Gofahr - Musings of a Cyclocross Racer: Recent Episodes
Gofahr - Musings of a Cyclocross Racer
I was so close to being ready for the world cup in Iowa. So close. And then, I took a day off the Monday before and my body responded with a seized up lower back. Is it because my racing age is 30? Am I secretly a Greek Goddess suffering from hubris? Or maybe it is the world’s way of saying that I am wasting my time doing yoga and stretching because I am going to end up in pain anyways. For whatever reason, it happened.
Despite not doing any efforts leading up to the race, it was still stiff and painful for the C2 on Friday. I didn’t want to start, but I was in such a funk: hurt back, bad attitude, that I decided I had to race just to clear my system. Besides, my new Kona Super Jakes had just been built up by Kerry and Mark West, so they needed a thorough shake-out before the big show. My pre-ride of the course was slow, and frantic. The course was slick. I made the mistake of shifting at the wrong time on a sloggy climb and sent my bike into crash mode (on a Di2 rear derailleur when the mechanism feels extreme force it will self shut-off to prevent damage. Ironically I only go into crash mode when I am a bad shifter, not when I actually crash) . I forgot how to reset it, so I headed back to the tent in a worse mood than I started out. Unable to do any real “opening” efforts before the race, I started slow, and my legs felt like they were full of wet cotton until nearly my last half lap.
My result and performance on Friday did not phase me, because a lot of us did not approach it as a race, but instead, an opener for the big show on Sunday. I was still optimistic. But the car ride back to our host house on Friday proved to be too much for my back, and I was hardly able to pull my socks on before dinner. I was devastated. But, with the help of a network of friends, google, and some understanding people, I got some last-minute appointments for a chiropractor and acupuncture on Saturday. Between those treatments and some easy laps where I focused on some skills, I was feeling prepared for Sunday’s world cup.
Once again, on Sunday, the schedule was flipped and women were racing after the men. We had so much course time available I wasn’t even sure what to do with myself! It was great to be able to see Kerry and the other pros take some good lines in prep for my own choices. For many it was a file tread day, but I chose Maxxis All Terranes for some bite in the steep off-cambers and in the event there was some dust or debris build-up through the turns. I was happy with my choice, because the course was a mix of smooth pavement-like dirt ruts and loose gravel-like soil. Traction was not a big worry. With the men going first, I was alone under the tent for over an hour, and it was SO FREAKING LONELY!! Now I know how Kerry feels while I am out racing and the mechanic is in the pit and he is left to fend for himself on the trainer.
I was happy with my start – I didn’t fight too hard but I sure didn’t go backwards like I could have. The first lap was the typical World Cup fight, and it took well into the lap before anyone even started to settle. I made a few good passes and smart decisions, gaining me 5 spots at a time. I was climbing up. As I worked to pick off groups and riders, I came up behind a group going into the steep off-camber. I went for the same pass I made in lap 1, but what I did not anticipate was Helen Wyman sticking her leg out (also known as dog pissing). I could have just hit the leg, but my instincts made me grab brake, and I immediately slid out on the steep slope. CRAP! I scrambled to the bottom and around the corner and up. I heard the announcer say I was down. My chain had dropped between my cassette and my wheel. I pull it out. I go to get on. It drops again. UGH I forget to shift to move my derailleur away from the wheel. When I dig it out again I shift and see my cage is at way too steep and angle. Going to need to pit. Crap. But the race was away from me.
The Rochester race weekend has been the traditional opener for the past few seasons. This year a few of us had a UCI race under our belts already, but that doesn’t change the nerves as we gear up for the first C1, getting to grit our teeth against some stiffer competition before we head into the world cups.
