Red Rider's First Road Race
04-28-08, 06:53 PM
#1
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Red Rider's First Road Race
TOP 15, BABY!!!!!!
(Ahem). The details:
Wente Vineyards Road Race Saturday. Women's cat 4, 35+. I was ready 6 days in advance for this race.
Sidebar: The previous Sunday I was on a training ride with my BFF and her racing hubby & two other fast riders. We climbed hills at speeds that amazed me. I had an epiphany on the way up the longest climb and realized that I needed more fearlessness on my descents. So I bombed down that road at 34 mph without touching my brakes until I was about to go off the road. The combination of exhilaration + pain was very empowering. I hammered the rest of the ride, upping my average by .3 mph.
My training the rest of the week, my rest, my eating, was more focused and intentional than ever. I knew in my bones I could nail this race. Because I was mentally on top of my game, the physical part was easy.
So our group goes off at 12:30, it's sunny, very warm, breezy but not overpoweringly windy. I hang with the pack, sucking wheels, until the hill, and then the group falls apart. I choose to take the first lap moderately, so I knew what was coming on the 2nd lap and could put out when necessary. To my chagrin, I am on my own for 2/3rds of the ride. A few miles from the end of the first lap I have an opportunity to work with 3 other women and find out how nice it is to share the suffering. On the second time up the hill two of us ride away. I don't see any of them again.
We have 2 laps of 15 miles and 3 chances to climb Altamont Pass to make the 34 miles. Both uphill and down, flat road and headwind, I ride out of my comfort zone. Bombing down from one tremendous climb (I don't remember which one) there is a sharp right-hand turn with hay bales set up on the left side of the road. My first descent down that hill, in keeping with my new attitude, I hit 38 mph and come within 12"-18" of hitting them.
I'm happy to report that my next go-round finds me well away from said bales. 
By the third time up the hill I am feeling pretty wasted; we are sheltered from the wind and the sun is merciless. Yet I have enough juice to sprint the final 200 m and oy! The total depletion! The ecstasy! My BFF is dehydrated and underfed; she is hurting. She has a headache that will stay with her for the next 24 hrs. However, I hydrated and ate intelligently, for which I thank my instincts, which kicked in when my brain was elsewhere.
Although my legs feel like
I feel overall fine.
My BFF was 12th and I was 14th. Better placement than I expected or even hoped for -- and I had more fun than I had in the crits. I'm still on a high.
Velodiva placed very well; that woman is a specimen -- gorgeous, strong, and fierce on the bike. I'll let her tell her story.
Next race: Berkeley Hills RR, May 11. Happy Mother's Day, heh, heh!
From the second time up the hill. No one dared take pics from the third time -- we were scary!
(Ahem). The details:
Wente Vineyards Road Race Saturday. Women's cat 4, 35+. I was ready 6 days in advance for this race.
Sidebar: The previous Sunday I was on a training ride with my BFF and her racing hubby & two other fast riders. We climbed hills at speeds that amazed me. I had an epiphany on the way up the longest climb and realized that I needed more fearlessness on my descents. So I bombed down that road at 34 mph without touching my brakes until I was about to go off the road. The combination of exhilaration + pain was very empowering. I hammered the rest of the ride, upping my average by .3 mph.
My training the rest of the week, my rest, my eating, was more focused and intentional than ever. I knew in my bones I could nail this race. Because I was mentally on top of my game, the physical part was easy.
So our group goes off at 12:30, it's sunny, very warm, breezy but not overpoweringly windy. I hang with the pack, sucking wheels, until the hill, and then the group falls apart. I choose to take the first lap moderately, so I knew what was coming on the 2nd lap and could put out when necessary. To my chagrin, I am on my own for 2/3rds of the ride. A few miles from the end of the first lap I have an opportunity to work with 3 other women and find out how nice it is to share the suffering. On the second time up the hill two of us ride away. I don't see any of them again.
