Caffeinated CX 2018

Nervous energy…thats’ the only explanation I had as I watched the hours pass...2am, 3:12am, 4:25am 5:15am...I conceded, rolled out of bed and went down stairs to make a cup of coffee in the French press. 

The sun wasn’t up when I headed to the basement gym to burn off some of that nervous energy. I put in a decent 50 minute effort on the rollers and felt satisfied completing a workout in case I did not race. That was still a very likely possibility, even though I purposely put on my skin suit before leaving the house. 

As I walked out the door my dad said “good luck” to which I replied “thanks, I don’t even know if I am going to race.” Then I paused and said “I used to enjoy it so much, but it’s just not fun any more.” 

And there it was...I said it...what I was really thinking was that nothing is much fun any more. It’s been a struggle to find enjoyment in anything since my brother passed away. 

The first step was driving to the race venue. I was greeted by a handful of familiar faces as I made my way to the registration table. Step two was getting my number. Step three was pinning it on. So far so good. I made a few handup requests and decided to give it a go. 

The race started and it wasn’t long before we caught the back of the field who had started a minute ahead of us, one of whom went down right in front of me. This forced me to get off my bike in a bad spot. The woman who was in second place behind steered clear the traffic jam. I lost contact with her. 

And the was the race...four laps of seeing her just ahead of me...no one in sight behind me. I picked off riders from the 4/5 field for motivation until the bell lap when I got my Fuego handup. 

Second place was not a bad showing for my first race in over two years. 

The takeaways: First, I am definitely NOT in bike racing shape. Second, the cx community is full of wonderful and supportive people. This, I have always known and I am thankful that it has not changed in my absence. Finally, racing was much more of an emotional experience that I had anticipated. The physical strain is something my body is well prepared to handle, but emotionally, I am not quite there yet. 

Coming out of retirement for a day felt pretty good, but I’m not sure what the future holds.

The (delay of a) Comeback

The idea of entering a few cyclocross races popped into my head at the end of August. I spent most of my free time for the past three summers in New Hampshire, chipping away at the Four Thousand Footers. Riding a bicycle seemed like a nice change of pace

The first thing I did was request a downgrade from Cat 2 to Cat 3. Let’s be honest, I’ve never been Cat 2 material and racing Cat 3 would provide me with more options.

Once that was approved I started looking at the race calendar. The biggest obstacle I’ve faced when I comes to racing is the cost. After paying for a license, registration fees and gas it becomes quite costly. Not to mention it prohibits me from working on weekends, which I frequently do.

A few posts on social media landed me in a much better position. Not only was I able to coordinate volunteer work in exchange for free registration, an old cx pal “sponsored” me by covering the cost of my license.

I was all set to return last Sunday at Cooper River CX.

On Saturday morning I helped with course set up which involved raking leaves, picking up sticks and taping the course. When I was finished I went home and passed out. The next morning I woke up feeling like shit. My sinuses were full of yuck and my chest felt heavy. I went to the gym to see if I could loosen things up a bit to no avail...if I could barely breathe inside then a full blown effort outside was out of the question.

I struggled with this decision, mainly because I told people that I would be there and I don’t like going back on my word. When all is said and done I am not doing this for anyone but myself so when I do finally get out there again I want it to feel right.

Caffeinated CX 2016

After two solid efforts at Hippo CX, I arrived home a little after 6pm still needing to eat, walk the dog, shower and do yoga...then, wake up at 5AM, stand at registration for six hours and race my bike around Noon.

The guys on the team know I hate this course. I swear they make it more technical every year just to piss me off. There were steps, logs, a run up, sand and barriers which meant I was off my bike more than I was on it.

It was a well played weekend on my part. I knew that Sunday was going to be a long day so I did my “work” on Saturday. This allowed me to relax and even have a little bit of fun at my team’s race.

Post race pancakes were a short stack of buttermilk from Harrison House Diner. This place has been on my list for a couple years now and they did not disappoint.


