provincials '09

This year, my top goal was to podium at Provincials. I got 4th in 2008, and I was determined to get on those steps.

As I have alluded to a few times, I ended up working on a very intense, very busy project for at least half of the season. By the time it ended, I was tired, frustrated on my missed training, not racing as well as I wanted to (isn't that always the case??). In any case, I was pretty sure my bid to podium was done before it really started, but I really wanted to go to Ottawa - I love road trips and racing, and it seemed a good chance to get away with the boy.

I had two weeks to try and pull together a bit more fitness - I was more selective about the last few races, in an effort to come back mentally from Kelso Day 2 (where I was really unhappy), and to get some quality, competitive racing in. I was happy with what I pulled together, given I was tempted to end the season at Kelso.

Saturday was a good pre-race day. We went for a short ride in the Gatineaus - only 5min away - mostly on the road, but we got a bit of riding on the trails, too. Last chance to tweak a few settings on my new bike, and do a few harder efforts. Felt good and rested. We then had lunch in Chelsea, visited with Fiona in Chelsea, and drove down to the race site for some re-con. Not sure where the time went, but it was about 4pm by the time we got there, and we walked the entire course. It took a while, but was totally worth it, and by the time we finished it was dark, so we headed into Little Italy to get dinner, and then back to the B&B for bed.

Race day was a bit misty, with a bit of fog. A little chilly, but warm considering it was mid-November. Everything pre-race ran smoothly. I got in a couple of laps on the course, including a few trys at a some of the trickier sections. While I registered, Ted awesomely set my bike up on the trainer for me, and while I warmed up on the trainer, he put the spare wheels in the pits. Boyfriend as personal mechanic/soigneur is a pretty great system!

On the line, mistake 1 - not being aggressive about being on the front line. I was disappointed that they didn't have separate starts for Master and Senior women, and I found myself boxed into the middle on the second row. On the other hand, probably good to practice not starting in the "ideal" position (whatever that is), so I went with it.

Most of the race is a total blur. I know I was working hard. I knew that I was in the top 10 overall, but since they started the Masters women at the same time, and there were women from Quebec (not eligible for Ontario provincial medals) in the mix, it was hard to say. I should add that I had long ago forgotten the hope of podium, but really wanted to see where I was at. All I really remember is seeing Sarah C drop out, and about halfway through the last lap, I was passed by another woman. I tried to stay with her, but flubbed a remount after a short set of stairs, and opened up just a bit of a gap. I caught my breath, and tried to close the gap as we headed into the finish. Sadly, it wasn't too be, and I finished about 2 seconds back from her. Then I nearly killed the boy because I was exhausted from the effort, and he had locked the car (and was nowhere to be found). I just wanted warm clothes and a drink! My friend Mel won, in a very tight race! Awesome to see how much she has improved in the last two years. And when they posted the results, I learned that I got 5th Elite woman, 4th Ontario Elite. Yes, missed the podium by those 2 seconds! And yes, shed a couple of tears before we left - coming that close to my goal and missing it was a tough pill to swallow.

There's always next year!