long live the queen!

Last weekend was the annual Icycle ice race, and the end of my time as the champ.

This year, there were 6 women competing, so we started with two initial heats of 3 riders each. I cannot begin to tell you how awful my first race was! I was feeling pretty comfortable in practice and warm up, but racing is such a different pace! Those corners seem so much worse at race speed, and I was all over the brakes. Frankly, pretty embarrassing, especially for the defending champion!

I had a bit of a break before the semi-final, which was a good chance to re-group. I stayed inside to keep warm and gave myself a pep talk. There were 4 in the semi-final, and only the top 2 were going on to the final, so I knew what I needed to do if I wanted the chance to defend the title. I am happy to say I pulled out a much better race - I was smoother in the corners, and much more agressive. I got passed in one corner, and raced full out to get back into the lead to win the heat. Yay! So much happier with my racing.

The finale was great, the kind of close racing that is so exciting - to watch and to take part in. It stayed together for the first half, and then Linda and I pulled away, with Linda leading. With a few laps to go, I was working pretty hard to get into the lead, and Linda was doing a great job of holding onto her position. With one to go, I was giving it my all, and took a corner faster than my tires could hang on for. I slid out, and Linda rode clear for the win. It took me a minute to get going again, and limped in for 4th. While I really wanted to win, at least I know I was pushing my limits. I got some pretty good bruises up my left side to show for it, too.

Toronto Grand Prix Tourist caught me mid-slide

All good things must come to an end, and in this case, it was a good run at being the "Ice Queen." I was reigning champion for 4 consecutive years, earning consistent results to go with that sweet nickname. Some years I won quite handily, but more recently, the level of racing has stepped up, and it's been some tight battles to hang onto the crown, making it an exciting event. Even though, each year, I would spend the days leading up to the race claiming I didn't want to race again, I think it's pretty safe to assume I'll be back again next year!

provincials

I am going to cut to the chase on this one - another year, another near-miss of the elusive Provincial podium. I spent a bit of time being bummed about it, and then a bit more time being resigned, and now I've moved on. One more race left this season, can't let dwelling on one race outcome kill the whole season (or at least my outlook on it)!

Both the Boy and I had Friday off, so we drove up to Ottawa. I had hoped to arrive early enough for a quick spin, but alas, it's dark at 4:30 around these parts, so that was a no-go. Glad I brought the trainer - I was stiff from sitting in the car for so long, so I set it up in the hotel room and still got in an hour to spin the legs out before dinner.

Saturday morning was nice and relaxed - neither of us were racing until noon, and the hotel was very close to the race course. We got there around 11, just as the race before ours was getting started, so we checked out the course on foot. I hopped on the trainer for a bit, and had time for a couple of laps before the start.

My start was not great - I think I need more practice in larger groups to get more comfortable with the pack and high speeds at the start. I spent a good chunk of the first lap trying to find places to pass people. I finally got up into 7th on a long grassy power section, and could see 5th and 6th a little ways ahead. Unfortunately, it was not a course where it was easy to close gaps - I spent most of the race holding a pretty steady gap on 6th, never quite making a dent in it. With about three laps to go, the gap was suddenly much larger, and I could see a couple of women slowly inching up on me, too. I knew that Lori was in the Masters category, but I didn't know about the woman with her, so I kept the pressure on. Smart move, since they came within 15 seconds of me, and the other woman was in my category!

I knew I hadn't podiumed for the race, but I also knew that some of the women ahead of me were from Quebec, so they wouldn't be eligible for the Ontario provincial podium. That element of not knowing was what kept me from giving up when it was hard on the course - you just have to keep plugging away and hope for the best. In the end, I missed out on a Provincial medal by one spot - I finished the race in 7th, and as the 4th Ontario rider. I was upset when I realized I had come so close and come up short again. I've had four consecutive years where I've been really competitive in the Southern Ontario races - and have come up with 4th at Provincials each year!

I took a few minutes to dry my tears, a few hours to replay the race and try to figure out what I could have done differently, and a few days to just get over it (with the help of a few good email exchanges). And then, of course, I was ready to go for the last race, at Albion. After all, can't let a great season end in tears!

nationals

Last weekend was the big event for Toronto cross, as our fair city played host to the National Championships. I had mixed feelings leading up to the event - a lot of signs seemed to indicate that, on both organizational and course/location fronts, possibility of "gong show" was quite high. I debated not racing... but... it was Nationals! Plus, I had decided to stay in Elite this year to see if I could improve over last years result... so I had to see, even if it was just for myself. So, of course, my debate of not racing was short-lived, and I did register.

Heading into the race, I had three publicly-stated goals:

1. Finish on the lead lap
2. Finish not-last
3. Don't have a loose and crooked helmet (even if I failed at 1 and 2, I would still look good in the photos)

Let me state here that the race and the course were both better than expected. My cynical heart was expecting total chaos, and but the participant experience was quite smooth - other than the lack of pins at registration. It may have been a total shitshow behind the scenes, but you wouldn't have known. The course was quite hilly and did not suit my strengths at all, but it was not nearly as bad as I was mentally prepared for.

Anyway, showed up quite early, as the Boy raced at 10am, and before the 9am race was the only opportunity to get on the course to check it out. I did a couple of laps at an easy pace. The Boy had a great race in the biggest field of the day. He finished 12th, and I was really proud to see how strongly he fought the entire race.

After watching the Boy's race, I was more excited to get going for my own. I had to remind myself to sit down and eat - I don't normally race so late in the day, so making sure I got more food in between breakfast and race time was pretty important! I got kitted up and had time for a few more laps in the gap before the afternoon races.

