When I signed up for the Whiskey 50 I
was still debating whether or not I ought to race Pro. While I did a
handful of long XC races 5 years ago, this is my first full season of
mountain bike racing and training. However, in the end, my Counting
Coup time (4:20) convinced me that I ought to race Pro. And after
all, the Pro prize money (for the top 10 Pro women) was tantalizing.
Last year, only 17 Pro women raced, so I figured I'd have a decent
shot at some cash, which would offset the expense of going to
Prescott.
Fast-forward to three weeks before the
race, when Epic Rides posted their Pro roster. Thirty-three women had
registered, including three Luna Chix, Monique Pua Mata, Kelli
Emmett, Allison Mann, Judy Freeman, Chloe Woodruff, Heather Irmiger,
the list goes on! I felt ice cold when I read that list. I was the
only unsponsored Pro. I felt pretty stupid, I must admit. This was
not going to be a cake walk, and I might seriously embarrass myself.
It turns out that Stans No Tubes had paid race fees for 10 Pro women,
which had generated interest in the race. Pro roster:
In the end, I decided to just enjoy
myself in Prescott and set my sights lower. My new goal was to be
“mid-pack” - i.e., not be at the back. At the time it seemed like
an ambitious goal for my first Pro race, and one with a national
field at that!
Nevertheless, I wanted to be prepared.
Thursday night I pre-rode the first road climb (about 4 miles) and
the first small bit of single-track. There was a steep climb at the
end of the road climb, and I surmised the girls would start hammering
there in an attempt to break away before the first single-track.
On Friday Keith, David and I went to
check out the Skull Valley out-and-back via David's jeep. We got a
little lost and ended up making the Pro meeting with only 3 minutes
to spare. Upon leaving the meeting all the Pro's autographed “Whiskey
50” posters. I remarked that I felt like a fraud autographing the
posters, since this was my first “Pro” race. Keith pointed out
that I had done a local Pro race. When I responded that it “didn't
count” since I was the only Pro there, Georgia Gould (national
champ!) swung around and blurted out (roughly), “I was the Iowa
State cyclocross champion, even though I was the only Pro there. Do
you think I told anybody this?! No! It was their choice not to show
up.”
Wow. Georgia Gould spoke to me, and she
was encouraging and sassy at the same time! I didn't know what to
say, so I chuckled and silently scribbled my name down on the
posters. I recall thinking that I would have to live up to that
signature, if not today, then years from today. I felt as though by
signing those posters I was committing myself to becoming the best
athlete I could be. “Would I ever be so good that people would
actually recognize my name on these posters,” I wondered.
On the way out of the Pro meeting Chloe
Woodruff introduced herself. (I was too shy to introduce myself.)
Upon learning that I am a Tucson native and would be visiting Tucson
shortly, Chloe offered to take me on a mountain bike ride in Mt.
Lemmon. Of course, I already knew who Chloe was, as I had just
watched her race the Houffalize World Cup. It was all pretty surreal.
I was starting to reap the benefits of having signed up for Pro.
Unfortunately, the one downside to
racing Pro was that I had to participate in the “Fat Tire Crit” -
a Friday night road criterium on mountain bikes. My terrible road
handling skills would be on display on Whiskey Row! For months I had
been brainstorming ways to get out of it – e.g., not show and take
the 8 minute Whiskey 50 penalty, purposely go slow and get pulled,
force Keith to ride it for me, etc. But in the end I actually tried
my best. I showed up early and did some pre-riding. I have never done
anything like this before. It was basically a short road race; each
lap was just under a mile, with a few super steep climbs and a few
super sharp corners. The format was as follows: race around the
course for 20 minutes and then do 3 more laps. The top 5 girls would
get the call-up for Whiskey 50 (i.e., get to start at the front). All
lapped riders would get pulled.
While doing my 4 practice laps, I
discovered that I was one of the only girls on knobbly tires (rather
than slicks). I expected this to happen, but I simply wasn't willing
to mess around with Stans and risk having sealing issues on Sunday.
During my practice laps, in addition to gaping at the country's top
Pro women (okay, I was a little star struck), I chatted with Kata
Skaggs. Kata and I finished El Tour De Tucson together last November;
and like I, Kata had just gotten her Pro license. We were both
relieved to learn that we weren't the only “new Pro's.”
Meanwhile, Keith was hanging out with a
camera man and signed me up for an interview! Typical Keith. :-) So,
after my practice laps, I found myself being interviewed for the
Whiskey 50 DVD. The whole time I felt like a wannabe Pro, especially
when the interviewer asked me about my “career highlights,” at
which point I had to admit that I don't have any. Awkward! I tried to
be articulate, but honestly my brain had frozen, because I was using
all my mental reserves to appear cool and collected.
