Ending 2012 with a win. Sweet stuff.

The "cherry on top of my season" - the last race is a win.

I must be honest.  It has been tough for me trying to sit down and write my blog this week.  I have thought about it.  I've sat down and uploaded pics.  No words coming.   And a few folks have asked about my blog - where is it - and again, I think: eventually something will come.  Well I decided to make today that day.

Until now, there hasn't been any flow.

You would think there would be more excitement coming through the keyboard since I ended the season with a Win, an unexpected and unplanned accomplishment for my season.  It has been an incredible season and what better way then to take you all through my day in more detail but I'm just not feeling it.

Hmm,  maybe my loss of words and not wanting to do a race day playback (or weekly playback) is really telling me something?   Hmm.  Maybe my standard approach isn't working because:

• I've already shared "my race play back" with those I really care about.  Those that have been supporters of me, always present in the background and always spending time to listen to race debriefs.  Maybe my blog flow has already "been spent" on those face-to-face fun playbacks!
• I have a quietness inside and the fiery words just aren't in my brain.
• I am still processing.
• I am already looking forward while enjoying my personal, 2012 celebration.

It is interesting to me though that I have been kind of dreading the blog process especially since Sunday was such an awesome day of racing for me.  Sunday was all about pure flow.

Sunday I was:

• Having no specific hungry, fiery expectations at all
• Feeling open to the race outcome no matter what it was
• Racing without thinking.    
• Allowing the race to unfold around me while watching and navigating to things around me
• Watching and making moves without a lot of thinking.  More doing, less thinking.
• Less absorbed with ego and more focused on just being there.  Being.

So was Sunday's race and resultant success more about my spiritual/emotional state and less about the physical?


There are always a myriad of factors at play in life.  Always.  A factor may have more of an impact than another but factors are rarely isolated.

I know it is the intersection of various things that led to my ultimate success in that race.   I find this stuff fascinating.

There were a lot of interesting "Feelings" that surfaced for me over the last week.  different things I'll just say that I am actively working thru....

On race day though,  I felt that I was very true to myself.  I felt quiet-er.  I felt open.  And at the end of the day, it was my strongest race of the season.  Hmmmmm.

Consistent Training + Appropriate Weekly Training Load + Right Amount of Rest + Right Spiritual and Emotional Balance = CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY

Yeah, maybe something like that with a few other ingredients for sure...

Winning Sunday felt awesome.  It felt good to race hard.  To have it.  To get the win.

At the end of this blog, I am more fascinated by the qualitative "feelings" that were and are present than any specific training plan data/evidence.



Next up:
2013 Nationals.
1/10 Age Groups
1/12 Elites

May toss in a tune up or two before then and I certainly plan to get back to riding for fun a good bit over the Holidays.

Safe holidays to everyone.  See many of you in '13.

What a long, strange trip (this weekend of racing) has been....

Each blog is different.  Each race weekend is different.  
This weekend:  What a long, strange trip it has been?!  Yeah, felt a little like that for sure.
Unpredictable events.   Different feelings.   Unexpected luck.
 Read on.   This week I took a timeline approach.


Friday 12/07/12 - work and race assembly process

• 17:00. Leave work.  Get packed.   Hoards of clothes.  4 bikes.  2 trainers and 2 trainer wheels.  2 coolers.  Stuff.  More stuff.   More, more...stuff.   Yeah, almost feels like each weekend there is more vs. less.  
• Notes:  Watched a movie.  Felt almost like a normal friday night.

Saturday 12/08/12 - NY UCI SuperCross

• 04:30. Wake.  ouch.
• 05:30. depart house
• Notes:  I am obsessed with leaving on time.  Obsessed.
• Weather:  Mega fog, mist

• Sometime after sunrise.  Damn Po Po stopped us in DE right before the bridge.

       Po Po Quotes:
           "You don't have to thank me."
           "And don't let this ruin your day..."

• Notes:  AT is very polite when stopped.   But she should have turned on more of a charming girl routine (blonde girl?) and go for the "warning" ticket.   ;-)