We have 2 laps of 15 miles and 3 chances to climb Altamont Pass to make the 34 miles. Both uphill and down, flat road and headwind, I ride out of my comfort zone. Bombing down from one tremendous climb (I don't remember which one) there is a sharp right-hand turn with hay bales set up on the left side of the road. My first descent down that hill, in keeping with my new attitude, I hit 38 mph and come within 12"-18" of hitting them.
I'm happy to report that my next go-round finds me well away from said bales. By the third time up the hill I am feeling pretty wasted; we are sheltered from the wind and the sun is merciless. Yet I have enough juice to sprint the final 200 m and oy! The total depletion! The ecstasy! My BFF is dehydrated and underfed; she is hurting. She has a headache that will stay with her for the next 24 hrs. However, I hydrated and ate intelligently, for which I thank my instincts, which kicked in when my brain was elsewhere.
Although my legs feel likeI feel overall fine.
My BFF was 12th and I was 14th. Better placement than I expected or even hoped for -- and I had more fun than I had in the crits. I'm still on a high.
Velodiva placed very well; that woman is a specimen -- gorgeous, strong, and fierce on the bike. I'll let her tell her story.
Next race: Berkeley Hills RR, May 11. Happy Mother's Day, heh, heh!
From the second time up the hill. No one dared take pics from the third time -- we were scary!
04-28-08, 07:34 PM
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RedRider-congrats on both your placing in the top 15 and on having the enthusiasm to race.
04-28-08, 09:17 PM
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Great stuff, Red Rider! I'm not a racer, but a few more stories like this, and I could get the bug.
04-28-08, 11:08 PM
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Way to go, RR!! There's no stopping you now!
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04-28-08, 11:26 PM
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Great report. Very impressive!
04-29-08, 12:13 AM
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Good stuff! I'd like to hear more about how you got ready for this -- mentally, hydration, eating, etc.
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04-29-08, 03:25 AM
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Whoo-hoo! Congratulations, RR!!
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04-29-08, 06:41 AM
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04-29-08, 08:57 AM
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You go ! go ! go ! BF homegirl go !!! 
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May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
04-29-08, 11:47 AM
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04-29-08, 02:15 PM
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04-29-08, 03:11 PM
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Hey, way to go RR & VeloDiva!! That course was no piece of cake - the last mile up to the finish line was just brutal!
Wente was my first official USAC road race too - I raced Men's Masters 55+ 4/5.
We did 3 loops, and each time we hit that %$#@! hill the lead group (12 or so riders) would pull away from me, and I was forced to chase for 3-5 miles on the flats and downhills to catch back on.
On the last loop, after catching up on the flats, I went to the front and pushed up the pace, hoping to crack other riders before the final hill. I guess my strategy worked OK, because even though I got passed by a bunch of guys in the last mile, I still ended up 10th out of 33 starters.
BTW - where are the photos published? There might be some of me online too, with a glazed look of determination (just hope they don't show my tongue hanging out, or me drooling from the effort on that damned climb!).
And, do you know if the results are posted anywhere? I"m trying to find out how I placed in relation to the other Cat 5's.
Congrats again...and good luck next month too.
Wente was my first official USAC road race too - I raced Men's Masters 55+ 4/5.
We did 3 loops, and each time we hit that %$#@! hill the lead group (12 or so riders) would pull away from me, and I was forced to chase for 3-5 miles on the flats and downhills to catch back on.
On the last loop, after catching up on the flats, I went to the front and pushed up the pace, hoping to crack other riders before the final hill. I guess my strategy worked OK, because even though I got passed by a bunch of guys in the last mile, I still ended up 10th out of 33 starters.
BTW - where are the photos published? There might be some of me online too, with a glazed look of determination (just hope they don't show my tongue hanging out, or me drooling from the effort on that damned climb!).
And, do you know if the results are posted anywhere? I"m trying to find out how I placed in relation to the other Cat 5's.
Congrats again...and good luck next month too.
Last edited by SSP; 04-29-08 at 03:17 PM.