The Crit was pure torture. Really. This
is no hyperbole. To begin with, I started at the back on the right. I
just didn't feel confident enough to stake out a spot at the front.
Big mistake. When the gun went off the course swung immediately
right, and I guess one girl turned too sharply and knocked us girls
on the inside off our bikes. Instead of panicking. I clipped back in
and sprinted to catch up with the leading group. I caught them, but
only after a HUGE effort on my part. I had expended too much energy
and couldn't hang on. The rest is pretty much a delirious fog.
Everything in my body was hurting. My lungs and legs burned. My
friends cheered on the sidelines, but the smiles actually annoyed me.
I was in that much pain. Josh (dressed up in his hick outfit) ran
alongside me, screaming in my ear to speed up. I had no idea of how I
was doing, and I was having a lot of trouble taking the turns fast. I
didn't realize it at the time, but as the laps went on, there were
fewer and fewer women on the course. Masses of them were being
pulled. I wasn't. Knowing that fact may have eased my pain, but I
doubt it. After all, Justin Mann shouted that I was right behind
Heather Irmiger, and I didn't care one bit. I just wanted it to be
over. Please God. During the last few laps a Kona-sponsored girl was
racing with me. I managed to pull out a huge gap on the last lap, but
then on the descent (darn corners!) she passed me and whizzed across
the finish line in front of me. I (stupidly) did not realize the race
was over, and so I did an extra lap. About halfway through I realized
that I was riding with the Pro men, who were practicing the course.
Doh.
After that extra credit lap I made my
way to the beer garden and joined my friends for a beer and to watch
the men's race. David managed to stay in the front for the first
couple of laps, and he finished pretty strong.
In the end, I was proud not to have
been pulled, but mostly I was just ecstatic to be done. My lungs hurt
like they have never hurt before. I felt like I had bronchitis. I
don't believe I've ever put in that sort of effort on a bike. Part of me was relieved, because I was having a lot of knee issues before the race. I had foolishly done one-legged drills up a very steep hill a couple days prior. Luckily, me knees felt fine. Me (relieved) and Keith (buzzed):
But strangely, my legs didn't hurt so
bad the next day. So, David, Allison Mann and I pre-rode the trails
before the Skull Valley bit. KT shuttled us (thanks KT!). I didn't
get a chance to pre-ride the end of the course, but I felt confident
that we had practiced the hardest part – i.e., a steep single-track
climb with water bars followed by a long single-track descent which
included drops, jumps and a steep, sandy chute. I was riding well,
but a bit too fast, as Allison and David are faster than I. We had a
lot of fun and even managed to watch part of Justin's race.
Afterward, we went to the start/finish area to cheer Ryan and Keith
in. Both Ryan and Keith did extremely well, especially given their
high alcohol consumption the night prior (Team Margarita!) and the
fact that they were stood still for about 30 minutes because they
started at the back (bad idea!). They both looked remarkably fresh at
the end, and we enjoyed some great food and beverages at Raven's cafe
afterward.
That night I worried about a couple of
thing. First, my allergies were raging; it started after the Crit.
The same thing happened to me at the Vail US CUP race. I had a
massive allergy attack post-race. It must have something to do with
the increased oxygen consumption during intense exercise outdoors.
Anyway, KT wisely recommended cayenne pepper. So, I ordered water and
cayenne pepper at the hotel restaurant (yes, they looked at us
strangely!). Sure enough, my sinuses started clearing up immediately
(thanks KT!). The night prior I hadn't gotten much sleep due to my
sinus issues, but Saturday night I was able to sleep. I also managed
to take an ice bath (my first time!) Saturday night, after which my
legs felt a lot better. That first two minutes in the ice bath was
almost as bad as the Crit though. I think Keith was getting some sick
pleasure out of going back and forth to the hotel ice machine for
more ice to heap over my screaming legs. He was getting me back for
something. !! :-)
Sunday morning went remarkably
smoothly. We arrived in time for me to warm-up and stake out a spot
at the front of the start line, right beside Allison Mann. I donned
my Team Margarita jersey, which features a giant agave plant and a
silly motto - “Maximum Success, Minimum Effort.” It might not be
the most professional jersey, but because it is mostly white, it was
the perfect pick for the hot weather. Despite my silly jersey, a
microphone was suddenly crammed into my face, and the announcer was
asking who I thought would win the men's race. This being my first
real race season in 5 years, I really haven't been following mountain
bike racing, especially men's mountain bike racing. I had no idea who
was racing. I froze. Fortunately, Justin Mann mouthed “Kabush” to
me. I said, “Kabush,” and the microphone was removed. Save.
