NBX 'Cross - Women's Reports
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Saturday Conditions, Course and Notes
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Flat, long power sections, frozen dirt. One set of barriers and two sand runs. It was COLD with temps in the low 20s.
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Sunday Conditions, Course and Notes
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The course had about an inch of snow on it that quickly got packed down and icy. conditions changed between races, with some sections softening to mud/dirt. The barriers were moved to an uphill section of the course, and the sand sections remained, with the second of the two becoming even longer than on Saturday. Course changes made this a more technical course than on Saturday, and weather made it even more challenging. Temps were still cold, and the wind picked up on the water throughout the day.
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Results – Saturday:
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Women’s 3/4
- Cathy Rowell – 11th
- Janet Ramos – 24th
- Karin Turer – 30th
- Kathy Graves – 32nd
- Julie Lockhart – 35th
Women’s Elite
- Sally Annis – 3rd
- Cris Rothfuss – 6th
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Results – Sunday:
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Women’s 3/4
- Cathy Rowell – 12th
- Teri Carilli – 15th
- Janet Ramos – 22nd
- Katherine Snell – 23rd
- Kristen Luckach – 26th
- Kathy Graves – 28th
- Julie Lockhart – 29th
Women’s Elite
- Sally Annis – 4th
- Cris Rothfuss – 6th
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Reports:
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[Cathy Rowell]
This weekend was tough – I think being late in the season and tougher weather conditions both contributed. I had “ok” races both days, but nothing stellar.
Saturday’s course was fairly non-descript, in my opinion. The ground was frozen and the course was fairly flat, with only two notable sand sections. It was FAST out there, and required way more power than skills, which was ok for me, but not great. I ended up alone, between two groups of racers – never quite able to catch the group in front (although I heard I was gaining on them in the last lap), but able to hold off the group behind.
The course on Sunday was much more technical which I liked. What I didn’t like? The snow/ice on the technical corners. I went down (not hard) on my pre-ride, and I think that got into my head A LOT. Sunday also featured longer sand runs than the previous day – oh boy! ;-). On the first lap, I got caught out getting into the first sand section, but was still with the front group going into the second half of the course – with the icy corners. I took this section WAY too conservatively – to the point of having Teri pass me and ask if I was ok. Once I had that section figured out, I was ok, and managed to make up a few more places (getting past Teri on the sand run-up by running into her with my bike – sorry!), racing to hold off three chasers close behind.
After the weekend, I was BEAT – the running was more than what I am used to, and I think that is what has hurt the most (including the bottom of my feet). My shoulder has the beginning of the season shoulder bruise – I don’t normally shoulder in a way that puts the weight of the bike squarely on my shoulder, but had to this weekend.
Next weekend will be the last race for me, and I am doing it more for fun than anything else. I’m actually going to race my singlespeed in the open category, so expectations are fairly low ;-). I think I’m looking forward to that time off the bike!
[Janet Ramos]
Saturday: My goal for this race was to get into the top 20 but as I saw over 40 women on the start line my goal changed to finish in the top half. My first lap was okay, I just hung in there with the group that I was riding with. As the laps went on my legs loosened up and I was able to pass a few people (juniors included). For some reason the 2 sand sections were pretty easy for me to run so that pumped me up a little bit. On the last lap as I rounded the gazebo all I could smell was the heavenly scent of hamburgers – that was the last push I needed to finish up the 5th lap of the race. Mmmmm, hamburgers and cross, what a better combination???
Sunday: Overnight the race course took on a whole new dimension given the 1-2 inches of snow that fell. So my revised goal changed from a top 20 placing to not going down on the icy corners. I held back at the start which is not what you are supposed to do in cross but the starting pavement was a big sandy and salty puddle. Over the course of the race I managed to pick off a couple of riders and the two sand sections were even easier to run today for some reason. At one point in the race Catherine Snell and I were running side by side on the beach and some dude said “you guys look great, very strong.” I kinda felt like Bo Derek in the movie “10” when she is running on the beach except that I was dressed like a snowman with a bike on my shoulder (haha). So yet again on the last lap I smelled those hamburgers and I gave it all I had to get to the finish line pronto. And let me tell you there is nothing better than a cheeseburger after being redlined for 40+ minutes in the snow. Thanks for reading, have a great winter and good luck to those that are racing at cross nationals this week.
[Karin Turer]
Well, the cross is getting better and better – too bad the season’s almost over! I’m just getting warmed up.
It was strange. I hate early wakeups, but somehow I got out of bed on time, and even had a relaxed breakfast (no post-race cold oatmeal!). I got to the venue early, with plenty of time to relax, ride the course, change, cheer, and stretch before our staging time. Twilight zone!
I felt the strongest and best in this race than in any other this season – my back usually shouts and screams, but the stretching (why haven’t I been doing this more??) kept it at bay. The run-up and sprint practice from earlier in the week was the perfect warmup for this course with its two sand runs. The whole race, I knew there was a whole bunch of people (again, unusual!) behind me, and I wasn’t going to let them go by without a fight – I felt strong enough and comfortable enough with the non-sketchy course to take on more challenges. The course was fun had that hard-to-find “flow”. Plus, I liked that there was a crowd watching at the barriers – unless I mess up the timing (which I didn’t at NBX) I take pride in really boinging over them. With my stubby legs, it’s a bit of a crowd-pleaser!
The whole race felt like it was over so quickly! 30th of 38 may not sound like much, but I think it’s my best result. More importantly, it keeps getting more and more fun! See you at Ice Weasels!
