I tried to keep it short. I failed!
Preparation
As of a few weeks ago, I wasn't evengoing to do Counting Coup. I had a mysterious virus and/or bad allergies for nearly all of March, which hampered my training and –quite frankly – made me miserable. Also, the Friday night before the Counting Coup I would be flying back from Seattle, where I was to present a paper at a meeting of the American Philosophical Association. Not ideal.
I got back from the conference utterly exhausted, my virus symptoms raging. The last thing I wanted to do was a bike race. I was Mrs. Cranky, or so Keith tells me! I wanted to collapse on the couch and recover from the prior week of philosophy talks, networking, traveling, etc.
But I had hope and motivation, for 2 reasons:
First, before leaving for Seattle, I had ridden Blackstar at just below my lactate threshold and hadreached the gate in 44 minutes. Although it's probably unwise to do an intense workout 4 days prior to a race, the confidence boost was well worth it.
Second, I had just been invited for a second interview at a college in New York. And since we philosophers aren't exactly in high demand, I knew I would take the job if offered it. Realizing that this might be my last year doing the Counting Coup (or bike racing, for that matter), I had to make it count. I had to give it my all.
Unlike last year, this year my training was much more structured. I upped my volume by 2 or 3 hours a week. I did my intervals and form drills, mostly on an indoor trainer. I put in a long ride every weekend. I even did some yoga and strength training.
Also, for our 5th year anniversary my amazing boyfriend (Keith B) bought me a 2011 Specialized S-works Stumpy 29-er frame module, to replace my S-works Epic 26-er frame. I shed 3 lbs right there and found that 29-erwheels really suited me. We got my bike down to 19.8 lbs, largely thanks to Keith's encyclopedic knowledge of bike parts. Thanks babe!
And lastly, I changed my diet this year. Last year I jumped on the paleo band wagon and, since I am a long-time vegetarian, opted for a pescatarian version of paleo (seafood only). This year I returned to my standard vegetarian diet, only I greatly reduced my dairy and egg intake. My diet was primarily vegan, save for whey protein. On this diet I had more energy, recovered quicker and packed on more leg muscle. So impressed am I that I am now transitioning to a full vegan diet, using Brendan Brazier's book (geared toward athletes) as a guide. For better or worse, hemp protein here I come!
Counting Coup Ride Report
Keith and I drove to Blackstar at 4:30on Saturday morning, in hopes of starting at the front. We ended up starting at the front with Andy Lightle, whose humor always puts me at ease. :-) (Amazingly, a group of guys tried to cut in front of us!) It was fairly cold, and my legs were shaking. I was pretty sure I had over done it on the trainer the day prior, as my quads felt stiff. Plus, small as I am, I always worry about getting knocked over at the start and so I was very nervous. I wasn't sure whether the leg shaking was due to the cold or my nerves or a combination thereof. But I was happy to hear (from the motorcyclist) that the weather would be warm.
The countdown began. My heart fluttered. And then we were off! Sure enough, some big guy in white did almost knock me over, but I held my ground. I was able to stay in with the front group until the first dirt climb, but my legs remained cold and stiff, and so I lost them.
This year I took a different approach to last year. Last year I went way too hard on Blackstar and had considerably less energy for the rest of CC. This year I didn't try to “race” anybody up Blackstar, even though my friend Jeff goaded me, saying, “Sarah, I know you're not going to let me beat you up Blackstar!” I knew I had to race smart, so I pressed “shut down” on my competitive side, saving it for later.
I was a little disappointed to get up Blackstar in 46 minutes, as I had easily done 44 minutes 4 days prior. But I reminded myself that my “goal” had been 48 minutes, so I was right on track. Now I had 54 minutes to get to Motorway to meet my goal of 1:40.