• 10:00 ish.  arrive NY
• 10:00-12:15 warmups and readying to race.
• Notes:   course was modified due to Hurricane Sandy and FEMA support in the area taking over usual course spot.  With that said, we still had a race and that was cool.   But, course def was more of a grass crit course which didn't suit my strengths.  
• 13:00-13:45.  race.  full of mega pain.  couldn't shed that damn girl Liz behind me.  Man I tried.  Caught a nice stick in my brakes on the first lap and had to stop/dismount to fix it.   What little gap I had on few girls behind me disappeared and I just couldn't drop Liz after that.  I tried but she grunted her way back to my wheel.  Right on my wheel. I raced my arse off but field ahead was crazy fast Saturday and I was in no man's land fast.  Little island of me and Liz.  Liz tried to make a few passes, none successful except the only the mattered, the last one right before the finish.  She got me.  While I had a few expletives at the end, she raced smarter.  Well done Liz.  I finished feeling mega disappointed.  The "I suck" theme was playing, playing loud.  My emotions were not quite stable Jen emotions.  I was a hot mess. 
• 13:45-?.  While feeling very sorry for my sad little self, I washed my bike.  Went immediately inward with a leave me alone bumper sticker on my forehead.  Deal is:  I am human.  I want to do well.  I set these crazy high bars for myself.  I train.  I train more.  I train more.   And sometimes I just don't meet the self-imposed goal I set.   But in the end, does the goal even matter?  No.  That is one fraction of life in time.  It's a race.  It is an experience.  But sometimes it feels like it matters a lot.  So.  I had my sorry Jen Pity party for 30-60 minutes then as any good solutions person does:  they look to solve the problem. 
• The Recipe Fix for the Disappointed Me:
• Stop washing your bike.  It's clean enough...geez.
• Change clothes, yeah being dry is awesome.
• Decide to communicate again.  
• Hug it out.  Huuuuugggg it out.
• Almost cry.  'Cause you are a "little bit girl" after all.   Maybe.  *Joke*
• Then do what any smart cyclocross racer does -- you know the ones that really have a lot of fun and heckle:
• Follow these Instructions:

1.  Ingest 2 beers in 30 min.   Yes.  2 Brooklyn IPAs as fast as you can.   #1 cause they taste good.  #2 because they are filling.  Needed post race nutrients.  um, something like that.

2.  Raid the free Red Bull coolers.  Take 4 free red bulls for later.   Because caffeine is def my favorite addiction 2nd to cycling of course.  And these addictions play so well together.


3.  Because you have introduced Red Bull, you must inspect the Red Bull Truck.  Inspect up close.  Closer.   Ask for a tour.  Take cool photos. 

4.  Add:   an awesomely decadent Belgian waffle with chocolate and spekuloos spread.  Waffle Truck - What awesome race promoters offer:  

5. Proceed to eat as sloppily as you can.  Chocolate everywhere.   Who cares?!

6.  THEN SMILE.   You have successfully lightened up and come back down to the ground.  You realize it is a privilege to race.  This is after all, just a race that doesn't really mean anything.  Really.  A race is only 40 minutes and is gone.  Blip.  Gone.



7.  Decide you are in New York so it's now time to pursue real food in Manhattan.  


8.  Hand the car keys over.   See step #1.  :-)



Saturday 12/08/12 - Part Deux of the Day.   Adventure Time.

The Plan was to leave NY race, grab dinner in Manhattan and then head to my Cousin Gail's house near Emmaus PA.   Sunday's race would be 20 minutes from Gail's.   We'd hang with them and get over to the race in the AM.

• Post race. AT drives us to NY amidst the crazy Saturday traffic.  My mind is mush.  Pleasant mush.   Operation post race a true success.
• Arrive Manhattan.   Found parking near Angelica Restaurant on 12th street.   Restaurant offered a Vegan menu.  Split a bunch of food per the new usual.  Hunger def kicked in.   Spent time transitioning from early day mode to post race.  Good conversation, people-watching and eavesdropping on other conversations.  Yeah.  
• Took a picture of Jesus.  Cause he had a cake! Needed more candles though.
• Side Note:   Sometimes you are lucky enough to have people in your life truly enter your life and see you.  As my friend says:  really see you.  or be seen.  For me, it really doesn't happen that often despite appearances.  Maybe I don't want it to.  Maybe it is just the way it is.  Anyway, this "be seen" observation, of myself, stuck with me, not an analysis but rather an observation.  Maybe me seeing me.  And it continues to sit with me as a write this.  Anyway.  I'm really lucky to have a very few people in my life that really see me and can offer me perspective.  Their Perspectives sit with me, speak to me,  long after the conversations are over.  Maybe this is what the weekend was all about.  Discovering and re-discovering little nuggets of perspective.  Maybe this was the "win."  Maybe I just re-defined win.

 So the story shifts to positive.  Calm.  Good stuff.   But it wouldn't be a good story without more unexpected, strange occurrences.

