USGP: Louisville, New Jersey and back again...

... and the theme of my season; MUD!!!

Okay, here is the update on the last month of racing. I have been all over the Eastern US and it has been incredible. I have proven to myself that I am a competitive UCI racer in the Elite Field and I LOVE this sport!!!!!!

Our friend Andy sums up the day without words.

After the two weekends in GA and an incredible weekend in Ohio it was time for more USGP racing. The weekend after Ohio I had an unexpected weekend off. It was nice to stay home and get the bike cleaned up a bit. And sleep in my own bed for a few more days. And then the whirlwind began.

Kym climbing the "green monster" in Louisville. The steps got bigger each lap.

USGP #2 was in Louisville, KY. I was really excited to see where I stacked up now that I had some racing in my legs. We again headed to a race weekend in the rain; I am getting tired of destroying my bike every weekend. Oh well, this should be fun. We were staying with one of the kids that came to our camp this summer and his family and they were awesome. I have never eaten so well on a race weekend. Thanks again!!!!

It was another muddy weekend but I did well. I got 12th and 11th. Both great finishes. I was also called up 10th all weekend. That was really cool. It is really great being competitive in big races with the front part of the field.


Grrr....

After Louisville was a weekend of sunshine and warmth in Savannah for the GA state championships. I'll do a separate post on that. Star and I both went and it was AWESOME.

And then I put on my "bad idea jeans"....

So, the USGP #3 in Mercer, New Jersey was the weekend after Savannah. I decided that I could drive to NJ and back, and race, in just over 3 days. Yep. It somehow sounded like a good idea. Not sure how that happened. So...off I went. Going to NJ meant giving up any hope at winning the GA series (I would now miss too many races for an overall win) but my goal is Nationals and NJ was better preparation for that.

I left home Thursday evening and drove to Johnson City to stay with my friend Kim (who came with me). We got up Friday morning and drove. And drove. And sat in traffic in DC. And sat in traffic in Baltimore. And sat in traffic in Philly. You get the idea. It was a LONG day. I had strained my hamstring in Savannah and it was killing me by the time we got there. And it was RAINING. Bad idea jeans....

Saturday morning came REALLY early (Margaret and Kim raced at 8:45am) and I was tired. The rain had slowed to a drizzle. The first races of the day were muddy but the course was rideable. And then the rain stopped. The thing about mud is that sometimes it is worse when it starts to dry out. It turns to peanut butter. And it gets sticky. Really sticky. By the time my race started it was BAD. Bikes were caked with mud. Girls were taking a pit bike every half lap. I do not have a pit bike. I watched riders that I was riding way stronger than get a clean bike and ride away from me and my 50 pound steed. It was incredibly frustrating. I finished 20th with a bike that no longer shifted, had brakes or even rolled. But I finished. And I was still ahead of a lot of girls.

Sunday was better. The course dried out for us and I had found a pit bike to borrow "just in case". Unfortunately I got caught behind a crash at the start and was then LAST. I ran over a poor girl who went down. I spent the entire race chasing. I rode well, it just wasn't enough. I finish a disappointing 18th. Oh well, it was still a fun day of racing. And my wheels rolled so it's all good.

And then we got in the car and drove. And drove. We took a different way home; it was a bit longer but we avoided DC. We got to Kim's at about 2am and I was up again at 6am to drive to Chattanooga in time to be at work at 11am. I will not do that again.

So that is the brief update of where I've been. It's been a great season and I am really excited for Nationals. Only 3 weeks!!!!!

GA Cross #2

Okay, obviously I am slacking again.... Cross season has kept me so busy that I barely have time to see myself going out the door again each weekend. I haven't unpacked my bag or the car since the end of September. My blog posts are a bit late. I will try to get caught up this week. And I'll post some pictures too.

The second GA Cross weekend combined two of my favorite things: a winery and cross. We raced on the property of a winery in Dahlonega, GA. The course was OK; not great but still fun. And it was surrounded by a beautiful setting and WINE. It had a killer run-up to the finish (it was rideable for one lap and then it was easier/faster to run...) and a LOT of climbing.

Saturday night was a one lap time trial, winner take all. I knew that the riding the run-up was going to be the key so I forced myself to save some for the end and nailed it. I won. Good start to the weekend!!!

Sunday we lined up a big competitive women's field. I wanted the hole shot so I nailed it from the gun. It worked, I took the lead and never looked back. I celebrated with some wine tasting and we stopped at an orchard on the way home for pie.... what a perfect weekend.