[Julie Lockhart]
Countdown to Nationals …
Race ‘hard’ Saturday … Practice Sunday(no competetiveness) %-)
Sat: Fairly good Start (gotta work on the line – got caught behind a slower rider who had passed me), too tentative into the sand, and there was such a crowd to run by … passed at the top by a few. Fast forward to lap 3, some people behind me and maintaining position, could not ‘see’ people in front, thus no idea how to push to catch. Note to self, focus of top speed even if no ‘target’ ... the target will appear if I give my all. Rubber down, more confidence built for NATZ.
Sun: Better Start (almost excellent – I still sort of don’t keep the power on – Note to self practice w/power meter to see what is happening) ... into same sand, more relaxed, since this one was all for NATZ and the snow was perfect, in case … started with 3 behind me, but kept my level constant to effect steady Aerobic w/o taxing muscles … then started do-si-doing with a rider (competetiveness surfaced) and managed to put some distance on her and had a great time. Tried different lines, approaches to the sand and run ups. Experienced/survived slide-outs … again more learned. See ya at natz Terri, Libby, Victoria, Cris, Sally (Rebecca) and the guys.
[Katherine Snell]
Recently it seemed that every time I got a little more comfortable on my ‘cross bike, the courses would get significantly more difficult and keep me from doing better. That was certainly the case the previous week at Sterling where I chickened out riding sections that I could’ve/should’ve ridden and lost lots of time for an abysmal finish. Despite the snow, I liked the NBX course much better. No tricky steep up and overs, no icy run-ups, no off-camber steep downhills and I’d finally solved my pedal issues (thanks Cathy!). I only had time to get a quick lap in for warm-up before the race and rolled up to the line in the last minute before the start. I made a good start and managed to move up a little before hitting the dirt. I then lost a few places through the run-up and the barriers and was racing with Janet Ramos and Leah Pappas-Barnes after the first lap. We traded places though out the race. I made a couple of passes that I was fairly pleased with only to lose position on my remounts (more to work on next year!). I eventually finished behind Janet and ahead of Leah despite my best efforts to screw up on the last lap by riding into the pit. While enjoying the free beer (my first one at a CX race since my kids weren’t with me this week), I noticed that my name was not on the list of finishers! Turns out the officials had my number wrong and we got the issue corrected after a little running around – so as Cathy says “Always check your results!” Yup, got it!
Palmer Cross - Women's Report
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Conditions:
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Sunny and icy, low 20’s.
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The Course:
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The course was very icy with slippery 6 inch deep ice ruts made by 4 wheelers. Three big up hills, 4 barriers, and a broken bridge made of wooden pallets challenged the riders.
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Results:
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Juniors
Women’s Open
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Report:
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[Victoria Gates]
I felt great in this race. I had a pretty good start and wasn’t the last one onto the grass. On the second lap I fell and my chain popped off. I thought I put it back on right but I didn’t. I heard a sharp scrapping sound when I started to peddle, so I got off and ran with my bike to the pit. I handled it well and kept my spot. The last run up hurt so bad. But when I heard some one tell me it was the last time I had to go up it I got on and sprinted like crazy. That is what I call a race!
[Julie Lockhart]
I was planning on Palmer for the good workout and I got one. I was pleased with the weekend weather because we still do not know exactly what KC will be like. This race had three run ups, 2 were pretty long. ATV’s had chewed up the course in places, so there were sections of 12” wide ‘single track’ between 18 inch ruts, some of which I rode well, until I slipped into the rut once (found out that it was not too bad, rubber still down, feet on ground). Rubber down and good skills, strong on the run ups and getting stronger! I explored different approaches to difficult patches and had a great time.
Baystate Cross (Sterling) - Women's Report
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Course and Conditions:
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People either love or hate this course. Tom Stevens does a great job with the course layout, and this year, added some tighter turns and more technical aspects, making it even better (from my perspective). Of course, at Sterling, the weather always plays a factor as well, and this year was no different. Yes, the sun was out. But, it was cold, and the sun hadn’t quite thawed the ground before racing started for the day. I watched people sliding and hitting the deck in corners, and, after failing to ride a steepish uphill after the barriers, dismount only to fall back down the hill on their feet! Ice and mud both played a significant factor in the races.
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Results:
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U15 Juniors
Women’s 3/4
- Libby White – 5th
- Cathy Rowell – 13th
- Susanne Delaney – 14th
- Teri Carilli – 23rd
- Janet Ramos – 28th
- Katherine Snell – 35th
- Karin Turer – 36th
- Julie Lockhart – 38th
Elite Women
- Sally Annis – 3rd
- Cris Rothfuss – 5th
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Reports:
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[Victoria Gates]
This was a hard race. I blew my start and kind of gave up. I wanted to finish and not slip. I was having a tough time on the up hill because it was frozen and icy. The reward for making it up the hill was being able to go down it fast. It all came down to a sprint finish with another rider and me. It turned out I didn’t have it in me. All in all the race was really hard.
[Cathy Rowell]
With the large fields, and a technical start to the race, having a front row starting position was key for me. I was able (after getting rammed from a racer who believed that lining up on the far left, and cutting far right immediately), to get in behind Libby and the MRC fast women. Another key to the start of my race – being able to cleanly ride the entrance to the run up, passing some more women who had trouble there. That quickly put me in about 5th position for the first lap!
Knowing that at least one racer was directly behind me going into the second lap, I took a risk heading off the track and into the tight turns. The risk did NOT pay off, and I ended up going down in the mud, with my bike getting tangled in the tape. While I was getting myself untangled, 4 other racers passed me by, and that annoyed me.
