Bold in the Cold!

After a hint of success last weekend, I am utterly amazed by my performance this weekend! A frigid cold blast brought below-freezing temps and a dusting of snow during the weekend, and made for some wintery, bundle-up, tough-out-the-conditions riding.

Interlocken was a site of Boulder CX #2, and despite the freezing weather, a good crowd of competitors showed up.
Chris' race went off just before mine, and albeit an abbreviated warm-up Chris was rarin' to go - bare legs and all!I also had a brief 15 min warm-up, and while my core body temp was well into sweating, my feet were gradually freezing.The course provided an extra challenge with slow, soggy grass, and energy-sucking sand sections.
I felt strong, yet tired, just trying to mitigate the effects of the cold, and to my surprise, I nearly bridged my way to the leader! I finished 2nd overall!!! My best finish ever and right behind last year's state champion! I even got a little press! Click hereIt only took 20 min for the feeling to return to my feet, but I was more than happy with my day! Well, I have just one race left, before I head out of state for PT for 2 months. I can't help but think how well I will do next year when I actually have time to train and pour my efforts into racing!

Confidence = Motivation!

It's been a busy week... finished up my last academic classes and finals!! Now, it's on to my PT clinical rotations for the remainder of the year... woo hoo!

In the midst of so much stress and studying last week, I needed a break to exercise my competitive spirit. Saturday's Frisco CX #1 provided just the venue for hypoxic fun. The day was beautiful, beer was on tap, brats were smoking on the grill, and the always-challenging Frisco course added to spectator excitement and an all-around cyclocross delight!

I was stoked to be riding my new carbon wheels and TRP magnesium brakes... they are sweet!
My race took off fast and furious with an uphill sprint, and after a week of stress and sleepless nights I was unsure how strongly my legs would respond on the power-heavy course.
I hung in and gradually moved up during the race, all the while still thinking I was mid-pack.
Only on the last lap did I find out I was in 4th place! I bridged the gap to 2nd and 3rd (2 well-known pros), and surged into 3rd. I was right on 2nd, but also knew I was being hunted from behind. Just when my opportunity emerged to make my move before the final set of barriers, I was rudely squeezed out by a 45+ guy who didn't want to be "chicked," and the gap closed. The girl behind me flew around the outside as I panicked, backpedaled, swung to the outside and sprinted in desperation of still getting 3rd. Oh so close! I lost 3rd at the line by about 2 feet, and 2nd by about 2 bike lengths! While I was definitely bummed to get shut out of a podium, it was my best 'cross finish ever and a big confidence booster!The day warmed up to pleasant short-sleeve weather by the time Chris' race took off in the afternoon.Chris was among a large 56 person field in his category.
He looked strong and very technically efficient, even while other guys were crashing around him!Looking forward to racing this weekend... there's a storm moving in to give us some real 'cross weather... nasty and cold, I can't wait!