Thanks for reading.

Ohio UCI weekend

The Elite Women's Field in the rain before the start of day 1.

Last year was my first real cross season. I've raced cross for a few years but last year I really started to see what I could do. In 2008 the Ohio UCI weekend was my first experience racing with the "big girls" and although I held my own, I was not competitive with the front of the race. That was a great first step and one that I was very proud of. This year, I wanted to step it up. I am ready to be a factor in these races. I want to be competing for the money and UCI points. After a year of training and trial and error, we were about to find out if I was ready. With that being said, we packed up and headed north for Ohio.

Is that a race course or a Slip-n-Slide??

Rain. It started raining on Monday and didn't stop. Ohio was wet. They got 2 inches the night before the race. Friday was going to be a mess. My poor bike....

I spent a LOT of time doing this during Friday's race.

Friday morning I made one of the smartest decisions I've made in a long time. I rode the course before the first race so I could see it before it got too muddy. The race was on a golf course. It was soggy and everything was off camber. After about two laps of the first race, it was going to be a muddy mess. Everyone was soaking wet, covered in mud and the course was completely torn up after the first 10 minutes of racing. Wow. Only 4 more races before I get to race.

We lined up in a drizzle with a feeling of impending doom washing over us. It was very apparent that this was going to be one HARD race. Even Katie and Sue were talking about how bad it was. They said "go" and it was crazy. The first wreck of the day was Katie Compton being taken out by Sue. They got moving again and there was a pile up right in front of me. I managed to get around it and after about 2/3 of a lap found myself in third!!! Holy CRAP. I could see the front of the race. At a UCI race. This is pretty awesome. Okay, so I went out a little too hard and didn't hold third but I did hold on to 7th and rode a killer race. Top 10. That is definitely where I wanted to be. The poor golf course will never be the same. Of course they might find shoes, bikes or even a stray racer once things dry out a bit...

Thank goodness for a sunny Saturday!!!

Saturday I woke up to sunny skies. After the horrendous mud from the day before it was much needed. I felt like I had gotten run over by a truck. Wow, Friday's race took it's toll on me. I was bruised and sore. And now it was time to get ready to do it all over again. My motivation was a little lacking but cross is always fun; I knew once I got out there I would be ready to go. This course was the hardest of the weekend for me. I'm not sure if it was the tired legs or the course but I really struggled. The course was a little slick but mostly tacky and fast. I pushed myself really hard and although I never felt great, I still finished 9th. It is pretty cool to not feel like you are riding at your best and still take top 10 at a UCI event. I also had some extra motivation, Scott Wagner, a good friend and team sponsor, stopped by with Tyson (his dog) to cheer for me. Thanks Scott!!!

Riding the sand; I loved this part!!!

Sunday was my favorite course of the weekend. It has long climbs and a "fun" sand pit. I like sand when it is rideable. We had the biggest field of the weekend (yikes, fresh legs to race against on day 3!!!) and I had a killer start. I was on Sue's wheel and it was a good one to be on. I never fell out of the top 10 and rode strong to finish 9th. It was a good end to a really great weekend. Oh, and it was my 6th wedding anniversary. I love that Mark understands me enough to "get" that it is okay to celebrate with racing.

I am finally getting there. After YEARS of hard work and struggling, I am starting to be really competitive in the big races. It is a great feeling. Thanks to everyone who has believed in me over the years; the sponsors, my friends and especially my family. And most of all to my husband.

And a big CONGRATS to Mark for winning all three of his races!!!

GA Cross #1

After attending two of the Georgia Cross events last season I decided that was the regional series I was going to chase this year. They have great courses, good size fields for the women, and guaranteed payout that is very respectable. The series is 8 races plus a make-up race and I will be able to attend 7 of them so I figured I have a shot at the series podium. My time this fall is now officially booked. 4 UCI cross weekends, 7 Georgia Cross weekends, and Cross Nationals. I am "booked solid" until Christmas. FUN. The marathon started the first weekend of October.

Star, Mark and I got up at the crack of dawn Sunday morning to head to Macon. We arrived with plenty of time to get registered, warm-up and pre-ride. They had made full use of the beach at the park with not one but TWO sections of sand. I hate sand. I mostly just hate running in sand and then having my shoes full of it. Oh well, suck it up Kym, this is cross.

