Sea Otter Circuit Race Pix!

Vanessa, 3rd
Amy, 7th
Jess, 15th

Sea Otter

This was my first Sea Otter. I had heard it was a bit of a zoo but decided to check it out first hand. Luckily, I didn't have to go it alone as Jess and Amy (also her first SO) were likewise lured by a circuit race on smooth, fast pavement. We got there a couple hours before the start of our race and the wind was whipping pretty good. The crowds, the wind, the dust (the drive!) all were a bit much for me, but we managed to navigate the crowds and get ourselves set up for our race. It was a decent size field with a few recognizable faces but lots of girls we didn't know. The start was pretty easy and I got my legs going and tried to check out the course as best as possible on the first go-round. I really liked this course! I liked the climb, the descent and the fun banked corners! A Dewar's girl was on the front and it seemed like we would wind things up a notch but then she decided to go off the front. I started to chase and close her down but changed my mind, wanting to save my legs and thinking we'd catch her working together. Big mistake. We never saw her again... So it was a race for second. I wanted to go faster and faster and had to keep reeling myself back in because being on the front in a windy race does not equal a good result. So I slowed down but no one would come up and take a turn except another rider from femme fetal. We switched off and tried to get a little break going with one of her teammates and Amy, but we couldn't get organized. On what I thought was the second to last lap I started thinking about going for it on the climb and taking Amy with me, and then a race car pulls up and tells us this is it! We have junior boys in the mix, I can't tell who is who, so the femme fatal girl and I take off and round the corner ahead of the pack. I realized I had to try to set myself up for a sprint so got on her wheel, but my legs were twitching and I couldn't stay put (too much adrenaline!) so I came out and put the hammer down- too far from the finish. As a result I petered out toward the line and I ended up getting taken at the line by Kim Ladd from Code 3 (good racing!). Amy and Jess had great results- 7th and 15th! I don't think I'll do SO again- the race organizers stopped our race once to let juniors go by and then cut our race short. It was annoying to say the least. Oh and the worst part- they couldn't figure out the results for about five hours. We sat around in the wind and dust and cold waiting for my stupid podium finish. And all I got was some Cytomax and a medal...

Ronde von Brisbeen Circuit Race

I'm catching up on race reports as I lay in bed after a fun weekend of racing. The RvB circuit race was so close by that Vanessa and I couldn't resist. Plus, it was only 50 minutes, so how much suffering could it cause? It was a fun course - downhill on one side, uphill on the other, easy corners, 1.7 miles loop on good roads. It was the debut of my new orange NAC bike. I was nervous to ride it because I didn't want to crash it on day 3, but I must say I was impressed with the field and felt comfortable. There was a momentary wheel rub on the uphill that caused me to unclip for a second, but I recovered and no one freaked out, so it was all good. The race didn't seem that fast and it was nice to recover every few minutes on the descent. On the hill, I could hear people breathing and I was psyched because usually I only hear myself breathing. I felt fit, though not fresh. In the end, I just tried staying on the wheel of whoever was in the lead. It worked for a while until someone lost their chain. I pulled around and someone whizzed by me - she won and I spun my legs out to grab 2nd and Vanessa was right there in 5th place. We missed the podium photos conveniently, but still came home with some cash!

Copperopolis

It was a last minute decision to do Copper, but I called Markham at 7am and tagged along to get a ride with the Masters Men. I was super curious about the course and it was enough motivation to get me to the start line. I had heard crazy stories about the climb, the road surface and the descent, so I figured I'd love it and I did.

It was warm out and after my usual 10 minute warm-up, we stood at the start line for a half hour for a classic velo promo delay. I was in the front for once, which was nice and actually talked to people, which I usually avoid. We began and the course was indeed bumpy. I was worried I would lose my water bottles, but they stayed in there. Unfortunately, I couldn't take my hands off the bars long enough to get a drink until mile I-don't-even-know. Within 2 miles the climb began and I was just grabbing wheels and staying towards the front. I got to the top with 5 others and I looked back and there was no one. I was at my max for a while, but I always forget to look back, so I never know when people fall off. All I knew is that by mile 6, we were out of sight. The we hit some flats for a while and everyone worked hard and rotated through. They wanted to get away, so we didn't let up. I was working way harder than I wanted to, but I didn't have much choice, they were on a mission and we got away and stayed away. I anxiously awaited the descent... I was looking for a break from being anaerobic. It finally came and it was a blast. The road wasn't as bad as everyone said, but your body does feel tingly after the descent for sure. Then it was more flats and rollers with a short steep hill to come to the start/finish. Again, they were pushing the pace and I was getting toasty. Jess was at the start cheering like crazy, which was awesome! I felt pretty good recovering on the short break of smooth pavement. Lap 2, we hit the hill again and it was good until it wasn't. I got though the steep stuff, but as it flattened out, I started thinking it was time to go at my own pace if I ever wanted to walk again. So, I fell off at the end of the hill and got a break, breathed deeply, felt ok about it and then buried my head for 14 miles to the finish. It wasn't very windy, but when you're by yourself for that long, you feel it. I can't complain, though, I sort of liked it. I rarely ride alone and I was happy to be with myself. The descent was certainly more enjoyable alone and even in the flats I caught some old guys. I never let up and crossed the finish line with a happy 6th place. A minute later, 3 girls came in together and I was psyched to have not been caught by them. They had been working together the whole time and if the race had been another mile I might not have stayed away. This race is a keeper... it made my top 5 list for sure! It also shook my headset loose, so beware...

Hello Wind!

For the second time in a row, we faced a full field as well as howling wind was howling at the Bariani Road Race. The wind caused the field to split early. I managed to hang on for a while but eventually got gapped. I spent a good chunk of time (and energy) trying desperately to close the 20-30 foot gap for what seemed to be forever. (And, I reached an all-time HR high of 200 in the process. The things you learn...) Never closed it but fortunately had two-three others to work with to keep me company on the last two laps. Here's how we fared:

Cat 4:
Anne, 7th
Vanessa, 11th
Amy, 14th
Jess, 26th

Cat 3:
Emily, 21st

Merco - Big Fields Aplenty!

Vanessa (25th), Amy (26th), Anne (32nd) & Jess (52nd)
Scott Herring (34th, Cat 3)
John Ormsby (20th, Cat 4 Masters)
W's Pro/1/2: Janeen Thorpe (32nd), Olivai Dillon (33rd) & Maria Monica (42nd)

2008 Race Season Starts!

The Touchstone W's Cat 4 Team, as well as members of M's Cat 3, 4, 5 (masters and elite) and W's Pro/1/2 Teams, are looking forward to another fun, challenging and safe race season. Race reports coming soon!