2011 Liberty Classic

Posted on by lindsay
The Race: 2011 Philadelphia Liberty Classic The Course: 57.6 miles, 4 laps The Field: Pro 1/2 women The Finish: 26th Things I had been told going into this race: The European riders will be more aggressive than I'm accustomed to. The Wall will be hard, but manageable. I should be in the top 10-15 riders going into the Wall. The race would be very fast. The spectators would be very drunk. The competition would be a whole new level that I have not yet experienced. If a break goes, I should try to go with it. To finish with the front group would be an excellent day for me. My biggest fear about the race was that being in the pack would be much more intense than anything I'd experienced thus far and that, considering how anxious being surrounded by riders makes me, this would make the race very difficult and ...continue reading.

Somerville: Two steps forward, one step back.

Posted on by lindsay
The Race: Tour of Somerville Women's Criterium The Course: 20 miles, 20 laps The Field: Pro 1/2/3 women The Finish: 34th I was told that this course was wide and flat, and thus nothing would get away and it would be a big drag race at the end. That's not my style of course, but I was also told that if I want to get on a pro team, I need to get results at these big events. Thus, I went to Somerville. My start position was towards the back and I was a storm of anxiety over trying to get a good result and worrying about crashing. The earlier races had been brutal and lots of racers were walking around bandaged, bleeding, and carrying broken bikes. When the race began, I had trouble clipping in and then had to work hard to get to the front, where I knew it ...continue reading.

Kelly Cup: There will be blood.

Posted on by lindsay
The Race: BikeJam/Kelly Cup Criterium The Course: 20 miles, 20 laps The Field: 1/2/3 women The Finish: 1st A quick wheel change at the start and concern about my front brake being loose and rubbing on the wheel had me feeling jittery when the whistle blew. I was in the second row and tried to jump to the front quickly, but almost ran into the barriers in the first curve. Coming into the start/finish climb at the end of the first lap, the left side of the road was open, so I moved up the side of the pack. Another rider moved left as I passed and reacted when she realized I was there, and the next thing I heard was an incredibly loud, unsettling crash. It didn't help that a few laps later, somebody rode into my back wheel and went down in another big crash. People seemed jumpy ...continue reading.

Wilmington GP: I loved this day.

Posted on by lindsay
The Race: Wilmington Grand Prix NRC Criterium The Course: 25 miles, 25 laps The Field: Pro 1/2 women The Finish: 8th As soon as I start talking about this race, it feels like I need to use lots of exclamation marks. It was fun! I felt great! I rode the corners well! I liked the climbs! I was in several breaks with the pros! I stayed at or near the front almost the whole time! I finally learned to hold my position! I hit a hay bale and didn't fall over! This could go on for quite some time. It was a very good race. The best thing about this race was that it felt like so many of the things I've been trying to master all came together - my cornering felt smoother and I was able to keep my place near the front of the field through a combination ...continue reading.

Dear Greenbrier, it’s not you, it’s me.

Posted on by lindsay
The Race: Greenbrier Challenge AMBC & MARC Series & MD State Championship Race The Course: 22.6 miles, 4 laps The Field: Pro women The Finish: Wait, I was racing? (4th) In retrospect, the outcome of this race was very predictable. Bike handling was my biggest weakness in mountain bike racing, and I haven't been on the mountain bike in months with the exception of one short ride to Great Falls that cemented my commitment to road racing. To think I'd dust off the ol' mountain bike (or scrape off chunks of dried mud, as was actually the case) and ride it like a long lost friend (wait, that sounds wrong) was just cocky. Things I thought when I first got on the bike yesterday: I hate this seat, the handlebars are too high and wide, this thing must weigh fifty pounds, why are the tires so wide, why am I ...continue reading.

When life hands you lemons, retract your hand. Duh.

Posted on by lindsay
So, apparently I broke my foot. It started hurting at the beginning of Speed Week, but I ignored it because I would have ignored my decapitation in favor of lining up to brutally vie for a finishing spot in the twenties. Then I ignored it some more and then some more and now it's today and my new podiatrist tells me it's a tibial sesamoid fracture. I asked him if that came with alcohol. He said yes, meet me at the bar after this, and so he's definitely going to be the one operating on me when the time comes. What's that about operating? Oh yes, surgery indeed. There are two options for addressing this fracture: 1. Immobilization for 4-6 weeks. This is unlikely to work in the best case scenario (complete immobilization) and would likely require option #2 anyway. Also, the urge to jog to the office kitchen to ...continue reading.