Team Group Health in Action

Racing started yesterday with a downtown St. Paul, MN crit. It ended up being a crit of attrition...and there was more of a hill in it than I had expected. The course was technical, 108 women started and positioning was key. With two call-ups per team plus a few more (this is when they introduce riders who are national champions or have some other notable accomplishments...then those riders go to the front of the pack prior to the start), there's no way to start at the front of the pack. The start was hairy with everyone shoving for position and with the number of corners and speed we were going, any sketchy cornering (and there was lots) really made it easy to lose positioning and make the effort necessary to stay in contact with the pack higher.

I survived the race for 20 minutes and it's the hardest 20 minutes of racing I've ever done. My hr was completely maxed out (higher than in Colorado because there is oxygen here) and my legs were blown when I got pulled. Unbelieveable! And I went into the race fully rested and feeling good. That makes it obvious that racing smart, keeping the right position and simply being extremely strong are keys to surviving this kind of pack, one that includes almost all of the best riders in the country.

That being said, most of the rest of the team did a fabulous job yesterday! We have tons of fire power and our two GC riders (the girls we're riding to support) are outstanding. Nicky is a fantastic racer, playing at the front of the race almost the whole time & finishing 12th and she gives us tons of useful advice from her experiences. Leah is 26 and insanely strong. She's got a great attitude and it's obvious that she will be someone to watch in the very near future. The rest of the team, Jadine, Lisa, Dana and Gina and Trisha, are very talented and are from Seattle. I'm having a great time getting to know them and hearing the fun stories of their racing in Seattle. It sounds like they, along with Suz (who I raced with at Redlands), consistently win every Seattle race. Most race for Team Group Health in Seattle, but there are two who race for their main rivals...but all of the girls get along great.

The highlight of my day yesterday was being a "moto" for the kids' race. Dana, Gina and I were the professional riders (as we were introduced) designated to escort the kids on their 1-lap race. My kids were 7-8 years old and they go fast! I rode in front of the kids, so they went the right direction and to clear the path in case anyone was on the course. The girl who was in front of the other kids and going really fast through corner #5. To put this in perspective, corner #5 is the one that we all had issues with during the race. It's a fast downhill, a slightly off-camber to the right. She ended up not being able to make the turn and popped up onto the sidewalk. There were lots of people there to catch her, so I'm assuming all was well. At the finish line, I got a kiddie medal with all of the kids who finished their race. Whew, my ego needed that pick-me-up. So, I finished one race yesterday and got a medal. I'll take what I can get out there!

Getting ready now for a 65-mile road race with lots of wind and there's a good chance it'll rain, too. Yesterday was a good opener so my legs shouldn't feel tired today. My main concern for the day is my throat--it was burned yesterday with the extreme intensity, breathing the hot, humid air really hard. It makes talking a little harder and last night my throat really hurt. It's feeling better today. There's no way today will be as intense as yesterday, though I'm expecting it to hurt at least as badly. Today my goal is to support my teammates and help the team GC ranking. Stay tuned!