I continued in the top ten for most of the next lap(s), and slipped again when my feet went out from under me on the slippery uphill in the lollipop section of the course. Two falls. Doesn’t usually happen to me, but the conditions were tough, and that is part of racing. I was disappointed with my final result, but had a great time regardless.
[Janet Ramos]
Well, let me put it this way, I was bribed with cookies to do Sterling this year. Unfortunately, Sterling is not my favorite cross race – I did however have a blast cheering for Cris and Sally who raced in the Elite race later in the day.
Here is, briefly, how my race went: started in the last row, wimped out on the start by being in the back on the muddy track, managed to pass 17 other people during the race, managed to get up the horse jump on each lap of my race (a huge victory for me), crashed once on the off camber lollipop up/downhill, felt energized by Mary Lou and Catherine and a few others who were cheering during the race, and felt relieved to finish just after being lapped by the lead junior. So that was my race – I know it sounds lame of me but it’s just not one of my favorite races. Here’s to better times in Rhode Island next weekend where there will be fewer off camber sections and a lovely beachfront water view. Thanks for reading my report.
[Karin Turer]
Before even test-riding, I’d already heard the words “unconscious,” “blood,” and “ambulance.” (the guy is okay, btw!) Then the pre-ride went so sketchy that I considered getting back in the car and heading home! It helped to chat with a few other teammates, and they were also nervous but gave me pointers (i.e. not trying to run down any icy hills). Thanks Cathy R and Suzanne! We also all shared intelligence on which side of run-ups was less slippery.
Before our race, I went to practice bits of the course. On the downhill leading to the big run-up, I went too fast and slipped and hit the deck, HARD. As I write (Monday), my shoulder and neck are still funky, and I have lovely new bruises on my thigh and knee! Even though my head didn’t hit the ground, it went nunga-nunga-nung from the impact. Yay!
I was still nervous at the starting line, but by that point I’d given myself the permission to drop out if I really didn’t feel safe – and to prioritize safety over “speed.” (my husband and I have been through a lot of complications from an injury of his, so I’m probably more cautious than the average racer). And once the bell went off, somehow I was fine. The loop around the track was VERY muddy, and I took care not to fall (which was good for my psyche though not my race position), and riding down my “wipeout hill” was impossible during the first lap, because there was carnage below. And after that, it was all good. Mainly on my own, but passed a few people, and really had fun with the downhills and was VERY pleased to keep the rubber side down (though I slipped on a bunch of the running bits)! The lollipop remount went well, and the “holy *$&^” moment of aiming the bike downhill for a split second was a big adrenaline rush. Finally, I was excited to make it up some of the short power hills that often elude me – especially the one with really gooey off-camber mud at the top. Very exciting!
So, as usual, nowhere near the front, but I was pretty psyched by facing my fears and ending up having fun. I love roller coasters and this had the same sort of “what am I getting myself into” sort of feeling.
[Julie Lockhart]
Wow, really great additions to the course and all the old favorites (ice/mud/cinder gunk). Goals were met except where fate took a hand. Powered the run up on the right hand side, was caught behind a slide out at a chicane, and on a quick up where the top was cluttered … Several lessons learned: note to self … check brakes before the race (front brakes dragging … hmm, so much effort wasted). I am safer on my bike than trying to run/walk down icy grass slopes. Also I am still getting over the Clavicle, the 55+ crash made me too timid … time will overcome. Great start, track was very manageable and speed no problem (except for aforementioned brake thing). Loved the ‘step’ at the jump until it moved away. Tried and succeeded with different tactics through difficult places. Also very annoyed by 6 or more racers previewing on my last up and over (side of the run up/descent) I thought I was going to hit one of them (in my path) on the descent. Taken out once … just great cross weather. YAY we will have two days here/there next year.
Cheshire 'Cross - Women's Report
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Conditions/Course:
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Air temp 20 F Wind 23 gusting to 30
The ground was hard.
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Results:
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Women’s Open
- Janet Ramos – 7th
- Julie Lockhart – 8th
[Janet Ramos]
It was soooo cold at this race and my legs just did not want to move even during the warm-up. I had a less than stellar start but that’s okay. On the first lap I did keep up with the rest of the group (9 of us) up the stairs after the first big turn but I had a tough time keeping up with everyone after the first set of roller coaster hills on the back side. So for the rest of the race I was out there alone which was fine but an added bonus was that on the run up there were some hearty souls cheering even for a slowpoke like me. Even though the wind was blowing at 20+ miles per hour I did keep warm (my toes too) for the 4 laps that I did. This course was more suited to mountain bikers so if that is your racing bag do consider this race for 2009, you will love it. My one beef with this race is that at the bottom of the run-up they had a piece of paper with a smiley face on it and at the top of the run-up they had a piece of paper with a frown face on it, what’s up with that? Seeing the smiley at the top would have helped my stiff legs to loosen up for sure…
[Julie Lockhart]
Great Start to the U-turn onto the course.in front of a couple of people … next to a very tight chicane near the (pitiful) pit …I let everyone slip by before the steps, so I could pursue my skills exercise without interfering … hung out at the back of the pack for the first lap and a half, then relaxed and worked on jumping out of the corners and trying not to get lapped. Got the difficult hill (lesson learned, check what chain ring you are in before a difficult climb), Loved conquoring the bridge. The bear of a run up is difficult, need to prepare a little better by hill runs. Nice course, different course each year.
