So Long

Well I am a little sad that my industrial piercing took the plunge and ripped out of my ear. It just wasn't hanging in their right. We tried to unscrew the earring but we are convinced it was welded on. As a result we took spoke cutters and cut the rest off....Bye bye... Now, I was very disappointed. I did love it and loved the journey to get there...O how painful it was. But there are bigger things to think about right now.

On Sunday I will do my first Elite Cyclocross race at the Kentucky State Championships. I went from racing with the cat 4 women last year to cat 1 women this year. Just a little bit of a LEAP don't you think? I think it will be good experience for nationals in just two weeks.

At nationals I get to drive about 11 hours I think it is. We will get there on Thursday. Saturday will be my first race in the U23 field. Then on Sunday I will race the Collegiate race. No Elite race for me...or junior. Stupid cyclocross rules. I would have loved to had raced the junior race!! Other than that training has been balmy and shorts and jersey weather. I was hoping I could tan my legs a little today before they go into winter mode back home.

Thanksgiving in Wisconsin

I made the journey north to the vast Wisconsin lands. I was very very excited to go back home. I left for home last Thursday. Thanksfully, I didn't have to drive or bring my jeep home. Kip arranged it all for us to get back by having his aunt pick us up as she lives in South Carolina. I then drove from Watertown back to Eagle River in his car.

It was fairly quiet with having almost the whole family home except for my oldest brother, Charlie. It was nice to also not have to ride my bike. We didn't have room to bring the bikes, and on top of that I had a good ole' serving of Bronchitis. After some good drugs to help get me better, I am now able to sleep pretty much through the whole night. I still haven't been feeling 100% though.

I know I should be taking it easy, but I'm back in Kentucky now where the weather is far from what it is in Wisconsin. I went out on a nice ride today to test out the lungs. After some wheezing and coughing fits, I finally got into a rythm. This weekend is the Kentucky State Championships in Louisville so I will get to race the Elite race there. I'm not sure if I'm up to that cyclocross level, but it will be good for me to get in before nationals. Enjoy the snow!!!

Cyclocross Regionals

DAY ONE:

This cyclocross weekend was the races that I felt I could redeem myself. My bike had been working poorly the races prior so I never even could show myself what I could do. The first race on Saturday was set, and I rolled up to the line with the other women. I had been sick for awhile though so I didn't know what to expect. The start came and my chain popped immediately throwing me in deadlast and losing the leaders.

I caught a few women and found myself in 4th. Notice it must have been a small field! Anywho, I held my position steady as my bike popped some more on a quick climb. Soon, I found the 5th place rider creeping up on me. My frustration and sickness couldn't push hard enough to stay with her and I just hung out the last 2 laps. I rolled in with a very disappointing 5th place finish. Did I mention I was beat by TWO mountain bikes? Maybe Sunday will go better...

Upon my journey in Indiana, I bumped into Holly Klug who kicked ass in the men's masters race and then again in the Women 1/2's race. All in the same day. She was rocking!The day wasn't over because the boys still had yet to go. Kyle Jacboson and Kipper were reunited at this race giving much motivation for them to do well and work together.
Kip started off and there was a 3 man lead group, Kip, Derek Lann from Purdue, and Kyle. They worked back and forth quite a bit. Unforunately, we couldn't pull out a win. Derek took first, Kip second, and Kyle third.
I also got to see teammate Elicia Hildebrand out racing...who also beat me in the collegiate race and won her second race. Awesome job yet again.


DAY 2:

This was the official Regionals day which meant double points and racing on Purdue's beautiful campus next to some frat houses. I had contemplated if I even wanted to race today with how sick I had been and how the bike was working. After chilling the night before and changing the gearing in the front, the bike was now ready to go fast with a big gear. I thought I would give it a shot.

I am super glad I did. I started off very strong with this new gearing. I was on Elicia's wheel as we sat one two for half of the first lap. The laps were so long we only did 3 of them! Elicia easily pulled away from all of us and left me and my teammate in a short battle. She passed me and I hung on her wheel for that lap. Little did I know how quick the race would be over I didn't attack, and definitely didn't know if my body could handle it. She pulled away where it was difficult for a cyclocross bike to ride this hill, while a mountain bike was perfect. I did all that I could but couldn't maintain.
For not wanting to race and then pulling out a 3rd place at regionals with Ms. Hildebrand and my other teammate, I felt like that was the redemption I was looking for. I hope they now know that I just need to get in my groove.
Kip's race was exciting as the same three went back and forth constantly. Kip took 2nd and Kyle took 3rd which was awesome. They rocked this weekend.

Now it is time to get to go home for some turkey! Kip might do Jinglecross and I just need time off this weekend. I have this dumb respiratory infection that won't go away, that won't allow me to sleep at night, and that has only been getting worse since Iceman. I didn't even think I'd be able to race this weekend. I got some medicine now. About three different kinds, but it definitely didn't help me sleep last night.