• 18:00.  Or so.  Leave Manhattan.  Dinner was great.  2 bikes were still on the hitch when we returned to the car.  Even better Good stuff.  Yes.
• Lincoln Tunnel get us out of here.  West to PA.
• Stopped to get gas in Jersey City.
• Car wouldn't start.
• Car wouldn't start.
• Cr@pOLA.  
• Nice Minivan Man with sister living somewhere in MD offered a jump.   No luck.  Tried, tried and re-tried.  Nothing.  Nothing.
• Proceed to analyze.  What the heck are we going to do.  We are in freaking Jersey City with a ton of bike cr@pola everywhere.  Everywhere.   Gulp.   Breathe.  
• Pray to Jesus with his missing birthday candles.
• 19:30.  Push car out of the way of the gas pump.
• Decide like racing, there will be no giving up.  No matter how bad you feel, you must keep going.  Thank-you AT, you brought more of that.  Maybe it was a quiet, reserved desperation that fueled you.  But you said or think it was you:  try again.
• Guy in Nissan.  Ask him for a jump, 'cause Nissan will jump better.  Nissan likes Honda.  Maybe that dumb Dodge didn't like our Honda.
• Try again.
• Nothing.
• Try again.
• Nothing.
• Mess with the cables.
• Try again.
• OMG, it started.
• Thank-you sweet Jeeezus.

So.  there were two options at this point in the story.  Proceed to Gail's in no-where's-ville PA or head back to Baltimore and do NOT shut down the engine.

• We drove west toward PA.   Somewhere in that first 20 minutes of driving west on I-78 we discussed the real risks.

  Worst Case:  Car doesn't start tomorrow and we get stuck in PA.  How do we get home?  Consequences?  Ouch, this scenario sucks!

  Better Case:   What if we drive home?   Swap cars.  Race tomorrow.   (Remember how a few folks get stuck in my head and really know me.  Well thank you T for offering this HUGE NUGGET of wisdom while I was at the gas station.)

• Unexpected twist.
• Strange trip.
• Full of luck.  Thank-you luck.
• 20:00-23:00 Drive home.  Unpack some.  Eat again.  Shower.  Sleep.   

Sunday 12/09/12 - Limestone at the Kiln, Emmaus PA


Sunday Weather:    Who cares about a little rain especially after our Saturday adventures?

• 06:00.   Wake and move
• 06:00-07:00:  pack AT's car.   Today we'd have our A bikes leaving our pit bikes at home.
• Pit stop:   Donuts!!!!!!!!!!  Why not.
• 10:00:  arrive Emmaus PA.
• Setup the 3-leg tent.  The tent that has stories.  The poor little wounded tent that still does a good job keeping us dry.  The tent that could.   
• Walk the course versus ride the course.  Way too muddy and only one bike... it was a wicked, smart call.
• General Notes:    I feel generally mellow today.  Tired.  Def tired from the long, strange Saturday trip but overall not bad.  Different energy.  Less amp.  Bit of a different perspective on the day's goals ahead ... 
• The umbrella hat came back out.  She'd been hiding since Gloucester.  You have to have fun when the umbrella hat comes out to play.  Ridiculously awesome and super functional.  Hands free.  :-) Smiles.
• The course:  mud.  Tons of mud.  four run-ups.  yes four.   FOUR.  ouch.  Great course, epic CX course.  CrayCray.   It was crazy.  It was fun.  It hurt.  It WAS fun.  I will def come back to race the Kiln.  Maybe I'll have mud tires by then.   Ha.

So what a long strange CX trip of a weekend it has been?   It was a good trip at the end of the day.  Sunday was a freaking blast.   Maybe I needed a mud cleanse.  Maybe I just needed to loosen this tight grip I put around myself.

Cycles and cyclocross kind of go hand in hand.   The cycle taught me a lot and gave me more mental stuff to chew on for awhile.

Shimano NEPCX - NBX Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross (Aka: the Rhode Island Cyclcross Trip)

Friday 11/30:   Leaving Town.

Our plan was to leave my house by 7p, 8 at the latest, on Friday evening after work.   The Element was packed full of stuff:  4 bikes, 2 inside/ 2 outside.   2 trainers, 2 trainer wheels, 2 coolers, 2 bag of clothes, water, a Yakima roof rack stuff with even more overflow stuff (chairs, tent, stuff stuff and more stuff). Oh and throw in a new Crux frame to be delivered to one of my C3 team-mates.  Yeah, we had plenty of room!  Ha!

Well, we managed to get good ole' Ellie (element) packed and left Baltimore by 7:30P.   :-)   The drive was more/less uneventful.  I drove the first leg up through a rest stop near Newark and AT took 2nd shift.  Needless to say by midnight, we were both loopy and tired ready to get to the hotel.

Lucky we had that sugar stop at the 24 hour CVS. We arrived Warwick, Rhode Island around 1:30A and schlepped most of the stuff up to the hotel room.   Didn't take us long to totally pass out.  Race day was only a few hours away.

Saturday 12/01:   Race Day #1

First the weather.  Always amusing that the weather forecast is projecting decent weather all week and then we get close to race day and everything shifts.   Yeah, well at least we didn't have a large green blob on  radar map surrounding the race site like we did for Gloucester.

Weather:   high 30's into 40's.  Rain, mostly drizzly, all night friday and into Saturday morning.   By late morning we had large snow flakes.  Yeah it was freaking cold.









