I.C. Weekend

Kim in the break.


After the break rejoined the group.


Field sprint.

The Iowa City Road Race and Old Capitol Crit were this past weekend in Iowa City. The first time I did these races was 2006. At that time, the Road Race was women's open and there was no separate cat4 race. Actually the first 2 years I did this race, it was like this. Anyway, that first year I got dropped within the first 5 miles in the pouring rain. I rode the three 13-mile laps all alone. It took me so long to finish, they almost sent a car out to look for me. Then, the following year I made it a half-lap before being chucked off the back by myself. Then, last year, my first year as a cat3 they separated the women's races into a cat1,2,3 race and a cat4 race. While I didn't make the break, I did manage to stick with a chase group and for the first time since I had done this race, I was not alone at the finish.

This year this race turned out to be completely different for me once again. While we were missing the powerhouse that is Sydney Brown, we had the collective power of a green monster known as Team Kenda. Even though no one was ever able to stick a break, they kept the tempo high. First, Catherine would go...then we would collect her and Kristin would go...then we would collect her and Jill would go. I spent a lot of time mid-pack hoping that my teammate Kim would make the break if one ever stuck, but the wind was fairly calm and there was enough power in the group that nothing ever stuck. As we rounded the last turn on our way to the finish, I realized that this race was going to come down to a sprint. This scared the crap out of me since I have not found myself in many field sprints. I had a few moments to collect myself after Bart (one of the motor officials) informed us to hang back while the pro men's race passed us by. After they passed the tension was thick, but no one was really making any moves. Kim told me to go to the back and get ready for the sprint. I stayed back there until the church was about to be in sight. At this time, one of the Kenda girls (who I thought was Kristin, but I now know was Jill) peeled off the back and made a hard effort to the right. I stuck her wheel and after pulling past the group just slightly, we were suddenly just on the front pulling the group. I thought I had really screwed up...but I stuck with it. Suddenly we were just a few hundred meters from the finish, I just dropped my head and went. When all was said and done, Catherine from Kenda as 1st, my teammate Kim was 3rd, and I was...5th?! I couldn't believe it. Who would have ever guessed I could have been able to get a top 5 finish just 3 years after riding this race off the back and alone.

Kyle and I hosted a former teammate of my mine and some of her teammates on Saturday night. Even though we were racing against each other this weekend, it was great to get to know them. I love meeting female cyclists and hearing about why they race and how they got into racing. It is one of the perks of racing for me.

I was honestly dreading the race on Sunday. Last year, Sydney lapped me twice and I felt dreadful the entire race. I assumed I would feel about the same this year...but before I get into that I have to give a huge at-a-girl to my teammate Cara. Saturday was her first road race and she finished 7th in the cat4's race. I thought she had done awesome, but she wasn't completely happy with her performance. Then in her race on Sunday (remember it was only her 2nd race ever), my girl just lit the place up. She was out front on the first lap, had a gap by the 2nd, and had the race rapped up on the 3rd. Even after she was ahead of everyone by more than a half a lap, she kept pushing herself up and over the hill. This girl has a great attitude and works really hard and I was extremely proud of her both days!

Sorry, I digress. Things did not go anything like they did last year. The first 2 laps were fast, but not blistering. I was toward and front and in the mix of things. Then on like the 3rd or 4th lap Kristin from Kenda took off. Then her teammate from Kenda (and winner of the race yesterday) Catherine took off with my teammate Kim in tow. At the time I thought I could have caught them, but I was afraid of bring the pack up to Kim, so I just hung back. On the next lap, I attacked on the hill and got away with only one other rider in tow. I was hoping that she and I could work together...not to catch the 3 up the road, but at least stay away on our own, but this was not to be and we were eventually swallowed up by the group. Knowing that if Kim and the 2 Kenda ladies made it back around to us would, then she would be guaranteed at least 3rd, I sat on the front and held things up. I felt like a true teammate right then. I have been so accustomed to riding by myself and for myself that I didn't really get how great it is to be apart of something bigger than that. This would however also cost me a little in the end, in the fact that I slowed up just enough that some of the dropped riders were able to bridge back up...and then those same women beat me in the sprint. Like Cara on Saturday, I questioned how I had played the game, but I learned some valuable lessons...the most important of which was how fun it is to get to race these ladies. I finished 9th after things got kinda crazy once the lead riders joined back into our group. My legs were shot and my sprinting effort was cut short when my body just said that's it.

On a side note, one of Team Kenda's girls was injured during the race on Saturday. She ended up having to go to surgery on Saturday night and spend the following 2 nights in the hospital. I believe she was released this morning and I wish her a speedy recovery :)

Sylvan Island...or should I say Mud Island

The season opener for IMBRA was this past Sunday at the Sylvan Island MTB trails in Q.C. There were more than a few people chomping at the bit for this one. With dry conditions on Saturday, the race was for sure a go. That did not stop the rain gods from dumping a massive amount of rain on us all day on Sunday. Oddly enough, Eagle Point in Dubuque (the other major race on Sunday) got no rain and neither did I.C. Apparently, a few angry clouds set up shop in Q.C. all day Sunday and we alone got to enjoy wet, soggy chamois.

So, Kyle and I arrived in time to do a practice lap before the beginner race. The trails had not absorbed much water yet and although we were wet and a bit muddy, we had not yet experienced the true nature of what those trails were to become during the race. We were smart enough to bring 2 sets of clothes...although in hindsight I had twice as much stuff caked full of mud to wash, but it was nice to get out of the first wet chamois while we were watching the beginner race.