For the first time, I wasn’t driving in to the race after a week of work, stiff from a long car ride. I had been with Kerry at our host house all week and was able to train with him Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday, I skipped my traditional road workout for “bike play” with Kerry on a mini ‘cross loop. We scouted out the loop at Camp Arrowhead, a YMCA camp that hosts a weekly cyclocross clinic in the late summer/early fall thanks to some WNYBRC (Western NY Bike Racing Club) enthusiasts. It felt really good to have the energy to push the pace off-road in the middle of the week. In years past I have been so flat out that all I could handle was riding on the road, staring at numbers on my Garmin to keep me going; but having Kerry as a carrot to chase through the grass and woods made for a fun and intense workout. (For the record, he is definitively faster than me. I used to pretend I could totes keep up.) The following day he was co-coaching at the weekly clinic and I got to join him as an assistant to his group – and he sure needed it. We worked with two groups of 20 or so juniors and keeping track of 20 excited kids on bikes in a park full of people riding is maybe the single hardest task I have had in a while. Imagine a sea of 100 cats in a laser light show and you had to keep track of 15 specific ones. Seriously, though excited, they were focused, attentive, and really seemed to want to learn and progress. https://www.instagram.com/p/BnaDpJaDImm/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet Seeing the Thursday clinic helped me gear up for my Friday clinic at the Rochester venue. It was a good group of about 20-25 riders and racers that showed up. I went over a lot of race-day prep and then we tackled the more technical elements on the course. Really all of the participants had great skill, the number one thing needed was confidence boosting and telling them to remember to pedal – which sometimes I need to remember as well! It was so neat to “coach” the riders to pedal out of the dusty off-camber turns, or to commit to the climb, and then to see them still smiling as they careened into the fencing at the bottom of some drops (yes, there was crashing. I always say, if you aren’t crashing you aren’t pushing the limits!) The best part about the clinic was being approached by the participants after the race and having them tell me how it went. If you were one of the attendees, shoot me a message and give me feedback – constructive criticism encouraged!
The clinic made my legs a little heavy and I walked over to Chris McGovern to have him talk me down (the benefit of an on-site coach)– reminding me the hard work is done and I just need to relax and let my body remember how to race. I was riding the clinic on my tubular Maxxis Speed Terranes but ended up going mullet and running an All Terrane in the front to ensure grippy traction through the dusty turns and the ripping fast grassy ones. And maybe some teeth to bite through a rough acorn patch.
I noted in Roanoke that for the first time ever I could identify my weaknesses and both recognized why they existed and or how to strengthen them – skills, fitness, and mindset alike. This weekend’s results reflect the small improvements I was able to make over the past week and into this second race weekend. I ended up 6th on both days of Rochester. It may not seem like an improvement over Roanoke’s 4th and 5th, but with a few more heavy-hitters in the field, especially some coming in with high fitness from summers filled with racing, it really was. The funny thing is how I got to these two results.
Saturday was the C1 – it was the day to really pull it all together t...
Don't forget to check out the audio version of the post below if you don't have the time to read!
And just like that, the cyclocross season has started. One race weekend down means we are even closer to the US World Cups, after which fall-like weather will set in, and then we are looking to hit Continental Championships and then final tune ups before Nationals. Then I will be in Europe.
But until those whirlwind next few months, just the one weekend is done so far. GoCross in Roanoke, VA. I flew in to meet Kerry in North Carolina at his and Emily’s home with the expectation I would be sizing newly built bikes. Instead, I helped to sort out some parts boxes and pack them into the trailer for the 2 hour drive to Roanoke. My new Kona Jakes were still on a boat and I was hitting the season with 1 new-to-me-but-last-year’s Kona and one of my old bikes – which was for emergency use only.
We arrived in Roanoke on Friday in order to do some tire testing for Maxxis. This is my second year riding Maxxis tires, and the first time I had been asked to partake in testing. Whether or not they wanted me to help test tires or if they wanted Kerry to and I just happened to show up is beside the point. We were testing some treads set up tubeless, so I was right at home after the past two years racing on tubeless tires. It was great experience, and something I have always wanted to do. But it was also unfortunate for the timing, because, I was so anxious about riding too much in the heat the day before my first race that I had a hard time concentrating on the task. In addition, this year I am racing Maxxis tubulars and I hadn’t ridden tubulars in over two years. But it was a good chance to do some laps on the course.
I was feeling pretty spry on Friday and enjoying seeing some old friends. Getting a little over-excited, I decided to pull some slick moves and get some air over a little hump in the course. Well. I may have over estimated my ability to get rad, because I ended up crashing pretty hard and banging up my bars pretty hard (as well as my leg). Nothing was seriously broken, and I just walked back to the tent and had my bike reset to its original operating levels. But this sort of ended my Friday pre-ride and tire testing.
Speaking of tires, we were damn sure it was a file-tread weekend. Knowing that, I had my files mounted up for my preride on Saturday. Right before I went out, the sky darkened and started dropping some precipitation. It was raining on the open 1/2/3 women’s field pretty good at this point! I still went out on my Speed Terranes just to see. Without pushing the pace too much, I slid out a few times on the slick grass. With the rain stopping and the men yet to hit the course, I was unsure if the course would get more dry or churned up and muddy. I was pretty torn on what decision to make, but I decided that I would ride the All Terranes for the sake of confidence. The last thing a racer should do is doubt their tire choice during a race, and maybe holding back because of it. An option could have been to have different tires on my pit bike, but, again, my pit bike was for emergency use only in this early-season equipment purgatory.
