So That Happened - Argyle TT & Bunny Hop 2015

This weekend was my first 2-race (actually 2-event, 3-race) weekend of the year. I went to work Monday because I needed the rest.

I've made a number of changes in both real-life and racing/training over the past many months so I'm kind of exploring new perspectives on all fronts. One big change in training/racing is that I joined the Mid-Atlantic Colavita race team. I've been training and racing with many of these amazing women over the years so I knew it would be an awesome fit. The team has great energy and we have a lot of fun in whatever we're doing. In addition, I'm going into the season with a different outlook - taking the races as they come, racing when it's fun and reducing the pressure I put on myself in general.

So- back to the race stuff. Saturday was the Argyle Time Trial. A nice course, really great people promoting the event, and amazing weather to get reacquainted with our TT bikes. The course really is beautiful and the terrain suits my riding strengths. I have spent some time on my TT bike (a TT bike highlight was a 2hr trainer ride while participating in a work web-ex. THAT is how you win a web-ex!) and I was anxious to see how game-day turned out.

About halfway into the expected mileage, I started seeing riders coming back on the other side of the road. I thought it was a loop and a turnaround point wasn't noted on the course map. I had an Artemis rider with me when we came up to a 4-lane highway. We stopped at the redlight, pondered where to go, had a conversation with a helpful driver stopped at the light and finally made the decision to turn around. I probably had stupid-high average for the next stretch as I was feeling pretty ... frustrated is a gentle word for it ... Finally got back to the missed turn and - like magic - there were road guards there! Directing riders! I'm bending a left turn as other riders (coming from the correct direction) were leaning into their right turn - that was fun! .

What's done is done - I got back in the mode and started re-passing people I passed a while back. The mens field was coming through - 2 riders passed me and gave me some more motivation to keep pushing. The finish was uneventful and we all reconvened to compare adventure distances. I think Sue, Dave and Kaitlyn win with 28 or 29miles. A few more miles than the 18.6 or so expected. A few.

Dana and I - hours later - on the top step. Photo Credit: Chuck Kyle

I technically won but I have no idea how it would have really turned out. It took HOURS to get wrong results, then HOURS more for semi-acceptable results. It will never cease to amaze me how a mass-sprint finish can be finalized faster than one by one TT finishes with absolute start and finish times. I digress.

After all that waiting I was listing to the right ....

The upside is that I had some quality time with Dana, Chuck, Kaitlyn, Sue and a number of others while waiting. To the promoters - I'd like to suggest a food truck next year; that might have helped with the recovery (or lack thereof).

Quality time off our legs. Photo Credit: Chuck Kyle

With all the time spent standing around and soaking in the sun, I was worried that I was going to be in bad shape for Sunday's races. I seriously had a headache and an upset stomach - some as pre-race anxiety and some because I was simply tired - when I departed for Sunday's races. 

First race was 12:30 or so. Sunny, warm - tan-line type weather. No idea how many lined up, I made my way to the front for a good line around that first turn. We didn't start slow but we were all together for a bit.  I stayed near the front in greyhound-rabbit mode - if it moved, I was on it. ABRT went off a couple times, NCVC tried to drag us around, my Colavita girls put in some digs ...long story short, I believe ABRT initiated and we wound up with a small group ahead of the field. Janelle jumped for a prime in the closing laps and proceeded to ride away. Evolution tried to chase. I was on that wheel but wasn't going to pull through to chase my teammate.

35+Podium Photo Credit: Amanda Watson

Janelle went solo for several laps and held it for the 45+ win. ABRT took the 1-2 sprint for 35+ - I was 3rd.

We had a  little over an hour between races so not enough time for me to eat/digest the yummy smoked-chicken apple gouda sammich I brought for sustenance. A caramel honey-stinger waffle was about all I could do. There was no warm up to be had - just spin around or get off your feet. A lot of fresh legs coming in the Open race - NCVC, Fearless Femme and quite a few newer Cat 4s and Cat 3s. A decent field for women's racing these days. 

I made my way up to the front for the start (didn't we just do this?) with no idea how this race was going to go. I mentally made a pact with myself to get through 5 laps at a time - then get through 5 more. No goals but to survive.

Mimi blew the whistle and all that was out the door.

It started a little slow - thank the race gods. I needed that time to get back in the groove. Everyone seemed to be watching NCVC and Fearless Femme. An NCVC rider jumped, a couple of riders joined her. More moves went and came back. FINALLY, after the 2nd turn on the backside, NCVC jumped and Fearless Femme went with her. In my head (and apparently outloud) I said ok, THAT I care about. I pulled out some sort of sprint-chase move and dug in to join them. Then there were 4 - Ainhoa came up as well. We had a gap but not a big one. We passed by the lap counter - it said 17 and I nearly cried. I'm out there with a current pro, a semi-pro and a sprinting machine. And my sammich sits in my car, uneaten.

Following Wheels. Photo Credit:Alison Mittlelstadt

Then there were 5. Photo Credit:Alison Mittlelstadt

About 13 to go I heard someone in the crowd say NCVC is bridging. Clio made an amazing chase and joined to make 5. I was staring at the Fearless Femme kit (my position in the rotation) like it was my job.  I was thinking -I have to stick this, trust my training, I CAN STICK THIS. We worked a paceline until maybe 10 to go. At that point, NCVC tried to mix it up a couple of times. I was just holding wheels and rotating through until maybe 4 to go when NCVC put in a massive dig. I desperately tried to follow but got separated. In the past, I might have given up but then I got all oh-hell-no, I didn't get this far to go out like that. As I'm passing about 5 yards off the group Joe Jefferson announces "grab a gear and lift the rear - gotta dig deep Wendy Ulmer". I would have laughed if I had the energy. I went into TT mode and caught back on as we made the 2nd turn.YEAH!

2-to-go - Joe announced a gambler's prime - a diamond necklace. I did not care in the least but I knew that would charge the pace. We approached the line waiting for SOMEONE to go - finally Fearless Femme went for the prime and it was on. I stayed on pace until we made the final bend into the sprint finish. I was done. I finished 5th out of the 5-man break with a stupid grin of exhaustion and happy. Holy wow.

Done. Photo Credit:Alison Mittlelstadt

I understand the field tried to chase several times but finally gave up. Colavita represented all the way, though - Janelle and Chris both got primes in the field and Laura finished 3rd in the 3s.

Between the extended time trial, a long afternoon waiting for results followed by 2 hard, fast races - I was done. My reward was finally devouring my sandwich on the drive home. Completely and happily spent.