2015 Sacramento CX Race #1 - Orangevale Park

Ever since getting a taste of cyclocross at the Rock Lobster Cup about a month ago I have been chomping at the bit to give it another go.  The work and play scheduled aligned in such a way that I was able to attend the Sacramento CX Race season opener at Orangevale Park – Woohoo!

We rolled up a couple hours before race time and the place was already packed. Cool! Nice to see so many peeps wanting to play. After taking care of registration I did a few laps to check out the course. I must say, I was impressed with what a nice job they did of making it fun and interesting. 

Still applying the pressure halfway through the race
Photo by Gary Hudson

Race time! All the women lined up in waves according to their category. Some got called up to the front line while the rest of us had to file in behind them. I started with the B Women today. Before I knew it we were off, sprinting and zig-zagging through the grass, all jockeying for position. Anyone that knows anything about cross knows it’s a high intensity sport and this race was no different. Heart rate was already through the roof! I kept pushing anyway despite the fact that the temperature was nearing 90 degrees and I didn’t think my heart could pound any faster.

To make a long story short, I managed to hold my own and then some today. I was able to maintain a high intensity for the entire race, ride the whole sand pit (barrier included) each lap, and smoothly get on and off my bike for each obstacle: all of which are major victories.  In the end I managed to finish 5^th out of 18 in the Open B Women category.  A satisfying result for a newbie to cyclocross. Can’t wait for the next race!

Thanks again to the hubby for supporting me in both word and deed. The Moots performed flawlessly, of course!

2015 Annadel XC Race Report

Annadel, oh Annadel…a place full of magically delicious rocks galore, fun swoopedie single-track, climbing, and descending alike…a little bit of mountain bike heaven squished into a corner of Santa Rosa, CA. Many years ago, before life took me to other places far from the Bay Area, Annadel was the favored trails among many in the area. It was always a treat when I could make the hour or so trek north to sample their sweet delights. So when I moved back to the area about a year ago and heard there is a mountain bike race at Annadel I was so excited.

I had a whole year to look forward to this race. Seemed like forever!  But then before I knew it, September approached and the race drew nigh. I noticed I was becoming extremely antsy and nervous the days preceding the race. Not sure what got into me, I guess I wanted to do really well and was realized I was putting a lot of pressure on myself. The day before the race I knew I had to real in the nervous energy or else I was going to get owned. Once I got my head straight I was able to relax and focus at the task at hand. The race, yay!

This year the  Annadel XC race started in a parking lot at Spring Lake Park where each category of riders was able to have their own start (unlike previous year’s when it was a mass start). I was very happy that Bike Monkey decided to make this change (thanks Bike Monkey!). Soon it was time for the Expert Open Women to line up (that’s me!) and the Pro Women. Unfortunately, only one Pro Woman lined up, but I was pretty stoked that it was Larissa Connors! It was pretty awesome to be on the front line with her. Needless to say that I only saw her for a couple of minutes of the whole race, she was GONZO!

The whistle blew and we were off! The course starts with a rocky uphill fire road climb before dropping into a technical singletrack downhill. I knew I wanted to be as much in front as I could before the singletrack so I wouldn’t get slowed down there. This was a tall order for me since I have a hard time functioning at the beginning of a race. I was doing pretty well up the climb sitting either 2^nd or 3^rd out of the 16 starters. Just before entering the downhill singletrack I let myself get passed 

