Chipseal, Cobbles, and Pedals

Me and Aaron after 'our' successful day.

Last week, Aaron and I decided to do a road race in CT over the weekend, with Aaron’s customer Robb.  This was Robb’s first race ever, and Friday when we checked the radar, it was looking quite gloom.  Torrential downpour, tropical storm and possible hurricane, was the forecast.  The race promoter emailed us, “race is on, rain or shine.” So we were committed.  I figured Robb would either come out of the weekend hating cycling all together or love it more than ever.

My race was the first to go off.  It was pouring, but mentally I didn’t care because I had been expecting it.  There were about 20 women who lined up to the start line.  We had 3 -10mile loops ahead of us.  Once we were off, I moved to the front and started pushing the pace immediately.  I had a sense that the other riders wanted to slow the pace because of the wet conditions, but I pushed forward.  The course started with 3 moderate rollers, and then more technical back roads with a few tight, blind corners.  I stayed on the first 2 wheels. After a tight and windy descent, we came to a longer hill, almost mimicking Moose Hill, a few miles from my house.  A few girls tried accelerating, so I jumped, and stomped on the pedals, all the way up and over.  As I crested, I looked back and noticed a gap had formed, so I laid on the gas and took off, chasing the lead car. The roads became longer and straighter, so I hunched down and time-trialed away.  In my head, I wanted to win the race so bad and keep away for the next 27 miles. The water from the rain kicked up from the road and into my eyes.  Shortly after my attack, my right eye began to burn.  Some oil from the road had gotten mixed with the water.  My eye felt as if it were on fire, so I kept it closed and rubbed it every now and then.

We were "singing in the rain".

With only 3 miles until the first lap was through, I was caught by the group on another hill.  This hill was near train tracks and as I stood up to climb, my tires lost traction and slid back and forth across the pavement.  I sat down, and the traction was better.  It reminded me of the time my dad put sand bags in the back of my 1978 ford courier truck, to keep it from sliding on the icy roads.  Immediately I tucked into the group to rest from my long attack.  I knew I needed to reserve as much as possible if I had any intentions of winning.

It was the second lap and my eye still burned. I could hardly see as water was falling from the sky and spraying up from the road. Every now and then I opened my right eye to test and see if it was ok, but it stung and I closed it. Water poured down the road. I had to trust my judgment.  As we rounded the second lap, up the first few hills, I felt stronger than ever.  I moved back up to the third wheel.  As we came to the hill that  I had escaped on the previous lap, we picked up the pace.  I stayed on wheels and decided to hang low.  But as we crested the hill, one of the riders yelled, “there’s 3 of us and we have a gap.”  I called out, “Quick pulls ladies!”  We worked hard to increase the gap from the group. As we came to 5 Ks from the end of the lap, the girls began to slow.  “We’re ok, ” one said.  I shook my head in disagreement.  This was a race.  No time for breaks.  I planned my escape as I sat on their wheels.

The final lap came and my eye was finding some relief and every now and then, I could open it.  I pushed to the front in upped the pace.  We came to the hills, one final time.  The decent was faster and my heart raced more than ever as I leaned into the turn with water pouring over the road.  The hill came and one of the riders attacked.  She was in too big of a gear to create a gap, so I took the opportunity and jumped.  I took off, pushing hard, committing 100% to this break as I wanted to win more than ever now.  I was strong.  I deserved it. I hunched low and motored away, trying to catch the yellow lead car.  Every now and then I looked back and saw no-one, but never did I let up.  I looked down, I was pushing 25mph.  Closer and closer.  All I could think of was standing in the dark that Tuesday, after the last Wampi training crit, drinking a beer with the guys, and ex-pro Fader, saying, “There’s a big difference between 1st and 2nd place.  It’s all in your head, and you have to have this desire more than anything to have that win, and once you start winning, there is nothing else that will satisfy you…it’s all you want.”

I came to the turn, up the hill.  I looked back, I couldn’t see a soul.  I looked ahead and there was the finish line.  I closed my fist and pulled my elbow to my chest, “yes,” I said under my breath.

1st Place!!

Robb riding strong.

Aaron was so excited and surprised at the same time.  Robb was thrilled about the win and his race was starting soon. After I changed out of my soaking uniform, into my soft hoodie, Aaron and I watched Robb and Dave(from Landry’s) races.  It was both Robb’s and Dave’s first road race and they both tore it up!!  Dave placed 2nd in his race and Robb was 12th.  They both finished in the pack.  Aaron’s race was starting soon and the rain and the wind soon picked up.

Robb giving Aaron the break-down of the race.

Aaron hanging tight after lap 1.

Aaron started in the cat 3′s with 20 other guys. I held the umbrella over his head until the start. When they left, Robb and I headed to the truck to warm up and wait until Aaron’s group came by.  The first lap around, one of the riders had a gap on the group by almost 1.5 minutes.  Aaron was tucked into the group.  The second lap around, the same guy still had a gap and Aaron was pulling the field.  Robb and I started making bets on if the break would hold.  The third lap around the same guy was still 2 minutes up the road.  Robb won that bet!  He has to be tiring out….30 miles alone!  Finally, on the 4th lap, we saw the lead truck, and I started running up the road to cheer.  Suddenly, I was caught off guard as Aaron was the first rider, gaped from the group!  “AARON!!”  I screamed with excitement.  He looked back at the group and took off.  I didn’t know if he could hold the gap.  Would the group organize and chase???  I felt so much anticipation waiting for him to come through.  And finally, he came, up over the hill, all alone.  He had a significant gap on everyone.  I started yelling and screaming with excitement!!  He won!!!

Aaron after his big win!