BRC/Shedd Park Cross - Women's Report
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Conditions:
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After a full day and night of heavy rain, everyone expected a course with mud, and that’s what we got. Lots and lots of mud! The day started with overcast skies and temps in the mid 50s, but the winds picked up and by the time the Elite races went off in the afternoon, temps were down into the low 40s under sunny skies. It was colder and windier than a lot of people were expecting.
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The Course:
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For the past two years, this course has been relatively unchanged. We arrived and were surprised to see racers pre-riding out near the road into the park – clearly, the course was different this year.
First, the staging and start were on the infield of the track. This set racers off on the grass before hitting about 3/4 of a loop of the track. The tight 180 uphill corner was still a factor (and a mess in some of the bigger fields), before coming down and heading up to the side hill, which was slick with mud. For some added adventure, the organizers ran us up “the hill” twice on the course this year, with the requisite off-camber corners in between the two sections.
After that came the mud-slicked downhill chicanes. Typically, these are frozen and rutted for the early races, and dry by the later races. This year – MUD and lots of it! This was a tricky section where many riders ended up going down.
Back through the main part of the park, and the course sent you into the woods and through the mud bog. Imagine about 80 yards of thick, gooey, shoe-sucking mud. What fun! Originally, there was a set of barriers in the middle of this mud-bog, but they were removed early since most people ended up running the entire length. This actually became less rideable as the day went on, but made a good spectator section. Out of the mud, back into some twists and turns in the woods, and out onto the track to come past the start/finish.
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Results:
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Women 3/4
- Janet Ramos – 16th
- Janet Lorang – 17th
- Jean Cunningham – 18th
- Katherine Snell – 20th
- Kathy Martin – 22nd
- Karin Turer – 23rd
- Julie Lockhart – 25th
- Shannon Madison – crash
Women’s 1/2/3
- Clara Kelly – 3rd
- Cathy Rowell – 11th
- Susanne Delaney – 13th
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Reports:
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[Janet Ramos]
I have always really liked the Lowell cross race and it was nice to see a different layout of the course this year, it certainly kept things interesting. My start was not so good as I got caught in the typical first lap bottlekneck at the first corner. For some reason I got seriously distracted and I could not remount my bike (probably since I lost my momentum trying to stay upright near the downed rider at the first corner). Bummer. The toughest part of the course for me was the long mud bog/puddle thing—I ran it every time since riding it 1/3 of the way just did not cut it. My favorite parts of the course were the back section after the runup (flat), the new other back section after the mud pit, and the first swoopy u-turn (the first corner on the course). During the race I did manage to pass about 5 people so if I can get a waaaay better start this weekend, maybe I will place in the top 15 (or top 10). So here’s to better times racing in the cold and the mud. ;)
[Jean Cunningham]
Boy, what a difference a day can make. Saturday = shorts and shortsleeved jersey. Sunday = shorts, knee warmers, base layer, longsleeved jersey, and long-fingered gloves. I actually preferred the cooler weather but it was a shock to the system after the previous day’s balmy temperatures. Lowell was an interesting situation where the course seemed to get wetter rather than drier as the day went on,despite the sun and wind. So the nasty mud section that was mostly rideable before the men’s beginner race was—to me, at least—a soupy slog that I needed to run/muddle through by the time the women went off. But the course was a fun one, with enough flat power sections (love that cinder track!) that I could compensate for no remounts and needing to run two hills that others were riding.
Reflections:
- Breathe through your nose rather than your mouth when riding throughbig mud puddles. And remember that before you hit the puddle, not after.
- Don’t pay attention to the folks on the side of the mud bog yelling “ride it!” when you think running would be faster—their motivations and your objectives probably aren’t the same.
- Hooray for Dick Ring, who probably 40 minutes into the race—as I was, tiredly, running up one of the aforementioned hills—leaned over and stage whispered to me, “the gals ahead look even more tired than you do—if you push hard, you’ll catch them.” And I did. So never give up on a race before it’s over, even if your head and legs are telling you otherwise.Thanks to all who yelled encouragement—it really helps.
[Kathy Martin]
Lowell was my last race of the year. I went into the race hoping to perform similarly to the previous week at Plymouth South, where my legs felt good and I enjoyed the technical stuff. Unfortunately, I miscalculated about the weather. I only had arm warmers and a wind vest in addition to my team kit. The wind was so strong and cold that I didn’t ever really get properly warm. I was shivering when I lined up at the start and wasn’t feeling too well.
The main highlight of my race was the long mud section. Coming into the mud, I decided to try to ride it, since I have been practicing riding in mud recently. I am proud to say that I rode the mud successfully! Of my 4 lap race, I only put a foot down one time in the muddy section. Needless to say, it was great that there were so many people there cheering. They seemed to give extra cheers and motivation to those of us who attempted to stay on our bikes. Personally, riding the mud was much faster compared to the folks that were running it, plus it was a lot more fun than trudging through mud up to your ankles. ;-)
For most of the race I found myself in no man’s land. Couldn’t see anyone ahead or behind, and I suppose that made me lose some motivation. Also, my legs just wouldn’t go. Every time I finished a technical section and knew that I had to sprint out of a corner, or push as hard as I could on the track, I just couldn’t do it. Nothing there. On the plus side, I didn’t get lapped and so was able to finish out my season with a little dignity still intact. :-) I’m looking forward to a nice rest now….
[Karin Turer]
I had one of my worst performances, but it was the most fun I’ve had at a race regardless.
