Today and Tour of Battenkill
Current Race:
Sea Otter Classic, Monterey, California.
Today- Criterium, finished 20th
Im currently in Monterey, California, for the Sea Otter Classic. It’s crazy to have left early Tuesday morning from New York and arrive in sunny California for more cycling fun. I raced the criterium this morning and placed 20th, not feeling great I stuck with the pack and finished the sprint with no exceptional showing or kick.
Last race:
I wrote this a couple days ago while still in New York, but wasnt able to post it with all the traveling and planning over the past few days.
Tour of Battenkill
Cambridge, NY
14 April 2013
64.9 miles
Results: 9th
On the train on my way back to Manhatten for my last day in New York.
Yesterday morning was a cold tough Tour of Battenkill. We arrived to 43 degrees at the course at 9:15, and an hour later for the start it hadnt warmed up even the slightest. I warmed up as best I could and covered up with leg warmers and a wind breaker under my jersey. But training in 80+ degree weather doesnt exactly prepare you for these cold racing temperatures.
We had the usual prerace waiting period at the start with rules and explenations, but it seems this 10-15min of standing around was just too much for my muscles. We started rolling forward and not even 200m into the race I felt my right quad cramp up and not release. It was so painful and similar to a charlie-horse. Tthis was probably the worst time possible to get this. So many things went through my head… How? -the cold? Electrolytes? Something i had eaten? Not drank enough water? … Then I thought of what to do… Suck it up, hang on the back, drop out. …
The first 10 miles I spent trying to loosen it up and message out any tension I could, without much luck. Then instead of dwelling on the useless thoughts of pain and possible failure, I decided. You will suck it up, you will get through it, you will finish strong. So until about half way (30 miles) I road with the pack through the Battenkill roads, up and down the rolling and couple steeper hills. The pain didnt let up, but neither did the group. Two girls upfront tested the field on every hill and tried to get a gap. Then on another hill they tried again, and this time were successful. The group didnt close, and I wasnt in the field position or physical condition to put on a surge to close. After they got away we tried to organize to get them, but with only about 3 riders including myself doing the work to pull and take rotation there wasnt much success in closing. So as the race went on, the hills didnt get any easier and the group lost a few members but still held a pretty solid 10 riders. The last long hill with 7 miles to go was the longest and also on dirt. It was tough and the group split to 5 and 5, but on the final flat we murged again for the final sprint. I unfortunately wasnt able to get good position for the last 400m and couldnt contend for that coveted 3rd place that the group was fighting for. I crossed the line 7th in the group, and so 9th overall in the race.
Looking back on the race I am not happy with the result as I always seem to expect more of myself. But I am satisfied with the work I did and effort I put considering the cold conditions and the injury in my quad. It was a good experience to race the east coast and on a mix of dirt and paved roads. Plus, I was riding with 6 other Kenda girls that made a lot of the preperation, enduring the cold, and other difficulties of racing much more pleasant.. and just having company was great.