04-29-08, 03:33 PM
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Hey, way to go RR & VeloDiva!! That course was no piece of cake - the last mile up to the finish line was just brutal!
Wente was my first official USAC road race too - I raced Men's Masters 55+ 4/5.
We did 3 loops, and each time we hit that %$#@! hill the lead group (12 or so riders) would pull away from me, and I was forced to chase for 3-5 miles on the flats and downhills to catch back on.
On the last loop, after catching up on the flats, I went to the front and pushed up the pace, hoping to crack other riders before the final hill. I guess my strategy worked OK, because even though I got passed by a bunch of guys in the last mile, I still ended up 10th out of 33 starters.
BTW - where are the photos published? There might be some of me online too, with a glazed look of determination (just hope they don't show my tongue hanging out, or me drooling from the effort on that damned climb!).
And, do you know if the results are posted anywhere? I"m trying to find out how I placed in relation to the other Cat 5's.
Congrats again...and good luck next month too.
Wente was my first official USAC road race too - I raced Men's Masters 55+ 4/5.
We did 3 loops, and each time we hit that %$#@! hill the lead group (12 or so riders) would pull away from me, and I was forced to chase for 3-5 miles on the flats and downhills to catch back on.
On the last loop, after catching up on the flats, I went to the front and pushed up the pace, hoping to crack other riders before the final hill. I guess my strategy worked OK, because even though I got passed by a bunch of guys in the last mile, I still ended up 10th out of 33 starters.
BTW - where are the photos published? There might be some of me online too, with a glazed look of determination (just hope they don't show my tongue hanging out, or me drooling from the effort on that damned climb!).
And, do you know if the results are posted anywhere? I"m trying to find out how I placed in relation to the other Cat 5's.
Congrats again...and good luck next month too.
https://www.ncncaracing.com/reports/2008/wenterr.php
I don't see that the official results are posted on-line yet. The same link above also posts results.
Lucky you that your group raced earlier in the day. It was HOT when we started at 12:30 PM.
04-29-08, 04:46 PM
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Congrats RR. I was cheering from the road side under the tree with your husband.
I was cheering from the road side under the tree with your husband.
04-29-08, 08:19 PM
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Just terrific!! Keep sending us the reports!
04-29-08, 08:52 PM
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RR, how DO you eat and hydrate intelligently for a ride like that?
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04-29-08, 09:20 PM
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WOW
Having had my son's handicapped van pulling a huge trailer on our way to Stanford for Tim's first year of law school (about 1989) totally break down on that terrible Altamont Pass, I am MOST impressed by all of you.
It is not a piece of cake.
Having had my son's handicapped van pulling a huge trailer on our way to Stanford for Tim's first year of law school (about 1989) totally break down on that terrible Altamont Pass, I am MOST impressed by all of you.
It is not a piece of cake.
04-30-08, 04:51 AM
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04-30-08, 01:56 PM
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RR & VeloDiva - the official results have been posted:
https://www.usacycling.org/results/in...&info_id=12684
https://www.usacycling.org/results/in...&info_id=12684
04-30-08, 11:00 PM
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04-30-08, 11:39 PM
#22
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I couldn't do what I do without my best friend, husband, soul mate, bike slave, chief cook, dog wrangler, picture-taker, etc., etc.
Sigh.
It's a good life!
04-30-08, 11:44 PM
#23
Don't mince words
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RR & VeloDiva - the official results have been posted:
https://www.usacycling.org/results/in...&info_id=12684
https://www.usacycling.org/results/in...&info_id=12684
We hung around to see the results. Curious minds, you know.
05-01-08, 12:15 AM
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I pulled up someone's GPS data for the race here: https://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/5523717#.
47 miles with 4600 ft of climbing? At overall speeds of 20 MPH? I would have been happy just to have completed the course, to say nothing of racing!
47 miles with 4600 ft of climbing? At overall speeds of 20 MPH? I would have been happy just to have completed the course, to say nothing of racing!