All of a sudden, it was time to line up and get started. My initial start, for the first grassy stretch, was pretty good. I came off the line quickly and held my position. The other part of the start, once we turned onto the pavement, suddenly sucked. I just kind of got swarmed. Chalk it up to "not used to riding with more than 10 women", or "don't forget, you need to keep going hard". By the time we hit the woods, I was either last or second to last, and not so impressed with myself.

This is normally the part where I could give some kind of lap-by-lap race recount. I actually can't for this race, which probably means I was working pretty hard. Or was pretty worked over. Regardless, I know that I hung on to the strung out field for a bit, and moved up to 18 (of 21). I managed to squeak by Mandy on one of the run ups, but she rallied and got the spot back and then some, moving up even further in what I think is one of her first cross races. The gap ahead of me grew, and the gap behind me seemed pretty solid. I really, really hurt. I wanted to DNF - the climbs were absolutely killing me, I felt like I was working so hard, it hurt a lot, and being at the back of the race, I didn't feel like I was getting much payback for the effort. (An aside: does it actually hurt less when you are fighting near the front? Or does the excitement of being in the thick of things help you forget and/or shelve the pain? Discuss!) I felt like I had people cheering for me on every corner of the course, which helped so, so, so much. Besides, it was only 40minutes... I could handle it, I just needed to toughen up.  I just tried to focus on doing each thing as well as I could - fast over the barriers, good remount, pedal through the corners... I screwed up one of the off-camber sections, and just heard Rachael remind me to stay focused - it helped so much. Before I knew it, I saw that I was catching on the girl in 18th. I had a lap and a half to go, and I could catch her. I caught her on the paved section, and led through the woods, just before we got the bell for last lap. She got out of the saddle and hammered out of the corner after the woods, and I let her open up a small gap. There was still a full lap left and I knew that I could reel her in again; it was nice to race with a bit patience and confidence. Sure enough, I caught her again at the first run up, and gapped her on the remount. Held onto 18th for the finish.

I have never worked so hard for such a low result. I admit that I felt frustrated when I first finished - it is very hard to go from racing in the top-5 at local races to the back of the pack for one race. On the other hand, well, it's Nationals - the largest and most competitive field all year. I know I'm a long ways from top 5. I also know that when I set my schedule at the start of the season, I've never put much emphasis on Nationals - it's just hard to not get wrapped up in them when you're actually there.

Anyway, musing about the importance of the race aside, I am happy for a number of things from this race. First, I improved on my result from last year (from 19th in 2010 to 18th in 2011!), and second, I achieved two of my previously stated goals of finishing "not-last", and of not being lapped. The straight-helmet thing seems to depend on the photographer, the time, whether I am on an off-camber section or not, and all other weird witchcraft. I think I might just need to go shopping for a new helmet over the winter to solve this one!

dwindling chances

The end is nigh!

As the season heads to closing, I realize I have only 3 races left to get it right. And by "it", I mean racing with my helmet on straight and even! Hi, my name is Briana, and I often race with a helmet that is either loose or crooked.

This example is from Hillbilly Hustle, but I have plenty of similar evidence. People, if you see me headed towards the start line, please don't snicker to yourselves and let me go on my merry, crooked way!

Last weekend was the Hardwood Hills cross race. I wish they had put it on the same weekend as Baseball Cross in Barrie, because they are so close, it would be much easier to make a weekend of it.

Anyway, where Baseball Cross had lots of open grassy areas and fast corners, Hardwood had hills and sand and run ups. I had a great start, and moved up into third as we did the "prologue" from the start to the finish. I was feeling pretty good, and was doing my best to hold that position, but I could see Julie, Lori, Rachael and Michelle not far behind. Julie could clearly see that the hillier course was not my friend, and with a really strong push, caught and passed me. I kept plugging away, trying to be as efficient as possible, and take as much advantage of the sections where I felt good, but with two to go, Lori also made me feel like I was standing still. I thought I could keep her within close distance, but on the last trip through the sand pit, I hit it with a lot of speed and instead of rolling gracefully through, I hit a rut badly and just kind of bounced up and down all over the place. Ah well - 5th woman and 4th elite is still pretty good!

Adding a photo, by Rob MacEwen, to show off my awesome old Cactus Cup jersey, worn because it was Halloween and I couldn't find anything else that qualified as a costume. And, of course, because it is pretty cool. I won it when I got third place in Beginner Women at the Whistler Cactus Cup in 1994 (I also got so, so, lost pre-riding, still have scars from crashing on a dusty downhill switchback, and finished about an hour behind 2nd place... but there were only 3 of us, so I still made the podium!).

baseball cross

Sunday saw a bright and early departure for the drive up to Barrie. When Mike and I pulled into the lot, we got out of the rental (a Fiat 500), and a woman walking by said "I can't believe you fit a bike in the back!" Actually, 2!

Mike races at 10, so I was there with plenty of time to get signed in, check out the course, and get warmed up. Which was good because it was a bit frosty when we first arrived. Thank goodness for sunshine - it all melted pretty quickly, and I ended up racing in shorts and short sleeves! The course was a great mix of surfaces, and lots of fast, flowy corners. Some gravel sections, a bit of mud, and a large dirt hill - rideable, unless you were stuck in traffic or someone went down in front of you.

I also have to give a huge thanks to Brad for sorting out a shifter problem I was having, about 5 minutes before the start.