The cold that had kept me out of work on Thursday was still alive and kicking. This was made especially clear during the “soul-sucking mud” hill near the start – none of us could even remember it from the pre-loop, but I guess the previous race had softened it up nicely for us. By then, I was more or less alone, trading places with a few. But I was having a blast – the highlight being the mudpits! During the warmups, the mud had barriers in the middle, but now it was just a long, solid stretch of deep mud with slippery roots thrown in for good measure. I was so psyched that I pedaled straight through each lap, and on the first lap I passed another competitor for good, as I rode and she walked. Who knew I could love mud so much, especially when it’s muddy but not raining! The whole course was really fun, and I was pleased to ride it with no falls and with less brake-usage than last week. Obviously some of the not-falling comes from being slower – but still, it’s nice!
As a lapped rider, I finished on the earlier side, and had the pleasure of cheering people in. Everyone from our race ended up congregating in a small enclosure, and it was just the best scene – people congratulating each other, making introductions, comparing socks (there were four excellent pairs at Lowell – we will soon take over the world!), and just general good feelings amongst the whole field. It is pretty awesome to be in a group of happy, fun women – yes, there’s a race, but you couldn’t look at the crowd there on Sunday and not notice all the smiles and laughter. Vive le (la?) cross!
[Julie Lockhart]
Replay of Saturday, except not lost, just fogged head. Missed the start. Was allowed anyway, so spent the race catching up, and not taxing my immune system (doc’s orders) – focused on technique and different lines through difficult corners. The ‘mile long’ mud was a challenge, I rode the whole thing once and half way three times (Geoff got great pix of my fall, I think). Unfortunately, I did not ride either ‘run up’ I tried once, and only made it half way … goal for next year. Great fun, wonderful race.
[Clara Kelly]
No barriers!!! Now I could get used to this. Instead of hitting my bike on the barrier like most weekends, I got to run through a long stretch of thick mud with the bike on my back. I did a lot of running, in the muddy stretch and also on the 2nd run-up. A number of ladies were able to ride the 2nd hill, but I didn’t have success with it on the warm up so I pushed my bike up.
We started out with a lap around the track which allowed me to pass a number of ladies early. I was in maybe 5th or 6th, which is a good start for me. Unfortunately I fell on the first steep hill when I tried to ride around a girl that dismounted suddenly in front of me. A lot of people passed when I was on the ground, so it was back to normal chase mode. The chase was going slow because I was braking too hard in the corners. Cathy Rowell got stuck behind me and gave me some advice to get moving.
The next lap I came around to the same 1st hill and yelled at the girls around me not to touch my bike because I was afraid that one of them was going to take me down by weaving too close. If that didn’t scare them off, the next run through the mud did. I wacked a poor girl from NorEast with my bike when I ran by her. That was an accident, but not the first time I hit someone with my bike in a running section. I need to give the other girls some room.
With two laps to go, I was racing against a skilled rider for 2nd. She was taking the corners much faster and also rode both hills very strong. I was determined to catch her and used the track to close the gap with one lap to go. I powered up the muddy rise after the track and hit the 1st hill ahead. I didn’t know if I had the legs to ride the hill one last time…but I had to give it a shot. Didn’t make it and she totally pulled ahead once we got into the turns. Well, it was fun anyway.
I found out the next day that Jenny Ives who came in next behind me got a bad cut from a crash. I think there may have been a pile up behind me somewhere in the 2 to 3 lap to go time frame..but don’t the details.
[Cathy Rowell]
I stood in the second row on the line, and had a TERRIBLE start. I don’t even really know what happened. Before I knew it, I was DFL on the track, and going through the 180 uphill/downill turn. I tried in vain to get around a racer before the first off-camber hill, but every time I zigged, it seemed that she zagged ;). I finally got around her, and onto Sue M’s wheel. Sue is great at moving through traffic, so I stuck with her, and we moved up pretty well in the field. At one point, I ended up on Clara’s wheel going into the second hill climb, and told her that I was going left and was going to ride. She moved, but I didn’t make the hill. We went into the downhill chicanes together, and I coached her through some of the corners and back down to the main part of the park.
Going into the mud bog in the first lap was utter mayhem. I went into the mud behind Clara, and when she got bogged down and stopped, I literally ran into her – sorry Clara! We all ran through the rest of the bog, and were off.
I was still in a decent position going into the third lap. With all of the beach practice we’ve been doing, I KNEW that I could ride the mud if I tried, and on this lap, I had a clear shot at it. In I went to the cheers of the many spectators lining both sides of the bog. I kept the power on and tried not to steer the bike, but it was tough going. A short way into the bog, on the most rideable line, was a hole, followed closely by a big clump of roots. Hitting these at speed scrubbed the momentum you may have had… But, I kept on it and with a lot of cheering, managed to get all the way across and to the other side. THAT was the best part of my race.
Riding the mud gave me a gap on the racers behind me, and I tried to keep that gap. I managed to catch the two riders in front of me, but crashed at the bottom of a downhill, with both going ahead of me. After apologizing for the crash, I managed to get by both of them again in the downhill chicanes, but in attempting to ride the mud a second time, got passed by both of them again, and wasn’t able to catch them for the remainder of the race.
I ended up finishing 11th of 16. While the results don’t sound impressive, to me, I feel that I had a terrific race. Why? How can 11th place be looked at as a success? I later found out that on my third lap, I was the ONLY woman to have ridden the mud to that point – success (although Susanne later did the same)! I managed to beat someone I have not beaten in a cross race this season, and finished ahead of two of my nemeses as well – success.
