BikeRacingForDays

BikeRacingForDays

Friday, January 25, 2013

Greatest Seven Days of The Year




     The last race of my season had finally arrived. I swear it was just yesterday I was racing CrossVegas and just like that, I’m flying to Madison, Wisconsin for what was sure to be a very frozen, cold, and AWESOME cyclocross race. I was fortunate enough to stay at the great Boynton’s house for the weekend where they couldn’t have been more kind and fun. With no stress from lodging, flights, or racing form, it was on!

    I was in Madison for 4 days and did 5 or 6 rides, only 2 of those rides were outside. For once I couldn't have been more happy to ride the trainer. The course was super sloppy and icey which was actually my strong point as far as courses go, so I was stoked to get this race on!

    The morning of the race I hopped on the trainer for a bit to open up the legs and get my mind focused. With warm muscles and coffee flowing in my veins, I was more than ready to few the hour of pain that is cyclocross. My call up was just behind mid pack start, but in a race like this, it did not matter all that much. What was the hardest thing was racing with only one bike in the worst of conditions. With this in mind, I knew I had to go as hard as I could for the first lap to get up front before my bike packed with mud and turned into a single speed eventually going from 16- 35+ lbs (this actually happened). The race when just as I planned and at the halfway point I had already moved up to the top 10 and was feeling great. In all honesty, I had never felt better in a race than I did here, but I did highly underestimate the bike gaining so much weight an all of a sudden it turned into me racing CX with a downhill bike. 


    I was able to hold onto 12th or 13th and for once after a bike race my arms hurt more than my legs. I couldn’t be more happier with my fitness and was able to learn few things... like ice can turn into mud which results into needing 2 bike. I blame this one on me being raised in Arizona!

    After I got back home from nationals, I took a few days off before heading to Bootleg Canyon to remember how to ride a mountain bike again. By the end of the weekends I was feels super flowy and couldn’t wait to be coming back... maybe for the Bootleg Enduro in March? We will see, but for now I will be taking another week of before what is sure to be a killer mountain bike season... hopefully not literally.

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