I had a great start, and was sitting comfortably in the front group through the first lap. There was a bit of traffic on the hill - even though I was in 4th wheel when we got there, I didn't have as much momentum as I had used in practice. I stalled partway up and had to get up and run. Apologies to anyone behind me, as I'm pretty sure this was part of a big chain reaction right down the hill that split the group up! I got into chase-mode, and within a lap and a half, I had moved up to third, on Leigh's wheel, with Laura ahead off the front. Leigh and I spent the next 4 laps going back and forth! It was probably the most tactical and closest race I've had in a long time. I could never make any of my little attacks stick, and ultimately, couldn't stay in front when it really mattered. Leigh got around me on the inside on the second to last corner, and I couldn't make up enough ground in the sprint.

The excitement of such a close race stuck with me for a couple of days, and I was feeling excited and motivated all week. Well, at least until it was time for my workout tonight, and I suddenly felt way less motivated!

(This week's photos courtesy of Rob MacEwen, who took such great shots, I might just hire him to follow me and photograph me all the time.)

Hillbilly Hustle

Last weekend started with a quick trip to Muskoka. We had some event-planning business to attend to. As any time we are in the area, we swung by Buckwallow. The Boy visited with Mike while I did a quick spin. The Boy thinks I may be one of the first to ride a cross bike at Bucky. It was... challenging, to say the least! Despite sticking to the double track and easier single track, but those skinny tires are not a great match for those roots and rocks. I think the hairiest moment was coming down one of the rocks on Missing Link, and realizing just how crappy canti brakes are. It was still super fun, and I certainly got a couple of good looks on the trails from people on somewhat bigger bikes.

Because racing the next day was up in Duntroon, we opted to stay over in Collingwood. We even stayed at the Mariner Motor Hotel, aka, that place with free breakfast and bunnies in the yard across the street.

Hillbilly day came, and it was cold and windy. I got in one lap before the 10am race - just enough to check out the course and confirm that my mega-squealy brakes needed further adjustment. A bit of bike work from the Boy, which downgraded my brakes to just plain squealy, and I got in a few more laps prior to the start. It was a good course for me - lots of good power sections on the top of the plateau. A bit of fun single track, and nice long downhill, and then a fun little over-under flyover before the last few fast corners. I was loving the second half of the course, where it felt like you were just flying.

My start was not great, and I gave up a few spots from my second row start. By the time we hit the gravel climb, I decided I needed to move up. Picked a line on the far left - some may say gutter - and motored my way up to get back to the front of the pack. Or, what was left of it. I think by now, Amanda had taken off to work her way through the Master men's field, and Julie and Michelle were also off on their own. I tried to sit in on Lori's wheel for a bit in the wind, which was really quite ridiculous considering how much smaller she is. At the barriers, I gave an extra push to get back on the bike and on the gas before her, creating a small gap as we headed to the single track. I pretty much spent the rest of the race in no-man's land - steadily working on lengthening the gap on the girls behind me where Jamie and Lori were riding together, and watching the gap in front get just a bit bigger each lap. Picked off a few Master men, and rolled in for 4th overall and 3rd Senior woman.

The downside was having to do the podium out in the rain. Total worth it, however, for the chocolate in my prize! Then it was out to spectate and help out, wearing as many layers as possible. I think it's time for a new umbrella...

The Boy was racing in the rain, and the temperature seemed to drop. Even though he forgot to sign in and forgot to pin his numbers, he settled in and was having a fantastic race. The slippery conditions were great for him. The rain and cold, however, were not, and he had to pack it in when he couldn't feel his hands anymore. I've seen him get those kind of chills before, so I bought a tea and brought it to the men's changeroom to help him warm up. I just called from the door, since I knew there were a few others who had DNF:ed in there, but apparently getting personal tea service to the changeroom still got a few giggles from the others.

Love the Hillbilly Hustle. Last year was the only year I did not do the Hustle - can't remember why, but it was cold and snowy, this year was cold and rainy and it was great to be back!

ooooh, cross

First cross race of 2011 is in the books!

Last year, my first race after finishing the 8-hr in Quebec was terrible. I don't want to relive it here - that's what the archives are for - but let me tell you that a long endurance event did not set me up well for 50min of suffering.

This year, I definitely felt better after the 8-hr (thank you, front suspension!). And I tried to get out on the bike and for a run in the intervening week. I even practiced dismounts and remounts the day before... oh man, was I rusty! I decided that my definition of success for race day would be if I didn't trip and land on my face.

Race day, and it was really, really hot. I unzipped my jersey, and now see from the photos that I had a bit of a Paola Pezzo thing going on. With apologies to those who think cycling races should be family-friendly, I promise to race in more modest attire in the coming weeks!

Success - on more than one level! The start was fast and it was hard to hold my position, but as the race unfolded, I felt pretty good. I felt strong when I needed power, and made the most of out of the long flat sections. The run up and barriers were killing me, but it still wasn't that bad. I had a good battle going with Lori and Julie for a couple of laps before they pulled away. With about 2 to go, I could see Leigh just ahead, and lucky for me, we were heading for the long power section. I gave it everything I had to pass and take the lead - unfortunately, when that effort proved to be too much, Leigh was on my wheel and passed me easily. I ended up in 4th for Senior Women, and totally humbled by the speed of some of the Master Women, too. Some fast ladies!

Adventures in la Belle Province

Time for the annual trek to St-Felicien in Quebec for the 12-heures de Clorophylle. I signed up for the solo 8-hr option, since I just wanted to go for the riding and was not so keen on the idea of night laps. The Boy's friend, who builds all the great trail at the St-Feicien Tobo-Ski, talked him into doing a 12-hour tag team.

First, however, we had to get there. We drove to Montreal on Thursday, where we stayed with my cousin. The next morning, we lounged over brunch, and then we were off for the rest of the drive. Took a couple of breaks, especially when we passed through the town with the giant chair.

