I'm glad that I did this ride again. I needed a positive outcome for my cycling. I was wishy-washy about doing the ride, especially the 108 mile version. But, I decided I needed the challenge. I was hoping I would not get sick, as I did last year.
I started out in the front end of the pack on the four-lane, tucking out of the wind as much as possible. There was another girl up there from Simple Green, Alicia. She spent more time in the wind. I figured she was strong enough, but I knew I needed to conserve. I stayed with the front pack all the way to the base of the Blue Ridge Parkway climb. I decided that I needed to go my own pace so that I wouldn't blow up too early. I had my Motor Tabs this year and had great confidence that this would keep me from being nauseated at the top. It worked out well since I never did get nauseated! Yea, Motor Tabs! I stopped as needed at Soco for a refill of water and a Powerbar. I also ate some Clif blocks... sucking on them as I climbed. I don't know how some of these guys go without stopping. I definitely was glad to fill up regularly. I let Alicia go somewhere on the Parkway. Last year, I had tried to stay with some other fast girls (BMW-Bianchi girls!) and I blew up at the top. It was hard to let her go, but I reminded myself that it was not a race and my goal was to stay well and finish strong.
It was a long climb up to Richland Balsam and I felt it wear on me at the top. It wasn't as cold as I was expecting. My armwarmers and DeFeet undershirt with jersey sufficed. I was pretty much alone at the top and at the beginning of Charley's Creek. On the climb up Charley's Creek, I came up on a couple of guys. We rode together a bit. Then we picked up Alicia again. These hills on Charley's Creek were starting to really hurt and my neck was in complete spasm (ouch). But the end was in sight and I knew that when we reached Hwy 107 that it would be fairly flat and fast. We got in a nice 10 or so person paceline and sped on in. It was a nice way to finish. I posted a time of under 7 hours and was happy about that.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Asheville Grand Prix • Sept. 13, 2008
This race had a large purse for a small, but strong field. Lauren Franges and Laura Bowles showed up for this tough race. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I had no idea there would be such a tough hill and I didn't notice until I showed up at the start line that we'd be doing 30+ laps up this hill. It wasn't long until I was off the back. And then I was counting the number of times I was being lapped. But even at 16th, I was still in the money (20 deep), so I had to keep going. I tried to stick with the field a couple of times, but my hill legs just don't snap that fast. Or maybe it was a mental thing that I couldn't do it? Either way, I have not much to say about this race. I can't say that showing up for it was particularly positive for me. Especially since I haven't been feeling great and my dog was even sicker.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Carolina Cup photo of me
http://www.carolinacup.com/images/2008/EdSink/ccupwomenpro123063.html
This was when I went off the front.
This was when I went off the front.
Carolina Cup • September 7th, 2008
Deb and I travelled out to Greensboro, NC, for the Carolina Cup. It took place in this nice park with rolling hills and a lake. The criterium course was a mile long with some mild climbing on the back side followed by a flat to mild downhill finish. About 16 of us took the line again, almost half from our BMW-Bianchi team (Christy, Tonya, Deb, me, Janet, Melinda, Evie). We planned to be aggressive on the front. Of course, I was slow to start and ended on the back of the field on the first lap. I couldn't tell what my teammates were doing at the front, but I think Deb took the first turn off the front and then I saw Christy go off at one point and stay away for awhile before she sat up and absorbed back in the field. Tonya tried her turn off the front, too. A little less than halfway through the race, I took my turn spinning hard off the front on the downhill. I got a good gap and didn't look back. I went in my perceived Zone 4 and tried to stay there, leaving just enough gas in my tank in case the field swallowed me back up. After a lap, I heard Dan Edgerton yell, "They're not in sight, go go!" This fueled my tank some more. I still didn't look back and kept the pace turned on. I got at least 2 laps on my own before Laura Bowles pulled me in. It was the two of us briefly, before I heard the field pull up on us. I sat in the back to recover, and it took until 4 laps to go for me to feel recovered enough. Janet made a couple hard attacks at the end to shake things up. I didn't have a strategy set in my mind on the final laps and my placement in the final sprint left a lot to be desired. I got stuck behind some folks and indecisively tried going around from both sides of the road with little success. By the time I got around, we were crossing the line. I was 9th behind my teammates, Christy (5th), Tonya (6th), and Deb (8th). Janet (13th), Melinda (15th), Evie (16th).