I always struggle on Main Divine. It didn't help that I was incredibly slow on the downhills. I was not “feeling it.” The descents felt sketchy and the up's required too much acceleration. It seemed like loads of riders were passing me. My friend Jeff became a speck in the distance. I had to fight the urge to hammer. I was still trying to keep my HR down and conserve energy for the Maple-Peak climb. Also, I reminded myself that in training this section had always sapped my energy, with my energy returning on Maple. At one point I passed Mario, who was fixing a flat. Despitehis bad luck, he shouted words of encouragement to me.
It was uncanny – I got to Motorway at 1:40 on the dot. This definitely upped my spirits. Unfortunately, it took me 14 minutes to descend Motorway (my personal best is 12 minutes), in part because I was conscientiously getting out of theway for faster riders. I noticed someone fixing a flat, which reminded me that my conservative strategy on the DH – while it might cost me a few minutes – would better protect me against mechanicals. Racing smart.
As I exited Motorway I immediately noticed a huge “Team Margarita” sign, with a giant margarita glass on it. My friends and Team Margarita teammates Andy, KT and Lynn jumped into action, handing me a water bottle and retrieving my vest and light. Lynn gave me an espresso – rocket fuel for Maple! I was so happy to see them, though I probably didn't look it. For m ethe race was to begin right there – on Maple. I was going to drop the hammer. (FYI – Team Margarita is a group of riding buddies; the concept was conceived over margaritas at 12 Hours of Temecula in November!)
The infamous sign (KT may look innocuous, but she's getting a mountain bike and she means business! Watch out Cat 2 girls!):
Preparation
As of a few weeks ago, I wasn't evengoing to do Counting Coup. I had a mysterious virus and/or bad allergies for nearly all of March, which hampered my training and –quite frankly – made me miserable. Also, the Friday night before the Counting Coup I would be flying back from Seattle, where I was to present a paper at a meeting of the American Philosophical Association. Not ideal.
I got back from the conference utterly exhausted, my virus symptoms raging. The last thing I wanted to do was a bike race. I was Mrs. Cranky, or so Keith tells me! I wanted to collapse on the couch and recover from the prior week of philosophy talks, networking, traveling, etc.
But I had hope and motivation, for 2 reasons:
First, before leaving for Seattle, I had ridden Blackstar at just below my lactate threshold and hadreached the gate in 44 minutes. Although it's probably unwise to do an intense workout 4 days prior to a race, the confidence boost was well worth it.
Second, I had just been invited for a second interview at a college in New York. And since we philosophers aren't exactly in high demand, I knew I would take the job if offered it. Realizing that this might be my last year doing the Counting Coup (or bike racing, for that matter), I had to make it count. I had to give it my all.
Unlike last year, this year my training was much more structured. I upped my volume by 2 or 3 hours a week. I did my intervals and form drills, mostly on an indoor trainer. I put in a long ride every weekend. I even did some yoga and strength training.
Also, for our 5th year anniversary my amazing boyfriend (Keith B) bought me a 2011 Specialized S-works Stumpy 29-er frame module, to replace my S-works Epic 26-er frame. I shed 3 lbs right there and found that 29-erwheels really suited me. We got my bike down to 19.8 lbs, largely thanks to Keith's encyclopedic knowledge of bike parts. Thanks babe!
And lastly, I changed my diet this year. Last year I jumped on the paleo band wagon and, since I am a long-time vegetarian, opted for a pescatarian version of paleo (seafood only). This year I returned to my standard vegetarian diet, only I greatly reduced my dairy and egg intake. My diet was primarily vegan, save for whey protein. On this diet I had more energy, recovered quicker and packed on more leg muscle. So impressed am I that I am now transitioning to a full vegan diet, using Brendan Brazier's book (geared toward athletes) as a guide. For better or worse, hemp protein here I come!
