BRC Shedd Park 'Cross Race

Finally, a course that I really enjoyed. Cold morning, 27 or so when we left the house. Cold enough that the ground was still frozen and there was ice in spots. And today was also the return of the Helmet Cam. Dug it out and put together some more video that's so hokey it should get me fired from my job. But hey, I can't really strap one of those nice Canon HD cameras to my helmet so give me a break. ( I really should have raced with it today. I know I'd get labeled as that geeky helmet cam girl but so what.)

Lined up in the second row. Since there was a long start that went 3/4 the way around a cinder track I figured I'd have time to pass. We were chatting in the back and I was wondering what was taking so long (couldn't hear the official giving instructions to the men up front and couldn't see so I just assumed nothing was going on). Suddenly, a whistle. Wah*&^^%%! The women all look at each other thinking are we supposed to go or are we getting a staggered start? Finally, the official stops us, gives final instructions and soon we're off.

Made my way up to 4th or 5th place off the track and into the 180 turn around a tree before the barriers. Passed one woman around the tree who faltered on the slight uphill and turn. Way too early and too easy of an uphill for that. Learn to shift, dammit! (God's going to strike me dead for having so little patience with my fellow riders. Either that or he's really going to make me biff it big time at Nationals. Probably in that damn frozen lake. Better learn how to swim quick!)

At the end of the first lap, I was still riding in about 5th place and wondering just how long I could keep this up. S and I had a discussion yesterday about how in bike racing, all the talent and training is meaningless without guts. She made me promise that I would ride until I coughed up a lung or ripped off a limb. I rode Plymouth last week that way but it was with the Big Girls so my resulting performance (last place) didn't really show my effort.

So this week, I vowed to ride just as hard. Sprint out of the corners and transitions, hustle up the hill, really hurdle those barriers and tear up the section in the woods. That was the plan. That's what I did. Although honestly, my running up the hill probably looked like anything but. The ground was still pretty hard so all the grassy sections didn't annoy as much as they usually do. I hated the twisty, hill bit but loved everything else. Including drafting any wheel I could grab on the slightly melted cinder track and getting a face full of mud. Delicious! I heard teammates yelling, I heard S shouting tactics and I even heard the crazy Columbian yelling at me from his car as he arrived at the race. :) Ride, baby, ride!

By the start of the last lap, the wheezing started. Usually, I'm not so pleased to hear it. This time, though, I thought of S and thought, "Geez. I really did hack up a lung!"

Don't know how I finished. Was passed by probably at least two of my teammates (Carrie and Shannon - awesome job!)

Now it's a whole week off my bike while traveling to SF and Seattle and two weeks off from racing. I'm going to miss it. :(