We arrived around 6pm, and decided to go straight to the race site, to see where our friends were camping and say hello. We had one minor mis-hap at this stage. To get to Tobo-ski, you take a dirt road out of town. There are a couple of off-shoots, and in our we-only-come-once-a-year fuzzy brains, we turned off one dirt road too soon. It took a little while before we realized our first mistake, we turned around and (being in the middle of nowhere), I took the opportunity to relieve myself  - this being our second mistake. We continued back out to the main road, and were stopped in our tracks by a long steel cable, spray painted fluorescent orange, pulled across the road and locked. It was so unexpected, I briefly thought that we had made yet another wrong turn, and that this was not the direction we'd come from. No such luck - the guy working in the area must have left while we were turning around, and not realizing we were on his property, locked us in. Did I mention the trees and boulders lining the road? The only way out meant sorting out that little locked chain and cable situation.

We inspected the cable, and saw that it was attached to a chain with a couple of bolts. We had pretty limited tool selection - think "here for a bike race" - but one of the bolts was 15mm. All bow down to the mighty pedal wrench, which the Boy used to undo bolt number one. Bolt number two was a bit bigger, and we tried to jam the pedal wrench on, even employing a rock. It wasn't working out quite as easily, so we hiked the last kilometre or so up to Tobo-ski for reinforcements. Since the Boy's friend works there, we had no problem getting vice grips. The boys went back down on the quad while I tended to the campfire, and within 10 minutes they were back - with the car! One potentially stressful situation diffused by being resourceful and really lucky.

The next day was race day. I was taking a pretty relaxed approach to my race - I hadn't given nutrition too much thought, and planned to just take breaks as often and for as long as I wanted. My only goal was to get in more than 6 laps, which was what I managed last year. A secondary goal was to make it to the start before the actual start, and I did do that, though barely!

I did two laps off the start, and was happy to recognize a bunch of stuff on the back half, and to feel like I was riding it better this year. Took a break to get a fresh bottle, and fuel up, and headed back out for another double. I knew I was getting comfortable on the course, because it didn't seem so long. Laps 3 and 4 were pretty uneventful - people had really spread out, so you got to spend plenty of time on your own. I followed this up with a really long break - I got changed, got fresh bottles, and made a bit of lunch. Then I made some coffee, and hung out for a bit with the Boy, who had come in about half an hour after me. It took some real self-talk to get myself out there again, since I was starting to feel pretty relaxed. I finally got going, grabbed extra food, and put a spare bottle down by the transition so I wouldn't be tempted to come back to the car. Lap 5 and 6 were good. Through lap 7, I was making a lot of mistakes, and generally getting a bit tired. By the time I got through the fun stuff on Slalom and Ricochet (two great trails), I was feeling a bit better, and started to wonder if I'd have time to squeeze in one more. I decided that if i got in and still had 50min or more, I could dial the effort back but still get one in and finish before 6:30pm. I came to transition, and had 49min left.... close enough! I had a gel, and threw the bike in granny gear to get myself up the opening climb. My last lap, I somehow felt better than previous, and loved every minute of it.

I ended up 5th, and had pretty steady lap times between 41 and 45 minutes. Definitely a fun time! The Boy and his friend did well as a tag team. They had a couple more hours of racing after me, since they were in the 12-hour category. We thought they were winning, but at the awards ceremony, learned that they had finished 2nd. There was a second list of tag teams that we missed, and never knew they were behind this other team all day!

Two in One

A bit behind in posting race reports, so here we go!

Mountain Bike Rally
Huge thumbs up on this one! A new event, made up of timed and transition (a.k.a non-timed) stages. It sounded fun, and given the low number of mountain bike races after the month of June, it seemed like a good time for an extra race and to try something new.  Totally worth it!

The timed events were fairly short - about 5 to 7 minutes - followed by transition stages of about 30 minutes of awesome single track. My great challenge was to really race the timed stages, without having pre-ridden the trail. With each rider going at 30s intervals, there were no line to follow, and each was really a mini TT. Realized pretty quickly the importance of looking ahead, as I made a few small mistakes like cutting a corner too tight.

I thought I had a good battle going with Carlene, but given the TT-nature of each stage, it was hard to know who was ahead at any point. In the end, I picked up silver, but only by 6 seconds.

OCup 7 - Highlands Nordic
Last OCup of the season! The Boy and I came up to check out the course earlier in August, and by lap two, I was having fun on it. Same drill for the pre-race pre-ride - first lap felt awful, but the second lap was good fun, and I was feeling excited to race. I pre-rode with Mike, and we had a good time. It was nice to have someone about my speed, and similar technical ability, so we could help each other figure out some of the sections. After many, many, many re-tries, I finally nailed the long, flat rock garden. It wasn't really that bad a feature, but it was definitely the one thing from my first ride at Highlands that I couldn't ride, and I needed to conquer it before it became an issue. Having accomplished that, I was feeling pretty good about racing the next day!

We stayed in Collingwood, at the Mariner Motor Hotel. It looked to be just the right combo of dodgy and cheap but not scary in the photos online, and it was a good choice. Best part was the random bunnies living across the street. Reminiscent of Canmore, and the Boy managed to get pretty close for some photos and to feed them by hand. Random morning cuteness done, we headed to the race!

I was feeling a bit lazy once we got parked, and totally stalled on my warm up. May or may not have included seeing if I fit in the trunk of the car.

