Fired up!!

This weekend, we made the quick trip south for the 3rd installment of the MSC. Angel Fire proved its pleasure in still being my favorite course, and this time was even sweeter! After enduring various back and knee pain, as well as the pain and torture of physical therapy for the better part of the past 8 months, Chris was recently able to get back on the bike! The greatest victory this weekend was seeing Chris complete his first race this year, race his first ever Sport race, and have no knee pain! I was really motivated for my own efforts when I saw him gutting it out, especially with no real training under his belt.
My race went off fast, yet smooth, and I employed my typical strategy of methodically moving up through the pack. The course was nice and tacky, thanks to the snowfall the previous day, but once we headed back downhill, several treacherous mud pits spanned the trail, and made for some precarious descending. Needless to say, the ASR rocked the downhill! I never really feel 'comfortable' on a rocky descent, but the new Yeti is solid. On the second lap, I continued my ascent through the expert pack, passing a couple more girls en route to the 10,600' summit. I powered downhill again, and upon crossing the finish line I was astounded at finishing 3rd!! My first MSC podium!

Although there was no short track race this year, I am glad we made the trip to Angel Fire. The CoMo group was a smaller contingent than usual this weekend, but we made our presence known, racked up some major points, and continue to lead the MSC series. Next up, a weekend of rest, and a little more focus on school. This biking thing is getting addictive!!

Battled the Bear

Since it was so close to home at Bear Creek Reservior, I couldn't resist racing this weekend. My labors bore their fruits, as I finished 2nd at the Battle of the Bear. It was a fast smooth course, but with half the biking population in metro Denver competing today, the trick was in passing people. I got a lethargic start, and basically felt like a slug in spandex for the first 4 miles. Upon completing the first climb, my muscle fibers kicked in, and I suddenly felt like racing! (Maybe it's because I love the hills- imagine that!) From that point on, my sole mission was to pass as many people as possible and not look back. Through the second 10-mile lap I made up gobs of time, and soon my competition was back in sight. I got a little over excited and momentarily lost my focus in the twisty-tree section, crashing hard directly on my right kneecap. It is now a lovely black kneecap, and hurts like you know what. Gritting my teeth against the pulsating pain, I cranked the pedals even harder. Within the next 3 miles I passed all my competitors except one (who was way beyond visual distance), and powered through the remaining 2 miles to the finish.

After a rough first week back at school, it was a great confidence-booster, and quality training before the big Angel Fire race next week. It was fun to hang out with many CoMotion teammates who raced. I missed seeing Chris cheering and taking photos, but he is having a fun time fraternizing with the Yeti tribe this weekend. Next up is Angel Fire... climbing and technical descending... my cup of tea!

A Very Merry Unbirthday to You! (yes, you)

After 364 unbirthdays... Happy Birthday to me!!!

Back to the salt mines

I hit the snooze alarm only once this morning, and hit the ground running... literally. The first day back at school wasn't too bad, although when the sun is shining and mountain bikes are dancing through my head, it's tough to concentrate. My plan this semester is only slightly enhanced- get more sleep, make as many MSC races as I can, and get more sleep. Oh, and keep the GPA above a 3.0. ;)

Trail tattoos

Both the new ASR-c and I received a couple of boo boos today while out on the trail. It looked like a good day to ride Centennial Cone, but when I got to the trail, the wind was picking up, and the snowy weather was closing in. Stubborn as I am, I decided to tough it out, (even though I was lacking a few needed layers of clothing). About 10 miles into my ride, a huge gust of wind came up and literally blew me off the trail! The wind swept me off the bike like a ragdoll- I fell over on my left hip, wedged the bike into two rocks, and landed myself on a sharp rock 5 feet below. Dang it hurt! I rode the next 12 miles tenderly and cautiously, and ended the ride 2.5 hours later frozen to the bone. The bike now has some nice carbon scrapes, I've got a pretty bruised hip, so I think we've officially bonded.

Shhh! Vitamin Z experiment in progress...

Hypoxic determination

Glad to be back home today and finally resting! Two back to back weekends in Nathrop is definitely enough to last me until next year - it is my least favorite XC course (although the short track is fun).Racing this past weekend was successful, but especially tough, having been so sleep-deprived and extremely stressed out over the past few weeks. I never felt good the whole weekend - my legs were dead, my eyes were tired, but my indelible competitive spirit would not let me give in, or give up!The XC race on Saturday started out FAST! I quickly realized that racing Expert has a much different dynamic than does Sport. My first lap went smooth, but I could feel my legs had no pep in them whatsoever, and I dreaded the following 3 laps. It was a struggle, just to keep going after the 2nd, but I was determined to finish. (In my first mountain bike race ever in 2006, when I was riding Beginner, I finished dead last, so I figured nothing could be as bad now!!!) The 3rd was the hardest, as even the smallest of the uphills had me red-lining, and the 4th lap was basically damage control - I only got passed by one girl. Riding up the windy fence line for the 4th time (definitely the hallmark of the Nathrop course), and in the midst of verbally conversing with myself and trying to elicit some motivation, I spotted Chris taking pictures! He immediately spurred me on, and I actually got a second wind! I crusied through the next 3 miles, and finished 7th in my class. Overall, 4 laps and 30 miles was the toughest physical effort I've put out for a long time, and was happy to be done!My goal for Sunday's short track was just to finish, and earn some points for the team, and I did just that. After a relaxing Saturday evening hanging out with the CoMo's, I felt much better. The short track course was the same as last year, although like everything else, it was about 5 times more sandy. There was only one narrow track to ride, in the middle of the course, which made passing particularly precarious. My legs still felt demolished from the previous day, but I finished a respectable 4th in my class. (I think it was the new aerodynamic skinsuit!!)
Through the entire weekend, it was a good accomplishment to race well, especially my first races in Expert, and considering the lack of "real" training, and sleep deprivation. I get this week off from school, before starting the summer semester next week. In the meantime, I hope to set a personal record for sleeping!

Riding the fence

This week (#2) of final exams was the ultimate test of endurance and focus. And whew, was it a doozy! There has never been a time in my life where complete failure was so eminent... staring me in the face everyday, and robbing me of sleep each night. It's true that what does not kill you only makes you stronger - including my caffeine consumption this week!

But now it's done, the semester-from-hell is in the books, and I get one week of R & R before the summer semester starts. On to Nathrop this weekend with a smile on my face!!