Nationals Recap

For those of you who didn't see the results yet, Natasha finished up 9th and I finished 12th. A little bad luck in both races, Natasha started off like a bullet, she was 4th going into the first section, she let a girl in and that girl did her no favors by crashing in front of her in the first turn.

I had tenth spot locked up, but I got greedy, tried to catch the guy in ninth and somehow crashed and my bike was hanging upside down from a pine tree! Would have loved to see that on film!


The reason we haven't posted anything since before nationals is a funny little aside. I actually tripped over the computer and broke the A/C cable. In my infinite wisdom I attempted to fix the cable(while still plugged into the wall). Have you ever electrocuted yourself? It's not the best thing to do..pretty scary...but I'm OK, just more shocked than anything.

We managed to finagle the Air Canada guy into letting us bring two bikes for the price of one on the way back. I asked him if it was "two for one bike bag Tuesday" which I guess he though it was very funny. He also gave us the best seats on the plane and gave us a row of three from Calgary to Ottawa.

We were both a little disappointed with the outcome of the race. But that's the way this sport goes, when it's good it's great. When it's bad it seems like it's a waste. But that's the price you pay when you race your bike.

A friend once told me..."It's about the journey, not just the destination". This great tidbit of advice has often came in handy at times when I was a little frustrated or disappointed and holds true for this week as well. A true athlete holds his head high and tries not to make excuses or place blame. I had a lot of excuses why my performance was not what I wanted it to be.
A lot of could have should have would have...but ultimately wasn't didn't couldn't.
Truthfully, it wasn't the desired outcome but oh well.
Last time I felt like this was after the Toor de Toona, I was a little discouraged, but a few weeks later and bounced back to win Aurora so....
Back in Ottawa this week, then to Connecticut.

DSJ

Game day-DSJ

Critical section-to ride or to run that is the question.

We finally made it up till 10 pm last night..whoo hoo. We watched the BC provincial championships yesterday. I think O'town needs to host Nationals next year, because the spectator turnout, enthusiasm

RWR's Mike Nash negotiating the slick sand by the Thompson River

wasn't even a third of a local OBC race. But we'll see today when and if the smack down takes place in both the Championship races. I'll be in the pit for Hawkes and the Cyclery Stevens Crew in the am. I hope it's uneventful because I spent 2 hours cleaning the bikes yesterday and if Craig needs a spare the pledge can is running low.
Tasha is a little nervous, not too bad yet but progressively the anxiety should increase throughout the day. Usually her hands get really sweaty and there there a pool of sweat on the laptop keyboard. I'm gonna be in trouble for that, hopefully she doesn't see this until tonight.
Directly above is a picture of RWR's Mike Nash negotiating the tricky sand by the shore, the first pic is the potentially one of the defining obstacles of the course, the second sand run up. Probably hard to see from the first pic, but lots of large jagged rocks near the top, some guys were trying to ride that yesterday, in a constant quest to eliminate all unnecessary running.
Next update I'll tell you how it played out.

Horsing around in Kamloops

One of the biggest debates we had when packing our gear was whether or not we should bring along a trainer. From previous experiences, when traveling for a race and not really knowing the area, it is often good to just set the trainer up in the hotel room and use it for some easy spinning. It's not as if there are a lack of roads here, there are many, but you just never know if it's gonna be super hilly or lots of traffic ect. That being said we had room for either an extra set of wheels or a trainer and the wheels won. So we have been doing our training on Shuswap Road. It's basically about 2km form our Hotel, and this road just seems to go on to infinity. It runs parallel to the Thompson River which dissects the South Shore (where we are) and the North Shore where we ave been riding. The road is winding up and down, never flat and sits a little higher than the South Shore line. You get a really cool view of the different landscapes of the region. The hills to the North look like they are out of the desert, brown, dusky, not a lot of vegetation. There are lots of Free Ranges and signs that say " watch for live stock and free range animals". I'm not exactly sure what that means but I think it basically means you better be able to pedal your butt off if a large Bison runs after you. My dad told me that there have not been any recent attacks on humans by Bison's. I told him I didn't want to be the first, those things are frigging huge! There are a lot of Cattle and horses in the fields. Yesterday we were riding and horse was a few meters from the road, I think he was grazing or eating or whatever it is that horses do to feed themselves. All of a sudden the horse takes off running, but it really freaked me out because he had a red coat on. I told Natasha that there was a horse with a red coat on, of course she thought I was totally anaerobic and hallucinating from a lack of oxygen. This also often happens when I am away training, in Spain I saw Blue Peacocks in a roof and no one believed me. So today I brought a camera with me to prove that horses in BC wear coats. Also, we pre-rode the Nationals course, it's pretty cool. Seems like a good mix of sand,grass,pavement and weired quirky twists and turns that organizers always seem to add to the mix. Some sketchy curbs and stuff, hopefully they will have boards over some of the stuff otherwise it will be pinch flat central for anyone having super low PSI or not on tubs. More on htat later. I guess the key to success is being highly adaptable to any course, even if stuff looks a little sketch, everyone has to ride the same course.
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Gloucester GP 1 and 2, 2007, belated

