(photo by tocvo)
I swear, every year, I get more nervous about this race. In fact, I think I was more nervous about the 2011 Icycle than I was about 2010 cross nationals. I guess because I didn't have any major expectations at nationals, but being the 3-time reigning champ, well, my expectations for the ice race were a bit more easily defined.
I started getting nervous about two weeks ago. I admit that I need to work on my "short game" - I am not so hot in the corners on the short-track, and had great plans to get the bike set up and some practice in before the race, but it was cold, dark and I generally never felt like leaving the house to do it (thanks to the Boy, my bike was set up and ready to go). Ooops! I had major butterflies the day of, and contemplated not going, until the Boy talked me into it with this argument: I had two choices, I could go and fight to keep the crown, or I could go and someone would win it from me, but as the current champ, not showing up was not an option.
I immediately felt better once I got to the rink, and had a couple of laps on the ice. Lots of spectators, and lots of people racing, so I knew it would be a good night. As usual, it was a small group of women, and I knew that I was in for some serious competition when I saw Linda practicing!
My first heat was head-to-head with Linda. I had a good start, but Linda is a great rider, and she didn't let me lead for long. I was all over the brakes heading into the corners in the most obvious way, and Linda rode a great race, taking a deserved win. Afterwards, a spectator suggested to me that a mountain bike was better than my cross bike because "she didn't need to slow down in the corners". Sadly, I could not attribute that to the bike or the tires - it was all me.
My second heat was another head-to-head race, against Reba. Reba has been doing this longer than anyone I know, and shouldn't be discounted. We had a pretty close match, but I was happy to take the win. I was also starting to feel a bit more confident after a few more turns on the ice.
(photo by martinreis)
My third race was the final: 25 laps, around two rinks. I had a pretty good start, but when Linda came around me to take the lead, I didn't worry too much. It was a comfortable pace, and I was happy to sit on her wheel for a bit. After a couple of laps, Meghan passed both of us. I didn't like sitting third wheel, so after a couple of laps, I made a move to get back into second. I was pretty comfortable at that pace, though the photo looks like I'm staring so intently at the back of Meghan's head, I'm drilling a hole! I was feeling good, and pretty sure I could up the pace without killing myself. I waited a bit before making my move, and on the back stretch, got around Meg and got a bit of a gap on her and Linda. From there it was a matter of keeping the pace steady, staying upright, and bringing it in for the W. Success!
(photo by martinreis)
Every year, I am impressed by that there are more women out to try the ice race. It is super fun! And though I admit it is really intimidating, riding on the ice is far easier than you would believe. More women, please! As much as I like winning this one, I also like feeling like I fought for it, and it's really deserved.
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