The weather was perfect and sunny. The course was shady and cool. It was a fun race and course. I would definitely do it again.
http://www.carolinacup.com
The weather was perfect and sunny. The course was shady and cool. It was a fun race and course. I would definitely do it again.
http://www.carolinacup.com
BMW Chattanooga races • August 23-24, 2008
Saturday's 40 mile road race started out flat and fast. There were 17 women at the start. I enjoyed the pace and felt ok. But it wasn't long before the first "hill" and my face felt flushed and I became nauseated. On the second hill, I felt worse and fell of the back. I caught back on, only to fall off again before the big prime hill. I rode a bit with another girl, but then I felt to ill to even stay with her. I finished the race, creeping to the finish, feeling horrible. Last, of course. I felt so bad, I couldn't wait to get a cool hotel room. I basically took a nap with Barack Obama announcing Joe Biden as running mateon TV in the background. Got up with a splitting headache, walked across the street to CVS for Tylenol, and went back to sleep, skipping the afternoon time trial.
Sunday's criterium had about the same number of women. It was rainy. It was a nice flat course, totally my style, but the final corner had a slick faux brick which was the culprit of several crashes. My tire slid early on as a warning, so I wasn't eager to do much but stay upright through the corner. I never felt like I was in good placement at the finish because I was so cautious in the corner. My teammie, Cora, went down mid-race, which mentally just washed away any aggressive thoughts I had for the finish. I got 7th place, just one place out of the money. Somehow, I seem to frequently talk myself just out of placing in the money.
Sunday's criterium had about the same number of women. It was rainy. It was a nice flat course, totally my style, but the final corner had a slick faux brick which was the culprit of several crashes. My tire slid early on as a warning, so I wasn't eager to do much but stay upright through the corner. I never felt like I was in good placement at the finish because I was so cautious in the corner. My teammie, Cora, went down mid-race, which mentally just washed away any aggressive thoughts I had for the finish. I got 7th place, just one place out of the money. Somehow, I seem to frequently talk myself just out of placing in the money.
Downer's Grove Criterium, August 16-17, 2008 (National Criterium Championships)
It's been 5 years or more since I raced this very fast race. Going in, I wasn't sure if I could even finish it without being pulled. I've never been able finish it before. This season, I haven't finished a national race, either. I signed up for both Saturday and Sunday. Sunday was the official National Criterium Championship, but Saturday had many of the same characters.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16
My mom, dad, and niece, Kaitlyn, accompanied me to the race. I set up my trainer next to the race course and Kaitlyn gladly took on the role of coach and cheerleader. She told me to go faster as I did some intervals on the trainer. We set up next to the hay bales and witnessed a pretty exciting wreck there in the mens' race... several crashing into and through the bales.
There were 80 women at the start. Team Tibco, Cheerwine, Colavita, Vanderkitten. Women such as Tina Pic, Lauren Franges, Laura Bowles and other big names there. I started in the back, but was able to get into my cleats pretty quickly and hung on the back on the fast, first lap. I had no idea that a group of four had gotten off the front fairly early until the post-race report from my family. There were very few laps where my heart rate came down to a manageable rate. I was pretty much hurting the entire race, but took each lap as an accomplishment with the "just one more" mentality. Each time up the hill, I talked myself into the right gear... not too easy that I'd slip backward but not too hard that I couldn't turn them quickly. The hill was short, but fast and fairly steep... at least it felt steep as we got further into the 45 minute race. There was a very long recovery after the hill, but the pace picked up, too, so there wasn't any coasting. It was a figure eight course with a couple tight corners. The final corner before the finish had a line of hay bales and the finish was on a manageable incline.
So, I was happy to finish the race. In the last lap, I got dropped off from the pack as the pace picked up. But I finished and got placed 62nd. (I got placed!) I was so excited to finish the race. Our average speed was 24.9! My heart rate averaged in the mid-160's with my max in the 170's.
We all walked around the perimeter of the entire course, watching the mens' pro race. We ate some pizza after the races.