With some of my race decisions I was lucky not just to run them by my teammate Kerry, and my coach Chris McGovern, but also my Amy D family. The Amy D Foundation has been a huge part of my life and racing career for the past 3 years, and this year is no different with Kerry’s wife Emily Shields being an Amy D racer. Our tents are hopefully going to be close at all of the races so that we can keep the families together – meaning Kerry and Emily as well as me and my orange and blue beginnings. It is nice to be around the familiar, including Emily, KK, and ‘cross veteran and new Amy D CX mentor Mo Bruno Roy.
There was a bit time for me to hang around the venue this weekend because GoCross flipped the schedule, putting UCI men before the UCI women. Whenever this happens,
/NEWS: I am now doing a "podcast" which is a fancy way of me saying that I am recording my blogs to mp3 for those that are too lazy to read and hate cool hyperlinks and great photos. Scroll to bottom to seeeee/ It's that time again, #crossiscoming is very soon to intersect with #crossishere and I am very happy to be entering this season with a new team. If you haven't heard or put the pieces together, you should likely get a new helmet because you've been hitting your head a lot. I am happy to be joining Kerry Werner on the Kona Maxxis Shimano team! As my past few blogs have indicated, I had a rough last season and it left me drained and full of doubt. I battled this spring with some overtraining and fatigue. The summer was not as full of the training I wanted, but I finally found the thing I needed when I joined the Kona crew. I had an awesome trip with the crew and then Kerry convinced me to do a mountain bike stage race. This late-summer "team camp" period made me realize a love of riding, maybe for the first time.
I have had fun on the bike before, but it was more fun sprinkled in to a feeling of responsibility. Since hitting this reset button, I have found myself having fun, looking forward to rides, and having fewer moments of anxiety. I am super excited to see where this new mindset carries me for this season.
Check out this cool release on the Kona Cog here!
This whole time, you know, I have been holding back. I have been striving to attain the appearance of a mediocre elite athlete, only so I can Loic Bruni your asses.
No need to reflect on my born-again attitude, and I am not ready to dwell further on my tough spring, so instead, I will leave you with a few words of wisdom going into the season: Dear soon-to-be cyclocross racer,
You may have been training, because #crossiscoming, but you're not a racer until #crossishere. If you are new, you do not yet know the difference. If you know, then you will appreciate the following words. Or you won't. In which case, go race road.
As you line up, remember that this is the early season for everyone. Though we all have different levels of fitness, we surely have similar levels of finesse. Which is none. So don't hold back, don't be embarrassed, grab that awkwardness by the hoods! [If you're not going to be at Roanoke Go-Cross to kick off the season, you better go to the clinic before Rochester. Even if you live on the west coast, you should fly out for the clinic.] Honestly, the tip I give to you as you dust off your skills, is walk first. Remind your body of the motion. Slowly increase speed. Your body will remember it. If you are new, engrain proper skills, not sloppy ones.
You know the season starts hot. Have you been training in the heat of the day? Or perhaps you're an early morning racer. Have you figured out how to eat without vomiting or passing out? It's a balance. Train how you race. Simulate your meals and timing during practice. I have been trying out new recovery methods recently, making sure they aren't secret crippling devices.
The season starts dusty, but remember, the air is clear at the front. Dust hinders vision and breathing, but most importantly, it gets all over your face and it makes it very obvious you were not in the front. If you cannot be at the front, just hang back far enough to not catch other's dust. That way, when you don't win, you can convince others you led until the last lap when you somehow dropped a chain and got be chain suck, and they will likely believe your clean, beautiful face.
Have you checked your equipment from last year? Brake pads, chains, sealant, glue, bent derailleur hangers, rogue frame cracks? Or worse. Dirty bar tape.
While we are checking things, check your meds. It will be cold season soon, check what you can and can't take. "Just an age grouper"? Yea, because no masters level racer has ever been caught doping (accidentally doping or not).
For the fans,
Zonhoven. (with almost zero photos because I just can’t be bothered to take them myself, and no one else took any. I suck)
I had my very first Belgian cyclocross experience, and it didn’t go terribly. Being my my first trip to Europe to race cross, I came in with no real expectations. My only goal was to get this first trip out of the way; work out all of the kinks, all of the nerves, get the lay of the land, see the effects of travel, if the courses scared me, and basically if it is even something I want to pursue.
I plan to tell you all about my general Belgian prep-travel-stay experience in a blog mid to late week, this is mostly just a race report.
Zonhoven is a UCI C1 race that is a part of a series called the Superprestige. And as it turns out, this is not an ideal race to be one’s first Belgian experience. It is a physically grueling race with surfaces and elements unlike almost any other. ::shrug:: Not knowing what to expect, I was told top 15 would be a very solid result. Bar, set.