You see, success in racing doesn’t ALWAYS come from winning or placing in the top 5 or 10 (although those are, of course, desired outcomes!). Success comes sometimes from races within the race, requiring us to change perspectives. Sure, I could cry in my soup about not keeping up to Sue, crashing when I did, or not finishing in the top 10, but instead, I choose to look at my wins, however small they may be.
New Jersey USGP Race Report - Libby White
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Results:
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Saturday Women’s 3/4
Sunday Women’s 3/4
[Libby White]
The first day I had a great start from the front row and had the hole shot up the pavement. The peanut butter mud was so hard to pedal through that I lost all my energy fast. My dad told me to switch out my bike every time I went through the pit because the pit was less muddy and I would be able to have a nice, clean, light bike when I rode out. I didn’t really listen to him and only switched my bike once during the whole race. I started to get really tired and I dropped from first down to third in a 45 (instead of 30) minute race.
The next day I came to the start line with a perfect warm up and hydration. I got the hole shot and on the first tight turn I heard a crash behind me. I decided to listen to my dad this day and change out my bike EVERY time I went through the pit. It definitely helped! In the end, I won day two.
Plymouth North and South - Women's Reports
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Conditions:
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Mild, overcast, slightly humid and windy with temps in the high 50’s to low 60’s on Saturday. Slightly cooler, drier and windier with partial sun on Sunday.
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The Course:
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The Plymouth North course was pretty much unchanged from the previous year. Uphill pavement start onto an uphill grass grind, downhill into some sweeping corners, a tight up/down chicane, more grass, a single barrier, into some [mucky] woods, back over a single barrier, down a singletrack section of woods, onto an uphill sidewalk, more uphill and then a run-up and back again.
The Plymouth South course was a favorite from last year, but had to be changed due to high school football. The course was tough and there was a lot of climbing – four power climbs that took almost everything you had to get up and over. Add the wind on the upper fields, and this was going to be a very tough race. There was a significant amount of singletrack as well, that was muddy to start the day, and tacked up for the later races. It was a good course, except for the barriers – it seemed they were in an awkward place (a slightly uphill approach into a vicious headwind left no ability to coast into them), and disrupted the flow of the course.
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Results:
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Saturday Women’s Cat 4
- Shannon Madison – 2nd
- Jean Cunningham – 6th
- Michele Archambault – 9th
- Kathy Graves – 13th
- Juliane Oberle – 14th
- Julie Lockhart – 15th
Saturday Women’s 1/2/3
- Clara Kelly – 5th
- Cathy Rowell – 9th
- Libby White – 10th
- Teri Carilli – 13th
Sunday Women’s Cat 4
- Shannon Madison – 5th
- Janet Lorang – 9th
- Kathy Martin – 10th
- Jean Cunningham – 11th
- Katherine Snell – 13th
- Karin Turer – 15th
- Julie Lockhart – 16th
Sunday Women’s 1/2/3
- Cathy Rowell – 8th
- Teri Carilli – 12th
[Clara Kelly – North]
It’s about time to accept that I am a bad starter. We all lined up in a nice big row fair as could be and I got off the line last or 2nd to last. Also at the the back was Anna M, who had finished the men’s 3/4 race with a crash in the woods about an hour before. I understand that there were two very skilled and speedy ladies in our race, and I never saw them being so far back. As is the familar theme to my cross race reports, I set about passing as many ladies as possible once I got going.
I was doing ok until I yielded to Libby in the woods and then had to stop my bike to avoid hitting a tree. Sorry, Libby, no favors next time. I worked on keeping up with Anna M and holding her wheel when possible. On the 2nd or 3rd lap, we caught up to Anna B and started a race with her for 3rd. I thought it would be interestng to see how it played out. One girl has better skills, the other is stronger, but tired. I thought I had a chance to win out on strength if I could keep skills together.
I was very timid in the singletrack. By timid I mean, full brakes. I had crashed on the road two days before the race and had mild whiplash. I had seen my husband and Anna M crash in there in the previous races, so I was not going to take any chances. That had me pushing hard to catch up on the paved section after the woods.
The short story is that I didn’t keep skills together and lost the race for 3rd. I hit my bike on the barrier and dropped the chain. Caught back up. Next lap, caught bike on the barrier and fell. As they were right behind me, we had some contact and a few words. I had a nice red mark down the entire length of my forearm from Anna from B ’s front wheel. I came out of the singletrack way behind but had a hope of catching up, until I screwed up a dismount to the run-up. Good-bye, Annas.
Overall, it was a fun race. I have to laugh about the troubles I had with the barrier. It was very short and had a flat straight approach. Pretty obvious that I haven’t been practicing.
[Cathy Rowell – North and South]
Plymouth North
My goal for the race was to stick to Kathy S and Sue M from Gearworks – something I haven’t been able to do in past races. I had another great start (I think this is 3 or 4 in a row!), and landed on Kathy’s wheel going into the grass. As we headed uphill, most of the women chose to ride the pavement, but I made up time and places by riding the grass just to the left. I continued to move up in the first lap, and eventually saw that I had a gap behind me and Sue and Kathy were just ahead. I made a move to catch them at the run-up and called out that we had a gap and if we worked together, we could keep it. I moved to the front to take my pull, looked back, and none had moved with me! I later found out that it was too much of a move – I hadn’t meant to drop them, but did.