Anyway, finally got myself warmed up and to the line. The lap starts with a long climb, and I managed to stay near the front, in 3rd. I drifted back to 5th within the first few sections of single track, but managed to catch back up to 4th before the end of the lap. We were still in a small group when we hit the rock garden, and I was pretty nervous about people behind me. I ended up flying through it so much faster than any of my practice runs, I scared myself! Second time up the hill, I was passed like I was standing still (did I mention that I was racing against an Olympic rower? She was killing it on the climbs!), and was back to 5th. Lap 2 was pretty uneventful, but I was definitely feeling more comfortable on the trails and having a good time. Just as I started my last lap, Kate caught me on the line... I was pretty sure she was ahead of me before, but I learned she had had a flat. I was really hurting, so I let her lead up the climb and through the single track. Once we started going down, she gapped me pretty well, and I didn't really catch up to her until she was by the side of the course, and withdrawing... a second flat. I was on my own for the rest of the race, enjoying that sweet course. Fun way to finish the OCup series. I ended up 4th in the race, and 4th in the series.

Next up: road trip! Leaving tomorrow for the annual trek to St Felicien, and my second stab at a not-very-serious solo 8-hour.

race report - O Cup 6, Kelso

Let me start with telling you about the best-worst pre-ride ever. I wanted to get my pre-ride done early in the week, especially since the trail run the day before the race meant to pre-riding until 1pm. Not the most favorable day-before schedule for getting a few laps and a good recovery done, so I took advantage of the holiday Monday, and went up with Mike to check out the loosely-marked course. It was fantastic! There were a couple of uphills that I struggled on, but nothing major, and best of all, no terrifying pointy-rock gardens or descents that made me want to pee my pants. Woohoo! I was getting pretty excited for this race - hence the best pre-ride ever.

Fast forward to race day. Mike and I made it through the torrential downpour on the 401, and only briefly contemplated bailing on the whole thing. The rain was seriously nasty! But luckily it cleared up quite nicely as we parked and got registered. It was still hot and humid, but wet, so a great opportunity to try out the non-warming embrocation. Loved watching the rain bead on my legs while I warmed up! I think it made more dirt stick to my legs in the end.

After a record number of Senior Ex Women at the last race, we were back down to a small group of 5 for Kelso. The pace was pretty quick off the start, but I felt more prepared for the race effort than I had at Buckwallow, so we all stayed pretty well together. I was last wheel by the time we hit the top of the climb, but 3rd and 4th were not far ahead, and I was able to catch and make up a couple of spots by about the halfway mark. All good, cruising along the double track, getting ready to make the next right into the single track... and I am met with course tape. Turns out the "loosely-marked" course on Monday was missing an entire section! A section which contained some rock gardens that I really would have benefited from practicing in a pre-ride! Not fun at race speed, and with the recent rain, not something I wanted to do on the fly at race-pace, so I ran the majority of the bumpy bumpy rock gardens - hence the worse pre-ride ever.

 

I made it to the end of the first lap sitting in third, only to fall back to 5th by the top of the climb. As before, I made up those spots by mid-way, and was back to third as we headed into the last lap. This time, I only conceded one spot on the climb. Something was different this lap - even though I was working pretty hard, by the mid-way point, I had not caught my third place rabbit. I pushed even harder, but didn't really catch sight of her until we were back at the bottom. As I came into the feedzone climb, I could see her, just at the top. I pushed as hard as I could to close the gap, but all I got was a major cramp in my left quad,. Finished up in 4th, absolutely cooked from the effort, but happy with a good race.

race report - O Cup 5, Buckwallow

This year, I pretty excited to race at Buckwallow. Since the Boy and I go a few times a year, I've learned to really enjoy it, rather than being as intimidated as I was the first time I was there. Plus (in case you've already forgotten!) - new bike. With front suspension! I was excited to try it out on the rocks, and to see test myself on the more technical trails.

At the same time, I was not excited to race that weekend, because I had just returned from my trip, and was tired, jetlagged, and missed being home.

Saturday was pre-ride, and I rode most of it with the Fishers, who helped me a lot in picking lines and practicing stuff. It was a good pace, and Lee helped me a tonne by bossing me around until I got something. I think my favorite quote from her was "You're so chicken! No, go back, do that again!" It honestly helped. I did one full lap, and then Lee and I did the first and last sections of single track (Loam Rider & Moose Mayhem) a couple more times. By the time we were done, I was super excited for racing because I was comfortable on the whole course, and cleaned everything on Moose for the first time ever.

I was out and helping with my "in-law" team for the 10am race. In reality, I was scoring brownie points to guarantee myself a feed later!

We had 10 women in Senior Expert! I think the first thing I forgot about this course, is that you really need to go hard for that long double track opening. Since I hadn't raced in a month, it was just this weird "oh right, go fast, we're racing!" reaction. I was hanging onto the back of the pack, and was really having trouble moving up. I went into the single track pretty far near the back, and spent the first lap riding with Danielle and Christiane, sort of yo-yoing off the back and catching back on. I moved up to second wheel towards the end of the lap, and then took the lead when Christiane crashed in Moose Mayhem. Danielle was right with me, and very patiently rode behind me through Loam Rider. I can only imagine how annoying my wheel must be in tight single track, but she was kind enough to let me lead! She did, however, pass me shortly after we hit the double track! I drafted Danielle for a little bit, and decided that I wanted to up the pace a bit, and she would probably catch me in the single track before too long. At various points, I could see Elyse and Ali battling it out ahead, although I never managed to catch either of them. By lap 3, Danielle still hadn't caught me, and I rode a good hard lap to come in in 6th.

Not my best result this season, but I was definitely happy with how I rode!

race report - O Cup 4, Albion

Before anyone gets to wondering about my counting skills, I did skip O Cup 3 at Hardwood. Things were a bit busy, Hardwood is not my favorite course (especially on a rigid bike), and I thought I'd take the weekend to run a few errands and ride for fun. In fact, one of my fun rides was at Albion, where I pre-rode the course there, eliminating the need to pre-ride the day before race day.