 The course:

• Uphill start into a gravel laced slight right hand turn into a pine forest.  
• Some nice roots which were spray painted orange throughout the first stretch as well as many other stretches on the course.
• A fly-over into a fast grassy straightaway
• Natural barriers of two fallen trees, very cool
• More roots
• more Turns
• a long, hard sand beach run (ouch!)
• sand filled cleats :)
• More barriers
• more turns with roots and sand
• rinse N repeat at heart attack speed

Anyway, you get a sense of the day 1 course.  It freaking hurt.  The group quickly spread out after the start and gaps emerged.  It was a fight to get up to the wheel of the "next" rider in front, make a pass, and do it again.   The hardest part for me was def the long beach run and the straights.  My competition def had more power in the straights then technique in the turns and technical sections ---- at least the competition in the back of the pack.   I raced hard.  Felt good.  Solid.  But not great, I wanted a better performance for day 2.

Finished 23rd out of 33 riders.   LVG and Arley both rocked the podium, 1st and 3rd.


Saturday 12/01:   Race Day Evening, almost like a normal Saturday night minus my favorite T

Dinner out and a movie.  We had dinner at a cool vegetarian restaurant then hit the local movie theater to see Anna Karenina.   I still have that movie music stuck in my head.   Anyway, it was nice having a relaxing evening after a hard day racing.  Only thing missing was my Tracy.  But it was super nice just to lay low.   Funny when we got back to the hotel, some other racers were huddled in the hallway on benches stolen from the lobby area drinking beer and kicking back.   Funny, in another time, I would have been guzzling back a few brews but anymore I just want to keep the bod clear and free.   Good stuff though --- we all have our ways to chill and relax.  This time I chose food, a movie, conversation and ZZZZzzzzz's.  :) 


Sunday 12/02:   Race Day #2

Slept wicked hard Saturday night and woke kind of late. 8A.  Best part of the morning was a coffee delivery.  Serious friends deliver coffee to waking Jen's.  Seriously, think that for me cements friendship for life.  def.    

Weather:  today.  Warm by comparison.  50s.  Gray skies but the sun was trying to peek out from time to time.

The course:   very similar to day 1 but take away the long grassy straightaway near the start and add a 2nd technical sand section.   Very mountain-biker-esque IMO.   Quick, punchy climb into a sandy descent right hander with thicker sand.   You could easily ride the punchy climb if you were powering (the men rolled that hill so fast, it was awesome). There was one good rutted line down into the 2nd sand section and if you did it right you could be off the bike clean and pushing the bike as you quickly navigated right back up the upward right hand 180 degree turn back up the hill.  That last bit pushing the bike up to the dirt flat was tough.  Short section but def took some mega energy.

The start:  The start effin sucked.  Yeah, just have to say it like that.   2nd to last row start.   Lined up behind AT and when whistle blew, things just didn't go well for our small Baltimore crew.  Girl in front of AT fudged her start.  AT hit her wheel.  Everyone beside me and in front of me/us proceeded forward while we didn't.  It could have been worse, a crash at the start.   That happened on day 1 and I just escaped it... so guess this was not so bad.

...And as we said later:   we were just giving that field a nice 5 second head start.  Yeah, why not?!!  Just go ahead, we'll catch up.

Day 2 Start.   Challenges and Tough Times started at the whistle.  :-/

Well.  That was the start.  It sucked.   But we were fueled by anger and proceeded to claw and fight to reclaim spots.   Think AT and I both would agree it was some of our fiercest most aggressive racing.   In 'cross, things go wrong.  Guess you can always count on something to fail.

And in a split nano-second, you're either the one making the move or the one reacting to the move.
Think I learned I can make serious moves.   Minus the one encounter where I ran right into the tape after making an aggressive move over the barriers (giving that damn field another few seconds, yeah why not?  geez!),  I rode hard.  I chose my moves wisely minus the 1.   I attacked into corners and took position.   I accelerated hard to get out ahead of other racers right before technical sections where I knew I could ride clean and potentially gain time on them.  Small victories in a trying day.  I'll take small victories.  :-)

Despite the obstacles of the day, I finished 25th out of 34 riders.  I had to fight hard and from the DFL (dead effin last as AT said it) position at the start.

I love the sport.   It brings butterflies, anger, frustration, euphoria, happiness, fatigue, soreness, bruises, smiles, laughs, chills.  It brings a bunch of crazy people together to race their bikes on grass, mud, sand, and road for 40 minutes.

While Rhode Island was not my best race, it was def one where I fought hard.  It was def a challenging day of racing.  Hard Course.  Solid competition.  And as always, I learned a lot once.  These big UCI races def accelerate the learning curve for sure.

Element Explosion :)

Still Ahead -
(T minus 3 races until Nationals)

• 12/08 - NY
• 12/09 - PA
• 12/16 - MD
• January - Nationals

Thanks for reading and thanks for all the support.