Iceman Cometh

I had been both dreading and looking forward to the Iceman all year. I knew it would be a tough year, and it would be a nice long, lonely drive up to the race as well. Since nationals I had been drained. I took a week off and then started racing cyclocross immediately. Therefore, I really hadn't been able to focus my last few weeks on the Iceman alone.

I left on Thursday and drove half way so I wouldn't be so exhausted the day before the race. It isn't too far of a drive, and came out to be about 10 hours, and with the timezone change I got an extra hour when I came home. On Friday I only had about a 6 hour drive which I could easily tackle. I got up to Traverse City at about 4 pm and my mom was on here way and would get there at about 7.

The morning of the race I felt pretty good. I had slept excellent the night before, I woke up and my bike rack wasn't stolen this year! Well, things just keep getting better. I ate a waffle and brought some for the road. I was not going to have it be the year I get hungry and bonk during the race. I had plenty of time being the last wave and starting with the beginners wave. That is the toughest part of the race for me is starting with them. Basically, I time trial myself this whole race since it is a race against the clock, especially having Murphykate in the singlespeeding class.

The weather was gorgeous that day and I was getting warm quickly as I prepared for my race.

The race started, I slipped my pedal, but quickly got back on. I was leading the wave, but then had two 14 year olds on my tale. I thought that this was quite interesting. We actually went back and forth quite a bit as they'd attack eachother. Very quickly they tired with the pace and I blew by them. I was on my own trying not to get stuck in traffic of the waves ahead of me.

It wasn't too bad until we hit the singletrack. I was quickly slowed down by the riders and as frustrating as it was, there was no way I could be upset at them. They are out here enjoying it, I can't just yell. So I frantically tried to pass in any spots I could. I already knew I had my wave beat and had won my age group, but there was a $1100 scholarship on the line for the fastest Juniors with a pretty neat trophy, it was definitely something to shoot for.

The last five miles came and the hills were tough. It is the toughest part of the course and I couldn't back down. I hit each hill as if it were the first hill of the race. (It may not have looked at that way if you had seen me...I was slowing down on those guys!) But it was my intention; I couldn't back down yet. The red banners began appearing and I soon got stuck behind a tandem in the singletrack. Wow, no way. A tandem in singletrack. They handled it awesome and rode it, but I was freaking out. I got around them and sprinted to the finish as fast as I could. I had no clue how close my time was to the next fastest racer so I just needed to make sure that I didn't lose because of 3 seconds.

The results were posted and I had done what I came there to do. I got $1100 and beat my last year's time by about 15 minutes. My time was 2:16. Very pleased. I didn't stick around for the pro race this year because I had to get as much rest as I could for the next driving day. Me and mom went back to the hotel, napped a little bit, and then went downtown for some dinner.

We went to the awards ceremony later that evening where I was immediately presented with this sick trophy by Mr. Brian Matter, who won the Pro class beating out JHK and Simonson among other racers.

Mike Anderson who goes to Lees-Mcrae College was the men's scholarship winner.

A big thanks to the Michigan Youth Cycling Scholarship Program for putting the effort to raise the money! I am very greatful for the opportunity, and disappointed it is my last elgible year, which made it that much more worth it.

Overall the weekend was a lot of fun, and next year I get to step it up to the big dogs and race the pro's race...and get dominated. Awesome job to everyone who raced!

Next up? This weekend I am going to Purdue to race a double header cross race, and then I have some time until cyclocross nationals.

Collegiate Cyclocross Weekend

This weekend was my first cross race of the year. I was so nervous because it has been so long! We came into our races this weekend straight from a week of nationals. I took a week off from riding to let the saddle sores go down, and to let my legs rest before Iceman.

We had 2 races here at Lindsey Wilson's campus. Sunday's race was designed by Kip and our buddy Stefan.

Saturday's race I was not looking forward to. The course wasn't too bad, but had a tight downhill horseshoe turn into a nice uphill. I definitely wasn't comfortable on this bumpy course on the cross bike since I had always used my Sebastian for cyclocross.

There was a nice long concrete staircase in the middle of it that I was exhausted by at the end of the race. Our race was 40 minutes plus two laps. I ended up 2nd.

Sunday's course was a lot of fun! It was significantly shorter with that nasty climb taken out. A wooden staircase was substituted in with a sandpit, the same as we had the day before.

The wooden staircase wasn't the best for little legs, but I felt I gained most of my time there. Unfortunately, I have been having a lot of problems with my bike. Anytime I give it pressure and crank really hard, the shifting jerks around and I even lost my chain about 3 times. I was sitting in 2nd and lost 1st place early on by having troubles with my bike. I was so frustrated!

I finally regained my gap from the 3rd place rider to ride strong continually in 2nd. I always had that hope that maybe I could close that gap between me and first place, even if it was a little unrealistic, but it pushed me.

As you can tell, I slowly lost form towards the end of the race where I couldn't shoulder my bike in time to run up the stairs.

I ended up 2nd on Sunday too. I was pleased. For Kip, he took 2nd both days as well. It was a good and pretty warm weekend!

And Iceman is going to be COMPLETE opposite!