Thanks to everyone who came out to either race or spectate. The team puts a lot of hard working into putting on this event. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Hippo CX 2016

Disclaimer: My success at this race is attributed to the vanilla milkshake (with extra whipped cream) that I had at Shake Shack on Friday afternoon.

The first thing I thought of when I realized my race was so late in the day was “Cool, I can do two workouts today.”  My plan was to get a run in early, then head to Lambertville. Racing twice has never been an option, but this year NJ added a Master Women 40+ Category which meant that I could race at 12:30pm and then again at 2:30pm. I decided to ditch the run and race twice.

I arrived in time to get a lap in before my first race. The course was short and fun. There were sections where you could really drill it with power as well as some punchy climbs on the back end. After winning the Masters Race, I quickly had Robin pin my number for the Women A Race before I changed my mind.

There was a little over an hour between races. I did my best to stay loose, knowing that the field would be competitive and I had never attempted a double. One thing I will say is that the first race was a good opportunity to experiment with different lines and gearing, which helped immensely because I get by on fitness not technique. After a brief battle for third place I pulled away and stayed there. It was nice to share the podium with so many talented ladies.

On the way home I stopped at It's Nutts only to discover that they did not serve breakfast all day. As a result, I continued south to a local diner for an order of chocolate chip pancakes to go. Unfortunately, they were just average, but I will say that the last one made for quite a delicious snack at 2AM.

Fair Hill CX 2016

I registered for Fair Hill two months ago. What a wild ride it has been since then.

I spent the past week doubting my ability to race. For me, it’s much more of a mental strain than a physical one. Seeing so many friendly faces for the first time since my brother’s death was going to be an emotional experience. I knew that going into this race, which is why I made a deal with myself...get there early, ride a few laps and see how you feel. 

There were lots of hugs and a couple of tears, but I felt pretty good.

Maybe he had a hand in this or maybe he didn’t, but I’d like to think that today, it was my little brother who taught me that I am stronger than I think.

A fourth place finish, 120 ounces of water and I was on my way to Jo Jo’s Super Dogs for pancakes! I have no idea where this CX season is going to take me, but I do know that it will be delicious!

CX BLUES

Many of my friends are tackling their first cross race of the season today. I am sitting at my desk eating a peanut butter sandwich. I did ride my cx bike today, but only to work and commuting is hardly a substitute for training.

It was a rough summer, one that left me in no shape (physically or mentally) to race.

Instead of bagging the season I decided to shift my focus to pancakes. Races will be an opportunity to travel and eat pancakes. My first stop is next weekend at Jo Jo’s Super Dogs in Elkton, MD. 

I’ll also be wearing some special socks. Blue is the color for colon cancer awareness. That was the initial location of Matt’s cancer. He never let a diagnosis stand in the way. He did the best he could with what he had until the very end.

No excuses. See you next weekend.

Fair Hill CX

There are times when I am so focused on training and racing that weeks can pass without notice. Last weekend I was on an adventure in Texas. I sat in a car for too many hours, spent quality time with my brother and his family, drank beer and ate tacos. After four days, bikes were the furthest thing from my mind. It took a lot of strength to get up when my alarm went off at 6am on Saturday morning. A post-race stop at Iron Hill was good motivation.

I’m just going to come out and say it, the races have been really predictable this year. Granted, anything can happen, but it rarely does.

After getting pinched at the start I fought my way back to a decent position. By that point, the lead group was out of sight. I spent half an hour in no man’s land and finished in 6th place (as expected).

This is one of my favorite races, which is surprising because it doesn’t play well to my strengths. Maybe that is just what I need. As this season winds down I am already thinking about next year and dipping my toes into some uncharted waters.

WhirlyBird CX

I mentioned in a previous post that growing up, I wasn’t exactly an all-star athlete. I was over weight, made fun of and always the last kid picked in gym class. I participated, but wasn’t very good at sports. 