Photos care of:  Cycling News


 

Almost December

So let's see where I left off...

Weekend of 11/17 and 11/18:

saturday, I traveled to Kutztown, PA with AT to hit a local PA race.   I was taking Sunday off to attend Tracy's CrossFit "King/Queen of the Volcano" tournament so I planned on travelling a bit further to get a race in.   It was an awesome day - mild for late Fall.  Lots of sunshine.   Because of limited races that weekend, it drew a lot of super fast & strong women out to compete.   We had 20 or more racers on the start line-up.   Competition was thick.  I placed 8th I think.  I was happy.  Legs were coming back after Cancun, even better!

Best part of the day:   finding Normal Avenue.  Had to hang there for awhile.  Literally.

Sunday was Tracy's competition.  It consisted of four events.  It was my turn to play cheerleader and go show my support to my favorite CFer!

Event 1:   Prowler Push, 500m row, then shuttle run.  For time.









Event 2:  3x 1 rep max of hang clean.  T lifted some crazy 115 lb or something.  Nearly my weight.  Yeah, nuts.  Followed by a "Atlas Stone" (73lb cement ball) lift and toss over shoulder.   That exercise was max reps in 1 minute.

















Event 3:   jump rope "double unders" - max reps for 2 minutes.  Tracy had been struggling to get the technique down forever.   Never being able to do the movement.  On competition day, she got 13 reps.  Yeah, that's how it starts.  Go T!
 
Event 4:   craycray circuit of something like:

• clean and jerks 95# - 10? can't remember
• 10 burpees?
• 10 deadlifts 95#
• 12 20" box jumps
• 12 GHD situps
• Repeat as many rounds as you can in 10 min, go to you puke! 

That was one crazy arse circuit.  T made me so proud.  She is an amazing women.  Strong, fit and determined.

she placed 7th overall in the women's RX division.  14 women.  Some who have been athletes their whole lives, some who were just getting fit.  Really awesome day.  Really great to see T push so hard and succeed beyond her own expectations.  Is she hooked?  def.  So cool.



Last Sunday was the Taneytown Regional Championship.  Highlights:

• Cold.  but dry.  :)
• Really cold. ;)
• small field of ~10
• legs still felt good
• rode well finished in 5th
• the surprise:   I actually was consistent enough throughout this race series to take the #1 spot in the series.  I won.  Pretty surprised.  Very cool.  Ended up winning by a small margin of 2pts. 

This weekend I'm heading to Rhode Island for the UCI races.

My end of season looks something like:

• 12/1 Rhode Island
• 12/2 Rhode Island
• 12/8 NY
• 12/9 PA
• 12/16 MD (yeah, local!)
• January 2013 - National Races in Wisconsin where I'll be racing in my age category and in the Elite Women's field
• AFTER:   rest time.  Or maybe, I'll just switch to mountain biking.  :)

thanks for reading.

Post Cancun remembering how to race...

Cancun:
So last I wrote I was heading to Cancun for a 3 night 4 day vacation.   Needless to say Cancun was amazing and as most of you already know, Hurricane Sandy ensured we had the full rest and recovery we needed.  We arrived Friday and had planned on departing Monday.   Sandy kept us in Cancun for an extra 2 nights.   Sign from the Universe, maybe?!

Post-Cancun, Back to the Daily Grind:
#1, returning to reality is so freaking hard.   But based on the suggestion of friends/colleagues, it was important to create a safe word.  This safe word would allow them an opportunity to remind me to return to my "vacation calm state." 

When I hear said safe word, I must return to the blissful, Zen-like, peaceful state that I created while in Cancun.   Yeah, sounds easy eh?   So to track my performance post-Cancun, I created two metrics:
1.  How many times was the safe word used?  Ha!
And 2. How long could I maintain the post-Cancun Zenlike state?"

Well all jokes aside, I returned from paradise and I'm doing my best to keep that calm.  Still trying now almost 2 weeks post-Cancun.

1st Race Back:   local race, Patapsco Cross.   Saturday 11/3  (Sunday, I had no race)


 Highlights:

• wearing our C3 halloween skinsuit.  Yes it's colorful!
• Freezing my tuckus off.   From Paradise to 30 degree weather
• Thinking:  "I left my legs in Cancun"
• Thinking:  "Why exactly do I love this racing stuff so much?  Really why do I do this...?  Ha"

Best part of day might have been the lunch and "defrost" my body afterward.

 Thursday 11/8:   best way to re-charge your enthusisam --> BUY A NEW BAD ARSE CROSS BIKE.

 Highlights:
This has been something I was toying with for 2013 but felt it "right" to accelerate this purchase IF my team could find me a 49c frame.  They did. (Of course they did!)  End of story.

HUGE SMILE.
 And yes, my enthusiasm TANK is seriously re-charged!