After the race, the other riders congratulated Aaron.  Someone said, “don’t they make a cute couple?!”  “Are you two husband and wife?”  “Yup,” I replied, grinning ear to ear. Team Ross tore it up today.

Some day....I'll get up there:)

I hardly slept the night before.  I tossed and turned with excitement throughout the night, and awoke feeling stronger than ever, yet a stomach churning with much anxiety.  After a breakfast of cereal and eggs, I chamoised up and headed to the course only a few miles away.  The Keough family was getting ready for their Junior race, so I knuckle punched all the boys, “Kill it today!” They smiled.

I went early to staging and positioned myself at the front, right next to Kristin Mcgrath and behind last year’s national champion, Brooke Miller.  We started the first kilometer in neutral and then once we hit the round-about and start of the circuit loop, the race took off.  Immediately there were attacks off the front and a break of five formed up the road.  I stayed tucked in the peleton and stayed on Mara Abbott’s and Allison Power’s wheels, keeping other key riders in focus at all times.  The back half of the loop included 2 longer climbs, the second being steeper and much more painful. 

Guys warming up for TT, Frank attending to ice bath. He soaked towels in ice and put them on our backs to cool off.

The first time around, the group stayed together, the pace picking up on the hills, but no threatening attacks. I pushed hard over the top, reminding myself I’d recover.  I took a goo and constantly drank as the temperature was creeping up.  Bend was experiencing record highs all week.

Frank, my coach, can't keep up with the heat! His icecream was melting away!

The second lap, I kept my eye out for any rash attacks by key riders and followed Mara.  This time I was more comfortable on the windy descents to I stayed closer to the front.  Every now and then, there would be a vehicle on the course on a bend and we’d scream to warn the riders behind. This lap was a feed lap, so I moved to the front and right.  There were so many people in the feed zone, riders cutting you off to grab a bottle, and when I came to Frank, my hand slipped and I dropped the bottle.  Damn.  I sucked it up and chased to the group. Before the race, Frank had put a cold bottle in my back pocket, so I pulled it out as a spare.  Again, the hill was painful, this time more so, but I moved up and held the wheels over the top.  My gut was screaming and legs burning as everyone dug into their pockets for food and sipped on their bottles. 

My coach Frank Overton prepping my bike for the time trial.

After what appeared to be a scheduled coffee break, the attacks started.   I knew that the remainder of the race would be more painful.  The peleton became strung out to single file as we moved up and over the rollers to the flats.  Again, I stayed with Mara.  There was a break up the road, so the first climb was much more aggressive to the feed-zone.  Since I missed the last feed, this one was very important.  I saw Frank ahead, but a girl, 3 riders up, grabbed my bottle.  I gasped!  Like a sharpshooter, Frank swiftly pulled out another bottle, just in time for me to grab.  Slap.  My hand pulled the icy bottle in and poured some of the contents onto my head and neck.  This time up the hill I was about mid-pack.  Right as we crested the hill, there was an attack and the pace picked up. We were strung out single file.  I moved up as we rounded the bend to start our final lap. 

Giant kitchen at our rented house at Nationals in Bend, OR. My coach Frank busy working.

Soon the cramps started.  My thighs above my knees started squeezing into painful knots.  I drank my bottle, cursed and started punching my legs with my fist.  I had to mentally block out the cramps or they would control my race.  They released with 20Ks to go.  I drank more water and moved up.  A break of 8 riders formed up the road.  I couldn’t tell if we’d catch them.  We came up the first hill and through the feed zone one last time. 

We taught Austin, 16, how to cook. His mother would be proud! While showing him how to chop peppers, he asks, "Where did you learn this from?!" I replied, "It comes from being a woman."

Suddenly I heard screaching tires, screaming and the sound of cabon breaking as bikes collapsed onto one another. I pulled my breaks and moved to the left as the rider in front of me fell victim to the pile.  I thought for sure and braced myself to go down, but barely my wheel scraped her handlebars as they came crashing down.  I exhaled with relief, cursed under my breath and chased back onto the main group as a gap had started to form.  I caught on and moved up as we turned onto the road decending down and up to the final climb.  All hell broke loose and the pack was completely anhialited.  It was there that I lost the wheel in front of me and saw the group of 20 riders, up the road and everyone else broken apart.  Girls with flats, chains falling off.  Every mechanical happened at that moment. 

Ian, also coached by Frank, place 5th in the Elite Men's TT. Ian was our mechanic for the week and also supplied the HED wheels to use for the TT. GO IAN!

I stood up with every ounce of effort and chased as the finish was only a few Ks away.  As I came through the finish line alone, the heat suddnely took it’s toll on me.  The 95 degrees radiating from the sun began to seep into my skull.  I rode back to the house, drank some ice water and recovery drink and took a cold shower. I was sick all day from the heat but only satisfied with my race.  The results were posted and I got 34th out of 120 riders.  I thought it was good considering the quality of the field and I was only 2 minutes back from the wining time.  I still yearn for more. 

Me after the 35K TT...I was ready for a cold shower and a nap!

The TT was the following day, again blazing hot.  I started the painful 35Ks at 1:10 and immediately felt the the dry air suck the moisture from my lungs. I didn’t have my best race as I felt physically and mentally drained. I think my heart and focus was more in the road race.  I placed 43rd overall.

Saturday, I packed my bike up, took it to the FEDEX lady, and hopped onto a plane back to Boston. I arrived around midnight, my husband Aaron, picking me up from the airport. We awoke the next morning to another racing adventure as we drove to NH for his race. The racing just never ends! But I never get tired of it as it’s a way for me to escape to an adventure and keep dreaming in full color. Soon the leaves will turn and we will again be back in the mud and dirt, hopping over barriers and running up hills during another great season of New England cyclo-cross!

Aaron (far left), my biggest supporter, rides too fast for even the camera!