I had both of my Scott Addict CX’s with me, and three sets of Stan’s NoTubes carbon valors (despite the efforts of Air Canada to thwart this as a possibility). Two sets of wheels were set up with IRC tubeless (duh) muds, and one set with mids. This course was 90% sand, though 40% of that 90% was running. With that in mind, on a perfectly dry and sunny day, I ran my muds. I DIDN’T SAY I WAS GOOD AT THIS! Running tubeless I could have easily packed more tires and just swapped them, but I was aiming to keep things very simple on this trip. Sometimes, less is more when it comes to head-case prevention. That said, I did notice a lot of sand clinging to my tires and was wishing I had swapped to the mids. Heck, I would even do a pre-ride on file treads just to see! But, instead of head casing, I just run what I brung and took it in stride. That is all you can do sometimes.
Gregg Germer (of the ChainStay) drove me to the race and acted as mechanic, with a special guest mechanic appearance by Franky Van Haesebroucke. Their presence was crucial as the language and culture barrier reduced me to essentially an infantile state of racing experience. At the venue we were directed into the BACK of the elite parking area. No joke, the guy saw “Dames” on our pass, giggled and motioned over-zealously for us to “go to the very very back of the lot”. THAT SAID, it was the same parking lot, and some of the last available spots.
The Course.
Oh, you don’t know the Zonhoven course? Weird. Imagine a beach draped into a bowl. There was a pit of sand that was soft on top and heavy underneath. The start straight is short. There is like, 10 meters of pavement. It goes into a gravel rise, sharp right hander, sharp left hander, fly-over, straight section on grass, left-right-left on silty grass, medium-length grassy/sandy straight, and then a left-hand turn into the first sandy plunge, into the bowl, lined with spectators.
After the down, you put in a few pedal strokes before you go up the other side. This is a run up. Then a right-hand turn, mount, pedal, right hand turn (over a root and by a stump in a chewed-out rut) into the next sandy plunge. This one heavier. Wetter. Slower. A few pedal strokes, left hand turn, and run back up and out. This run-up was longer. Harder. Hurtier. Right hand turn upon the mount, fun rolly section, a few more deep sand sections (rideable) then a slow climb of sand, with one line on the right side that was rideable if you held the line and had the legs. (I rode it 2.5/5 laps). Right hand turn up and out of this, then you keep going up, this time on firmer soil. Rideable, but owwy. I blame all the running leading up to this. Right hand turn and go down some sand. Hit a big, deep, sandy left hand rut, dismount at the apex, and run up again. Even the men dismounted at the apex and ran. Another right hand turn at the top, and we drop through some more sand before the final right hand turns before the fi...
Baystate. Sterling, Massachusetts. In 2013 I was happy to FINISH this race. It is a tough course that Tom Stevens designs, featuring off-cambers (adverse cambers???), punchy climbs and tricky descents. The only two years I got to race this course ('13, '14), the weather was the insult to injury, the icing on the cake, the gingerbread cookie dipped in coffee (that just happened right now beside me. Everyone must do this). Last year it was muddy and cold on the first day, but day 2 was absolutely frigid and icy. There was a pile-up on the interstate just outside of town due to black ice. The course, run approximately in reverse, featured a descent that was the run-up the day before. I am told last year was the first year for this. It was scary. In early fields riders were taking DNS as their favored outcome. Even elite riders weren't starting, or were dropping out. I finished, both days. I was in the 20-somethings I think, but I ran into the school after the race, telling all the elite women "OMG I finished! I survived!!!" They all kind of looked at me from the corners of their eyes "yea... okay. Go finish your box of cookies, kid."
This year, again, the weather. A few inches of snow (4? 6? next year we will all recall at least a foot) in the days leading up to the race made for a lot of hype of the internets. I didn't see the big deal, wasn't there snow for worlds, and jingle cross? I got the lulfest for snow-riding in when I tried to go out on Thursday (happy Thanksgiving!) after the snow. Well over 6 inches of heavy, wet snow in NH. Bike pedaling? Laughable even on a mountain bike. Fear not- they shoveled the course.
The shoveled course made for 1 line, maybe 2 through most sections. Not like, 1 fast and smooth line, but like, in this straight section, we are all single file because getting out of this rut it a lulfest. I pre-rode confidently. The long down-hill leading to a right hand turn before the horse jump was a rut you had to stick with confidence, and I handled it fine, despite that being a situation I would generally not excel in. I only got 1 complete lap in, and only one try on the steep punch to the off-camber that is a ride/run up separating hill. I did not clear this hill in pre-ride. And there was only one good line to run, the left side, as the rest of the hill was ice with no traction. At least the left side had snow for grip. I wasn't expecting to shine that day, but knew the start would be important to avoid early pile-ups. My goal for the race was the start well, and use it as a skill-building race.
