A Wild Ride.

Whew. Okay so I know I have slacked off a ton this fall with my posting but I have been racing, I promise. Grad school is awesome but all consuming; blame Statistics for my lack of timely posts.

This fall has been riddled with highs and lows in my racing. I had one incredible day in Ohio, two disappointing days in Ohio, some fantastic racing in Georgia and North Carolina and  some challenging days at the USGP in Louisville. The short version of everything: I spent half the season battling a sinus infection that I did not know I had and another couple of weeks dealing with the aftermath of the flood caused by a broken pipe the weekend of Ohio. My Cross season was a roller coaster of ups and downs.

Even on the bad days I found some good things. At the USGP in Louisville I was on antibiotics (finally) from the sinus infection and was not at 100%. My goal was to work on bike handling and my starts. I had fantastic starts all weekend. I was top 5 going onto the dirt both days. I faded after that, but the initial effort was there. I learned how to push through the bad days and have fun just racing my bike.

In North Carolina I was healthy and ready to race. I had a great weekend. It was a UCI weekend and I rode as well as I ever have with 7th and 6th place finishes. WooHoo!!! I was finally starting to find my legs... hopefully this was going to be my year at Nationals. I finished the Georgia series strong, I remain undefeated in the Southeast. I sure do love the GA Cross scene. What an incredible group of women. And my teammates are also hooked. Look for more of the team in GA next fall.

This past week was Nationals in Bend, OR. Against my better judgement we loaded up a ridiculous amount gear and got on an airplane in hopes of glory; or at least a lot of fun. It is exam week so I had to do a little bit of sweet talking to make sure it was okay for me to be gone. I was registered for 3 races (plus a TT for start position in the Masters race); collegiate, masters and elite. As a full time student, I was eligible to race the collegiate race and I wanted to support my school and the cycling team by representing at nationals.

The TT was my first event and I rocked it. I took second and I was psyched. Unfortunately I rocked it a little bit too well and my legs had nothing the next day for the actual masters race. I had a horrible day. Grrr. Okay now I am just angry. After a day of recovery I was going to rip off some legs in the collegiate race. I wanted to come home with a medal so badly I could taste it.

The collegiate race and the elite race were the same day so we had some interesting logistics to contend with. The morning was a balancing act of eating, warming up, racing, cleaning up, eating, more warming up and racing again. We would be lucky if we pulled it off. I could have never done it without Mark's help. Thanks babe!!! My warm-up began before the sun came up (my first race was at 8am) and I was sleepy but excited. I was definitely the "old lady" of the collegiate ranks. I did not know a single person I was racing against so I was just going to have to take it as it came. UTC is  Division 2 for cycling; both D1 and D2 were racing at the same time with a 1 minute gap between us. They sent off the D1 ladies and I was focused. It was show time. They blew the whistle and I was immediately at the front with three other girls. Okay, I am going to settle in and see where I stack up against them. After the fist minute or so I knew I was "on". My body felt good and everything was rolling perfect. I LOVE that feeling. I passed the front girls and never looked back. I floated over the mud and flew around the course. I crossed the finish line with my arms in the air. I had just won a national championship!!!!!!

The rest of the day was a blur. Somehow I cleaned up, ate and made it to awards before it was time to race the elite race. The elite race was my victory lap. I enjoyed every second of being out there and even though my legs were done I pushed hard and did okay. I know I could have raced a lot better had I not already raced that morning but I no longer cared where I finished. I just wanted to enjoy the race and the cheers. The fans were incredible. I still finished in the top half, almost top third (47th out of 111 starters) with tired legs and a tired (extremely MUDDY) bike. I collapsed that evening and didn't even get to celebrate. I was too exhausted.

We are now on the journey home. My season has been the most incredible one ever.

I raced for the US National Team at a World Cup.

I won a gold medal and a national championship jersey.

What a wild ride it has been.

Thanks for reading....

Georgia Cross

Have I mentioned that I love Georgia Cyclocross?? They have a rockin' series and some of the coolest people around to race with. Unfortunately the series conflicts with some of the UCI races so I only get to do about half of the series, but I do love the races I get to do.

The first race of the GA series that I was going to attend was a combination of two of my favorite things; cross and wine! It was being held at a winery (during their fall tasting) and we raced through the vineyard. Fun times.

The course was not ideal but the racing was fun. It was a little too "mountain-bike-like" for me and my cross bike but it was still fun. It is always fun. I won the race and Amanda took 4th. Catherine made her cross debut and was looking to win the Category 4 Women's race handily until she lost a pedal. Oh well, next time. That's what happens when we let her work on her own bike. Mike, we need you!!!

Next up: USGP Louisville...

Cross Season starts with a bang

Whew. I know, I have been delinquent again in my posting. I make no excuses, I am just really REALLY busy. School is great, I love it, but all my extra time is going to it instead of things like blogging. I apologize to all of you. I'll try to get things caught up here and stay a little more up to date.