True to the shop, they threw their newest recruit into the beginner race on flat pedals. Sal did a really nice job...although to his credit, he had not only ridden a mountain bike before he had also raced one, which was in stark contrast to poor Thomas the train last year. Anyway, I digress. All of the beginners did a nice job in those tough conditions!

Next up was the men's sport and women's open races. Having caught the tail end of the men's race last year before they even got into the woods with only a one minute time delay, I asked for a 2 minute delay this year and none of the other women seemed to mind. Thank goodness for that suggestion. There were 2 relatively bad wrecks on the straight stretch before the woods. Two minutes turned out to be just enough time to get the men off the road and bikes out of the way before we came plowing through. Unfortunately, Kyle was one of the men caught up in the second wreck, but eventually he made his way back into the race and he finished very well considering how far behind he was and how hurt had gotten.

Although it was much later this year when I reached the back of the men's sport riders, it was a very similar scenario to last year. The guys at the back seem to be in complete denial that a woman or multiple women for that matter could be stronger than them and so they ride themselves into the ground trying to stay ahead of us. Luckily most of them made some stupid mistake and going around was quite easy. It just amazes me each year that that mentality still exists. By mid-pack though, I felt like a rock star because the guys were bending over backwards to let me around. I will usually just stay behind someone until a big open section comes up or until they make a mistake, but at this point in the race guys were actually getting over while on the single track. I say a resounding "THANK YOU" to these guys. I know that they did not have to do that, and I really appreciate the respect that shows me and the other ladies in my race!

The race turned into a total mud fest. Unlike the pre-race laps that we did, there was true mud and HUGE puddles now on the course. Before the race, the promoters changed the number of laps from 4 to 3. What a relief! It was brutal enough with 3. Oddly enough, I had a really great time. Unlike Waverly a couple of years ago when the mud was so thick that we were pushing, pulling, and dragging our bikes, you could just plow through this stuff. I never once have to push and all of the "climbs" (if you even wish to call them that) were easily ascended without spinning out. Honestly, I know I could have talked myself into do one more lap if we had to but 3 was more than enough.

I placed 1st for the ladies and was 12th overall out of the 54 people that finished. I was only 36 seconds behind Mr. Perrill on his single speed which made me feel even better since that guy is ridiculously fast. Nickski that little snake in the grass finished 4th overall, while Darcy and Brit finished 3rd and 4th in the women's race. Then in the expert race, Robnett aka J.T. finished 2nd, Nenninger finished 3rd, and Darryl finished 4th. It was a great day for I.C. kids!

As of yesterday, I was still digging crusted dirt out of my ears and nose and my eyes continue to water profusely, but it was a great time. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Next up, we are back on the road with the Iowa City Road Race and Old Cap Crit...

Sugar's OPEN!

After a long and tireless wait...Sugarbottom has opened. Kyle, Nickski and I did a loop out there this morning. Kinda muddy, but no complaints from me :) It was glorious to ride MTB again!

Hillsboro-Roubaix

First race of the 2009 season was this weekend. It was supposed to have been Kent Park last weekend, but like all things good it was cancelled due to crappy Iowa weather. Since Kyle's race was full in like the first 2 hours after registration opened, he was not able to race. So, I rode down to the race with Hopson who also gave a lift to Nenninger and Price. We left the morning of the race at 5:30. Pretty f-ing early, but I wasn't driving, so not really a problem. We got down there before 10, which meant we made great time, but something seemed to be missing...that something was my front wheel. No one saw it come off the top of the car, if you are ever driving between Iowa City and Hillsboro, IL on I-80, 74, or 55 take a good look around, you may score a sweet front clincher wheel.

Registration was a real pain and took nearly half and hour, but during that time Hopson managed to find a race tire to put on a backup front wheel that Nenninger brought. Thank goodness he did and he put the tire on there for me!

I started like dead last. Not really sure how that happened, but being one of only like 3 ladies that was there sole without teammates may have had something to do with it. I actually didn't even see the break happen. I later learned there were 7 girls that got away and we managed to swallow one of them back up.

The race was full of dumb mistakes on my part and some general misfortune. I locked handle bars with a girl that had come up next to me. Of course she blamed me even though she came up next to me...but that's just how it goes I guess. Then, about 2/3 the way through the 1st lap I drop a bottle while trying to put it back in my bottle cage. It got worse when we came bombing down this hill into town. At the bottom of the hill you hit a really rough patch of road and apparently that was where my second bottle was lost. So not a single drop of water for me on the last lap.

Not much happened the second lap. We picked up a lost sole from the break and that was about it until about 2 miles from the finish. That's when the ladies started to really turn things on. As you came into town you had to climb 2 hills, bomb down one hill, go up a gradual climb and then there was a flat straight away. I decided early on that I wanted to push the pace on the second hill in hopes of stringing out large group out. Then I hit it hard again up the gradual hill but after turning the corner, I was just about out of steam. About 7 women beat me across the line, but there had been like 15-20 of us at the start of the hills. So I was happy with that. I placed 14th which was 6 places higher than last year.

Next up is Sylvan Island MTB race on the 19th. Finger's crossed that there will be opportunities to ride mountain bike before then :)