Counting Coup Ride Report
Keith and I drove to Blackstar at 4:30on Saturday morning, in hopes of starting at the front. We ended up starting at the front with Andy Lightle, whose humor always puts me at ease. :-) (Amazingly, a group of guys tried to cut in front of us!) It was fairly cold, and my legs were shaking. I was pretty sure I had over done it on the trainer the day prior, as my quads felt stiff. Plus, small as I am, I always worry about getting knocked over at the start and so I was very nervous. I wasn't sure whether the leg shaking was due to the cold or my nerves or a combination thereof. But I was happy to hear (from the motorcyclist) that the weather would be warm.
The countdown began. My heart fluttered. And then we were off! Sure enough, some big guy in white did almost knock me over, but I held my ground. I was able to stay in with the front group until the first dirt climb, but my legs remained cold and stiff, and so I lost them.
This year I took a different approach to last year. Last year I went way too hard on Blackstar and had considerably less energy for the rest of CC. This year I didn't try to “race” anybody up Blackstar, even though my friend Jeff goaded me, saying, “Sarah, I know you're not going to let me beat you up Blackstar!” I knew I had to race smart, so I pressed “shut down” on my competitive side, saving it for later.
I was a little disappointed to get up Blackstar in 46 minutes, as I had easily done 44 minutes 4 days prior. But I reminded myself that my “goal” had been 48 minutes, so I was right on track. Now I had 54 minutes to get to Motorway to meet my goal of 1:40.
I always struggle on Main Divine. It didn't help that I was incredibly slow on the downhills. I was not “feeling it.” The descents felt sketchy and the up's required too much acceleration. It seemed like loads of riders were passing me. My friend Jeff became a speck in the distance. I had to fight the urge to hammer. I was still trying to keep my HR down and conserve energy for the Maple-Peak climb. Also, I reminded myself that in training this section had always sapped my energy, with my energy returning on Maple. At one point I passed Mario, who was fixing a flat. Despitehis bad luck, he shouted words of encouragement to me.
It was uncanny – I got to Motorway at 1:40 on the dot. This definitely upped my spirits. Unfortunately, it took me 14 minutes to descend Motorway (my personal best is 12 minutes), in part because I was conscientiously getting out of theway for faster riders. I noticed someone fixing a flat, which reminded me that my conservative strategy on the DH – while it might cost me a few minutes – would better protect me against mechanicals. Racing smart.
As I exited Motorway I immediately noticed a huge “Team Margarita” sign, with a giant margarita glass on it. My friends and Team Margarita teammates Andy, KT and Lynn jumped into action, handing me a water bottle and retrieving my vest and light. Lynn gave me an espresso – rocket fuel for Maple! I was so happy to see them, though I probably didn't look it. For m ethe race was to begin right there – on Maple. I was going to drop the hammer. (FYI – Team Margarita is a group of riding buddies; the concept was conceived over margaritas at 12 Hours of Temecula in November!)
The infamous sign (KT may look innocuous, but she's getting a mountain bike and she means business! Watch out Cat 2 girls!):
After downing the espresso and spilling it all over my face, I leaped up onto the bike and hammered out of the saddle. I settled into a solid pace and sat back down. I began passing person after person on Maple, including Jeff, who – like others – suffered a flat on Motorway. He informed me that I was in 3rd place.
I believe I got up the paved bit in 22 minutes. I was so stoked. I think 22 minutes is my personal best. I knew I hadn't pushed too hard on Blackstar and Main Divide. Racing smart. These thoughts just added fuel to the fire, and I kept my steady pace all the way to the Peak. I am pretty sure Mario was the only person to pass me – after yet another mechanical! He remarked that I was keeping a good pace, and I encouraged him to catch the two leaders. A rider was drafting me pretty much the whole way, which was good, because it motivated me to keep my pace.
I got from Motorway to the Peak in 1:29, a minute faster than my goal of 1.5 hours. I was 3:25 into the race when I got to the Peak. At that point I knew 4:20 was possible, so long as I didn't crash and get a mechanical. So I continued my general strategy of taking is conservatively on the downhills. I had trained too hard for this to lose it all on a mechanical. Nevertheless, I kept up a decent pace to Upper Holy Jim. In training, I had ridden every part of Upper Holy Jim (with Keith spotting me!), but I decided to run 2 of the switchbacks this time around. Pretty much everything else I was able to ride, and I cleared UHJ in a bitover 6 minutes, my personal best. I was happy that – for once – I was quite a bit faster than the guy descending behind me. Haha.
