Thanks to the entire team yesterday for an AWESOME showing, all of the help, camaraderie, racing and results, set-up, clean-up, and just having a great time and looking awesome in team kits and team shirts. It was a wonderful day!! We looked so professional.
[caption id="attachment_297" align="alignright" width="300" caption="2nd place in my first expert race!"]
[/caption]Kathi said the Team Active beer garden was a huge success. Congratulations to all who raced, the course was firm and fast and the weather was just perfect. I couldn’t find posted results yet, and can’t remember everyone’s results, but we had at least 3 podium places.
- Caleb, 2nd place Sport (Age 15-19?).
- Me, 2nd place Expert Women
- Kathy, 3rd place Expert Women (rocking it on a SINGLE SPEED!!!)
This was the first time (after much good hearted teasing from Kathy in the past year) I decided to woman up and race Expert class, figuring if nothing else, I could use the miles (and secretly thinking that I would finally get out from under the shadow of Summer the super freak cyclist from Custer only to find out she moved up this year as well – dang). Knowing that I don’t have the best endurance (and I struggle to drink enough while mtn biking), I figured to try and take it easy – riiight. Was 4th back of 7 or 8 women, with Summer in the lead. It was interesting how mellow the first few miles were compared to a Sport race then I remembered oh, we have THREE laps, pace yourself.
A few hang-ups in Granny’s and the new green section by two of the riders in front enabled me to pass to sit behind Summer in the first lap (some advantages to riding those trails all the time). Into the second lap (and still forgetting to drink), I actually dropped back a little and just got into a groove, then caught Summer again. On the back side, I took the lead for a bit, and she was being chatty (this is about the time she’ll take off, if nothing else, she’s predictable), and I was hurting a bit (and still not drinking enough – stupid of me). She passed and I lost a bit in the blue climbs and started the 3rd lap further back, in a lot of pain, and no energy and had to slow down and start sucking fluids. As my body found the joy of hydration, I was able to very slowly increase my pace although the climbs were laughably slow.
Could still see Summer up ahead now and again, but still not enough energy to catch her. Kept glancing back for riders behind me. Caught up to a couple of guys and realized that I could actually maneuver the technical stuff better and passed them. Then came upon a beautiful sight – Eric Cook!! A WSI jersey! I followed him for a while, and then passed and bless his sweet, wonderful soul, he rode right behind me in silent encouragement. We spoke a few times (at this point on the green section and I was struggling to focus and could feel the beginnings of cramps in my legs) and he asked how I liked the Scalpel and all that came out was a gasped, “I can’t talk right now” – sorry Capt Crunch, love ya.
An elite woman (Founders) was in front of me in the red and kept slowing down in the corners (twice in the race, I found it ironic that I was getting mad at slow people in front of me in the technical sections – normally that slow person would be me), but took she off like a rocket up the blue hill, see ya. I hit the last big hill after the bridge and cramps hit in about 3-4 places in my legs, but if I slowed down, they got worse – and if I sped up too much, they got worse. LOL! My arms and shoulders were killing me, cramps were twitching all over my legs and at one point my hamstring started to lock up but I couldn’t stop pedaling. Breathe deep, relax, pedal, ouch, pedal – almost there. What a race.
Summer got me again, but only by 30 seconds or so – yeah, I am (mostly) ok with that.
Angela Bowers :-)
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