AFC Sugar Hill Women's Expert XC MTB

Figured for this blog, I'd share my post-race report summary.  Maybe you will get some ideas of how I re-play a race, maybe you can share insights with me.

In the end, I'd say:

• I should have suffered harder and tasted more blood going up the waterbar to chase down that 5 second gap;  maybe I could have held on, maybe not......  easier said then done but maybe an extra 30 seconds of mega-suffering would have helped me stay on the lead group
• More calories.  My little Tillmanator engine is like a small 4 cyclinder revving at 1000 rpms.   I need serious high octane high calorie food intake when I rev that high.   I am going to experiment with bottles up to 400 calories.   This race, I took in 700 calories.   I think I could have easily drank another 300 calorie bottle.

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Sunday morning:

·         Woke around 8:00A to coffee and breakfast

·         Had time to run BJ’s errand with T

·         Got back, mixed up my regular veggie/ fruit / protein vitamixer shake

·         Packed car and was off by 11:00

Sunday pre-race:

·         Arrived 11:30, got registered

·         Parked on my stuff at team tent

·         Got sweet parking spot closeby

·         Continued to sip on water and my shake

·         Got on trainer at 12:15p or so and started warmpu

o   Warmup felt good.

o   Intervals felt do-able.  Really focused on power # more than HR.

o   Finished early with time to pack road bike away in car

o   Put on race shades

·         And got geared up

o   Had 2 water bottles with 3 scoops (300 cal) infinit in each bottle

o   Carried one gel and one set of gu chomp gels

·         Pedaled around on my MTB to stay warmed up, easy zone 2.

·         Pedaled up to starting line right around 1p

·         Didn’t really socialize on start, retained focus on race ahead and just didn’t feel like jibber-jabbing

The Race – start:

·         We had 2 minute warning then 30 second warning. 

·         I was positioned on left, 2^nd position.

·         Had solid start immediately clipping in and powering into the pedals

·         Tracy Posner, on my left started to ramp up speed on first road hill

o   I easily matched and took lead and better line

o   Stacy Barbossa (Cyclocross expert start – Colavita) and Carolyn Popovic (Team CF expert CXer and MTB) were both behind

o   Stacy and Carolyn were the ones I had targeted as “my” competitors from the get-go

·         I was first onto the gravel/dirt and leading up the waterbars.

o   Heart rate was off the chart

o   Legs were burning

o   Nearing the top, Stacy made a pass and hit me with her wide-arse (new-to-her) handlebars which forced me  to put a foot down to recover balance.

o   I cussed her a bit saying:  “Why the hell are you pushing me down this early in the race Barbossa…”  she apologized.  IT’s racing.

o   I made it back.

o   Stacy led, Carolyn right on her wheel, me in 3^rd

·         At the top of the bars, Stacy put the hammer down even harder and forced the gap. Carolyn was on her and I was now at a 5 second gap.   Ginni was behind me by 5 sec and two behind her.  (we only had six racers)

·         I was at my red limit and pushing 180’s the first lap of the purple Rockburn loop lap

The race – 1^st lap

·         Into the first Rockburn lap, I was as hard on gas as I could.  Def anaerobic and at my max.  

·         Tasted blood whole lap.

·         The gap grew to maybe 10 seconds halfway around that first loop.  Stacy was still in my sights leading Carolyn

·         I just didn’t have any more “go juice” to chase them down and close the gap.  I was at my limit.

·         Ginni also fell farther behind me.  By the time we were finishing the loop making the left onto yellow trail (morning choice) near spectators, I had probably put a 20 second gap on her, that only grew the rest of the race.

·         I felt strong throughout Morning choice trail (yellow) all the way to Landing road.   I knew the lines I wanted, where I wanted to stand and power (and lock out my suspension) and where I had to push harder to get back up to speed.  

      I loved the twisty areas leading into Landing area.  I nailed the log piles eliminating the wide angle turns and taking more straight, fast lines.  I stood up all the hills leading up to the big tree that had fallen right as you reach Landing.

·         I crushed the landing descent and all tracks leading up to bridge stream crossing to Cascade bypass and the first muddy area and rock garden.  I took the line up the big rock that I had been practicing.  No issues.  

      I pushed and pulled hard up the short steepies.  I felt good.

·         Rock garden back on Cascade, I nailed the left line each time cutting a second or two off (I def thought that line was faster).

·         Back up Ridge, I felt strong too.

·         I drank 1 bottle the first lap, no problems sipping here and there along the loop.  300 calories

2^nd Lap

·         This is where I felt like I started to get into no man’s land.   

       At this point, I could no longer see Stacy.   I was fearful the gap was much wider than what people were telling me on the trail.  At the spectator intersection, people were yelling 20-30 seconds but I could not see her.

·         Meanwhile, some solid SSers were now passing me on lap 2

·         Lap 2 time was slower than lap 1.  I felt good though.  Rode clean.

·         Feel like I could’ve gone faster on the downhills and twisty sections, had I trusted my equipment 100%.  Sometimes it is hard to balance caution and staying upright with outright crazy race speed.

·       

         Overall lap 2 was good.  I had a few moments of ahhh ouch this hurting but I quickly moved through those race moments.

·         I took in probably ½ a bottle (150 cal) and one gel (100 cal)

3^rd lap:

·         3^rd lap hurt.   I could feel my upper body tense and my right hand, the “hold on” muscles as I refer to them.,   really focused on core stability and posture.  To race fast, you have to engage the whole body. This was my focus.  Ride clean.  Ride well. 

·         On last lap, I actually started picking up a few guys that were moving backward so to speak.

·         I would catch tehm all on the uphills where my steady power and push was there.   

·         I could feel the rocks more, the roots more and I was def not as aggressive with the downhill speed.  

·         I took in my last ½ bottle (150 cal) on last lap.  Bottle was dry by the time I hit water bar descent. 

·         Rode solid last lap but never did catch Barbossa. 

·         Rode solid into finish with last push. 

·         As I got off my bike, legs/calves started to twinge (early warning cramping sign).  I was out of it but intoxicated by the race…and glad it was over.  

·         I finished 3^rd, one minute behind 2^nd and about 10 min behind 1^st 

·         I took in 700 calories, I don’t think it was nearly enough at that intensity.  I could have easily drank a 3^rd bottle and mixed them stronger.