As usual I decided to do things the hard way. After the WC I needed a break, my body was tired and I wanted to focus on school for a bit. We postponed my cross racing and early season training because of this so my season is going to be shifted a bit. I will hopefully be strong later (like around Nationals and State Championships) but the first few are going to be trial by fire. I knew it was going to hurt but WOW...

So my first race of the season was the Wisconsin USGP. Yes, I decided to start things off at the biggest race series in the US with some of the best riders in the world. It went about as well as one would expect it to. I suffered, tripped,crashed and fumbled my way through 2 days of racing. In the process I remembered how to race my bike. I had a blast. I still love cross.

The following weekend, taking my re-found ability to Alabama, I had a much better experience. I rode really well, won the women's 1,2,3 race and passed most of the men. Star rocked it with a second place finish in her very first race in the "big girl" field. It was a great day for the Grace Law-Trek p/b Vantaggio team.

This past weekend we were off to more UCI races. This time 3 days of racing in Ohio. The purse was big and the fields were HUGE. My initial goal was top 10 but after seeing our start list a top 15 would still be a huge accomplishment for my early season legs. Day 1 was one of the best races I have ever had. The course was technical and hilly, my two favorite things. I started really strong (top 5 on the dirt) and held my own. I took 7th!!!!! Holy crap. I am not even in race shape yet and I just raced WITH the best in the US. Saturday I got stuck behind a crash at the start and chased back to 14th; not what I had hoped for but I rode strong and some days that is all you can ask for. Sunday was not my day. My body very quickly informed me that two days of racing was enough. I pushed myself as hard as I could but 17th was all I could manage. Star rocked it all weekend in the 3/4 women's field and was 5th, 8th and 9th in fields of 50-60 girls. Mark was our one podium with a second place on Saturday.

After Ohio I am very optimistic about my cross season. I am still not in race shape but I have already shown glimpses of being strong. Even on my bad days I am finishing in the top half of the field at the UCI weekends. I feel like a bike racer. All of these are good signs.

Thanks for reading...

World Cup Finals

All smiles after the race!!

Well, I did it. I raced for the US Natinal team at the World Cup Finals. It was everything I could have imagined and more. I felt like a rock star all weekend. But I guess I should start at the beginning...

Anina after the big race.

This week was one of the biggest in my life. Tuesday I started graduate school; I am pursuing a masters degree in sport psychology. It is part of my plan to continue to expand my professional career working with athletes. I am extemely excited. Wednesday Mark and I got in the car and drove to Windham, NY where I was racing the World Cup Finals and part of the US National Team. This was a "once in my lifetime" type experience. Wow, talk about a busy, exciting and stressful week!!

Kym and Anina showing off the Swiftwick socks before the big race.

We arrived in Windham (after much studying of stastics) to perfect weather. It had rained a lot earlier in the week but we were treated to a weekend of sunny skies and 70 degree temperatures. The trails were a bit slippery but not too muddy. Perfect! Just tthe way I like it.

Catherine is all nerves before her race.

Anina and Catherine were also racing in NY, Anina with me in the WC Finals and Catherine in the amature race. Anina's rockin' performance at the South Africa National Championships earned her a start position for the World Cup so I had a friendly face in the field. It was also nice to have a teammate to pre-ride with.

Catherine showing off her medal.

Saturday morning it was showtime. I was so excited!! I was lining up against the best in the world. Because I had no World Cup ranking and very few UCI points I was lining up at the back. Actually as far back as I could get. I was called up LAST. Okay, nowhere to go but up, right!!?? Anina was in the row in front of me and she had a great start. I was not quite so lucky. We got to the first single track section and suddenly there were 70 women all looking for the same peice of trail. When you are at the back of that group you might as well sit down and have a sandwich while you wait to try and get onto the trail. Although it was frustrating running, pushing, fighting and clawing my way back into the race, it was a thrill too! I learned that next time I will be much more agressive early on. You lose so much time early in the race in those type of situations, minimizing that is key. After the start, a few elbows and mishaps early on, and a strong pace I finished 57th. Higher than where I started and I gave it my all. I rode strong and technically well; it was not as fast as I was earlier in the season, but I only had 2.5 weeks to prepare for the race; I am pleased with my performance with what I had to work with. Anina rode strong and fast, she finished 56th. Sunday morning Catherine lined up against a strong field of Cat 1 women and tore it up. She rode strong and finished 2nd. It was the perfect end to the perfect race weekend.

Catherine takes second!!!

I cannot describe the awesomeness of the weekend and what it is like to wear the national team kit at a World Cup race in your own country. The fans were incredible. I have never been more happy about my chosen path in life. All the years of cold rides, miserable races and suffering were worth that one moment. I want to do it again!!!

