Well, the season race started early for me this year with the Horning's Hustle race here near Portland. I've never raced in March before and wasn't sure where my fitness was. It didn't take long to find out ...The course had loads of short steep climbs and fun descents. It wasn't a technical course at all - no rocks or roots; just mud. The pre-ride had me anticipating a muddy race ... and I wasn't disappointed! Sunday morning I was hanging out at the race course, warming up and wondering how many women would be in my category. Finally warmed up in the chilly morning the racers headed to the start. After 20 minutes of instructions we were told that the beginners would start right away and that the rest of us would start 40 minutes later.
At the start line I ran into a few girls I knew; which is always fun! Karen Dewolfe (from Canada) consistently places top 3 in the Canada Cups and Sue Butler from the area is also a very strong racer. I met her a few years ago at the Trans Rockies event. After seeing them at the start line I knew it would be a fast, tough race. We were chatting amongst each other when the start gun went off --- the race started! For the first minute I managed to trick my legs and body into going into my zone 5 (which, with my switch to endurance training is non-existent). It was great. I was up with Sue and Karen leading the pack. And then the pain started. My legs were rebelling. They weren't used to this. They were struggling to recover. I had to back off. As the leaders slipped away I settled into my own pace ... the race was supposed to be 4.5 laps and I knew that in the current conditions it would take a while. It was a great day to be racing ... the weather was perfect, the people were friendly and I was having fun in the mud!
Sometime in the first lap I lost my baby ring -- i am sure pretty much everyone did. It was sooooo muddy. So I was off and on my bike; running and riding; running and riding. I am improving my cyclo-cross mounting skills! I have to say I enjoyed the downhills the most. I was flying down them ... most of the girls around me were walking ....and I was having fun surfing the mud. Riding in the snow and ice really trains you for that type of thing! It was the highlight of the race loop.
I have to say that my pace was more like an 8hour pace than a 2 hour race pace. I kept on trying to remind myself that it was a short race and would push it for a bit and then would slip back into my 'forever' pace. I need to work on the mental switch between the short and long races this season! I was very disappointed when they pulled me after 2.5 laps.... What? I had only been racing for an hour 45 min! I can't express how disappointed I was. I start slow and finish fast so had been planning to step it up a few notches each lap. I had been eating and drinking for the longer effort. Lesson learned... as I watched the leaders come in (they were able to finish their 3rd lap) I saw how exhausted they were. Karen was telling me afterwards that one more lap would have killed her. Something else to work on this season ... go so hard you are barely holding on.
Sometime in the first lap I lost my baby ring -- i am sure pretty much everyone did. It was sooooo muddy. So I was off and on my bike; running and riding; running and riding. I am improving my cyclo-cross mounting skills! I have to say I enjoyed the downhills the most. I was flying down them ... most of the girls around me were walking ....and I was having fun surfing the mud. Riding in the snow and ice really trains you for that type of thing! It was the highlight of the race loop.
I have to say that my pace was more like an 8hour pace than a 2 hour race pace. I kept on trying to remind myself that it was a short race and would push it for a bit and then would slip back into my 'forever' pace. I need to work on the mental switch between the short and long races this season! I was very disappointed when they pulled me after 2.5 laps.... What? I had only been racing for an hour 45 min! I can't express how disappointed I was. I start slow and finish fast so had been planning to step it up a few notches each lap. I had been eating and drinking for the longer effort. Lesson learned... as I watched the leaders come in (they were able to finish their 3rd lap) I saw how exhausted they were. Karen was telling me afterwards that one more lap would have killed her. Something else to work on this season ... go so hard you are barely holding on.
All in all, the race delivered a nice, not-go-gentle kick in the butt! All of my endurance training had given me good legs, but not fast ones! I am going to continue to do all of the short races I can ... it is a good interval workout if nothing else; and hopefully my legs will remember how go fast as the season goes on. :-)
I was happy to find out that my legs were faster than I thought; I had placed 4th in the Pro category.
