Superweek Day 3

Superweek – Day 3
Tuesday, July 21st
Cat 3/4 Women: Whitnall Park Crit
Approx 20 miles, 22 mph average

Today we were back in Whitnall park for a shorter crit course. Part of the course went backwards on the previous days course making for a very different but fun course. It started with a sharp, greater than 90 degree turn into a small 5%ish grade hill. The back side had a false flat to a small downhill into a longer false flat with a small headwind. After that, it was an easy sweeping downhill to the flat and fast finish. The first few laps were pretty mellow, it kind of seemed like everyone was warming up and seeing how their legs felt on day 3 of racing. There were a few attacks but they did not stick for long. It was a very hard course to find a good place to attack and stay away. We didn’t have any primes to mix up the race, so that also seemed to keep the attacks down. Because of the width of the road, it provided lots of opportunities to move up on the outsides. When the pace slowed down, that meant positioning would have to be fought for. Everyone seemed to be vying for position from lap 1 and some folks were more aggressive than others. One woman tapped my hip to let me know she was on my side (where I couldn’t see her) because we were all so squeezed together in the front of the field. Later, that same woman would do the same to another rider who apparently didn’t want to be tapped b/c she yells “don’t touch me!”. Then, the verbal altercation ensued! Back and forth they went, and I knew there was one way to stop them from yapping at each other – ATTACK! I was just contemplating attacking when the SRAM girl attacked from the back left of the pack. YES! I had worked hard the last two days to bring many of the attacks back, and I decided today I would let others do the larger share of the work. If someone went, I jumped on their wheel, but I didn’t initiate the chase. The last couple of laps, I found a good wheel 3-5 back and worked hard to stay on it. Then, on the last lap we were all together and I was holding my position and then an unexpected attack from a rider came from the back of the field on the left side and the field went crazy! I try not to panic b/c for one second I think there is no way I can ever make up all the spots I just lost. I look for a wheel. I find one and hang on, the pack sort of yo-yos a bit as we crest the false flat and go down the small decline and I just keep pedaling and adding gears. I find an opening on the outside left and sit a second or two behind a group of 5+ riders. I jump around them in the final 200 meters and just give it all I have. Im out of gears so I spin as fast as I can. I cant believe I have made up this many positions. I somehow manage a 4th place finish! Wow! Where did that sprint come from?! Very happy today! :)

Superweek Day 1

The new Team Rev mascot! Bea-Ver! :)
(a pix of the new mascot!)

Superweek – Day 1
Sunday, July 19th
Cat3/4 Women: Evanston Crit
18 miles, 23.5 mph average

Crit course in downtown Evanston, IL was fairly technical - Lots of manhole covers to dodge and 6 corners, but completely flat. It was cool weather for July, in the upper 60’s and breezy. The crowd was abundant and downtown Evanston was bustling. Very cute area with many cool shops and restaurants.
Lined up with 27 Cat 3/4 women at the line. I was a little nervous but surprisingly not as much as last year. I was excited this year to be a Cat 3 in a 3/4 field and not a 3 in a 1/2/3 field! Big difference! The whistle sounds and we fly out of the gate right away someone starts pushing the pace though the 1st corner and the pace is high for the whole first lap. Things settle down a bit, for a second, and then the attacks start. Im holding a good position in the top 5 of the front of the field. Maybe a little too close to the action though because I had to help cover many of the attacks. I wanted to be there for a break, but did not necessarily want to burn myself up on a bunch of attacks that were not going to stick. There were a lot of attacks on the finishing stretch, which did not make a lot of sense at all. There was a tail wind to the finish, and it was a long 3-4 block stretch with the start/finish pretty much right smack in the middle. A very long stretch to the finish after the last corner! There was a crash to my left at corner 4 midway through the race. Im well clear of it but see a couple girls flying into the padded barriers. Someone attacks while everyone is distracted (tacky if you ask me) and I have to chase back on the strung out field. I try to find a good position for the last 2 laps and I do and I tell myself I have to hold it. Im doing a good job and just as we are starting our final lap we start lapping dropped riders. With all of the corners, its getting very hairy. Its hard b/c the main field needs to get through and they are also trying to race their own race and place as best they can in the final lap. It gets even more dangerous on the 5th and 6th corners. I loose my wheel in the name of safety and have to work VERY hard to make up some spots on the final stretch (at least 600 meters). I find a wheel and move up with her and then pull out from behind her and give it all I have. I hit the giant manhole cover right in the middle of the finishing stretch and my back wheel jumps all over the place. I loose a pedal stroke, which doesn’t help. I regain control of my bike quickly and drill again all the way to the line. I pull out a 5th place finish even with all the craziness of the last lap. Ill take it!