As a result of my race-skipping and advance-planning, Saturday was pretty sweet! Very relaxing, for sure. I had a quick ride, then brunch with a friend, some time around the house, dropped in on Brad and Rachael to meet Winston, and then got my race stuff together. Whew! Ok, maybe not that relaxing, but it sure felt like it since I didn't have to rush out to Albion to check out the course!

Since I was flying solo for this one, the first order of business was to find a feed - no problem with the large and friendly crew from CSAJ. I got warmed up, got my bottles organized, and got to the line. I had an ok start, and quickly got on the pain train, led by Jenn and Ali. Jenn pulled away, eventually winning it wire to wire, and I managed to keep Ali in my sights for most of the first lap. I knew Danielle wasn't too far behind, and we nearly came through the lap together. On lap two, I was already starting to suffer on the climbs, and about midway through the lap, I lost my focus and things came apart for a bit. Danielle passed me with some encouraging words, and I decided I needed to stick with her as best I could. She got a decent gap, and I never closed it, but I was able to pull myself back together to keep up the chase and maintain my position. You really need to keep pushing in this category because we're all pretty close in ability and fitness - positions 3 to 7 each finished 30s apart! I was right in the middle of the category in 4th, and just felt happy to have rallied for my last lap.

race report - O Cup 2, Woodnewton

Sunday was the most recent iteration of the 2011 O Cup Series. Woodnewton is a good early season venue, with lots of fun single track and lung-busting climbs. And luckily, pretty good at holding up in the wet, since Saturday afternoon/night and most of Sunday was raaaaaainy.

Pre-pre-ride (does that even make sense?), my instruction from The Boy was to try and find a spot where I could try an attack. I did the world's fastest pre-ride ever on Saturday morning, since I was short on time and worried about rain (no time to try to find the right line in the rock garden - the alternative line is good and fast, and I need to go now!). I did give some thought to places to attack, keeping my strengths in mind. The Boy and I talked about it again on Saturday night, and I was ready to try to shake things up in my race.

Sunday morning came, and despite my experience with freezing cold and rainy October weather, I had a hard time motivating myself to warm up properly. Off the start, I wanted to keep an eye on Ali, who had taken a flyer early in the last race, and very nearly rode off with the win. A few metres off the line, I heard bikes coming together just over my right shoulder, as a couple of girls got tangled and went down. There was a loud snap, and I later learned that one girl broke her frame, but not wanting to cause another crash by looking, I kept my head down and pedaled. I was near the front of the train as we headed into lap 1. After Alison fell in the slick single track, and I decided to capitalize and go for it a bit earlier than planned. Kate came around me on the double track, and was never seen again - she had a great race, after getting slowed up by the crash, she rode through the field and took the win. In the meantime, I threw caution and pacing to the wind, and pushed myself hard to hang onto second place.

Lap two I kept pushing, but by the end of the lap, I knew Alison was on my wheel and it would be tough to dislodge her. She rode a smart race, pacing herself much better, not to mention riding way smoother in the single track. She passed me just as we head into Matty's Mahem, the muddiest, slickest single track. I was expecting her to make that pass, since it was exactly what I would have done in her place. I was fading a bit from my previous efforts, and while Alison put an impressive minute and a half into me by the finish, I managed to hang onto third place for another stop on the Expert podium. Yay!

(yeah, yeah, no photos. The Boy and I are having a hard enough time sorting out feeding when we race back to back, so my official photographer is now either feeding me during my race, warming up, or doing his own race!)

O Cup 1 Race Report - Mansfield

So, I kinda took the plunge and upgraded to Expert over the winter. I decided that a win and a handful of 3rd and 4th place finishes, as well as enough points to upgrade were hinting that I was ready to step it up a level. I know it's early days for the season, but I am so excited about racing in Expert, I can hardly contain myself! I think there will be some great battles this season, and I can't wait to keep riding with this great group of ladies.

Shall we back up to the pre-ride? It was pretty good. I was mostly trying not to kill myself on the climbs, and remembering what my mountain bike felt like on dirt. I got in two laps - one easy to check it all out, and one trying a bit more speed on the single track. I had originally planned on three laps, but it was pretty hot (nice, but I wasn't used to it), and I was at risk of getting tired and frustrated.

Saturday night was great. I rarely comment on my pre-race routine, but I continue to be so damn proud of myself for somehow getting my bag packed, dinner made, bottles prepped, and Sunday's dinner done and in the fridge for an easy post-race evening. Oh, and I made it to a friend's going-away party, too!

Sunday was race day, and I learned the first bonus of racing Expert: not needing to wake up and leave the house at the crack of dawn. Leaving at 9am felt so civilized - we even had time to get coffee from Sam James Coffee bar, and traffic was not too bad. Got to Mansfield in good time, and got in a decent little warm up (necessary, since it was a bit on the windy/chilly side). Tried to keep race-tummy and related bathroom breaks to a minimum, but I admit to having pre-race nerves. I had no clue what to expect in Expert, and I was nervous and excited to find out!

First lap was really good - I was riding in a little train of 4 girls, sitting at the back and taking it all in. It was so much fun! It was a good pace, but not killer, and was just fun to be racing so close to others in my category. After the first lap, I had a pretty good idea of where I might be able to open a gap - on a steep uphill, which a couple of the girls were dismounting for. On lap 2, we shuffled order a bit on the opening climb. I went a bit earlier than planned, but I wanted to make sure I got into that single track climb with a clear run at it. Jennifer pulled away from me shortly after, and I never saw her again. On my last lap, I could see another woman from my category ahead, just as we headed into the last section of single track. She had made an early escape, and nearly stayed away the whole race, and was all I needed as a carrot. I pushed to try and catch her. She gained some ground on me on the open gravel downhill, and I gave it my all to catch her wheel through the last corners, but it was not in the cards. I finished in 3rd, less than 10 seconds down from 2nd. And Christiane finished a mere 30 seconds behind me - I hope this means lots of good, close racing this season!