In high school, I didn’t allow my parents to come to the games. What was the point in them coming to watch me sit the bench? 

Thankfully, I grew out of the awkwardness (about four years after my peers) and shed some weight. I was a decent athlete (rowing) in college. Twenty years have passed, but I’d like to think that I am still in fairly decent shape for my age.  

WhirlyBird CX was later this season and at a different location, but it is a special race for me because it was my first. Three years later, it became even more special with my mom on the sidelines watching. 

I’ve come a long way since those awkward teen years. I’m sure it must have hurt my mom that I did not want her at my sporting events. Even though it was never discussed, she probably understood the reason why, because that’s just the way mom’s are. 

Thanks Mom, for supporting me all these years.

HPCX

The rule for this season is no races more than an hour away from home. Charm City is one of my favorites and it was tugging at my heartstrings last weekend. I resisted the urge to travel to Baltimore. It was the right decision for both personal and financial reasons.

HPCX was new for me last year. I remember that it was brutally cold and that there was no place nearby to get coffee. 

I arrived at Thompson Park a little before 8AM and proceeded to double flat on the pre-ride. My initial instinct was to pack up and go home. After some persuasion, I headed over to the Stan’s No Tubes tent for support. The mechanic was able to seal my front tire, but couldn’t guarantee that the rear tire would hold. No pre-ride, no warm up, sealant oozing out of my back tire and my race goes off in thirty minutes. 

My pit bike is a peanut butter sandwich...let’s eat...then let’s spend $100 on new tires at the bike shop!

I can’t say that I was thrilled when the alarm went off at 6am on Sunday morning. It was dark and cold, like frost on the windshield cold. This time, I pulled out all the stops...a road bike, trainer (what?? who warms up?) and two CX bikes made the journey with me. I cannot believe how much shit one person needs for a 40 minute bike race.

The course on Sunday was new this year and it included two sand pits. I watched people ride, but I also saw some epic failures. Running would be the fastest way for me to get through this section. I committed to the run, even though most people around me would be attempting to ride.

I had a decent start and settled in somewhere around 4th or 5th. There was nowhere to recover on this course. If it wasn’t the sand it was a climb or a run up. It wore me down, but it felt good. I hung in there and battled it out for a third place finish, which was a nice turn around from the double flat on day one.

Caffeinated CX

When it comes to racing, I have found myself walking a fine line on more than one occasion since my brother’s diagnosis two years ago. Racing has either served as a distraction OR I have been too distracted to race. I walked that line this weekend. 

I was up at 6am and on my way to work registration. After a pre-ride I scratched the idea of riding my mountain bike. The clay run up was way too steep and that bike was too heavy to carry. 

This was the third year for Caffeinated CX. I did not race the previous two years. It looked as if this year would be no different. My mind was not in the right place. There is a lot of anger inside me right now. Far too many times I have been met with the response “I’m sorry” and it has only made it worse. It has made it worse to the point where I just shut down and sat with my anger. 

I saw a couple friends at the race who made me feel a little bit better...people who understand what is going on...people who will be real with me. 

I got my number and pinned it on. Maybe racing will help. 

So I did...and I did it for no reason other than to forget life for 45 minutes...and it helped. 

I ride for an amazing bike shop. My teammates are all great guys. The friends I have made racing cx for the past three years are genuinely good people.

Gratitude

Hippo Cross(ing)

Hey, check out these fancy cloth race numbers!

The Pope gave me an extra day off tomorrow so I can write this race report tonight. Hippo Cross(ing) was new this season so I didn’t know what to expect, BUT all of the cool kids were racing and it was less than an hour away from my house so I registered. 

The guys at the shop put the finishing touches on my Super X the night before the race. While adjusting my saddle, the torque wrench snapped and part of it lodged into the bolt. We kept our fingers crossed that the saddle was on tight enough and in the correct position. 