Full Weekend of Racing:   Yes, Post-Cancun Jen is gone.  Crazy Race Girl Jen is back.  SMILE!  I'll have another opportunity for Cancun Jen, maybe January, right T?

Saturday Fairhill, MD - MAC race:

Highlights:

• new warmup strategy c/o A. :-)
• Brand new bike.  Sweet!
• Why did I change my start strategy and clip my right foot in?  I never do that!  I always use my left foot.  Always.  Must've been distracted by the new bike bling!
• Lois cheering on the sidelines.  Thanks for coming cousin!
• Smiling the ENTIRE last lap of the race.  Priceless.
• Fun pix post-race thanks to Mom!!!
• 12th place finish out of 20 crazy fast ladies.  It was fun.  Legs still aren't quite back from Cancun but they are getting there.
• D's awesome CinBun and pumpkin cookies.  full gluten.  Yes, I am learning to bend some...in the name of sugar and teammates, sometimes you just gotta live!

 Race #2 Sunday, Schooley Mill CX.


Highlights:

• Tracy came to watch!!!!!!!!!!!!!   And cheer and inspire me to work harder!!!!!
• Brand new bike.  Sweet!   Yes the same highlight and had to say it again.  This bike rules!!!!!!!!
• Smaller field but decent start. 
• Found 4th position and held it the entire race to the end.   Tried to chase down JM but just couldn't close that 5-10 second gap.   
• Fun post-race pix with the race-gals.  Makes it fun.
• Post race Great Sage!!!!!
• Loki the Cat entertainment session.   Reminded that I love my "adult" cats.  Kittens are craycray.

And looking forward.   More VO2 intervals this week.  Next time, I must close that gap.  

DCCX Sunday race and the days before the race

This week was wicked hectic at work. 5 day workweek felt so much longer.  Last week I had hit the fatigue wall.  This week I wanted to ensure I could rebound for Sunday's big, super fun race in DC.  DCCX.   

Below was my past week at a glance:

Monday:  rest. Just work.  Plenty of work to do!

Tuesday:  AM short Intervals, decided to skip the crossfit (very wise, very wise).  More work!  Lots of it!
             PM speaker series season kickoff w Bill Clinton (super fun Fall/Winter ritual with some cool ladies)

Wednesday:  mo-work then...cross practice locally. Short Intervals.  Fun on my CX bike!  Felt great being out, felt like "play" with some efforts.

Thursday:  more work...  running errands with T, crossfit and house chores

Friday: work count down to 5p...then evening easy road ride

Saturday: easy road w opener.  hair cut.  lunch out.  chores.  then rest.

Sunday:  RACE


This week also represented the "countdown to Cancun week" as well.  
T minus ____ days to Cancun.   

Tracy and I booked this trip this past March (what feels like a forever ago).   Two primary reasons.  
1) We/she would need a break from the endless CX weekends...
2)  We needed a warm weather getaway
3) Maybe three reasons....we haven't had a big trip in too long...

The goal:  create a 4-day escape to a warm weather climate where we could just chill, relax and be pampered.   Yeah.  Tracy is wicked smart for booking this trip.   We leave Friday morning.  4 days to Cancun. :-)    And I have a feeling we'll be sure to introduce more out-of-Baltimore, vacation time for the 2013 season.  I have some good influences at work too who help remind me how awesome "Quarterly" vacations are... :-)

Anyway, back to cycling! 

DCCX:   
Morning was weird or should I say:  I was reacting "weirdly" to circumstances...

1.  Tracy was nearly sure she had strep throat.   My concern should have been her health and well being but honestly I was having an episode of Jen-self-ish-ness.   I wanted her at DCCX.  She was the only one I wanted there.  Well.  Even when T is not feeling well, she is sooooooooo patient (yes, def a key for an eight year relationship lasting, thanks T).   She dealt with my cr@ppiness until I came around.   So while I head out to the races with the Mother, again all dressed in pink from lipstick to fleece, T went to Patient First.

2.  Sister was supposed to join me at Race before she returned to Va Tech in Blacksburg.  If anyone has heard me talk about Amy, you get that she and I are def alot alike.   I had ALWAYS thought of her as my younger, 24-year old Hero.   She is just so smart for her age.   Just gets life and puts herself first.   I freaking love her so much...   

This weekend I learned not only is she my Hero, she is human and maybe more of TILLMAN than previously thought.  Yes, Amy was up for a wedding this past weekend and like so many do at weddings, Amy drank.   And drank.  And drank.   Well needless to say, she was also sick Sunday morning.  Her date was with a cool looking piece of porcelain.  

Sorry you missed it Amy but honestly, you seem more like a regular 24 old to me now.  It's a good thing.  Ha.


So that left Me and Mom off to DCCX.





All the locals love this race.   Why?