Kathy bridged up to me, and we rode together for the next part of the lap. It was music to my ears when Kathy said to me, “We’ll work together, ok?”. Over the barriers we went, and in an effort to stay on Kathy’s wheel (we had a growing gap behind us), I got too close going up a short uphill, and slipped. Not only did I slip, but I also lost my footing completely, and went down. Sh*t! Kathy made the right move and went ahead, and now I was chasing. And I chased, and I chased. I just couldn’t close the gap.
With one lap to go, Kathy was still ahead, but Sue and Ilana B from MIT were working together to close the gap behind me. As they passed, I jumped to get on their wheels, but couldn’t pull it off. I had burned too many matches on my own in the wind. Once again, I ended up finishing with Sue in sight just ahead, but as disappointed as I was with losing Kathy’s wheel, I was pleased with how I raced overall – strong and determined, and this time (unlike in races past), I didn’t mentally quit.
Plymouth South
My start wasn’t as good on Sunday, but I did quickly end up on Kathy’s wheel – right where I wanted to be! Sue was ahead of us, but we chased her down as well, and now we were together (we had agreed before the race to work together). After the climb behind the stadium, we went through the mud and into the next tight section with a short uphill. Today, it was Kathy’s turn to slip – she dismounted, I rode and ended up ahead of her. I worked to try to bridge to two riders just ahead, and built a gap between myself and Kathy, with Sue behind as well. I did manage to eventually connect with Hannah, and the two of us worked together through the windy fields on one lap, which was awesome. I lost Hannah, however, when I slid off the course behind the stadium.
With two laps to go, I could see that Kathy and Sue were now working together, and that I had to work to stay ahead of them. I tried to focus on the race ahead of me instead of the race behind. With one to go I still had a gap. I wanted this BAD. The whole lap, I talked to myself, “Ride it like you mean it”, “You need to clean this”, “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!”, “Fast, fast, fast”, “Not today!”, and the best one of all, “If you finish ahead of them you can retire!”. With my HR pegged, and my back screaming from all of the climbing, I put my head down and drilled the last lap. It was full on TT mode – sprinting out of corners and off of the climbs, pedaling through all of the corners. I could see them behind me, but managed to stay ahead through the finish!
I literally had to stop as quickly as possible after the race for fear of falling over and/or throwing up. I couldn’t breathe, and everything hurt. Signs of a good race, right? I ended up finishing 7th, but felt like I had just won. I was really excited about my weekend of racing – maybe some time off the bike is a good thing?
[Juliane Oberle – North]
Plymouth North was my first bike race of the year, and since I hadn’t been riding at all and hadn’t practiced dismounting and remounting since last November, I was going with just the intention of pre-riding the course and most likely to be a cheerleader for my teammates. But then I thought maybe I’d register, and was thinking about it. So I was standing near the registration area when Cathy Rowell found me 15 minutes before the race and helped me along in case I forgot how to register :) So there I was on the starting line. I had a good start and first lap around. I thought the course felt long, but manageable. The only place I had any real difficulty was in the woods when the Cat 4 men were passing me on what I would assume was supposed to be the single track. My fitness level was pretty poor so I was there to have fun, stay upright, and finish. I slowed down on the third lap, but I finished and had a great time! Thank you Cathy for helping me register :)
[Karin Turer – South]
So the big drama of the race all happened at the starting line – but not for typical bike racing reasons. No – instead, it was because one of my fellow racers happened to be one of my YMCA summer campers from the mid-90s! Yipes! I had not seen her since she was about 14, so it was pretty unreal!
I was excited to try this challenging course again this year – but they had changed it! I wasn’t loving the new version – some of the short uphill parts were just a teensy bit steep for my gearing or my legs, and I couldn’t get into the right rhythm to clear them (especially the “tire turn” – I kept bumping into something). Still, the course improved a bit while riding it at race pace. I wimped out and power-walked the long hill near the football stadium rather than really running.
In this race, I rediscovered my brakes, and they do work – the downside is that I used them more than I needed. Because they were there? Not sure! There was some excellent cheering on the final hill to the start/finish, and I got in the full 40 minutes advertised (at the start they said 30, even though the flyer said 40!). So I got a workout :)
[Julie Lockhart – North and South]
Plymouth North
Wanting mud (and dreading the consequences), I was disappointed to find that there was not much. But, while I was warming up, I discovered I felt weak (cold still affecting me) ... decided to just ride for skills … On the start, tho, I found myself in the mix, and thought … but faded. Practiced bike exchange speed and accuracy (as did Libby) Had fun, felt better.
Plymouth South
Again thinking mud, felt intimidated by the start chicanes, but in the race, all was cool. The plan was to ‘chill’: drills & x-changes … but again had great start, passed fallen riders, and found myself defending … racing (not in the plan) ... Well, lots of things learned – especially the fact that what scares the bejeezus out of you in pre ride, can, in fact be ‘no big deal’ during the race. Fun.
MRC Cross - Women's Report
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Conditions:
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Last year, we froze at this race. Moving the date from December to October provided warmer temps (high 50s). It was overcast, but there was no rain.
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The Course:
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There were only a few slight changes in the course from last year. Wide start to a bottle-neck right hand turn. This takes racers through a series of tight, twisty turns before going into the first set of barriers. Then it’s a fast ride into the woods (with a right hand corner that taken too fast will put you in the bushes). there are good lines through here, but there are also rocks and roots to beware of. Back out into the grassy, power-sucking fields with more tight turns. The course runs up and down a slope, and includes another set of barriers going uphill. A fast descent brings you back to “the log” – a large, natural barrier where all the spectators like to hang out, heckling racers to “ride it”.
