Originally Posted by sarals

This is my team race report for the Castro Valley ITT yesterday. It was ugly. Ex was there, and he followed me a bit in his car. His comments were that it wasn't good. The new bike was all screwed up, but I know what need to do. The season is now over. I might run a 10k race in late October before Ex takes me back under his wing in November.

I raced the Castro Valley summer ITT yesterday. It was a 20k course, uphill out, and downhill back. The course was really hard, lots of twisties, and many short, sharp rollers, with one long false flat. I won my age group, but it sure wasn't pretty. I had a snail pace time of 38 and change, which is nothing but slow. I was about six minutes off of the pace I had for the Senior Games 20k ITT I did in June. I was riding my new Felt B16, which is bone stock, except for the saddle and crank. The fitting I had was incomplete, and therein lie the issues. I kept sliding up the saddle and my arms kept sliding back on the pads. I burned a huge amount of energy trying to hold position on the bike. I finally gave up and rode the bullhorns on the climb.

This was my last race for this season. I may join you fellas next year for another season with MBRT, but I may go with a team with more active women racers, instead. No matter what I do, this has been a learning, building, surprising season for me. I knew it was going to be hard breaking into racing as a 60+ woman, especially riding in the Cat 4 ranks with all the kids. I love a challenge, and I had many of those! I did far better than I expected this past year, and towards the end of it I was holding my own and even having success. To use an oft repeated cliche' - it's been a hell of a ride!