I rode Lower Holy Jim conservatively as well. I felt slow. Oddly, nobody was out there. I was all alone, other than the occasional hiker. So, I took to imagining that someonewas on my tail, so as to motivate me to go faster. It must have worked, because I earned another personal best on LHJ. I ran through all the stream crossings, thankful that I wouldn't have to worry about wet feet, since I wouldn't be going up WHT. I thought of Keith and hoped he was okay, this being his first ever VQ.
At the CC/VQ cut-off someone yelled my name. In fact, at every single aid station somebody shouted my name with words of encouragement. This meant so much to me. Somehow, these words manged to permeate through my intense concentration and lift my spirits.
I was determined to not get passed in the wash. No way. Last year I just missed 11th place (witha time of 4:53), because a guy sprinted past me in the final five minutes. I am horrible on flats. My strength lies in my power-to-weight ratio and less in my power per se, and so I favor steep climbs. But I gave it everything, and I think I was a lot faster than last year, and I attribute this to the intervals. I kept my HR at about lactate threshold, which I was pleased to be able to do so far into the race.
Again, it was uncanny. I crossed the finish line in 4:20, the time I had envisioned. In fact, I had made every single one of my time goals within 1 minute, and I attribute this to chanting (in my head) the time I hoped to get on every segment. Mind over matter! Also, chanting times in my head helped me stay focused, because I found that my mind kept wanting to wander during the race. And every time my mind would wander, I would slow down. So, one of the most difficult aspects of the event was trying to stay focused. I hadn't anticipated that this would be the hardest part. It was very much a mental battle.
My fellow Team Margarita teammates (and support crew) and my mom (wearing a Team Margarita jersey) greeted me at the finish, screaming hysterically. She has gone to all 3 CC's and has watched me transform from a 6:17 time to a 4:20 time.
At the finish:
Mom and I:
Finishing photo (w/ Coup "feather");
Team Margarita hanging out in O'Neil after the race:
Finishing times (up there with the top guys!):
To be quite honest, I felt a greater sense of accomplishment last year. Since I had trained like a "racer" this year, I guess I had sort of expected to race like one. Last year I was no “racer.” I hadn't been doing other races or been issued a USAC Pro license. This year I kept wishing that I had done a 4:19 time just to get into the teens! Thinking back to when Keith and I did CC (not long after we had met) in 2007, I realized how different CC is for me now. Back then I just wanted to finish. Now I am obsessed with times. I miss that feeling of doing an event so formidable that your goal is just to finish (what I see in so many of the ride reports).
The old days (back in 2007, when I was happy just to have finished CC):
The new 20+ lbs lighter 2012 me:
Even so, it was a spectacular day for me. I definitely felt a deep sense of accomplishment at being 4thoverall (men and women) and at setting a new female course record.
Not surprisingly, it took me several days to recover. Today is the first day that my brain and body are returning to normal. So, I know I pushed myself to my limits and did my best. I can't have any doubts about that. I am very thankful to the Warrior's Society for this wonderful event and to my friends and family for all their support and inspiration. AJ's and Cheryl's incredible feats Saturday were icing on the cake. The countless emails we sent to each other over the past few months were priceless. We all had demons to vanquish (most notably self-doubt), and we succeeded! We won.
Team Margarita rider Cheryl with her well-deserved feather on her 54th birthday after surviving "terminal" cancer:
AJ (with her bf Ted) celebrating her (soon to be) 40th birthday with a Vision Quest WIN:
Thanks, Sarah! I appreciate your insightful reflections and your play by play narration. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your support Lynn!
ReplyDelete