We had a good size women's field and I was a bit nervous. I didn't know all the girls there and I wasn't sure what to expect after a long week of travel and racing the week before. Star's race was the race before mine so I got to cheer for her as I warmed up on the trainer. She did GREAT!!! Star fought hard at the front of the field for the entire race... her and two other girls were in a heated battle. It was very exciting to watch. She eventually finished third. Great job Star.

Wow, there are women here racing!!! In TN, most of our women's fields were small so it was refreshing to line up in a good size, competitive field. I lined up and decided that I wanted the hole shot. Okay, let's hope for the best. I took it and never looked back. The Category 3 men started 1 minute ahead of us and I rode through most of their field as well. It was a great race. I won by a huge margin and finally feel as if my "cross legs" are coming back.

Thanks to the Georgia Cross series... you guys do an amazing job. I can't wait for the next one.

Next is the 3 day Ohio UCI weekend. Yikes. Talk about big fields and strong women. Looks like I'm racing with the "big girls" again next weekend.

Cross season starts with BANG!!!

So after a short break cross season has begun. And it started off with a BIG one. This year my season started with the opening round of the US Gran Prix in my home state of WI. Nothing like trial by fire:

"Okay so you haven't raced cross since last year, so let's pick the BIGGEST series in the US and start there.... good plan Kym." Bad Idea Jeans??? Maybe.

It was going to be really fun seeing the family and getting back on the most FAVORITE of all my bikes (Thanks Specialized.... LOVE the S-Works Tricross!!!!), but I was pretty sure that it was going to hurt really badly.

Yep. I was right about that!!!!

Mark and I made the drive to my parent's house (which was 40 miles from the race... convenient) and we were as ready as we were going to be. After a pre-ride where we JUST missed the rain, we got a good night's sleep and were ready to go.

Saturday morning was dryish (it rained some the night before but other than some threatening clouds, it was okay) and we hit the road early to get a good spot. We were the THIRD car there. Thanks Mark. I decided that I was going to race the Master's Women's race in the morning to get my legs under me and then do the Elite race in the afternoon. I wasn't really sure if that was a good idea, but if not I could always opt to NOT race the early race on Sunday if it was too much.

My Master's race rocked. I took the hole shot and never looked back. I won. Cross season is off to a good start. Somehow, I think my day is about to get harder. Yep.

The Elite race was FAST. Not that I was surprised, but holy crap!!! All the big girls were there and we had a field of 34 of the best women in the country (and world). I struggled almost immediately, I was feeling the earlier race. I pushed myself hard and crossed the finish line in 14th place!!! Go me. That was a great ride for the first race of the year. I was also COMPLETELY exhausted.

So after day 1 I decided a few things:

1. Two races in one day is not a good idea.
2. I am stronger than last year and I need to ride like it.
3. This sport is still AWESOME.
4. This sport is still REALLY hard.
5. My bike ROCKS!!!

Sunday I slept in a bit and arrived in time to cheer for Mark's start. He had a better ride and finished 6th. He then decided to try the "two races in one day thing". It went as well as mine did but it was fun. His first race was the important one so it was just bonus training time.

I had a killer start. I found a great wheel and stuck to it. I gave it everything I had and I stayed strong the whole race. I took 12th!!!! I was as high up as 10th at one point and I think that I can ride there once I get my legs under me. Whew. What a great weekend.

A HUGE thanks also to my family. I could not have made it this far without all of you. I had the best cheering section out there and my own personal photographer. I'll get pictures up when I get the disc from Dad. I felt like a rock star all weekend!!!

River Gorge Omnium

Chattanooga was full of racing the end of August. The weekend immediately following Booker T was a road race weekend here in town. This wasn't just any race, it was the mother of all climbing races, River Gorge. The short course (which everyone except the P1/2 and Cat 3 men race) was 48 miles with 4 good size climbs and a mountain top finish. I finished 2nd last year and was really hoping to win this one. After seeing the registration list, I had my work cut out for me. There were a number of really good climbers here to try out their legs on our mountains, including some of my teammates. Paula, Gina, Catherine and I all lined up and we were off.....