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Results:
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Results – 3/4 Women (21 starters)
Clara Kelly – 2nd
Shannon Madison – 12th
Kathy Graves – 14th
Karen Turer – 15th
Julie Lockhart – 17th
Results – 1/2/3 Women (15 starters)
Cathy Rowell – 11th
Teri Carilli – 12th
[Clara Kelly]
I started the race chasing and trying to be patient stuck behind riders on the singletrack. I was not pleased to lose my place at the start line when we were reorganized by registration order and I’m afraid that I had a nasty little attitude simmering by the time we set off. I could see the leader pulling ahead when I was in the first corners and got into chase mode. As soon as I got out of the singletrack, I accelerated and started passing folks. I did ok on the barriers (meaning that I didn’t wack my bike on the barrier)..still working on getting the dismount accomplished with a good speed. I did figure out how to pass people by pushing my bike up the hill after the 2nd barriers and then cutting them off when I got back on my bike. That was the first time I have ever passed anyone on a barrier…but it was really thanks to the running part..not a stunning performance with the barrier. By the end of the 3rd lap, I was in 2nd place and was making some progress on the leader (who still had a substantial gap). I had the leader in sight with one lap to go. Unfortunately, that was short lived because I drastically slowed down behind two lapped riders on the singletrack. Game over.
This was my 4th race in a row without crashing in a corner. Not sure if that is thanks to my new brakes or if I’m actually improving on bike handing. In any case, I plan to start racing the A race next time.
[Karin Turer]
My in-laws were in town, and I was beat from running an event on Friday for the Farmers Market, so I basically had to zoom to and from the race – but I am SO glad I went; MRC may be my favorite course!
The race was fairly uneventful – I had a decent start but wasn’t as aggressive as I could be – the wobbling girl who I might have sprinted by was a teammate, so I went easy. I wasn’t passed by other people as quickly as I might’ve been, and the main thing: I was just having FUN riding the course, and I am incrementally getting stronger.
The uphill barriers were a challenge – in the practice laps the remount did fine, but in the race I biffed the remount the first 2 laps and had to run (I think my feet just didn’t hit the pedals in time) so for the final three laps I did a lame, non-flying remount (i.e. how you’d get on a road bike) that actually worked better in the circumstances. My chain dropped on the last lap, but luckily went straight back on.
So, it was really 100% fun and I definitely was able to ride harder than I have so far this season! Only mishap was that I did a cool-down lap and whacked my Achilles with the chainrings. Ouch!!!
[Julie Lockhart]
ZERO Falls – good for collarbone. Good start (for gravel), used the first chicanes to pass 4 or 5 people, some of who promptly re passed me at the barriers (note to self – faster mount!!!), so first lap intent on staying ahead of juniors … second barriers were a run up after, mount did not work in practice. Caught and passed one woman and a boy, was passed back at the beginning barriers by the woman. I felt strong, but kept forgetting pt put the hammer down for the longer straights (note to self – what Cathy says about sprinting out of corners) ... Finished strong (wish I could ride the log, just for fun).
Opa Opa Beer Cross #1 - Julie Lockhart
Dayville, CT – Zero falls – %-) The race started on gravel beside a running track for about 200 yards, did a u-turn to climb to a volleyball court sand feature back on to gravel and off into the woods on single track some of the time weaving out onto ‘carriage trails’ and back into single track, one set of barriers on and off of gravel roads to a steep run up with a hairy descent almost as steep (slippery and muddy) ... out onto the gravel alongside 3/4 of the track to repeat.
Originally, it conflicted with MRC, but when they moved it to Sunday, I decided it to do it as a training day, and to conquer my fear of the descent from the run up, as well as some of the single track which is quite tight. I succeeded in staying on the bike on the descent (actually riding it instead of walking my bike down it) which was a little tricky since there is a hard right turn at the base. Perri Mertins set the pace, Natalia Gardiol was chasing her strong, Stacey Mosely and the other rider just managed to lap me about 3/4 way through the last lap (mine). I felt great doing a lot of learning, and conquering the run-up/descent was a great feeling.
Vermont Race Weekend - Victoria Gates
VT Psycho Cross
Brownsville, VT
11/08/2008
Juniors 10 – 14 – Victoria Gates – 3rd
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Conditions:
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Partly sunny, mid 60’s.
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The Course:
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This race was at Mt. Ascutney ski resort. The course was mainly all hills with grass, mud, and a run up that was at least 20 feet!
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Report:
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My goals were to finish the race, keep it upright, and to podium (if I could). My start was a bit slow but I caught up pretty fast. I nailed the barriers and opened up a 30 second gap that got bigger through out the race. I was suffering in the last lap. The run up was the thing that took the most out of me on the last lap. :( This was the best race I ever did in my life!
—————————————————West Hill Shop Cyclocross
Putney, VT
11/09/2008
Juniors 10 – 14 – Victoria Gates – 3rd
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Conditions:
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Muddy since it rained the previous night. Cool in the 50’s.
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The Course:
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The race was at West Hill Bike Shop. The course was a big jumble. The race had 2 BMX style whoop dee doos, steep down hill, corn field, log stairs, and to top it all off a 35 foot high run up.
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Report:
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My goals were to finish, keep it upright in the mud, and snag a spot on the podium. In the start, one of the other racers feet un-clipped but mine held on. The mud sections (basically everywhere) were very tough and I almost fell! I guess that you could say this was the muddiest race of the season.
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