The painful anticipation is no more! The racing season has begun and with quite a bang, I must say. It is Spring Break here at Fort Lewis College, so while the majority of students are en route to Mexico to drink cheap tequila and wake up next to good-looking strangers, a handful of devote collegiate cyclists made their way to Denver for a downtown criterium and technical individual time trial.
Despite weeks of high pressure, our team van and trailer managed to catch a whiteout snow storm over Wolf Creek Pass. Our coach and trusted chauffeur, Matt Shriver, managed to get us down to South Fork safely (and slowly) with only one incident of almost sliding into a gasoline-filled trailer. It was definitely some white-knuckle driving, but Shriver handled it like a champ!
After a good night's rest, the team awoke to take on a pancake-flat, super fast and fun criterium course in downtown Denver. We only had a skeleton crew, so FLC Cycling was represented by two or less folks in each category; not really the numbers we have depended on for tactical success in the past. Missy Erickson and I would take on 15 strong A-women riders, including the tight and effective CSU and CU teams. Our plan was to ride defensively and for me to lead Missy out to the line so she could unleash her deadly sprint! As always at the start line of a collegiate women's race, the girls were giddy and excited, but at the gun shot, we got down to business. Unfortunately, Missy's recent wrist surgery has kept her off the bike for most of the winter and she didn't quite have the fitness to hold on to the fast-paced pack after sprinting for the first preme. With Missy off the back, I was left in a race surrounded by green and yellow jerseys (CSU and CU). CSU used their depth and strength effectively, continuously launching attacks. I felt strong and I managed to get on every wheel that went. The CU girls didn't offer much help and weren't willing to work with me against CSU. With 5 laps to go, Missy suddenly appeared at the front of the pack and I was thrilled to see her, thinking that our plan was going to work out, but when I ramped up to lead her out, she disappeared, leaving me thoroughly confused. I wound up coming into the last corner perfectly positioned at second wheel, but I didn't have the snap that I needed to come around the CU girl in front of me. She pulled away from me and Julia Manley (CSU) came off my wheel and sprinted for first, leaving me with a solid 3rd place finish in a bunch sprint. I left everything on the road, including some of my oatmeal breakfast, and I felt fantastic! After a post-race debriefing with Missy and the coaches I learned of a new rule in collegiate cycling that allowed Missy to re-join the pack after being lapped: they were no longer pulling lapped riders, so, technically, Missy could have rested and jumped back in the pack to lead me out. It is a ridiculous rule for a number of reasons and neither Missy or I was aware of it during the race, so it didn't help much!
As we headed back to the hotel, the weather started to turn and a cold snowflake squall descended on West Denver. I wanted to be mentally and physically prepared for the time trial the next day, so despite the changing weather, I left the hotel to pre-ride the TT course with Ruthie and Matt. We were a little confused about the course upon arrival at the event site, but we managed to figure it out. I had felt really strong in the crit and I thought I actually had a chance of winning the time trial, that was until I saw the course. It was extremely technical (for a road course) with lots of tight corners and chicanes and there were a few challenging power climbs topped of with a grudging false flat back to the finish line. This was not the flat, meandering time trial course that I was expecting and definitely not a course that reflected my strengths as a rider. I returned from my pre-ride session a little dismayed about the next day's race.
Sunday morning brought bright blue skies and warm sunshine. It was a perfect day for racing bicycles! We arrived at the event early to ensure a proper warm-up and got our beautiful Trek TTX time trial bikes set up on the trainers. Matt and the boys worked on switching our Zipp disk wheels over from track cogs to cassettes, while Missy and I ramped up to threshold on the trainers. I got a great warm-up in and I felt open and ready to race! At the line, the girls were relaxed and ready to race. With only 30 second intervals between riders, the entire field was on the road in no time. The course opened with a gentle, twisting descent into a slight rise and a 90 degree corner. This was not exactly how Ruthie, Matt and I had practiced the day before, so I was confused and came to almost a complete stop trying to figure out where to go! Upset and disgruntled, I got down in my bars and started digging deep. I came back through the chicanes and up the false flat by the start line flying and feeling good, but dreading the climb up to the dam turn around that I was heading towards. I caught up to Rachel Knott (CSU) on a straight section and flew by her, with Tirel Grovenstein (CSU) in my sight. Despite my weak climbing abilities, I managed to pass Tirel on the climb up to the dam. She came into the turn around pretty close behind me, but I opened the gap on the descent. I caught a School of Mine's girl on the descent en route to a hair-pin 180 degree turn. I did not want to go into this turn with anyone around me, so I hammered down to get in front of her. At this point, all I had to do was suffer through a mile-long false flat and a short power climb to the finish line. My legs felt good, so I pressed on a moderate cadence and tried to keep my shoulders loose and aero. I saw Missy up the road and when I passed her, she cheered me on, which was exactly what I needed to push through (unfortunately, Missy had a flat early in the race and had to finish slowly and carefully on her Zipp disk wheel). Up the road, just ahead of me, were two CSU girls, who I assumed were Julia Manley and Megan Cassidy. The site of two of CSU's strongest riders gave me the motivation to dig deep up the last power climb and push hard to the finish. I felt great at the end of the race and wished I had not saved quite so much leg for the climbs. I was eiger to see my time and placing...
Unfortunately, the FLC Cycling Team had to roll out back to Durango before the results for our race were posted. The B women's results were up: Hilary Smallwood had a strong 6th place finish and Nora Richards rode to the podium (3rd place) on a cross bike with a 46 tooth chain ring! By the time we were halfway home (the halfway mark is the Gunsmoke gas station just outside Beuna Vista), I received a message from Rachel Knott (CSU) revealing that I had dominated the time trial. This was my first win as an A racer! I was absolutely thrilled, jumping up and down in the middle of the street! The whole team was excited for me, as well, including my two coaches. It was a great way to finish off my first weekend of collegiate racing in 2009.
I returned to my cozy home and hairy dog with a lot on my mind. I was worried about feeling so strong this early in the season. I wanted to build on my present fitness and become faster and stronger, not peak out in first few weekends of racing and have nothing left for Nationals. After discussing my concerns with my coaches, I realized that the most important thing for me to focus on right now is REST. I will still have many great, hard work outs, but my rest days and my sleeping hours will be more important than ever! So instead of hitting the border towns with the rest of the FLC student body, I will spend my Spring Break in Durango, fixing my Bronco II, riding my bike and eating almond meal and soy flour pancakes and homemade applesauce!
(All photos courtesy of Matt Shriver)