Women's road racing is annoying. One of the the big reasons that I don't do more of it is that everyone tends to wait for someone else to do something. When someone (read: me) finally does do something they chase it down and do nothing again. The mountain biker in me really hates that. I minimize that by picking races that have a lot of hills so we at least have to do some work. River Gorge proved to be the same old thing. The hills were hard but other than that it was SLOW. Everyone was saving themselves for the climb up Raccoon Mountain. There was a group of about 15 of us together at the base of the climb (3 miles to the finish, all steep uphill). We rolled into it slow and then the attacks started. I had a plan and I was going to stick with it. I knew exactly what kind of wattage I could hold up the mountain and I was going to look at my Power Tap and do my thing. That meant letting the early attacks go in hopes that I would reel them back in. The hard part about doing that was watching Ann, arguably one of the best climbers in the Southeast, go up the hill without me. Patience, Kym. I slowly started bringing her back. I was in second and had dropped everyone else. I had Ann in sight. I caught her right as the road flattened out for a minute. I held the power high instead of recovering on the flat area. It worked, I dropped her. Okay, about 1.5 miles left. Stay focused and stay strong. I refused to let myself look back. The race is ahead of me. As a came to the 1k to go sign I glanced over my shoulder. No one around!!! Kym, you have this; just keep pedaling. As I rounded the corner to the finish there were crowds SCREAMING and cheering for me. Wow. I was really going to win. I did it. I won a climbing race against climbers. This has been an amazing season. This one-time-sprinter has finally transformed herself into a climber!!!

My teammates also all did great. Paula rolled in for 4th, Gina was 5th and Catherine was 6th. Great job ladies.

After some quick lunch and a nap (I love racing at home....) it was time to head back for the time trial. I HATE time trials. I had borrowed a tt bike, (Thanks Carol!!) and was hoping for the best. As good of a bike handler as I am off road, I SUCK on a tt bike. Even worse when I can't stop because of a bad brake pad/wheel combo. Oh well, time to try and minimize my losses. I got 2nd by .24 seconds. Yep, less than a second. Wow. To the reigning state tt champion too. And it was all in bike handling. I lost tons of time on the corners. I guess maybe I should practice this skill once in a while. Catherine took 4th. Great job girlie.

After sleeping in my own bed it was time on Sunday to race the crit. Catherine and I had a nice commute/warm-up to the race and then it was time for one of the most boring crits I have done in a long time. Nothing happened. The plan was for me to lead out Catherine (she as tied for 3rd in the Omnium). I won a couple of mid race preems and made people work. It was fun, AND our plan worked. I led Catherine out for a beautiful 3rd place finish.

All in all it was a great weekend. My season is complete. I am focused more than ever on cross and it ended at home on a high note.

Thanks for reading...

Booker T

Okay , I am slowly playing the "catch up" game with my reports. Today brings me to Booker T mountain bike race in Chattanooga on August 23rd. Booker T State Park is about 15 minutes from my house and I NEVER ride there. Not that it isn't a fun trail, it is, it's just short. If I am going to load up and drive somewhere to ride I typically want to ride a trail that is longer that 5.5 miles. At race pace it is about a 30 minute lap. That is a lot of riding in circles...


Catherine, Star, Shannon and I headed to Booker T on Sunday morning to unseasonably cool temperatures and perfect course conditions. My personal goal was to see if I could turn a time that would outright win the 40+ Expert Men's fields. That is Mark's field and I can usually get most of those guys but there are a few that I just can't quite catch. I knew the trail and I was feeling good. If there was any day it was going to happen, this was going to be it. This was also Catherine's last race as a Sport rider and Star's first as an Expert. My girls are all growing up!!!

Local races are always fun. There is a small amount of added pressure to do well but it is ALWAYS fun to race in front of the hometown crowd. We had "peeps" in almost every category and Chattanooga was poised to do really well.


Our race started pretty tame, it was a pavement start and no one was fired up to go too fast. I stepped up the pace and took the hole shot. I was the only pro woman, all the other girls were experts, so my goal was to see where I could finish in the men's field. The men all started in front of me so it was pretty much 2 hours of "go catch the boys". FUN!!! Secretly that is one of my favorite games. My other goal was to finish in under 2 hours. If I could do that i would take a SIGNIFICANT amount of time off of last year's time. The course was faster this year but that was still a lofty goal. I raced hard and paced myself well. I ended up coming in at 1:58!!! I did it. I took 12 MINUTES off my time. WOW. Most fields were about 2 minutes faster than last year. I know that I have gotten faster this year but that was a really great feeling. In the end, I was only beat by 5 expert men.

Star took 4th and Shannon was 5th in the pro/expert field. Great ride ladies. Catherine won, of course. Her career as a Sport rider is officially OVER. Welcome to the big girl races....

The best part about Booker T was that it was the final race in the TBRA (TN Bike Racing Association) series. We did a few other races in TN that were part of the series and although we were not chasing the series, Catherine, Helen and I all ended up on the podium. We each took second in our respective categories. What a great season this has been!!!!