When I got to the race I saw a couple friends who told me that the course was bumpy. That was an understatement. It was so bumpy that the piece of torque wrench dislodged itself during the race...that was the good news...the bad news was that the saddle was not on tight enough and I finished the race with it in an EXTREME nose up position. 

Aside from the course being bumpy it also had some tough climbs, followed by downhills. All in all it wasn't looking like this would be a good race for me. I had a decent start which was something that I wanted to improve on and I rode up the set of tiny stairs (which terrified me) EVERY LAP!!! I did not do well on the down hills, coming to almost a complete stop on every one before turning to face my next ascent, which didn’t do much to help my cause. 

After the race I went back to the car to change and eat a peanut butter and banana sandwich. I missed the podium photo but it was worth it because the sandwich was really good. I still got my payout for coming in seventh, which was pretty much where I expected to finish. It covered my entry fee and I’m content with that. 

There was a pig at the race and I wanted to take a selfie with him, but by the time I finished my race there was yellow caution tape, restricting access to his pen. That was disappointing. Also disappointing was the fact that I did not realize that it was National Pancake Day until later that evening. I ate a pancake today but it wasn’t the same. 

Next weekend is my team's sponsored race Caffeinated CX. Spoiler Altert: I'm going to ride my mountain bike.

Mill Creek CX

I spent most of the night having dreams about forgetting something. The first time, I got to the race and forgot my bike. I woke up, went to the bathroom and back to sleep. Then I forgot my socks...rolled over...they were calling my race and I wasn’t dressed. I tried to put on my shorts and they were inside out...I woke up and decided to make some coffee...so much for sleeping in.

It’s been a busy week as far as bikes are concerned...a commuter cx bike and a race cx bike are in the works, along with some parts being swapped and my road bike being readied for sale...I was at the shop from early afternoon until close three days last week. As a result, my CAADX is built up for commuting and there are million bike parts in my living room. 

I’ve never done a 1/2/3 race in NJ. The start time (12:06pm) doesn’t suit me well as I am accustomed to racing in the morning. The length of the race (45 minutes) is also longer than I’m accustomed to. BUT this was less than half an hour from my house and much closer than my other options for racing this weekend. Surprisingly, only five women pre-registered. With an additional two day of registrations, the field size grew to seven. It was announced that everyone would get paid. Not a bad deal!

The sun came out for our race and it got pretty damn hot. When I passed the line and heard “three to go” I did the math in my head. This is going to be a long ass race...and it was...52 minutes (for me) which was 20 minutes longer than last weekend at Nittany. 

Lap four is where it started coming undone. The leader was well off the front and the two women I had kept close started to pull away. There I was, on a windy, open field in NJ, navigating twists and turns, a few off cambers and some barriers...no one to chase, no one pursuing me. I did my best to keep it steady and finish where I thought I would...fourth.

Those extra 20 minutes of racing gave me reason to celebrate with an excellent seasonal from Long Trail Brewing Company. Cheers! 

Nittany CX

Being even less prepared that last year, I couldn’t think of a better way to begin the cyclocross season than a double race weekend at Nittany. This year the MAC added a women’s 40+ Masters category, which I was extremely thankful for because I am FAR from UCI material.

The vibe at the starting line was much more relaxed and friendly. It made for a pleasant racing experience that did not lack competition.

Saturday was flat and fast, which played to my strengths and a third place finish. Late day rained altered the course dramatically for the second day of racing. The turns were slick and there was a large mud pit not far from the start. On the first lap I was forced to dismount and run, which put me in chase mode for a good portion of the race...but as I like to say “I’m not a starter, I’m a finisher” and my endurance enabled me to fight back to a fourth place finish. 

Overall, it was a pretty good weekend. It was nice to see everyone from the CX community, people who are like family to me for the next few months.

When I got home I took the dog to the field and drank a Pumking. Then I ate a kick ass burrito. Tomorrow won’t be very pleasant, but the bikes are clean and there’s another race to look forward to next weekend.

That's (almost) a Wrap!

