[Race Report] Ridge @ 38 Criterium

Learning to not be afraid of the front! | Photo cred: Brent Murphy

I had a really phenomenal race this weekend. I made huge strides and learned so much.

At the line, while going over logistics, the official said we had three primes (special laps where you can sprint and win something extra, pronounced "preem"). Then they said we actually only had one and we felt a sigh of relief. Primes are very very fast and break up the field and burn out the sprinters. It's basically a simulated finish. I struggle on primes because often the pace picks up so much, this is where I get dropped. One prime lap sounded much more doable than three.
The gun went off though and we had no more time to think about it. First, I struggled to clip in off the line but got my foot in and caught up to the pack quickly. Since the announcer was talking when the official corrected himself, there was some chatter in the field about only having one prime. The race was pretty calm at this point, a strong moderate pace, no one chomping at the bit.
The prime lap was announced with only 12 minutes down (of a 40 min race - we agreed it seemed early). My teammate, Erin, who kind of wanted a prime or a podium spot, attacked up the side. The pace immediately quickened and per my Strava file, this was our fastest lap of the race. I powered up the hill to stay on and held as close as I could. The field strung out, dropping 3 women off the back. After the prime, which unfortunately Erin didn't get, I was a little off the group with another woman, but powered around her and we both caught back on the group! I knew I could do this - I had been dropped before and they were close. The hill was suited to me as it was small and easy to power up. The pace of the group immediately backed off as we crested the hill.
Now a group of nine strong, solid wheels, we had an incredibly fun race. I worked on moving around in the pack - specifically moving up. The group felt safe and smart - teammates worked together. Women made calculated decisions. There were attacks but we communicated to hold them. We had another prime we did not expect and the whole group collectively sighed. We picked the pace up a little, but didn't really go for it. At this point, we just weren't really interested - we were confused if we had one or three and just stuck together. There was a little bit of a sprint for it among a few women right at the line, but we all quickly came back together.
With sprinters tired, I hadn't pushed too hard for it and came to the front of the race! I hemmed and hawed but told myself "you have been sitting towards the front, you can pull." I came through and pulled for most of a lap. This was my first time doing this in a real race. I pulled off the front as we started to come up the hill again. I immediately noticed a change in the race dynamic - particularly with how the other women reacted to me. Suddenly, I didn't have to fight for wheels as much and I had a really easy time maintaining a spot in the top 5 wheels. It's as if spending a few minutes on the front established me as someone who wasn't afraid to do work, someone who was strong enough, someone who was a contender and people immediately made room for me. I couldn't believe it (but it was awesome)! I stayed in this position until the very end, when the bell lap (final lap) pushed the pace and I held on to finish 3-4 seconds off the winner.

Sprinting for it, because why not? | Photo Cred: Damon Brandt

It was a great learning race and probably one of my best finishes. I now know I can work on my 3-minute power to really make that bell lap possible for me. I had tons of fun feeling like I got to play a role in the race and riding with some really solid racers.