This season has been the best of my cycling career. I have accomplished more than I ever thought I could. I would never have been able to do it without the love and support of my husband, my family and my friends. And of course all the incredible sponsors we have!!! A huge thanks to everyone.

...and then my Mojo returned.

When one races bikes a lot (almost every weekend) there are times when you are fast and times when you just have to take a break. Mid-summer has been my break in anticipation for cross this fall. With the slightly unexpected trip to the World Cup next week we have had to accelerate my come back to race fitness. I am hoping to continually get faster until Cross Nationals in December, but I have also been hoping for my race Mojo to return to me before Windham.

Yesterday was the last tune-up race/workout before the journey to Windham. Last week was a tough week of training and I was tired but the legs were feeling strong. Booker T State Park is a local trail and the race was going to mostly be my teammates and myself. The goal was to beat the boys. And to race it in under 2:15.

The race was a pavement start and we rolled out easy up the first half mile climb. Once we hit dirt, it was time to rock and roll. I took the lead and pushed hard. Uh oh. My legs felt flat and didn't want to go hard. Okay, let's see if I can work into this a bit. I held a good hard pace and slowly kept ramping it up. I felt better and better with each hill. By 2/3 of the way through lap one I was feeling really strong. By the end of lap one I was catching the back of the men's race. I kept railing it. I felt better every lap. By the finish I had caught all but two of the guys. My lap times were consistent and other than my first lap, they were the same as the front of the men's field. And my finish time was 2:13!!! My Mojo has returned, just in time. I needed that. I am REALLY excited for Windham.

My teammates rocked it too. Amanda rode a strong second place and Star was only about a minute back from her for third. Amy took fourth in spite of her slightly crazy weekend plans. She raced the Fool's Gold 50 on Saturday. 50 miles of MUD and rain. She was 4th there too. Girl, you are an animal!!!

And now the journey begins. Stay tuned for travel and race updates...

Memphis. Hot.

So instead of my mountain bike season being over after the SERC finals, I have the little matter of the World Cup Finals with the US National team to get ready for. That means a few more weeks of racing. We have had a horribly hot summer and I am looking forward to cyclocross but I am also super excited for Windham so I am prepared to suffer through a few more hot weekends on the mountain bike. This past weekend we had a choice of going to GA for their series finals or going to Memphis and doing a TN series race. I am winning the TN series (sort of a bonus from doing well at the TN SERC races, I wasn't planning on doing the TBRA series) so we decided to head to Memphis. One more weekend and I will no longer be able to be caught.

Memphis is an island. A hot island. One that you can't get to from Chattanooga. It is a 5-6 hour drive (closer to 6 when there are traffic jams). We got up really early Saturday and loaded up. There was a time trial Saturday so we figured as long as we were making the trip we'd do the whole weekend. We arrived in Memphis to 100 degrees and humid. The heat index was 114. Yep that's hot. The pre-ride was fun, it is a great trail and the promoter was out there marking the course and helping us find our way around. Everyone was really nice and helpful. We rode the 10 mile cross country loop and then went out for a lap on the time trial course (a portion of the cross country). We got a good hour and a half of trail riding before the start of the TT.

The TT was hot but bearable. The whole trail (including the TT) is a very twisty, flat trail. It is the kind of trail that screams home course advantage. I can only imagine how much faster I could have ridden the TT had I known what turns were coming up next. Even still, I turned a respectable time, beat a good portion of the boys and won the day. Okay, I lost the day too, as I was the only one but I did alright against the guys so that was my personal measure of things.

Saturday night we were lucky enough to be invited to stay with Kelsey's parents. She is already back in KY at school but Sue and Roger were so sweet to invite us to stay. We found out after we arrived that it was their anniversary. They cooked us an amazing dinner and we thoroughly enjoyed their company.

Sunday morning we awoke and it was already really hot. 83 degrees at 8am. This is not good. The race was 3 laps starting at 10:40am so it was going to be a long hot day. There were two Cat 1 women who showed up to race so although I was given my own category, I had ladies to start with. And the men started 4 minutes ahead of me so that was a goal too. On a flat fast course it was going to take me a lap or two to make up that much time but  I was up for the challenge. Lap one went well. I rode strong and although it was hot, I didn't feel bad. I started catching men at the end of the lap. Lap two things started to get ugly. It was really hot and it started to feel like my body had a dimmer switch and someone was dimming things. The cool water at the mid-lap aid station woke me up for about 10 minutes but I then started to fade again. By the time I caught Mark at the end of the lap I was in bad shape. We had some communication issues over me passing him (I was trying to tell him to slow down and not worry about me, he was trying speed up and get out of the way) and he ended up crashing. Sorry babe. I stopped in the feed zone to grab my frozen bottle and shoved a handful of ice down my sports bra (I got cheers for that!!!) and headed out to lap three. It was a death march. I was hot, had stopped sweating, and felt like throwing up. Then the chills came. Uh oh. I was pretty sure i was rapidly approaching heat exhaustion and the only option was to slow down and keep pedaling while trying to not get any hotter. I stopped at the mid race aid station and filled my bottle with cold water, dumped some more on my head and continued on my way. I was actually getting worried the last 20 minutes that I wasn't going to make it. Somehow I did. They grabbed me at the finish and soaked me under a hose. I drank 6 bottles of water and after about an hour I started to feel like me again. It was officially 101 degrees in Memphis with a heat index of 118. I have found my limit.