Paris-Ancaster

What a day for Paris-Ancaster! I don't think I've ever dealt with weather like this for such a long race before - I expect it for late-season cross, but it's only 40min, which makes it somehow more manageable.

First, many, many thanks must be given to my awesome teammate Mari, who came to Ancaster very early on Sunday, specifically to deliver me and the Boy to the start in Paris with our bikes (we registered a bit too late for the pre-race bus). So Mari basically bailed us out, and she brought cute little doggies with her!

The start was surprisingly good - I felt like I was going backwards a bit as we headed up the road, but I got my head screwed on and started moving up before we hit the rail trail. I managed to avoid getting tangled in a crash when someone two wheels ahead suddenly hit the deck and took out the guy in front of me. I steered into the ditch and managed to get around unscathed. There were times in the tailwind that I worried that I was overdressed for the day.

The rest of the race was pretty much a blur. I shuffled between a couple of different groups throughout the race - never really sticking with one for long as I lost a few spots in one section, or tried to bridge up to the next group on another. As a result, I spent far longer on my own than I should have - I really need to work on being patient and working with a group. Well, except for that small group of mountain bikers who still didn't pull through when I was basically sitting up and riding in the ditch! I was really cursing the decision to go with file treads on some of the muddier sections. Later in the race, I was getting better at staying with other riders, even if I had to suffer somewhat in order to do so - something that paid off greatly with the massive crosswinds. Still, with primarily tail winds, I was feeling good and pleased with how I was doing for time.


And then in started to snow, and I was so glad I was wearing the layers I had! I had to take off my glasses, since they were fogging up really badly, but it kind of left me riding somewhat blind, as I tried to keep the dry little snow flakes from getting in my eyes. Rapid blinking is not recommended during a high speed corner! Towards the end of the race, I started getting some bad cramps in my right calf and left quad - the quad cramps getting particularly painful when I had to remount. I was pretty sure I was going to have to walk part of the final climb - the cramps were so painful. Unfortunately, just like last year, I saw people I knew, and they were cheering for me! It was very motivating to see some friendly faces, and I am pretty sure that's what got me up the hill and over the finish line. As much as I hate finishing on that hill, I far prefer killing myself on a hill at the end of a race, instead of at the beginning of a race... Pelham, I am looking at you!

Post-race details - I got third in my age cat! And a personal best P-A time (by about 50 seconds)! And I did the whole race with my heart rate monitor effing up and it didn't bother me once (you can ask the Boy, this is actually the most amazing thing of all. When my heart rate monitor is not working as it should I get all Hulk-like and Briana smash!). Two issues with the race from my perspective - first, I can't believe the gates were still closed on the rail trail near Jerseyville - not a big deal to scootch around them in a small group, but a potential problem for larger groups, likely travelling a bit quicker. Second, I wish they could move the podium presentations up a bit earlier, reducing the finish-to-podium wait to something under 2.5hrs. Still, all in all, a good day at the races.

end of season surprises

I had two nice surprises recently, both from good consistent performances last year.

Loving the oxymoron of "Elite Sport", but it's nice to get something for a solid mountain bike season.

A plaque of my own to hang on the wall! I was somewhat disappointed with my race at Nationals last year, so this was a sweet reminder that I was still consistent over a lot more races.

Some excellent motivation as I try to balance the day job with training and those early season races!

Tour of Pelham

So excited to see this one back on the calendar for 2011! Well, excited until I was mid-way through the suffer-fest today, when I kinda wished I'd stayed at home, and then excited again because I felt good at the finish (I won't post my very grumpy looking photo. I was excited to finish, in that so-exhausted-I-just-need-to-stop-coughing-long-enough-to-pass-out-so-don't-even-try-talking-to-me kind of way.)

The morning started painfully early so that we could be down in St Catharine's well before the 11am start. I find that I am so scattered at the first races, it is nice to have plenty of extra time for forgetting things/being slow/chatting. I had time for a quick warm up with a few laps around the parking lot, then it was time to head down the hill to the start. I went for a bit of a warm up on the road at the bottom, and nearly missed the start entirely because I thought it started about 200m higher than. Oops! Just missed a few intros on the start line - still got the major instructions, and more importantly, still made the actual start.

The start goes straight up the escarpment, with a killer climb. I paced myself fairly well, but couldn't recover well enough and lost a few places leading up to the single track. I could see at least one woman, just in front of me, and knew Leslie was also ahead. I spent a lot of time trying to bridge up to the next woman and her group, and finally pulled it off, just as we hit the road. When we turned down the Chute, I lost contact with the front of the group, and though I could see them ahead, I was never able to bridge that gap. I spent most of the race riding on my own, but close to a couple of juniors. We hit this absolutely soul-sucking and back-crushing cornfield, and just as I neared the end, I saw two women ahead - and neither were Leslie, who I figured was further ahead. Realized I was likely fourth place woman, but you never know in a race like this and anything can happen, so I kept the pressure on, hoping for the best. This years course had a fun section where the course doubled back on itself, and I got a boost of morale from the Boy as he went by in a great position. I made it through the killer hills around Shorthills Provincial Park, but as I headed back towards the single track leading to the finish, I couldn't see anyone ahead. The last bit of off-road was really chewed up, and my tire/fork combo was picking up mud and every leaf I rode over. I stopped to get the wheel moving and ran, but still needed to stop and unclog things again. Shouldered the bike, ran to the road, and hopped on to ride over the finish line. Done!

