raced for nearly 7 weeks! (worked on the jumps today at the park ride - and will do more over-unders coming up)
So - I sprinted in for a top 10 finish (9th) - the climb was a great equalizer - and the best climbers did win - but I definitely had a great chance to podium if I'd had another team mate or two - and worked differently. But playing off the front was really fun! Cant wait to do this race again next year!
This is one of the most 'classic' criteriums in the Bay Area. It was started nearly 40 years ago (?) - and it is an epic crit. Why? The namesake - a 23% grade hill smack in the middle of the race. Yes, that's right, I said 23%.
The entire week before the race was a week full of smack talk. Why? Apparently last year, the promoters received many many many unhappy concerns from women because they only offered Womens 1-2-3 race. So this year they offered a 3/4 race and only 10 women pre-reg'd until the week before. So the discussion groups started the emails a flying and we basically cowed women into signing up... either throw down or shut up, right?
So, race day - 26 women in the cat 3/4 race... 10 laps of the race course. And we're off. um, cant clip in. For the first time, I couldnt clip in and had a horrible start. It didnt really matter... I rounded the first R turn about 15th back. Then the second R turn, same place - then the sharp left hand turn UP and UP and UP. I kept my wits about me, making dang sure to shift all the way down in the rear and into the small ring up front - so I didnt spin out before the hill, but would have no problem shifting up when the going got tough. I got into the groove, spinning halfway up the hill, and standing the second half of the hill, stomp stomp stomp past most of the girls - wow, I'm doing pretty well! After the crest, there's a dip, false flat into a sharp R turn and then downhill back to the start/finish.
After the lame start, I would move up into the top 10 and didnt fall out of the top 10 for the rest of the race. I felt amazingly strong and kept dropping girls behind me on every time up that hill. I managed to keep track of how many times we hit the hill, and silently counted them down in my head as we passed it. With 2 to go, I started to ramp up the pressure and crested the hill in the top 3 - but I burned my match too early - on the last lap, a couple of the girls poured it on, and I maintained about 5th up the hill, but couldnt recover enough to bomb very fast down the downhill. I gave a good sprint but did not go into the sprint with a good placing. So, next time, go through the 'finish' in my head before I actually do it. My placing was 7th overall and 3rd in Cat 4... but I really felt that I had a better race than my finish showed.
All in all, we had 3 girly mice in the top 10 - and all our girls that started indeed finished the race. 23% people!
Here are some photos - i tried to pick photos that 'capture the hill' :)
This was the first time up the "Cat's hill" - I'm in the lower left corner - this was after I couldnt clip in.
Thanks to Steve Woo for the photos!!! -
Hooray! GTTGM!
Santa Cruz Criterium - race report -
Category: W4. Field 20(if that),
Girly mice: Me, Daniela (our A lady), Kate, Bergen and Cathy (we were all domestiques today). Our goal - to get the win and maybe podium another girly mice.
The race course: 14 laps - flat start into downhill hairpin 180 turn (i still suck at it and will be much faster in that turn next year!) downhill - flat, right turn, small rise, right turn, larger rise to start finish again.
Competition: Lucia and Kimmy from Testerossa
we were off (like a prom dress) at the whistle, everyone chilling and taking the first hairpin cautiously - I was playing lieutenant today - making sure Kate, Daniela, Bergen and I were in the top 10 or so. Daniela of course went right out front - but after two words, she had a goal of sitting 4th or 5th the whole race.. and she did well staying there (which you could tell was killing her, it was like watching a racehorse fight for the bit..) anyway - around 8 laps to go, kate ramps up the pace for a lap, then bergen goes, then i go, so we were leading laps trading off - keeping d protected. We dropped 1/2 the pack in 4 or 5 laps - we started lapping people at 5 laps. wow.
anyway - there was one near crash of mine with the velobella girl - she went into the hairpin turn and got scared and came to a near complete stop in front of me - fortunately i rolled right past her. what i didnt know until much later is shortly after that encounter, she nearly t-boned me on that turn, when i was first or second wheel. yikes! after 3 laps - kimmy and lucia at the front - i slid past them on the outside yelling "girls - this is the straightest line to take" (it was left of yellow but we had the whole road - by not following the bend in the road we saved like 4 meters, and could pedal thru the R turn - we did that from then on... but always be thinking of smart tricks like this from now on - it just makes sense)
so 6 and 7 laps to go, we all sit back and keep cool - and try to keep daniela on a wheel - not in the wind, and not at the front (again hard to do but to D's credit, she did a very good job of trying to stay 4th wheel the entire race).
5 laps to go, kate ramps up pressure, then bergen, then me, then kate and on we go attack after attack. Lucia and Kimmy from Testarossa were getting antsy too - and a minty and velobella were in there too... we let lucia and kimmy work for about 3 laps - with 1 lap to go, I stomped up the hill past the girls - and started putting on the hurt, then eased up a bit - and kimmy and lucia took over.. we were strung out but i could see the girly meece were with me - suddenly last lap: kate is there, we're thru the turn heading down hill and i just said "KATE GO FOR IT GO GO GO GO GO" and hopped her wheel, she burst speed for another 200 meters or so - we hit the rise and lucia and bergen were there - we hit the last hill and i clicked down, stood up and sprinted up that power climb - and I could feel lucia 'give up' amd i'm in first - I crested and started pressuring to the finish line - hoping that d was still on mywheel and i was giving her a good lead out - finally she swung around me - as she did i looked back and didnt see anyone close to us - so i stood and sprinted as much as I could behind D - and the crowd was roaring for the GIRLY MEECE 1 2 3 FINISH. D was screaming, I was too, and the crowd was wild!
Ren - amazing - the words of tactics an encouragement were perfect this morning - D - way to go, you learned so much today! Bergen and Kate - we'll do it again - you were the hero's today! WOOHOOHOO
GTTGM!