I won the race. I beat some of the guys. I found my limits in the heat.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Stanky Creek Cycling and Larry in Memphis. You guys put on a class act event. Everything from the course to the food to the support to the prizes were awesome. Thanks!!! I will spread the word and hopefully be back next year with some teammates. But only if it isn't quite so hot...

Next up is Booker T here is Chattanooga, then on to Windham!!!!

SERC Finals, Fontana, NC

Pro Women: Kym and Anina 1,2 on the SERC series overall podium.

It has been a long season. We started the SERC series in March down in Florida and we've been going non-stop since then. Whew. I have loved every minute of it. I love my team and I love racing my bike. That being said, I am ready for the series to be over. It is time to look to fall for Cross season and some other fun things. Mostly just to fall for some cooler weather but that is another story. I am not complaining about the heat but 100 degrees is hot. Enough said.

Fontana is always a great weekend. There is NOTHING there except for the village/resort and some trails so we are isolated with a whole bunch of other cyclists for the weekend. We took full advantage this year. Mark and I went up a day early and enjoyed some relaxation time. Complete with massages and lots of pool time. And maybe a beverage or two. Fontana was my "victory lap weekend" for the series. I just needed to finish the race in order to win the Pro Women's field for the series so I was going to enjoy the weekend and celebrate all of my hard work. And I was going to do it with all of my teammates!!!

Saturday morning was a pre-ride of the trails that were in great shape. It is rare that Fontana is dry but somehow we lucked out. It was not too hot and not too wet. Just right!!! The course was hard (it always is) but it is one of my favorites. I was excited about it. After the pre-ride we spent the afternoon at the pool (in the shade) and waited for the evening events...

A hard earned top step for Anina. Short track podium.

Short track: Anina was our lone star. She did not disappoint. She lined up with the non-pro men's field and held her own fabulously for the first three laps. And then it happened. She violently re-visited dinner. In front of a huge crowd at the bleachers. She got a ton of applause and even more when she got back on the bike and finished the race. AWESOME.

Sunday was sunny and boarding on hot. We raced at 11:30am so there was no escaping the heat. The race at the front was going to be a battle between Anina, Myself and my friend Carey. Carey is an endurance racer but she's fast at everything. And to make it worse, she was racing on her single speed. I knew that we'd drop her early if we started hard but she NEVER slows down. She has caught me a time or two late in a race. Anina took the lead and it was painfully clear to me immediately that my rest mid-season, although much needed, was still being felt. My legs are getting faster again but I need a couple more weeks before the top end is back. I dug deep and hung on up the hill and once we got to the fast rolling sections I knew that two things needed to happen. One, I needed to push the pace. This part of the course was my strength. Two, we needed to put a big gap into Carey if we wanted to ultimately finish 1,2 today. I passed Anina and for the next 20 minutes I buried myself and she hung on. And then I was done. Cooked. Finished. I told her to go and I settled into a pace that I hoped would hold Carey off through 2 more laps. It worked!!! Anina took the win and I was second. It felt really good to be able to work for my teammate and she ROCKED today. And second place to Anina is nothing to be ashamed of.

Final race podium. Anina 1st Kym second. Love those Swiftwick compression socks!!!

Amanda's weekend was a victory lap for her as well. She has ridden extremely well this season and had the Cat 1 women's overall sewn up. Catherine had the hardest day of all of us. She went into the finals with one point separating her and our friend Jen for the series Cat 1 podium. Whoever finished first between the two of them was going to take second and the other would be third. They battled the whole race and with Jen in sight on the climb to the finish Catherine gave it everything she had. It wasn't quite enough. They finished 2 seconds apart. Wow. Catherine still should be so proud of her season. In her first year racing as a Cat 1 she finished on the series podium and was contesting the front of the races. Amy, Emily, Star and Amanda all rode well and finished in the field. Fun times were had by all. The team finished the series with 6 of the top 10 positions and 4 of the top 5. I think we can officially call 2010 a huge success.

Final SERC podium for the Cat 1 Field. Amanda 1st, Catherine 3rd.

Thanks to Gone Riding for an awesome series and to every one of our sponsors for their support. we couldn't have done it without all of you. And a special thanks to my husband. You put up with a lot.

Thanks for reading....