The start was really memorable. It was
a neutral start with a moto bike. We all went at a tempo pace up the
road climb – not too bad. I was on Georgia Gould's wheel for most
of it (and beside Pua), which was pretty fricking cool. For years I
had a poster of Pua hanging up in my Long Beach apartment. She was
always an inspiration to me. I had never ever dreamed that I'd be
racing next to her. It's a really odd sensation, to say the least!
Anyway, as I had correctly guessed, the
hammering began on the last little road climb, where the road
steepens. Ten or so girls broke away from me, though at the time I
only counted 7-8. I was glad that Allison had managed to hang on.
Then we hit the dirt, and two more girls passed me. At that point I
sped up, knowing that I needed to be in front of them before the
single-track. To my joy, I passed both girls and got a good position
on the single-track. “Crap, I might get top 10 after all,” I
thought. I ended up having that thought a lot during the race!
There were a lot of photographers –
no pressure! Also, I could see girls right behind me – no pressure!
It was like a cross-country race, only I had to do 50 miles. Ouch.
This was no Counting Coup – i.e., settle into your own pace and
enjoy the views. I had to do everything in my power to stay ahead. I
had to claw myself into the lead. It required 100% focus to stay
ahead of the girls behind me, especially on the technical uphill
single-track. My pre-race practice paid off, though. I rode really
well and started to open up a gap. I soon passed Chloe Woodruff, who
had gotten a flat. Soon after I passed two girls on the first long
decent, one of which had gotten a
flat or other mechanical. The other girl was Rebecca Gross.
I refueled on the next fire road climb
to Skull Valley. I managed to also open up a big gap on Rebecca
Gross. Soon I saw Justin and Chris Hanson at the Skull Valley aid
station; they told me I was 9th. I was going to have to
fight to be top 10. I knew it. So, I put all my concentration into
flying down the Skull Valley fire road. I very nearly crashed. About
2/3 down I saw the Pro men trickling up. I felt like both a racer and
a race spectator at the same time, as I watched the race unfold. I
soon saw David, who was looking good. Next I saw Georgia Gould and
Pua; Pua was not far behind, and I shouted encouragement to her. As I
neared the bottom I saw Allison, who looked to be suffering. (But she
always looks that way in races!)
I rounded the cone at the bottom and
grabbed a bottle of heed and a dixi cup of water. It was a smooth
bottle grab. Even though I knew that now was the time to hammer, I
didn't feel like it. My legs felt tight. I didn't want to risk cramp,
or at least that's what I told myself. It was hot. Basically, I was
being lazy. Rebecca Gross and Suzzanne from Luna Chix caught be up
about halfway up and then I knew it was no more cruising. I would
have to fight, if I wanted top 10. No letting up. No settling into a
rhythm. I went back and forth with them for a while and finally
managed to drop Gross. But Suzanne was strong and slowly opening up a
gap. I could see her all the way to the final single-track descent. I
would have to use my downhill skills, if I wanted to catch her.
And that's when I rediscovered “the
Sauce.” Once upon a time, I used to race local Pro downhill at
Fontana. I even used to ride with the Free-riders of Orange County –
like the RADS but nicer. In other words, I used to be bad-ass. With
adrenaline pumping through my veins, I rediscovered my badass self,
which was still there deep inside of me, but had become dormant after
I suffered a bad concussion at Whistler.
I had never pre-ridden this part of the
course, but I was FLYING. I figured that it was worth it to risk a
crash, because I had to ride this fast to get top 10 and get some
prize money. There were some close calls, but I stayed upright. I was
closing the gap; I could see Suzanne just yards away. And she saw me
too. My bright green “Team Margarita” jersey, while great in hot
weather, was very conspicuous, as Suzanne later told me. I bet
there's be a market for camouflage cycling jerseys. Haha.
And then, all of the sudden, she was
out of sight again. Like I, she was pushing it – riding at her
limit. She knew I was hot on her tail. I passed Josh who was heckling
in his hick outfit, and he informed me that I was in 10
th
and only seconds behind Suzanne. The video to prove it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adnaib86Nlc&feature=youtu.be
I was starting to lose it mentally. The
Heed (which I had just switched to) was not working for me. I was
running on empty. Fortunately, all the climbing was done. But the
single-track was getting technical; there were several rocky stream
crossings. Somehow (I know not how) I rode through all of them
flawlessly. The spectators must have thought I was nuts, because I
kept asking them where the course was, even though it was clearly
marked. I suddenly became paranoid of taking a wrong turn.
Then, out of the blue, there was
Suzanne, fixing a flat! We were very nearly at the road, too. I
sighed a sigh of relief and unbelief. I was 9th! No more
chasing Suzanne.
