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Today is the first day since the Birkie I've had any energy. Easily could have slept through the past 2 weeks. The race took everything I had and then some. Sometimes your body is smarter then yourself, it shut me down. Going to do my best here to extrapolate and deliver as much of this 3 month ride.
The decision to train for the win was made on New Years Day. Considering the competition I'd be facing, it was a long shot but not entirely out of reach. Why not go for it? I dreamt about it nightly and woke up every morning thinking what do I need to do today that nobody else is doing? It was a long 10 weeks of hours and hours of training in freezing temperatures, slush, snow, and wind.
The week leading up to the race I was feeling strong, fit and rested. I was confident that I had trained more then anyone. If I was going to loose, it would be from someone having more talent, not from being outworked. And I was happy with that. Day prior to the race I checked out the list of girls who would be starting in wave 1, google searched their names and quickly thought WraWro. 3rd isn't so bad, even 5th, I'm cool with a top 5 finish.
Because of the lack of snow, warmer then average temperatures, rain and then freezing temperatures this winter the course director had to completely change the course. Racing 28 miles on rolling hills of sheet ice was out of the question. They modified the course to a 6 mile loop and we were to complete 5 laps giving us 30 miles and over 3,500 feet of elevation. They did the best they could chopping up ice with heavy machinery and I give them kudos for making the most of what they had to work with. The pre ride was hellacious. The course was treacherous, ultra bumpy frozen ground with patches of snow and ice. This race was going to be more about survival of the bikes and bodies more then anything else.
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| Broken Spoke Racing Team |
4 Degrees is all mother nature would give us morning of the race. Brutal. I went with only 5psi and studded tires. Most had higher psi as it's faster on hard surfaces but I decided to forgo just a bit of speed to stay on the no crash program. Lower pressure and studs allowed me to use the icy sections for speed and maneuver quickly without sliding out. Mass starts are crowded and everyone sprints out like their getting chased by rabid dogs but don't give much thought to staying upright. I knew people would be slipping out so I played it safe.
I kept the leader in sight but focused more on keeping a decent distance from those I was following. Hadn't gotten through the prolog when a guy wiped out right in front of me, fortunately my plan worked and I had enough space and traction to maneuver around him. Not even 5 minutes later, same thing, guy goes down and I creep past unscathed. As the race went on there were dozens of people at the side of the course picking up the pieces, racers not only walking up the hills but walking down them! First 2 laps I was following the leader at a pace that was manageable. On the 3rd lap a guy from another wave passed and she grabbed his wheel, I followed suit in 3 position. Until we came up to a nice icy decent with a curve at the bottom. I didn't trust it so I tapped the breaks to let them have their space. Seconds later they both went down, it looked bad. I made it around and turned on the jets. It was go time. Couple minutes later on a flat icy section, took focus off the course for 1 damn second and down I went. Stupid. Ice doesn't give, my soul had been knocked out of me and I could see it floating away. Did a quick assessment of the damage, I'm good, check, bike good, check, ok gotta go!
My legs were strong throughout the race, climbing with ease. I had trained rolling hill courses all winter and it was paying off. My lungs though, they were struggling. Inhaling that cold air at such a rate was getting to me. My breathing was to shallow and I had to slow up a few times to prevent hyperventilating. I wonder if there are any studies about getting less oxygen in colder temperatures. There were several times I had to hold back tears and push though the pain. I had a chance to win, I couldn't give it up now! I crested the last extended climb, only had a mile to go and it was time to make it really hurt. I sprinted with everything I had left and it burned. Years ago I had passed a friend early on in a race and thought I "had her." She crossed the finish line only seconds behind me and with a look of surprise I told her I thought I had her. She said to me, "you never have anybody." That statement played over and over in my head until I crossed the line.
Check out www.fat-bike.com for a live version of the story. I come in at 31 minutes in.
Thanks to everyone who's supported me throughout this journey. Thanks to the race directors for putting on an incredible even. And thanks to my sponsors, www.brokenspokebikes.com www.funkierbike.com www.integratedbodywork.net for believing in me!
After 2 weeks off the bike, I'm ready to get back at it. Leaving for Texas to train in the sun and dirt for a week with Ryan. We'll be testing out our new, matching Niner RKTs. Looking forward to all the summer fun with all my buddies during the Wisconsin Off Road Series. It's like adult summer camp.
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| Left: Kaitlin Anntoneau Middle: Leia Right: Ami Stuart |
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