SUNDAY, August 17
I went only with my Mom because Dad had some things to take care of. Kaitlyn came with her family, but didn't arrive until after I got pulled! So, I missed her coaching during my trainer workout. I could tell during my trainer workout that I was sore and having more trouble with the warm-up, but I didn't know how tired my legs actually were until I got into the race. I don't know if it started out faster, but the hill and my legs did not get along even on the first lap. I managed to stay with the pack on the first lap, but on the second lap my legs went to jello and failed under me. I couldn't even get back on the recovery side of the course and mentally gave up. The rear car passed me. On the third lap of the hill, I cried out in pain. The pack wasn't that far ahead, but I was behind the race vehicles, so they pulled me off the course. It was disappointing that I got pulled so soon, but it wasn't going to be long until I got lapped anyway. I got off the course, and my sister's family had just showed up. They never even saw me on the course.
Kaitlyn (6) and Zachary (3) decided to participate in the big wheel race. It was difficult to find ones that fit them and neither of them had ever ridden a big wheel before. It was a downhill course for them to the finish line (backwards on the course). Zachary got in a wave in his age group and I waited at the bottom and waited and waited. Where did he go? He changed his mind and didn't want to do it. Kaitlyn got in her age group and raced down on her borrowed big wheel. Where were the brakes as it appeared she was going to plow into the other kids. I stopped her before the finish line and she got her medal. It was cool to expose the kids to the race scene. The last time I had raced it, Kaitlyn was less than a year old.
After the race, we ate breakfast at a local restaurant and then went to the Morton Arboretum and enjoyed the new kids' area.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16
My mom, dad, and niece, Kaitlyn, accompanied me to the race. I set up my trainer next to the race course and Kaitlyn gladly took on the role of coach and cheerleader. She told me to go faster as I did some intervals on the trainer. We set up next to the hay bales and witnessed a pretty exciting wreck there in the mens' race... several crashing into and through the bales.
There were 80 women at the start. Team Tibco, Cheerwine, Colavita, Vanderkitten. Women such as Tina Pic, Lauren Franges, Laura Bowles and other big names there. I started in the back, but was able to get into my cleats pretty quickly and hung on the back on the fast, first lap. I had no idea that a group of four had gotten off the front fairly early until the post-race report from my family. There were very few laps where my heart rate came down to a manageable rate. I was pretty much hurting the entire race, but took each lap as an accomplishment with the "just one more" mentality. Each time up the hill, I talked myself into the right gear... not too easy that I'd slip backward but not too hard that I couldn't turn them quickly. The hill was short, but fast and fairly steep... at least it felt steep as we got further into the 45 minute race. There was a very long recovery after the hill, but the pace picked up, too, so there wasn't any coasting. It was a figure eight course with a couple tight corners. The final corner before the finish had a line of hay bales and the finish was on a manageable incline.
So, I was happy to finish the race. In the last lap, I got dropped off from the pack as the pace picked up. But I finished and got placed 62nd. (I got placed!) I was so excited to finish the race. Our average speed was 24.9! My heart rate averaged in the mid-160's with my max in the 170's.
We all walked around the perimeter of the entire course, watching the mens' pro race. We ate some pizza after the races.
SUNDAY, August 17
I went only with my Mom because Dad had some things to take care of. Kaitlyn came with her family, but didn't arrive until after I got pulled! So, I missed her coaching during my trainer workout. I could tell during my trainer workout that I was sore and having more trouble with the warm-up, but I didn't know how tired my legs actually were until I got into the race. I don't know if it started out faster, but the hill and my legs did not get along even on the first lap. I managed to stay with the pack on the first lap, but on the second lap my legs went to jello and failed under me. I couldn't even get back on the recovery side of the course and mentally gave up. The rear car passed me. On the third lap of the hill, I cried out in pain. The pack wasn't that far ahead, but I was behind the race vehicles, so they pulled me off the course. It was disappointing that I got pulled so soon, but it wasn't going to be long until I got lapped anyway. I got off the course, and my sister's family had just showed up. They never even saw me on the course.
Kaitlyn (6) and Zachary (3) decided to participate in the big wheel race. It was difficult to find ones that fit them and neither of them had ever ridden a big wheel before. It was a downhill course for them to the finish line (backwards on the course). Zachary got in a wave in his age group and I waited at the bottom and waited and waited. Where did he go? He changed his mind and didn't want to do it. Kaitlyn got in her age group and raced down on her borrowed big wheel. Where were the brakes as it appeared she was going to plow into the other kids. I stopped her before the finish line and she got her medal. It was cool to expose the kids to the race scene. The last time I had raced it, Kaitlyn was less than a year old.
After the race, we ate breakfast at a local restaurant and then went to the Morton Arboretum and enjoyed the new kids' area.
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