Natasha's version:

So Derrick and I set out for big trip # 2 for cross season 07 last week. First rule of the trip, travel with a road map of Quebec and eastern US. I guess we kind of got spoilt last week when we travelled with Greg to Southampton. He of course had a map. So as we almost got lost in Quebec because of the 40 being closed and randomly crossed the border to the US at crossing we didn't even know we were driving to, we then preceded to ask the border crossing guard on directions to the I-89. At that point it was finally time to pay 5$ and get a map for the car.

We got to Gloucester at a reasonable time, 6 ish after Derrick telling me I was going the wrong way and then turning around, then me letting him drive and me reading our map quest directions and sending him the same way I was going. We finally arrived at our cottage for the weekend. We stayed at the same place the year before but in a room, but found out they had cottages with kitchens. We were sharing the place with the John Fee and Cynthia Phelan, they were yet to arrive. So Derrick and I went to the local Shaw's and bought are groceries for the weekend. Did you know power bars in the states are $1 US? That's like major savings, only 95 cents or so Canadian! We ate, the Fee/Phelan crew arrived at 10 or so we chatted and then hit the sack.

Race day #1.....we pre-road in the morning and course looked favourable. Fast and dry, only one forced dismount over barriers, nothing too technical. Rest of the mid morning I spent feeling pretty nervous. I always hate racing after 2 pm. I feel like I get up and just worry about the race all day. Time went by and I went back to the course on bike and Derrick drove the car as his race was an hour after mine. The start was exactly like last year, up a big pavement hill and then on to the dry grass. Last year I started at the back with no UCI points and got killed in the start, I think I was lucky if I finished top 30 last year. So this year's goal was a top 5 finish by the end of the season at a verge series race. I wasn't top 8 in UCI points so wasn't in the call up list but got in the second row with the few points I got last year in Aurora. Start went off, I drove it up the hill but could only go as far as the rider who started in front of me on the line. First U turn I was in 8th and my new grifo tubulars saved my life. I took the corner tight and the tires spun me even tighter and came out of the corner in 4th. At this time Lyne was already gone and another rider was chasing her down. I rode with a group of a few riders for most of the race. The rider chasing Lyne blew up and went backwards so I was in a race for 2nd. I decided with one lap to go to give it going up the hill and split the field down to me and another rider. I probably did a lot of work to keep it only 2 us for the last lap and ended up losing the sprint for the line and came 3rd. I was pretty happy, okay extremely happy but really didn't let it soak in. The announcers were talking about me the whole race and I could hear it as I rode. They were like "who is the girl in the Steven's kit", they were calling me the dark horse, it was pretty cool. I think Derrick was way too excited because of all this. Oh well, it's really motivating for him when my day goes well, ie. this years provincial criterium championships. So Derrick's race went off shortly after mine ended and I road around cheering him on and watched him do extremely well compared to last years race here.

Race Day #2......same as day one, pre-road the course in the am. They didn't change a thing, usually day 2 is a little different, but this year for some reason they kept the course exactly the same. So I still was super nervous waiting for the race again. The afternoon finally came, road down to the course, watched a race, then went for my warm up. I honestly really didn't have any race plan day one or two. Today I knew though that Anna, who gave it a go yesterday to catch Lyne and blew up, would be super motivated to get on the podium today. Same spot on the line, in row 2, start went off and everyone was going for it. Ended up being 7 or so of us together in the first lap until Lyne attacked and we were left again fighting for second. No panicking, I road at the back, then people began to slide out and take bad lines. Anna attacked leaving two of us on her wheel, then someone else caught on and another rider got a flat. Anna drove it and I was left following, we kept the pace high and it was her and I working together for the podium spots. I guess I road safe again and did more work into the wind and flat sections than I should of. So ended up getting caught off guard on the last lap towards the finish and Anna had got a gap. I tried everything to close the gap in the last 500m but ran out of course. So another 3rd place finish. Got in a quick warm down and then went to the pits to help Robbie O. for Derricks race with him having to be ready for Derrick, Oz, or Greg with any mechanicals. I'm really glad I went over to give him a hand as I had no idea of what went on in the pit and if I ever need a bike change now I know what to do.