The conditions were pretty good when the elite women started: thick snow with bits of grass poking through, but solid lines. The temperature was dropping from around freezing, to below 30. I staged in the second row, I took and outside lane. At the start, I gave it all I had. I could feel my tires sliding underneath me on the pavement. I don't usually run that low of pressure, I was on 18 PSI. I dialed it back a bit, not sure what the limit of handling was for this. Going into the first bottle neck I was top 10. We slid down the hill together, I bumped against people but kept my cool, and stayed confident (I would usually kowtow to anyone touching me, figuring they deserved to go ahead). I came out of the first bottleneck just out of the top 5.
By the time we got to the first hill, the icy sheet that was a ride/run up, I was going for a pass to put me 4th wheel. As I went to make the chop I thought "this is a right-hand turn leading up to a steep climb I know I couldn't clear in pre-ride. Why am I being a douche?" I hesitated before chopping Cassie Maximenko. I hit ice in that moment, and went down. Looking back, I think it would have been fine for me to force us all off of our bikes, as it was 1st lap. 2nd lap? No. Lets keep momentum. Last lap? Yes, let's push all the bitches down. Alas, I went down. Off my bike, I tried climbing. The right side.
What is the actual point of a "Moose Crossing" sign? Moose crossing, deer crossing, blind driveway? Are we supposed to be more cautious when we see these signs on the side of the road? Is it to remove all liability from the animal? "You hear about ole George? Hit a moose last night. Car totaled, ripped his face off." "Yea, but it WAS in a moose crossing..."
This weekend was the 24th edition of Cycle-Smart International; a race that is run in part by JAM Fund. We help set up the course, run a food tent, and tear down the course. Do you know what it is like to set up a course? It's hell. Stakes? That's terrible. Worse? SNOW FENCING. Not only is it approximately 87x as miserable to put up than traditional course tape (wooden stakes+holding up+stretching+zipties), its 942x as shit-tastic to take down (cut zip ties, lay out fence, have it blow across the park, start rolling, pull leaves and grass out, have wind unroll, pull out wooden stakes with magic stake-puller-lever-system). The best thing about course setup was that the ground wasn't very hard, so only a few of the plastic stakes needed hammering (Much to Anthony Clark's dismay, as he totally thinks he is Thor).
So, I was in NoHo Thursday morning-Sunday night. I pedaled around the course a little on Friday, trying out the "pro lines" for Day 1 and Day 2. Day 1 was a short jaunt up and around a tree on a VERY STEEP and rooty hill-side. All of the elite men I saw attempting had troubles more often than not, so I committed to running the section. I practiced a mount on the top (there was much bike slipping) to ride down to the next actual run-up. Day 2 involved a chute of death, which I conquered thrice before hanging up the bicycle for the day.
Check out this Video of my not-so smooth pre-ride of Day 1's section.
SATURDAY
It rained. We sold beer and sausages and cookies. I freaked out about not having my number when it was only 2 hours to race time. I escaped sausage duties to get in one pre-ride lap- crucial for a girl who has very little soggy race experience.
Then, we raced. I had a SECOND ROW CALL-UP! Because I HAD UCI POINTS!! Very yay. I had one of the greatest "hole shots" of my life, in which I was clinging to the back of the lead group. Then I pulled my typical first-lap shenanigans and let everyone pass me. "Oh, you want in front of me? That's cool. You CLEARLY really want it. Go ahead. :-D" Idiot. So, in that first turny section, I let the lead group pull away. But, I fought through, and managed a 7th place, despite having one section less than dialed (trees were hugged). I pulled off my best UCI finish in wet conditions on a technical course. Not bad for a triathlete with no skills, right?
CX Magazine put in a photo (by Todd Prekaski) of me in front of some very good and lovely riders.
SUNDAY
I did not race. My knee was in quite a bit of pain after racing and helping with course switch-over and whatnot, and it was decided that preserving my knee was better for the longevity of my season. Even though Day 2 was tacky and a power course. And even though I do better on day 2. Okay, Clearly I am bitter. BUT MY KNEE HURTS RIGHT NOW AND I DIDNT EVEN RACE WAAAHHHHHHH
Last year CSI was my first elite race. I placed 27th and 24th.
Next week I am on to Louisville to race the Derby City Cup in the Ohio Valley! Home race to home race. My parents will be there, and have never seen me race before, so this is pretty cool.