One more shot! | Photo Cred - Damon Brandt

[Race Report] Deer Trail Road Race

Deer Trail I signed up for with the intention of just working as hard as I could and helping myself be in race shape. A friend referred to a low priority race as an "F-race" (we usually classify races as A, B, and C - like school grades) and this was so low on my list. I did it because I knew it was good for me.
We came through the first few miles in a small group. Not going very hard, but the hills were definitely difficult for me. I tried my best to hang on but one girl started pushing the pace up a steeper gradient and completely blew the pack apart. Half of us were off the back fewer than 10 miles in. With a group of only 11 to start with, this seemed like a silly decision to me but...whatever. A woman who fell off before me caught up to me after the turn around and we spent a few miles working together and chasing her teammate who was dropped ahead of us. We came into the turn and she powered up a hill and dropped me. I told her she was dropping me. She chose to ride the remaining 26 miles alone. Again, not what I would do but...whatever.
And so began my 26-mile, tired, exhausted, aching time trial. However, nearing the second turn around, I saw the group had gotten blown apart even more. All but a pack of 4 women who pulled off the front had been strung off the back. 7 of us were in TT mode for at least 20 miles of the race. Lame.
After about 30 miles, I popped and was just completed exhausted. We crossed the finish line (which we had to turn around and come back to to actually finish) at 36 miles. My feet were numb because I need to adjust by cleats on my shoes. It was coming up to my calves and into my hamstrings. I thought about pulling out. I knew I was last. I saw another woman on another team had turned around and DNF'd. I considered it more seriously. But I told myself it was stupid to give up with 8 miles left. I did this race intentionally to kick my butt and push my fitness. I had to finish. I'm glad I did because seeing my teammate win the SW3 race and cheer my remaining teammates in was really awesome. I know those 8 miles will be what I call on when the going gets tough.
Crossing that finish line felt really good. It was easily one of the most exhausted moments in my life. I had 5 miles back to the car and the start finish. After a mile of that cool down, I pulled my feet, numb and tingling, out of my shoes and rode on top of them, true to my triathlon roots. (haha)
I know this race was a beast to many of my teammates. I can't say I think I'll ever go back but at least for now I pushed beyond my limits.

[Race Report] City Park Criterium

What a weekend!
City Park criterium is hosted by Thump Cycling which means I was up early on Saturday to help put on the race. I walked around the course with friends putting cones in key spots, then doing odds and ends until we were ready for the juniors to start. I spent most of my day drinking water, under a tree, watching the other categories race and telling people not to cross the road. I had a number of non-bike racing friends stop by which was also really cool.
My race was at 2:45 and I definitely was feeling pretty drained by then. While sitting on a trainer warming up, it randomly lost a grip on my bike and I fell over, scratching some paint off my rear triangle. I was quite nervous, hoping that the carbon hadn't been cracked. I unhooked my bike from the trainer and scrambled to get race ready. I had some trusted, experienced cyclists look at my bike and assure me it was just cosmetic which helped me calm down.
Off the start line, I couldn't get my foot clipped which was really frustrating. I got it fast enough and caught up to the pack. My mouth immediately felt dry - I knew it meant dehydration. For such a short race, I'd only brought 2/3 bottle of water but I immediately reached for it to try to combat the feeling and potential exhaustion.
I thought back to an article one of my teammates posted about being a better crit racer "if you're not moving up, you're moving back" so I kept trying to safely and smartly better my position. Inevitably, out of the third turn, the front of the pack would start hammering and really string us out. We'd then turn again and continue laying down the power up the hill to the finishing straight. Every time I pushed myself to hang on, and every time they would slow coming to the first corner. It was excellent practice of the fast/slow/fast/slow jumping.
My mouth continued to dry and I needed to spit but was so dehydrated, I couldn't. I started heaving which was...not very pleasant, but tried my best to ignore it, drink water, clear out my mouth and keep going. While this was a disgusting experience, I learned a lot about how my body reacts to dehydration and what that feels like (and how to push through it).
I remember looking down at 10 min of race time feeling disbelief that we still had 2/3 of the race left, but the pace did being to calm after a few laps. I just kept on keeping on. Trying to move up. Trying to hold on. Finding wheels, staying on them. With four laps to go they announced a prime lap (which means the first person to cross the line on this lap gets a special prize). These laps always blow apart the field. Even if you don't want the prime, you have to sprint to stay on the race. We came through and I wasn't that far off but we had strung out. I spent the next three laps just barely off the group, working with my teammate to get back on. I could see she was tired. She held my wheel and as we came through the last lap, she pulled ahead and said "let's go" but I had nothing left - I could not hold her and the heaving became worse. I knew I wasn't going to win. I didn't feel like stopping and throwing up.
I backed off the pace coming through the second to last turn, and I saw my teammate and two others on the side of the road - there was a crash. I slowed to look but everyone seemed to be getting up. I sprinted to the finish just to practice laying down something more at the very end. Plus, there was no one around so I wasn't going to be dangerously impacting someone else's race. I came around a cool down lap and then looked for the women in the crash. I saw them up and moving, which is always a good sign.
I ended up 8th, but I was proud of how hard I fought in this one and the lessons I learned.

Sticking it out @ City Park