Race Report:
I distinctly recall the joy I felt last summer when I rode Harding in 1:20. I was elated.
Fast forward to winter 2012. My boyfriend (and Team Margarita rider) Keith Bowen surprised me with a 2011 S-Works Stumpy 29-er hard tail. It was to replace my 2010 S-Works Epic 26-er full sus bike.
My new ride being built at The Path:
I was, understandably, SHOCKED. I wasn't expecting the new frame and fork, to say the least. I nearly wept when I spotted my Epic in pieces, having not yet noticed the new Stumpy. For 10 days The Path - along with Keith - had successfully conspired to hide the bike build from me. (Sorry Tani for all the harassment!)
Anyway, I loved my Epic, but it was time to move on ...
My Epic (23 lbs), which Keith helped my buy last year, after I cracked my Soma Groove frame:
I decided to test the bike on Harding, since Team Margarita had been riding Harding regularly (Tuesday nights). Granted, I had just finished my first ever training block with intervals and high volume. (Interval training is new to me.) So, of course, I expected to beat my best time of 1:20.
When I began the ride my legs felt tired and tight, so I gave up on hammering. I pedaled at tempo, annoyed at the shifting problems. (The cables had loosened and were in need of adjusting.) But as I began to warmup, I started to notice how fast I was going. Having never ridden a 29-er, I was amazed at how the bike carried momentum.
About 2/3 of the way up I realized that I could probably reach 4 Corners in 1:10. At that point I started to hammer. I was in utter disbelief when I reached 4 Corner in 1:10 - so much so that I took a GPS shot just in case I was hallucinating:
My new Stumpy (20 lbs!) and I at 4 Corners:
As I continued on up to the Peak (in 32 minutes!), one phrase kept echoing in my head: GAME CHANGER. Allison Mann had said the same thing about her 2012 S-Works Stumpy 29-er hard tail, and I could not get the phrase out of my mind. Suddenly, with the new bike and a proper training regime, the possibilities seemed endless.
And so, on that note, a couple of weeks later I signed up for the first ever (good timing!) Harding TT race, put on by Saw Productions. My goal was to do Harding in 1:05. I very badly wanted to win it; but when I saw Heidi Volpe's name on the roster, I knew it would not be an easy win. Last year Heidi Volpe beat me by 8 minutes in the Counting Coup. But I had two things going for me this year: (a) a much better bike and (b) a far superior training program (intervals, more volume & better nutrition).
I decided to ride to Harding from home (RSM) - a 45 minute warmup. When I arrived at Harding the organizers allowed me to take off early. I was happy to be able to take off so soon after my warmup, despite the fact that Team Margarita (riding up Maple) would miss my finish. The race organizers asked me about my Team Margarita kit at the start line, which (thank God!) made me less nervous. They were tickled by the fact that our team was dreamt up by a group of friends over margaritas. I designed the kits myself and so was happy to see that people were noticing them. The race organizers promised me a margarita at the end - they still owe me one! :-)
Team Margarita kits:
Anyway, my strategy was to ride fast but to save a little for the final 1/3. I wanted to really go all-out on the final 1/3. As someone who prefers endurance racing, I am all about pacing.
I immediately began reeling in riders. I must have passed at least 10 people, maybe more. I knew I was doing well, but at the same time I was worried throughout that I wasn't riding fast enough. I kept trying to do the math in my head, with little success. My legs felt great; they weren't even burning (oddly). I had taken 2 days off prior to the race, so it must have worked. But other than that, I was at the end of an intense and voluminous training block. I was very pleased at my ability to recover so quickly - no doubt a direct result of the introduction of interval training. The weather was great, and I didn't need much water. (I kicked myself for bringing so much water.) I tried some out-of-the-saddle pedaling, but it didn't really work for me.
In the final 1/3 I found myself racing with Fritz. But whereas Fritz had gone all-out the first 2/3, I hadn't. I had a lot in reserve. So, I put the hammer on and managed to drop Fritz. Around this time (57 minutes in) I also spotted Mario and Heidi (single-speed winners) pedaling back down, which further motivated me (thanks for the words of encouragement!).
When I got to Four Corner in 1:03 I was dumbstruck. I realized that I had become - in the space of a few months - a completely different rider. I had finally ascended to a new level - a level I had never thought was possible for me. And suddenly I felt very motivated to do more races, just to see what I was made of. I am excited to see what 2012 brings!
Sarah Jansen, Team Margarita rider
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