It was a crazy Saturday night. I cracked open a beer and unearthed my road bike from the basement. The tires had about 20psi and the spokes were laced with cobwebs. After an hour, the bike was clean and ready to go for the 9am shop ride on Sunday. Even though I haven’t been on a road bike in about three months I’ve still been racing CX on the weekends. How difficult could 40 miles be? The answer to that question came at about mile number 14. 

At the onset of this season I knew it was going to be nothing like the last. For starters, I had absolutely no structured training since October 2013. Part of this because my life had changed and I was no longer able to devote countless hours to training on a bike (a two hour ride can eat away close to four hours because I cannot ride from my front door) BUT the other part, the BIGGEST PART is that I wanted to see how well my general fitness could carry me through the season. My plan was to ride my bike as little as possible and most importantly, ONLY WHEN I WANTED TO. 

In 2013, the fewest hours per month I rode was twenty. In 2014 the most hours per month I rode was nineteen. Most of my time has been divided among running, strength training and yoga. On Tuesdays I ride my bike to and from work (about 18 miles roundtrip). Aside from racing, that’s really the only time I’ve spent on a bike for past three months. 

I wasn’t sure how things would go when I lined up for Nittany CX in the beginning of September, but I finished with my best result in a MAC Series Race. The good results kept coming and by the fifth race of the Series, WhirlyBird, I thought that I might actually be able to win my category. With one race remaining, I will finish first in the 3/4 women AND the 3/4 women 35+. 

And, just like this season was not like last season, next season will be different as well. There are decisions that need to be made about training and racing as I move on to face tougher competition. For now I’d like to just enjoy the moment...and maybe a couple beers.

Kutztown CX

aka the day I went for a run at the gym after the race and didn’t wash the embrocation off my legs

It’s been called a roadie course...not too technical and fairly flat...there were long straightaways on which you could really hammer. I did well here in the PACX last season, taking the win. The only notable change this year was “the whoops” section (four consecutive dirt humps) which replaced the log overs.

One thing I’ve noticed about embrocation is that it never works when you want it to. I did an initial application before I left and rode with heat on full blast in an attempt to activate it.

The temperature dropped ten degrees by the time I got to Kutztown and there were patches of snow on the course. After two warmup laps, I returned to the car and turned on the heat.

I can’t complain about my start, it was decent. A group of five hung together for a little while, then it went down to four and finally three. I sat in second most of the time. The effort didn’t feel hard...it actually was a fun race, one in which I didn’t really care about winning...and that might sound strange to a lot of people, but that competitive edge is something that I'm lacking. All three of us had a good race and I was content with third.

One beer, a cup of coffee and a peanut butter and banana sandwich later I was headed home. Then, in one of the poorest decisions I’ve made in recent months I went for a run at the gym without washing off the embrocation. The burn was so intense, it lasted hours after the completion of my workout. Lesson learned.

Sometimes it's not about winning every battle...I've been consistently decent in the MAC Series this year.  The final race of the season is Limestone on December 14th. I'll be there, wearing yellow.

Fair Hill CX

aka the day I got the holeshot

aka my first Mac win

As the season has progressed it’s become glaringly obvious that starts are something that I need to work on. I could line up with a bunch of toddlers on tricycles and still not get the holeshot. I spent the past two weeks working on my starts. 

The whistle blew, I took off hard and the holeshot was mine (for the first time, ever). It didn’t take long for a couple people to pass me, one of whom went down on an off camber section, which allowed the lead group to escape. I was able to reel them back in near the end of the first lap and never looked back...literally, I didn’t know how close or far behind second place was...I didn’t want to know. This course “owned” me last year and all I wanted to do was give it 110% until the finish line. 

I won my first MAC race. It was a good day.

Anyone who has never done this race should add it to their schedule
next season. It’s a great course.

Swashbuckler CX

The forecast called for rain. I opted to stay at a hotel close to the race course last night to avoid the long, early morning drive. The rain never came.