• It's a great course, punchy.  Twisty.  Tough.   This year it was wicked dry and crazy fast.
• Tons of vendors, lots of beer drinking to be had.  None for me though.  I'm a bit boring in that area as of late.  At least others in my bloodline are drinking enough for me, thanks Amy.
• Tons of racers from all over the Midatlantic come out for this event

There were over 40 Elite women preregistered for DCCX this year.  Some seriously fast women from the area were pre-reg'd too.    Our favorite CX results "race predictor" had me at 15th place if I recall correctly.   Last year, I finished 15th and the competition def was not as thick.   I was curious about this year.  Also curious as to whether my body received enough rest and recovery nourishment to fuel this race day effort.

Officials had their typical 30 sec and 15 sec warnings before the whistle blew.   I was lined up in the first starting grid since I've been able to race most of the local MABRA series.  The whistle blew and we were off.  A big field racing for the first turn.




I was 5th or 6th wheel off the start.  I had an issue clipping in but don't remember it bothering me too much.   I was in the right gear, I was able to get clipped in and I was racing/chasing the leaders hard and fast.


I remember thinking:  "I really don't care if I burn all my matches this race.  Freaking burn the book Jen, just burn it all."


Sometimes you think you have more and you don't.
Sometimes you think you should conserve and you shouldn't.
Today, I decided I would race my first lap wicked fast and hard and continue to go as hard as I could for as long as I could. Today would be a day to deepen the pain cave.  

By eliminating the "match" question, I freed up some brain space to just focus on enduring the pain and suffering and race my @ss off!!!!! 


Into lap 1, I got passed by Erin and Laura.   In the meantime, I continued to play a good hand of tit and tat with my friend and training partner, AT.  Honestly, I was surprised to be so close to her as she usually has rockets in her calves.   But I was and I was pushing.   I found I could really put down some serious power in the flat, long sections on the grass and the road.   I'd make a pass, she'd pass back.  I'd make a move, she'd pass back.   It was actually fun in a painful sort of way to be racing against a friend who has been part of my training history.  Anyway, we did the cat / mouse thing awhile (trying to ignore some of the ruckus from the sidelines, right AT?) and eventually AT pulled away in the last lap.   We were hustling through 3/4 traffic by this point and it def was hard trying to stay attached to her wheel and get around the 3/4 racers.  


I remember sprinting up the road section the last time, the road before the turns/barrier and standing up and just hammering up to that left hand turn grassy turn.   I can remember the feeling of my quads boiling.  I tried to chase down and get back to AT by the finish line but in the end she had me.   


It was an awesome race.
I "felt" my training pay off today.   
I felt more rested than previous weekends.
I still feel blessed to have my health, be surrounded by my people at the races and have a few awesome friends within my inner circle to share it with.


It really is an amazing sport. And I love my Reflections after the race when all goes quiet for awhile, when my body stills, and all that is left are my thoughts.  What did I learn this week?  A lot.  For that unveiling, I'd need another blog... 


- Erin, thanks for your comments on the starting grid line.  It meant a lot to have that compliment come from someone I chase regularly at the races.
- Tracy R, thanks for calling me a rocket off the line.  Trust me, now I know listening to my fatigue warnings was def the right thing to do.
- Mark, thanks for ensuring my bike doesn't fall apart anytime soon.  Ha.  2 nutz.  You help me the other six days a week when we're not racing.  Really awesome stuff.
- Mom, thanks for cheering.  Maybe we can filter some of the cheers next week ;-)  It is all about the fun at end of day anyhow!
- AT thanks for being my race carrot this week.  Thanks for being a friend.  We've taught one another a lot this past year and this season has been an absolute blast racing with you.  Keep smiling.  And yes, that is def a challenge!!!!!! 
-Laura M - thanks for being you.  You are fun to be around.  Strange and so very cool.  Keep bringing that fun to the races.
- Tracy P - thanks for loving me.
-Allyson J. - thanks for seriously spoiling me.  You know exactly what I mean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  



I'll be taking some time over the next week to seriously Renew my body in Cancun.  
And then I'll be back to racing and more blogging.

Until then.
Peace 

Today is Sunday, day after Seneca Creek CX.

Tracy is killing the bag.  Kill-Kill-Kill.  Take That.  BAM.

Today was the "Fight for Mike" charity CrossFit workout at our local box, Arenal Fitness.  Tracy needed a workout partner and I was very pleased that she would invite me.  ;-)  While I've been focused on cycling, she's been getting her ARSE in the best shape of her life doing various CrossFit workouts including Striking, Kettlebell, regular CF as well as creating her own CF workouts.  (Some of which she "assigns" to me.  And they are no effin' joke let me tell ya!)

Ropes!  Bad Ass!

To give you an idea of what my tough ass partner is up to while I'm spending endless hours on one of my bicycles - see pix.  Yeah.  That is my toughie.

