Three Years Ago to the Day...

...I was riding with a great group of women (the Blue Sky Wednesday night ride), I had owned my first road bike for 2 weeks at that point & we were caught in a torrential downpour while riding around Saratoga, NY. I swore that day that there was no where on earth I'd rather be, than on that bike, even with the driving rain. Last year at this time, I got 3rd place in a cat 4 circuit race and I felt like a rock star. This year, I was happy to play with the pros (like Allison Powers) at the Bannock Street race, spend time with my Mom, Dad & brother, and later, go to church. Then finish up the day wandering home as the sun set on the city.

B-Day, Beer & Bannock

This was my birthday dinner. I can't remember the last time I ate pizza. Since today was the last race for three weeks, it seems quite proper to celebrate and feast. Yummm, that's good beer. The Bannock Street race is such a great course & it was an opportunity to hang out (wearing street clothes) and see many teammates and friends. Yesterday I thought I was burned out. Today I think my legs are toast, but I can't wait to race again. It's good to be mentally in the game, even though my body is revolting. Can't wait for long, enjoyable training rides in the mountains during the next few weekends.

Friends & Chocolate

What fun, hanging out with a good friend sharing a flourless chocolate cake with all kinds of wonderful sauces drizzled on the plate. It vanished in just a couple of moments (waiting to get the picture was so tough!)

Podium?

The weekend in Salida, CO racing in the Salida Omnium was a blast. First, for the record, the people of Salida are fantastic! This is a great town. Twin Peaks and other racing friends did a fantastic job racing & supporting each other throughout the weekend. Everyone reported having an amazing time. I know I did (regardless of results). After winning the TT Friday evening, I had the opportunity to stand on a podium. This is the first time in my life I have stood on a podium. Winning a TT is like getting an A+ on a report card. With a headwind and a 300' loss in elevation over 8 miles, the average was 25.3 miles per hour. Survived the road race, got 3rd in the crit with a prime win, 2nd overall on the weekend. I felt just as satisfied after coming in 10th at a stage race a few weeks ago. Happiness in racing (in my eyes) comes from the effort put forth, not the final result. If this weren't true, I would have quit racing by June.

Getting Away--In the Slow Lane of the Interstate

This was another awesome day. This is better than winning a race. I went to race in Eagle, CO (in Vail Valley). It came up at the last minute, most of my teammates are racing Mt. Evans today. I love to road trip with others, but do enjoy time alone, too. No other women showed up to the 1/2/3 race so I got the "win" and prize money. Cool, it paid for gas. The best part, though, was getting to race with the 1/2/3 guys. I've been wanting to do that, but I'm not bold enough to jump in one of their races without a seemingly compelling reason. The guys were decent, and
I tried to uphold my end of the deal by not letting a gap open up between me and the guys in front of me.

After the race, I went for a two-hour ride up to the town of Gypsum and into the mountains. The pics to the left are from that ride. Around every turn was an even more beautiful area, the sun was shining nicely on the hills and peaks of mountains off in the distance. The hills were green, absolutely green. These pictures don't do it justice. How can you stop riding and decide to turn around?
Well, food is my limiter. I was worried about getting a "hunger flat." It was very hot and it was impossible for the boiling water in the water bottles to quench my thirst. The market in Gypsum had the only thing that would help: chocolate milk. While gulping it down, it was necessary to read the bulletin board at the market. Funny, yes, but it reminded me about how I'd like to raise chickens someday. (Not just because of the movie, either!)

After getting back to the car and taking a "shower" in the sprinkers, I found this great bar and grill in Edwards, CO (The Gore Range Brewery). They had a smooth, rich stout on tap called the Biker Stout that was...too good to describe. Got a nice spot at the bar, right in front of the t.v. with the Tour and Floyd riding to victory. I wouldn't have traded today for anything in the world.

Boulder Creek

The Boulder Creek was the place to be today. Hundreds of people were there tubing in the refreshingly cool water. This morning was a hill climb race from Boulder up to Nederland. It was only 4500 ft of climbing or so, but it was very steep in many locations. In the 100 or so degree weather, it was brutal. I've worked a lot on my climbing, but I still have a lot of work to do. This was very good practice for other climbing races coming up. After the race (and a post-race ride), I took a dip in Boulder Creek. It was the next-best thing to a shower. Simply marvelous! 

Go Blue Train!

The guys came out very early to the race to cheer us on before their race. They set up the tent and supported the other racers who came in with flats. Twin Peaks is a fine example of good sportsmanship in cycling. Racing is so much more fun with the support, cheering and people to hang out with before and after the race.

 

Ft. Morgan Crit

Jen, Leigh & I represented the women's team in Ft. Morgan yesterday (women's open race). How fun it is to race with teammates (these are not just any teammates, either)! It was hot (107ish) and none of us were able to talk very well after the crit was over (result of breathing the burning air so long and hard).
It was an amazing race--I finished 1st cat 3, 5th overall coming in 2nd in the field sprint. This was the most adrenaline-filled finish so far this season. Very, very satisfying.

Win!

Today I won my first race ever!!! (A cat 3 only race). It was awesome...a few girls out there were on the same team (and they're very strong)...they kept attacking and attacking. One other girl and I chased down each one. On the last lap, I hammered the final hill, so scared someone was going to pull around me at the last moment. Found out later that I had a 20' gap on them! Woohoo! Got a medal for the wall (that's better than cash in my book, but the beer prime would have been nice). Time to get on the trainer. This isn't the last race of the season.

Race in the Rain

I got my wish. Last week I was bummed that the race was cancelled prior to the rain pouring. Today it rained (hard, for most of the hour crit) in Boulder. The crit course is sketchy without rain. With rain, very interesting. There was one corner I felt my back tire lose the pavement every other lap. There were 35 laps. After the race, I went for a ride, that helped clean me and the bike off well. (pic will be here soon). The race went well--I ended up in a chase group that caught the lead group with 1 lap to go. They were shocked ("they were lapped, right, right? noooo...") Ha, funny to see 1/2s panic like that. I was there for the sprint, but felt it best to stay safe because there's an important race tomorrow.