So Derrick finished his race and had a bit better performance than the day before and moved up a position on his finish. His start was much better and managed to get in the top 15 through the first lap. This probably costed him years off his life,
as he finished one place better than Saturday but worked a way lot harder. After he was done, we showered, packed up the car and was out of Gloucester within half hour. Then the fun began. As we began the journey home Derrick started shivering, I was driving so this wasn't a big problem until the shivers turned into constant shivers. I was pretty nervous at this point and tried to grab him some food from the back seat while driving. It didn't stop, so I stopped to find a restaurant, driving in circles, we got out to eat, Derrick didn't even make it in the restaurant before he said he was too cold and wanted to get in the car and warm up. Finally another half an hour of driving in what was feeling like the Bahamas inside the car, Derrick stopped shaking. We stopped, ate and then continued the journey home......still don't know really what was up with that?

Time-Preparation for National Cyclocross Championships

I have wanted to set up a blog account for quite some time. The limiting factor seems to be one that limits most of the things we tend to do in our lives, time. Time, it always seems to pass slow when we want it to go fast, or fast when we want it to go slow. Usually if we spend 12 hours driving to race, we want the time go by as fast as possible. But if it's that two seconds the front wheel crosses the line before anyone elses, we want to hold the second hand as tight as possible not to let it go. I guess the funny thing about that is although we want time to go by differently, it is the one thing that remains constant throughout the universe. It is one limiting factor that we must all inevitably deal with.

So as Natasha and I sit here in a fuchsia colored hotel room, tucked in central British-Columbia, we do indeed have some time to put in some final preparations before the National Championships. The difference in time is three hours so we're trying to get on track with that. Since I hit the sack at six thirty last night and was able to get an astounding twelve hours of sleep in, it shouldn't be a problem. Thing now is we have to get our bodies used to riding a little later since it's pretty frigid right now, about 4 degs at 8am...so hence the time available to create a blogger, g-mail account and put down some thoughts.

Natasha and I thought it would be a good idea to create a blog to be able to let everyone know how things were going since we will be travelling a lot in the next few months. Basically we'll try to post as much as we can when we are away racing to keep in touch with anyone who is interested in following us trying to accomplish our dreams.

I'll always remember when I met Natasha and she told me that she wanted to be a Time Trialist. She said she would "focus" on this discipline, in hopes of one day being the best in the Country and her ultimate goal was to represent Canada in International competition. Over the last few years her "focus" has changed to Cyclo-cross. Reasons being 1) she is pretty good at it 2) I told her it would be a lot more fun then TT'ing 3) she has the type of engine that really lends itself well to this discipline. So now we're on the quest for a good performance at Nationals, accumulating mass amounts of UCI points and trying to figure out how we're going to get to World's. That being said, my ambitions in Cyclo-Cross this season have basically been a bi-product of Natasha's goals. I figure that since I have to drag my butt across Canada, the continental US and possibly over to Europe, I might as well try to put 100% into it as well and really try to achieve the best results possible. For me the fitness is there from a great season of racing on the road and Natasha's enthusiasm is contagious so I try to give it full gas every time I race. Let me tell you that the US Cross scene is so competitive that if you don't give 100% you can pretty much guarantee that you will find yourself off the back in about 30 seconds.


This year I have made several crucial observations throughout the first stretch of our season racing UCI Cross Races in the US.
1) It's all about the start. If you're not a good starter, you better figure out what your doing wrong, cause if you have any ambition of getting UCI points you have to start well.
2) It's all about the tubulars. So many cyclist are so retentive about their equipment, carbon this and that, lots of bling...but seriously the difference of riding tubulars is pretty amazing.
3)If your not fit you're finished. Being good technically can get you by in the local stuff..but if your engine isn't running well, it's not going to be fun.
4)It's all about the start.
5)Seeing Natasha double podium last weekend was probably one of the happiest moments of my life.

It was totally amazing to hear the announcers yell out her name ...saying "an unknown rider from Steven's Cross...at first they were calling her Amy Wallace", but then Robbie O went over and they got it straight. Then they were saying that this Canadian rider was riding with the best women in North America...it was awesome. If anyone heard the rumour that I was crying after seeing her sprint her brains out...well it's true, I was so happy. I don't even think that it has hit her yet, but that's OK, cause she's got some serious competition ahead this week. If the guys from Steven's would have been watching, they would have loved the publicity, the announcers talking up the bikes, the rider...man it was awesome.

None of our adventures this year could have taken place without the constant help of Vince Caceres from the Cyclery, who not only always helps us out when we need "stuff", but he even woke up at 6 am and drove us to the airport yesterday. Steve Proulx, who always makes sure our machines have not been StJohn'd. Stevens bicycles from Germany for setting up Stevens Cross. Most recently as well www.labidealprotein.com for supplying us with delicious supplements and travel assistance. The bars are awesome and the extra protein really helps the muscles after ripping the legs apart in Cross.

Stay tuned for exciting adventures of the Dynamic Duo, as Steve calls us, we thought it was funny, so we kept the joke running...