TDT: Blair County Road Race

Posted on by lindsay
The Race: Tour de Toona Blair County Road Race The Course: 90.9 miles...well, theoretically. The Field: Pro 1/2 women The Finish: 34th and satisfied I was very anxious about being able to complete this race. Between the length and the significant climbing (7,000 feet of elevation gain), I wasn't sure my already weary body had what would be needed to finish. In hopes of preserving my results, I even had a backup plan of bailing if I couldn't stick with the field on the first climb...a plan that was discarded quickly when The Coach laid down the law and pointed out that it was time to act like a pro and finish the damn race no matter what. She was right. Low point: Well, the race was hard. And there were a few moments where I did feel like bailing. But the main issue with this race was the minor little part where we were ...continue reading.

TDT: Richland to Blue Knob Road Race

Posted on by lindsay
The Race: Tour de Toona Richland to Blue Knob Road Race The Course: 73 miles The Field: Pro 1/2 women The Finish: 41st I waited until after finishing the next stage to write this report, and since that involved 95+ miles of riding, I can't remember much worth sharing about this stage. Uh, it hurt? It ended with a brutal climb? Also, my attitude sucked and I wasn't feeling good at all, so any lengthy report would be kind of a downer. Thus: Low point: I blew up mentally several times, including on the final 2,000-foot climb to the finish. Also, I got dropped around mile 30 and ended up outside the caravan. High point: I chased back on from being dropped and went into the final climb with the field. There was also a solid break up the road and I worked with two other girls to bridge up, finally making contact ...continue reading.

Tour de Toona Sunset Time Trial

Posted on by lindsay
The Race: Tour de Toona Altoona Sunset Time Trial The Course: 3 miles (finishing time of 6:08.78) The Field: Pro 1/2 women The Finish: 35th out of 77 This was my first TT ever, and with it being slightly less than three miles and on a hilly course with 15 corners, I knew it was going to be interesting. I'm mostly over the chest cold I've had for the past nine days, but I'm still feeling sluggish and coughing a lot, so that left me anxious about being able to put out a good effort. In the end, things went by so quickly I don't remember much except that my mouth was incredibly dry. I rode hard, didn't crash, and had a respectable finish. I could have saved time by being more precise in my lines and cornering, but I'll chalk that up to inexperience. I'd also like to have some ...continue reading.

A Yellow Ray of Sunshine (Albeit a Sleeveless One)

Posted on by lindsay
The Race: Reston Grand Prix The Course: 60 minutes The Field: 1/2 women The Finish: 1st Things in my life are kind of a mess right now. Then there was this race: the weather was good, I liked the course, the location was right in my home area, and there were a few dozen wonderful people out there cheering and supporting before, during, and after my race. The race itself was great. I felt strong from the start and stayed second or third wheel almost the entire time. Monika launched a number of solid attacks (no, really, that was her, despite Joe's insistence that it was me up the road) and won two primes. I waited until there were only about five laps to go to try a counterattack that I was hoping would stick until the end, but while I eventually decided to sit up because the field was ...continue reading.

Crystal Cup: I’ve got to admit it’s getting better, a little better all the time.

Posted on by lindsay
The Race: Crystal Cup, day 2 of the Air Force Cycling Classic The Course: 60 minutes The Field: Pro 1/2 women The Finish: 7th After Saturday's race, I spent the remainder of the day planted on the couch at home. It was awesome - the first time in ages I can remember squandering 8+ hours of time doing nothing except watching movies and surfing the Internet. My goal was to rest my legs as much as possible, and by Sunday morning, the plan seemed to have worked because my legs felt relatively fresh. Traffic on 110 getting into Crystal City had me anxious about being late and the parking situation required carrying the bike, all of my drinks, my gear bag, a cooler, the trainer, and the trainer block through a somewhat challenging route, but a very nice guy from NCVC stepped in to help and everything came together smoothly with ...continue reading.

Clarendon Cup

Posted on by lindsay
The Race: Clarendon Cup, day 1 of the Air Force Cycling Classic The Course: 50 km, 50 laps The Field: Pro 1/2 women The Finish: 17th Another race in which I had a frustrating finish. I felt great mentally yesterday and this morning, and although my legs didn't feel awesome before the race started, I figured they'd come around. Following the start, I was towards the back of the pack, but moved up near the front after about five laps. The pace was brutal - other than the Athens crit, it was probably the fastest crit I've done - but it's not like the other racers weren't having to go just as fast, so I kept sprinting along with the field and ignored the hurt. My position was good throughout the race. I rode towards the front but out of the wind as much as I could, staying with the herd of ...continue reading.