At this point, I wanted to hit the road
so badly; my mind was screaming for it to appear. Finally, in what
seemed to be eons but was probably only minutes, it appeared. I could
hear Willie shouting my name excitedely. But I knew it wasn't over. I
knew Pua had passed the leader Catherine Pendrel on the final road
descent last year. I knew that anything could happen. Rebecca Gross
might be seconds away.
At this point David's friend Chris
Branson started riding down with me, informing me of every turn.
Given that I was completely loopy at this point, this was very
helpful. I hate descending on road. When I do a road ride, I'm always
the last person down a descent. I am mortally afraid of crashing on
the road. But still, I did something I don't normally do; I tucked
myself down low so as to minimize the wind resistance and go faster.
Unfortunately, I went into the last, tight, right-hand corner too hot and
completely wiped out. A car even stopped, and a women jumped out. She
was frantic. I assured her that I was fine and jumped back on the
bike, relieved to discover zero mechanicals (though my saddle and
grip were cut up). Chris informed me that I had one last hill. I got
out of the saddle and hit that hill hard, aware of the sharp pain in
my knee and wrist. The worst had happened; I had crashed at
high-speed on the road. But hell, I was not going to let it take 9th
place away from me.
Finally, the start/finish area came
into view, and even though it was right there, I asked the spectators
where to go. I was increasingly losing it and was about the cry. It
was all very emotional, and I'm sure the heigtened emotion had
something to do with the fact that I was bonking and staving off
cramps. Note to self – dial in nutrition next time! (I didn't heed this imperative until after Idyllwild Spring Challenge, a week later, where I bonked again on Heed.)
I crossed the finish line and then
collapsed in tears. Never have I had such an emotional end to a race.
My Garmin read 3:41. Just a day earlier, I had thought that 4 hours
was overly optimistic. I had SMASHED my expectations. This rarely
happens, because usually my expectations are very, very high –
unattainable even. It was a moment I wanted to savor, even if my knee
was on fire and bloody. Unfortunately, sitting down was not a good
idea, as I immediately got the worst charley horse in my inner thighs
and calves. As I was screeching in pain, Keith, KT, Rebeca Gross, the
frantic woman in the car, Josh and others all came by. I probably
wasn't making a lot of sense, but they shared in my excitement.
Eventually the EMT's came and fetched me, and I headed over to the
medical tent to get bandaged up. They did a really nice job with my
knee, which was very badly scraped up and even now (3 weeks later) isn't
completely healed. The EMT's clearly had a sense of humor, because they
only had purple and pink bandages – for the men and the women!
Allison got 4th, and Pua won! So Cal girls represented!
Pua:
Allison:
David finished in a mere 3.5 hours - amazing performance for his first Pro race!
KT, who helped out in more ways than one:
After our visit to the medical tent
Keith and I met up with Allison, Justin, Ryan, KT and David for some
good food and beer at Raven's. Suzanne from Luna Chix even stopped by
for some grub, and we chatted for a bit. She was very nice. I was
really excited to get my picture taken with a Luna Chick (notice my red nose from my allergies!):
There was a lot of eating in the next
24 hours, including a stop to a gourmet donut shop the next morning,
where I picked up a maple donut (her favorite!) for my 90-year-old grandma, who lives
in Tucson. After a buttermilk donut (splurge!) I was off to Tucson in
my battered car, which was hit by a teenage driver while parked in
the hotel parking lot. But I didn't care. I listed to “Blind Pilot”
and enjoyed the views and savored the moment. That feeling I had when
I crossed the finish line was still with me.
My trip to Tucson was so nice. I spent
every day with my grandma and managed to do a great road ride (Old
Spanish Trail and Saguaro Monument) and a great Mt. Lemmon mountain
bike ride with Chloe Woodruff. Chloe and I chatted away for a good
hour-and-a-half (she's so nice!) as we climbed Mount Lemmon. We descended Bug Springs,
which was incredibly technical in a few places. At one point we hit
this clearing with amazing views, and Chloe snapped a photo of me:
The photo pretty much sums up my
feelings post-Whiskey. I was relaxed and goofy and happy. Not only
did the Whiskey 50 go perfectly, I was able to catch up with friends
and family in Tucson and even make a new friend! And I got to ride
new trails. Life was good.
Before I sign-off (finally!), I should
note - I intentionally left a lot out of my race report, because
Keith is writing a “Whiskey 50 trip report.” A lot happens when
you spend 3+ days in Prescott with Team Margarita, as you will soon
discover!
PS - I won the New Belgium Beach Cruiser in the Whiskey 50 raffle. This baby is on its way:
