Sunday, November 14, 2010

The Cube in Rexburg, 3 race series

The Cube is a really fun race series and being that is less then an hour away makes it great! The City of Rexburg, Bob and Chris have done a super good job making a challenging and spectator freindly course, then even run it in reverse!



Lat week I raced with the ladies, their were 5 of us. The ladies are really awesome and fun, but since I have more experience the playing field wasn't fair. So after last weeks race I asked Bob if I could race with the dudes, no problem.



I have to admit, I was nervous and my main concern was gettin' in the way of my fellow racers, but JayP gave me confidence and suggested I just go for it! So I did. I watched the ladies race go off and then started my warm up. I did a couple laps and the course was definitely technical with some running, but REALLY fun. It had snowed so sloppiness it was going to be. The ladies finished and it was the men's time to go. All the men had lined up 5 a breast, there were about 20, then I pulled up and placed myself in the front row. There were a couple comments, one being, I hope you guys don't have big egos, shure no pressure, thanks. It was a little brisk standing there waiting for the go. The horn went off and with all I had a raced for the hole shot, I wound up in 3rd off the line. Within seconds I was passed by 2 men, but that was it! I held on to my place for 8 laps, the middle laps were the hardest of course, but I kept it together. JayP was cheering me on the whole time along with other teammates and friends. I finished 5th overall and felt great! I had a clean race with no bobbles and just kept my head together-wanting it more then the men who finished behind me. Looking forward to next week, the last of the Rexburg and my cross season racing this year, I think.



Thanks to all for the support!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

whoa!

Well I can't believe that the Alaska Ultra Sport is only 4 months away. I don't think a day has gone by that I haven't thought about it. And of course so much has happened since then. I have all these 1/2 post that I started and are just sitting waiting to be finished.

For example the story from McGrath to Nome. I remember bits and pieces now and may still work on this. Returning to ID it snowed til June, the vision of white was overpowering. Driving 17 hours to Iowa to race for 12 hours and then have the race called due to lightening, then driving back the next day. I kinda don't want to remember that race. I wasn't as motivated as I normally am to race MTB this year like I have been for the past 15+ years, even though I purchased a brand new super sick Jamis 29er, which is just amazing. I competed in the Boise 9-5, which was a blast, and another story I have 1/2 written. Then there was the Leadville 100, Jay and I raced on the Grinch. I don't think it helped us building this bike less then 2weeks before the race, and not having it dialed it. We finished in 9hrs 9mins.

I led the Fitzgerald's women's ride on Weds with the help of the other women top shelf riders, which was great. Really great to see the women come out and try it. By the end of the season there was a consistant group of 5 training for Lotoja, that was really awesome to see and be a part of. I supported my husband JayP, who won Master's 35+, despite me missing the feed in Afton, which of course I felt horrible about.

Then what? Freakin' cyclocross season! Wholly fun-ness! To date I have competed in 5 races winning 3 Thanks to Victor Velo for creating and putting on Kross Kickoff, Moosecross and Spooky cross. I volunteered to host a women's cyclocross clinic in Victor, ID at Pioneer Park on Tues. We had a solid group which averaged around 5 women and everyone made so much improvement and learned so much, including myslef. Thanks to my friend J9 I was able to get rid of my stutter step!

So I have 2 cross races left in Rexburg at The Cube. This w/e I will be racing against the men, which I am REALLY looking forward to. Then, it is time to focus on snowbiking and the Alaska Ultra Sport.

I will start snowshoe running with my 2 boy dawgs and will watch the grooming report like a hawk.