Hunting for a spot to pass on the first rocky decent 

(mistake numeral uno), subsequently I was slowed down on the decent as predicted with nowhere to pass. Luckily, this portion of trail wasn’t super long but I definitely lost some time. As soon as the trail dropped us onto the road for a brief spell I seized the opportunity to get past my competition. Unfortunately, someone else passed me as well before the next section of singletrack. At this point I knew there was still a lot of trail ahead of me and while I needed to push, I also needed to pace myself appropriately. I felt like I was moving pretty well through this fun section of trail with its little rocky ups and downs before it finally dumps into the Warren Richardson fire road climb. I was a little worried about this section since I know powering up long non-technical climbs is not my strong suit. I pushed as much as I felt comfortable going up the climb (perhaps the word comfortable is my problem) and sure enough I was passed by 2 ladies in my race shortly before the top. Now I should’ve learned about this from “mistake numero uno” but instead of fighting back I made this “mistake numero dos”. Sure enough, as soon as the climb was over, it was time for some swoopedie fast fun down North Burma Trail. Except one problem, there was no going fast and nowhere to pass in this section, blocked again, doh! I had to wait to the end of North Burma where I bullied my way past on the inside while turning onto Live Oak. Yes, I felt like a jerk, but its racing, right!? :S  Anyway, up and down we went through the rocks of Live Oak and another fast little section before arriving at the lake.  I was feeling good and holding my own at this point, but once we got to the lake I knew there was another extended climb up the South Burma trail. Usually, I can motor up this pretty well but today I just didn’t have the legs. Subsequently, I was repassed by the lady I cut off and by another woman. Sigh. I was doing the math in my head, realizing that at this point there were 5 or 6 ladies ahead of me. At this point a real mental battle ensued, all the ugly voices started rearing their head, and it took a lot of positive self-talk to get myself to the other side of that climb. I felt a lot better once I made it to the top without getting passed anymore and I knew much of the next 5 miles or so would play in my favor. I love the rocks, roots, and turns on Marsh and Lawndale trails and I was flying. Before I knew it I caught one of the ladies that passed me on the climb. After passing I kept the hammer down for the rest of the downhill. At the bottom Lawndale trail is Lawndale road. An aid station was set up here with water, beer, and dare I say, dollars sticking out of beer cans. Nice! At this point I could have kicked back for a bit of recovery time on the road before heading into the next rocky climb, but I was afraid I would get passed again if I backed off. So I pushed myself up the paved hill and once back on the dirt I went for a little discomfort on the final climb knowing that it could pay dividends. I somehow made it up Schultz and over to Ridge without getting passed. With a sigh of relief I gave one last push as I cranked through Ridge Trail…and then it was time to descend for approximately 3 miles. Woohoo! Holy rock blast! Did I say yet how much I love my little bike?! She’s a good girl! She ate up those rocks, spit them out, and left me hankering for more! And then there was the finish line! Survey says, I managed to finish 5th out of 16. I'll take it!

Super-stoked coming across the finish line

Lessons learned, sometime I should probably push a little harder when I don’t want to. However, in this case, I might have only gained one place higher on the podium if I did. The top ladies where smoking fast! All in all, I’ll pat myself on the back for a great effort and good starting place for improvement.  On another note, my little old Ellsworth is still the bomb digity, love her…and my husband is the bestest mechanic evah!

Also, want to give Bike Monkey a shout out for putting on a great event. The food and prizes were awesome. Super stoked to have received one of the coveted prints.

All in a good day's work

Lee Likes Skills Clinic

I recently signed up and attended a Level 1 Lee Likes Skills Clinic with Lee McCormack at Soquel Demonstration Forest in Santa Cruz. I have to admit I was pretty apprehensive about attending this class. After all, I have been mountain biking for a LONG time. What could I possibly learn in a level 1 class? After talking with Lee, he convinced me that all levels of riders could improve their skills in this class, so I crossed my fingers and took the plunge.  

The truth is I’ve been desperate for some skills attention (though I didn’t want to admit it). I never had any formal skills instruction, I learned from the school of hard knocks.  Subsequently, getting good has been a long slow process with lots of boo-boos, confidence rattling, and bad habits along the way.  Even though I was doing well at racing, I knew I needed something extra to get me to the next level. Plus, I wanted to feel safe and more confident at speed, especially when approaching increasingly technical trails.   

So the day arrived to meet the great Lee McCormack. I really didn’t know what to expect. It turns out Lee is a very likeable guy and in no time I felt comfortable working with him. The session began with us all doing a quick assessment of proper body position and fit to determine if our bikes were properly set up for each of us. Based on this assessment it was pointed out to me that I needed to return to using a shorter stem for a better fit. Next we moved on to basic body position, braking, and turning techniques. While they may seem like the simplest of skills, I quickly learned that some minor tweaking would reap major benefits. The way Lee explained things opened my eyes and helped me to finally grasp of what I was missing on the bike.  Once we got down the basics it was on to something a little more challenging.  

When it comes to things that look “scary,” Lee showed us that they don’t have to be. He explained, demonstrated, and then coached us through a log drop that I probably never would have done on my own. After becoming “kung fu masters,” we got to go put all those kung fu skills to practice on the trails.  Woohoo!!! 

While it was a fun and productive day, the real question was how it would translate to future rides. Would I notice a difference? Would I remember anything I learned? I believe that answer is a resounding, YES! The following week I went to Downieville with my husband and some of his co-workers. I believe it is safe to say that I shocked him (and myself a bit) by the speed and fluidity that I tackled the trail, on a cross-country bike, nonetheless. Talk about a super-stoke session! Thanks Lee!! 

I look forward to working with Lee again and highly recommend his skill clinics to anyone who wants to improve their game. To learn more visit Lee Likes Bikes