All I have to say is her first CF competition is November 18th.  Yeah baby, I'll be there with mad cowbell and crazy cheer.  Mom's coming out too.  I've been training my vocal chords T, I'm bringing my A+ crazy cheer game.  Can't wait to see what you bring to that event.  You are awesome!

Anyway.  Tracy is awesome.  This weekend I knew I had only one race so I agreed to spend a Sunday, my first in a longgggggggggggg time, off the bike.  I made the right choice.

The Last Week:   
This past week has been tough.  9 races, 5 weekends.  Performance ok by the #s but I knew I was digging a hole.   Question was:   Was I knee high?  Hip high?   Response:  stop digging or pay the price.   I was so tired this week.  When my enthusiasm wanes and I find myself staring into space with minimal brain wave action, I know I'm in a hole.  

A friend said:  Jen, most people have a caution flag along the path of exhaustion.   You on the other hand, not so much.  By the time your inner voices begin speaking a "slow down" message, you're experiencing what most people would call a serious RED FLAG moment.

Anyway.  red flag, yellow flag.  I'm slowing down....or trying to...

The Race:  

C3 Bad Kat and Me.  Call me Snot Rocket? :)

Seneca Creek CX was awesome.  2 sand pits.  2 sets of barriers.  What felt like 200 turns.  Sunny day.  Mom cheering.  Lots of C3 ladies and a few C3 boys came out.  

My body:  still tired.
 

No special hugs on this week's podium, boo!  :) Laura on top.

I decided to do the race despite my fatigue this week.  Still glad I did.  THere were 9 elite women on the grid.  the start was a downhill grass straightaway into 2 turns and some off cambers.  BF launched herself off the start like a rocket and I grabbed her wheel.  2 turns in and I made a break for the lead-out into the first set of barriers.  Took the lead, hopped the barriers and began charging the backside of the course. I looked back, no one.  Huh????   Bad Kat, fellow C3-er, said she did some blocking but WTF?!!  I was leading with a gap.  Man, sometimes it just seems like following is an easier bet for me.   Anyway I led through the backside back up through the 2nd set of barriers and out onto the "other backside" of the course toward the start.  Bad Kat was on my wheel with Laura Murray 3rd.  Laura's a powerhouse.  Even with her cracked helmet (do I have a concussion?) pre-ride episode, she applied her mega-watts and overtook both me and Bad Kat for the lead.  Yeah, while we chased, she stayed out in front and built up what would be a 1 min gap to the finish.

Thanks Joe's Bike Shop for a great race

Bad Kat hung on my wheel for a bit before she made her break.  Kat charged and I didn't grab the wheel.  While I tried to close that 10-20 sec gap the whole race, the gap neither gained nor lesssened.  Bad Kat is a fellow CF-er a bit more experienced than me but man she's been working hard and it's awesome to see her perform.  Way to go Bad Ass Kat!  
Anyway, I rode well.  4th was more than a minute behind me.  The whole race field spread out pretty good.  I am pleased with my bike handling.  The corners, off cambers, riding the sand pits, clean barriers, standing.  YEah, it was good.  But overall it felt C+/B- to me.  Why:  fatigue.

So Sunday:
So sometimes you need perspective and well I received a big dose of that yesterday.

• a dear friend and fellow cyclist was hospitalized yesterday.  Blood clot in the brain.  Long story short, she was out for a long road ride, began feeling symptoms, she/friend called me, they were blessed by Universe to receive special help, arrived hospital in ENOUGH time to MAKE A LIFE LONG DIFFERENCE.   Yeah.  Sometimes too many things come together to call it a mere coincidence.  Call it good Karma.  Call it spirit guides working overtime.  I'll call it:  close call with pure awesome ending...although it's not quite over.  Yeah.   So after racing, i was at the hospital.  I usually sweat into a panic attack entering hospitals.  T too.  But not so bad this go around.  As we walked into the room for our visit, my friend's spirit, while tired, lit up the room.  Some people just shine, she shines.  Friend, while you had a crazy day, you still put some energy back into me.  You know what I mean.  You are special sauce sweet positive blend of energies.  Glad to have met ya.  Glad to have you around for awhile longer. 

This friend and the end of week lesson reminded me of my beginning of week start.  I'm tired.  While cycling lights up my life, it is not everything.  Life is short.  Life can be unexpectedly short.  I can wear myself into a hole or I can pace myself and pull back on the Jen reins.  

While I'll never be a "chill" sit still person,  I am focused on all the blessings I have in my life.  Amazing partner, awesome health, great family, sweet-sweet-sweet life.  Very grateful.

At the end of this day and the end of this week:

• I have my feet up.  
• I have my closest loved ones very close, furballs DEF included.  
• And I will ensure I rest up over the coming weeks so that I can continue to race hard, play hard, and give my best in the many areas of my life.

Peace.   Thanks for reading.