Charm City Cyclocross Weekend

Saturday and Sunday, Baltimore City (Druid Hill Park) hosted the largest Cyclocross race weekend in our Mid-Atlantic region.   The C3/Twenty20 team puts this race on every year and it attracts many from the Midatlantic area, New England, and even a dozen or so pro races from across the pond.   This was my first weekend racing with my new team colors as I decided to join C3 after about a year long “courting” period.

This weekend I’d be racing about 35 women, including the UK cyclocross Champion Helen W and a Belgian pro Joyce V.   Throw in the mix some wicked fast, aggressive tough ladies from up and down the East Coast --- and well as we say it:  the field was “stacked.”   No racing with the boys this weekend, I was saving all my energy for my Elite race at 2:30P each day.

I was early to the event both days to help volunteer as well as “study” the course.   2 sets of barriers, a crazy U-turn downhill “chute” into a stairs section,  sand pits, and tons of turns as well as punchy climbs were some highlights of the course terrain.  It was fast.  It was super hard.  There was no place to really rest.  No rest.   

 I had butterflies all morning Saturday – a welcome sign.  Kind of like preparing for a date.   You are so excited yet your nerves are a tad shot and eager.  Yeah, I heart you Cyclocross!   I rolled to the starting grid about 15 minutes and lined up.   I was in the 3^rd row and thinking “start” smooth Jen, start fast.

Before I knew it the whistle was blowing and I was off.  Needless to say, my start pretty much s*cked but that is OK.   I raced from 32^nd position (or so) up to 11^th by the end of the race.   There were 34 elite women in the field.   They don’t give up.  They don’t rest.  They know how to suffer.  They are like “me” but at various skill and fitness levels.     I was riding clean and smooth and making serious gaps up working from the back up to 11^th position.   That is where I found my teammate, “Bad Kat”.   She was riding solid and I held her wheel for awhile.  She put the hammer down in the field up a false flat hill lap before last and I was thinking, man, she has some gas left in her tank.   I held.    Last lap, I was still holding and she made that very same move.  Unfortunately,  my gas wasn’t quite the same octane and she gapped me.   Great racing out there Kat, you rocked it.  

I also have to say kudos to my cheering section fan club:   Tracy, Dad, Vickie, Allyson, Mark, Bev and hubby, Ian, and many others.  You made the pain seem less painful or something like that.  

Oh and the support i received from C3 was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!   Tillman-ator!!!!!!!!!!  (Thanks Shawn Downey, you freaking rock with the Mic)

 

Day 2 was more/less the same.  This time 36 women, faster women.  Seemed Sunday drew more of the fast ladies out.   Better start.   Freaking harder.  Much faster.   Serious pain.   But 10 degrees cooler.   There were a few “races within the race” and I had a pack of ladies that I was chasing down and many behind me “ready to take me down.”   It was tit for tat and a lot of back N forths.  

 

Man, these women are tough.

And then I think,  I am freaking tough too.

11^th day 1

15^th day 2

This is Elite UCI racing Jen,  you are out there.  These are the best riders.  You’re giving it everything.  You’re fighting.   And you’re progressing.

I freaking love this sport, did I mention that?

 

And thanks Tracy – for letting me have this “love affair” with CX.  

Until next weekend it's time to rest.   Next weekend is another epic race, Gloucester Massachusetts.   I'm leaving Friday, 10 hour drive.  2 more UCI races, racing both Sat and Sun.   More pros.   More Stacked fields.  Insane community.    More cyclocross, yes please!

 

BCA Cyclocross - what a day

Sunday 9/16 - I decided to stay local this weekend in lieu of making a big trip north to race the Nittany/Trexlertown races.   Staying local meant I could focus on continuing to increase my training load over the past week, pushing myself a bit into the Red Zone, and ultimately saving myself about 5 hours of drive time.

In addition, I have two really big weekend races coming up soon:

1)  Charm City (Druid Hill, Baltimore) races Sat and Sun 9/22 and 9/23 and then I'm heading

2)  North to the biggest race in the NE, Gloucester Mass. 

Both of these races are two day races.   Both of these races will have stacked women's fields attracting professionals from Europe as well as best stateside.   Both of these races will DEMAND my all.

So I stayed local...

Well, I decided to make a large fitness deposit yesterday.   My decision:

1)  race the Men's "B" race (35/45+ age group 3/4 category) at 10:45A

2)  then wait three hours and race my race (the Women Elite 1/2) at 1:45P.

Lining up with the men is quite an adventure.  There are many rows of racers at the starting grip.  8 men (and um woman!) per row.   About 6-7 rows deep at this race, about 50 riders.   Large starting group for me compared to the woman's races...

Anyway, I was in the 4th grid.   Whistle blew and you have 50 men charging ahead on the road none of whom will give an inch of space.   This is a men's race - full testosterone "battling" for their position on to the grass.   I held my position more/less and didn't hit the deck.  Goal 1, success.  I'm upright.

Heading into the first corners it bunched up quickly but I held my ground.   1/4 the way in over the first barriers, men were down "yard sale" style in front of the barriers.  I learned A LOT about quick, smart maneuvering and navigated around the cluster.    Another 400m or so and there was 2nd yard sale....and then a 3rd.....and then a few made some really "dumb passes" cutting me off and 2 guys wreck baddddddddd in front of me down a wicked fast downhill chute, 1 on left, 1 on right --- which left me the middle clear and passable, fortunately.

Needless to say I learned a lot and my “inner Sailor” had a few words with the boys during the race…

1)  Men are animals, ha, I already knew that

2)  They are wicked tough on the course and they do not go easy on women in the race

3)  They get really P!ssed when they get chick'd by a small woman like me....and they will fight hard core, Including a bit of elbows and pushing you into the tape, to reclaim their positions...

4)  I can hold my own with 'em!

I finished 29th in the men field outsprinting a chick'd boy who was desperately trying to get me on the line.   Thank-you Mr. Man, you helped me Sprint like a maniac to the line, getting 29th (over your 30th) by out 12".

 

Anyway,  I rested and attempted recovery in prep for my race at 1:45P.

Best part of that race, I got the hole shot off the line.  Meaning, I led.   Made me a bit nervous honestly as my legs were whimpering from the men's race and the pace, my pace, out of the gate was hard.    Needless to say I had a decision to make about 1/3 of the way in:

1) Burn all my matches (empty my tank) to  attempt to hold the race leader pack or

2) HOLD and ride clean ensuring I finish the race and not completely fall off.

I chose 2 and apparently decision 2 was a good one, I held and achieved 5th place, good enough for a podium.

 

Yeah, I love this sport.  I love the pain and what you can overcome.

I love what I learn about myself when I think I have nothing left.

But I think the best part was the support I felt off the race course in between races.   There is something magical about the cyclocross community.   And I'm always feeling grateful I have both my health and the means to continue to race and play in the dirt and grass.  


And I had my Mom there cheering.  She seemed to know most everyone by the end of the race day.  Seemed she recruited more "cheer support" for me as the day went on.   Loved having here there.   Loved how she also coordinated her "pink" for the day.  it was the breast cancer awareness ride after all.  Thanks Mom.

Thanks for the support everyone.