Tulsa Tough 2009

Got to Tulsa, OK late on Friday night with my teammate Teresa. We headed straight to the Blue Dome crit in hopes of seeing the final laps of the pro women's race - no dice. The air was electric through the "Blue Dome district". People lined the figure 8 course cheering and having a great time; sounds of cowbells were plentyful. There were many bars and restaurants along the course and a double decker party bus that was statigically parked at the start/finish. We quickly found Chris and Carrie right after and got the low down. Sounded like a tough race and they both did great! Had some food, met some other pro women and watched the end of the pro mens race. Wow! Talk about fast! St. Louis native, Brad Huff took the win! What an amazing sprint he has!


Saturday 5/30/09: Main & Brady Crit
Woke up after tossing and turning all night. Nerves were plentyful. I knew there were going to be at least 35 racers in the womens 3/4. This was the biggest womens field that I have raced in since Superweek last year. The money was good, so I knew the competition would be high. I had NO idea how well I would hang with this group. New racers and I didnt know the good wheels from the bad ones. This would be a learning process.
The course was an L shape with 6 corners and had a long false flat on the back side. It was also about 30 degrees warmer than just the day before. At the start I was a ball of nerves as I realized there were actually 44 racers in the pack! Wow! Once the whistle was blown, I was quickly focused on the task at hand and forgot about being nervous. There were some squirley bike handlers in the pack and so I tried to stay as close to the front as possible. Still, I almost got taken out in a corner at least 3 times. Our front group lapped three different groups on the course some were lapped 3 times! We averaged 23 mph - not too shabby! There were some great primes offered, but I opted to save my legs for the final sprint. Then, someone got off of the front (Kelli Mente - Punk Rock Cycling). She was strong and not enough people would work to bring her back, so it stuck and she finished a good 15 seconds in front of the pack. The final three laps were brutal with the pace driving higher and higher. I started to fade back into rear of the pack. This is NOT where I wanted and needed to be. I made up a lot of spots on the final gradual downhill before the last corner. I took the inside corner hoping to jump on a wheel, but couldn't find one to save my life. I stood up and sprinted from the final corner. It was about 300 meters, but it felt like 3 times that. All I could do was try to stay ahead of anyone else behind me. I managed 13th place out of 44 riders. Im happy with that, but that sprint set up really needs some work! I tell myself this will be my goal tomorrow.
http://www.tulsatough.com/site/tulsatough/download/144?disposition=inline

Sunday 5/31/09: 13th and Riverside Crit
Our race was early and so I woke at 7am after a great night of sleep (thank goodness). The nerves were there much more subdude today. Everyone kept saying that this was the course that deems Tulsa Tough well, Tough. I quickly learn why. There only 4 corners, but you assend a steep hill into the first corner that is a block long (at least 10-12% grade), the top of the course is rolling, and then you basically descend the same sized hill on the other side into a sharp 90 degree turn to a flat straight away start/finish.

I did not get a chance to ride the course first, so the first time up the hill I was trying to figure out my gearing. Everyone seemed to be setting up for the small ring, so I follow suit. With the right amount of momentum and the right gearing, it wasn't a bad hill. Get on the wrong wheel, and you could be killing your legs each lap. My legs surprisingly felt really good! Ok, I can do this. Down the steep hill you have to break if you want to make it around the hair pin turn on two wheels, the first girl into the corner slides out and into the curb and someone uses the distraction as a great time to attack. She is quickly caught. I stay in the top 5-7 riders and often times Im the first one up the hill. Im feeling great! I look at the lap counter and much to my demise, we still have 9 more times up that hill. I hate it when I look too soon. Ok, put it out of you mind. Some really good primes come, but Im feeling so good, I feel like I could win this thing and the pay out is $325! Im saving my legs. 3 to go - Im perfectly positioned 5th wheel. 2 to go - Im 3rd wheel but as we go through the 90 degree turn into the start/finish, I give up 3 spots. Darn it. I pull myself out of the draft and make up my spots on the straight away. This must have burned up my legs just a little too much b/c that last time up the hill someone attacked hard and I DIED! NOOOOOOO, this is MY race. I put my head down and try to catch them on the back of the course but my heart rate is maxed out and I cant get enough air. Im starting to get tunnel vision. I tell myself, breathe. Ill make up some spots on the final downhill. Nope. They were hammering. I end up in the back of the group into the final corner and my legs are totally burned up for the sprint. I look back to make sure there is no one else there to pass me, nope, Im it. I sit down and cross the line in 12th out of 37. Im not happy about my placement and my final lap, but I feel really good about my fitness. This was a great learning experience and a lot of fun. I cant wait until Superweek!
http://www.tulsatough.com/site/tulsatough/download/130?disposition=inline