I arrived at the grounds of the PA Renaissance Faire around 8am, plenty of time to get a couple of laps in before my race. This was the second year for Swashbuckler and the course was noticeably different...there seemed to be more sketchy gravel sections, a fly-over (with a longer bypass option) had been inserted and a set of barriers had been removed. This was the first race I’d ever done in which there were no barriers.

All of the gravel had me feeling unenthused about racing. There weren’t many participants in this field. When we lined up, it was evident that only a handful would be competing for the top three spots.

I got a decent start and stayed with the lead group. At the fly-over, another rider failed at her attempt and came sliding down into me. The lead group of three got away...far away...and I realized that the race had changed quickly. It’s a place I’ve never been before. Usually, I can find a race within my race, but there was none. It was just me, alone, in fourth, riding my bike around the grounds of the Renaissance Faire. Having no one to chase and no one chasing me, took the wind out of my sails just a bit. 

On the second lap, I went down hard in a gravel section just before the fly-over. Blood was running down my leg and I was covered in dirt...two and a half more laps of torture and I was done...fourth.

I promptly headed to the medical tent to get cleaned up, then devoured an excellent peanut butter and banana sandwich. At least it didn’t rain.

Crossasaurus Awesome...

AKA doing dumb stuff in my first 1/2/3 race 

I almost didn’t race today. Yesterday afternoon I was talking myself out of it because the alternatives were more appealing...I could go to the gym and have the rest of the day to get stuff done...I could ride alone at Batsto...I could ride with my teammates and eat cider donuts. Then, the right words came at the right time and they were...”Not my circus, Not my monkeys.” So I made a deal with myself...I would race, but after that I’d go for a run. I packed up the car and headed to Upper Salford Park.  

Two years ago, I did a handful of races and fell in love with CX. Last year I had success in the PACX 3/4 Series. Today, I returned to the place where I had begun, my goal: not come in last...and I didn’t...I’m actually not sure how I did because I left right after the race to go for a run...but I know I didn’t come in last...and I know I could have done better if I hadn’t “yardsaled” (thanks for the lingo, Robin) in the last lap...but it was so much fun catching that air and it’s nothing that a couple motrin and a bottle of Pumking can’t fix. 

I don’t think I’ll ever have that competitive edge, the one that makes you want to sprint it out for 14th in the elite field. That could be a problem down the line, but right now I’m enjoying myself.

HPCX Day 2

I woke up with no regrets about ordering that pizza last night. When I went outside to load the car it was noticeable that it had changed from summer to fall. I hopped on the Turnpike North and opted for Lionel Richie over Taylor Swift for my soundtrack.

The course was noticeably different with the exception of the nasty paved climb. My legs felt like cement on the warm up so I tried to keep moving until the start of our race. The field was smaller than the previous day, but the competition was still present. I vowed to have a better start, which I didn’t and promptly went to work. Heading into the second lap I was in eighth. On the bell lap I found myself in fourth. That’s when I noticed a yellow jersey on the side of the course. It was the series leader with a flat. 

I successfully avoided all remaining trees and finished third...the podium I had hoped for, one day late.

A special thanks goes out to Noodles the dog for heading up the cheering section today. Next weekend I put on my big girl pants for the first time in the 1/2/3 race at Crossasaurus Awesome.

HPCX Day 1

I got dumped this week. I was handling it fairly well until sitting alone with my thoughts on the drive to Jamesburg this morning. Breakups should be forbidden during CX season.

In order to race, one needs to possess both a physical and a mental presence. Today, I lacked the latter.

There was a run up, followed by a steep descent. I made a mental mistake, being more concerned about clipping in than the line I was taking, which left me off course and into a tree.

This came at the very end of the fourth lap. I went from third to sixth, with only one lap remaining. I could not shift and my saddle was crooked, but I finished. Aside from a nice handlebar check to the ribs I am ok. It could have been much worse. I drove right to the shop and am ready to roll tomorrow. Hopefully, all of me will show up this time.