Did a quick post-race cool down, heard about Mike's bad luck with a tire, and got cleaned up and changed. I wandered back to wait for the Boy's podium, and got a nice surprise of making the podium as 3rd 19+ Woman. Wooot! Turned out one of the gals ahead is under 18, but I was so sure I wasn't on the podium, I wasn't wearing my jersey for the photo.

Heather (2nd) and I (3rd)... missing Leslie

Bike is running great, and the body is running pretty good for early season. Excited to be back to riding outside and racing!

ice race!

The unofficial, but always important, first race of the season.

(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.

race report catch-up time

The season marches on! Since playing hooky from racing and hanging out in the Don a few weeks ago, there's been more fun on bikes.


SOCup 6 - Barrie
Holy hell, it was cold and windy! I found I had a hard time warming up for this one, it was so cold and other than the bathrooms, there weren't any indoor areas to stay warm(ish). I got a lap and a half in, and then it was time to head to the line. I think the break from racing took me out of the pre-race routine - I managed to pull together enough warm clothing to get me through the race, and ditched the HR monitor in favor of going with the flow and winging it. I didn't have a great start, I think maybe about 4th wheel when we hit the barrier. The girl in front of me came to a complete start to get back on immediately following the barrier - it was a slow spot, since it was on an off-camber... I ran around her and managed to keep with the chase group. At this point, no surprise, Mel was off the front in first. I latched onto Lesley and Kelly's wheels, along with Aly. Nearly every lap played out the same - I would catch up and get up to third wheel at either the run-up or the barrier, but lose that position when I had trouble getting clipped back in (using my new winter shoes, and which don't have the same clearance around the cleats). I would spend all the rest of the lap fighting into the headwind to latch back on, finally make it, and then have the same problem immediately following the next section where I had to get off the bike.  On the last lap, I wasn't able to catch back on between the run-up and the finish line, so I had soloed in for 5th overall, 2nd elite woman.

SOCup 7 - Riverdale
Super fun! I always like this course, even though there's a lot of climbing. This year it was a bit shorter - well, the course, not the climbing - and I pushed myself better than in any other race. Guess I finally remembered how to hurt in a race! I went hard off the start, wanting a good shot at the prime for reaching the top of the first climb first. Unfortunately, I couldn't get around Leslie before the line, and I think that was the last I saw of her - she had an awesome race! I hung on in second for a while, but was soon passed by both Kelly and Lori. I was really starting to fade towards the end, possibly related to having cereal for dinner the night before. I was hoping to score enough points to get second overall in the series, which I did.

The Boy pretty much gutted himself in his own race, to the point where I wasn't sure he'd be able to get home. An inspiring ride that impressed many!

Subway Cross
This one was a non-race for me. I was really happy with how I raced and how hard I pushed the week before, and wanted to try to get there again for one last race. I feel like this year I haven't been able to really push and hurt in a race - not really sure why - and it was a nice feeling at Riverdale, so I wanted to give it another go. I like supporting Friends of Canadian Cyclocross Racers, too, so I was more than happy to help out with course set up the day before. Unfortunately, working in the cold nearly took me out for the whole weekend. I was bagged and asleep on the couch by 8pm, and didn't want to risk getting sick when things are really busy at work. Not only did I skip racing, I couldn't even get myself out of the house in time to spectate, and had to settle for meeting up with the gang at the season close-out party, instead.

2010 Nationals

So, my first real cross nationals have come and gone (when Nationals were at Hardwood Hills in 2005, it was my first year, and I did the "Open Challenge"). Before getting into my own race, I want to highlight the awesome race that the Boy had. He had a great race, grabbing the holeshot, and staying with the front group. He faded a bit partway through the race, and then rallied to recover a couple of spots and finish in 6th. Such a great ride, and really fun to cheer him through!

I wasn't going into this with particularly high expectations, but I did have some thoughts on what I thought was good and achievable. Unfortunately, I had a ride that I am far from thrilled with - I just didn't have the legs or the lungs on race day.

My start was, to be frank, awful. I went from the second row to the back of the pack in very little time (see the video for a "how not to start" lesson from yours truly). Riding in a pack is something I definitely need to work on to get more comfortable here. I was riding with a small group of about 3 girls, and it was pretty good. There was some back and forth, and after riding up the "run up" while they ran, I thought I might be able to pull away from them. Oh so wrong! I put it in the big ring at the top, and my legs rather quickly told me that they weren't down with that. After a couple of turns, the girl behind me powered past me, and though I put in an effort to stay with her, it was the last I saw of anyone else. Well, at least until Wendy and Katy blew past!

I was really happy to hear that I was riding the run-up, while a lot of the girls just ahead of me were not. They were, however, pushing a bigger gear through the top section. Thanks to Brad and Rachael for yelling at me encouraging me to use the big ring - I needed a bit of a push to keep working, and it definitely helped. The Boy stationed himself at other painful points on the course, generally near the top of a climb, to remind me to keep going at times when throwing in the towel seemed like a really nice option. When I asked him point blank if I could quit, he told me to just keep going on the course to the finish area, where I could tell the commissaires I was a DNF. Of course, by the time I got there, I was feeling better, and just went around for another lap.

I finished one lap down, in 19th. I am pretty sure that on a better day, finishing on the lead lap was definitely achievable, as well as a couple more spots in the finishing order. One of the coolest things about racing was definitely the depth of the field. Definitely the strongest I have ever ridden in - honestly, how many times will I line up right next to Catharine Pendrel, Women's World Cup champ???