DAS Ladies Represent at Hop Brook Dam

Middlebury, CT - April 7, 2013

It was a chilly morning as we arrived at the park, and constant wind gusts left everyone in a bit worried about over-dressing vs under-dressing for the race.  Unlike a casual mountain bike ride, during a race, it's not really the best idea to be stopping in the middle of the trail to pull off a layer of clothing.  Not to mention, most of us race with the bare minimum of gear, so there'd be no place to put those layers.  Sure, some pros can remove a jacket, fold it, and put it in their pocket while racing uphill past you, but none of us DAS ladies have become versed in the art of circus stunts.  I think we all eventually went with short sleeves.  With the amount of climbing per lap, it was probably a good idea; we were generating some serious heat in those climbs.  

Left to right... Liz A, Tracy, and Liz B. Pre-Race

So, here's how the day went for Liz, Tracy, and Liz...

Liz Bove:

I think I went into the race with the right mindset: This is going to be a long race, so don't go out too hard, pace yourself.
Then we started. I didn't feel like I was pushing too hard. I saw that I was the 6th woman going into the first section of single track, but I felt strong. I didn't think I was pushing too hard. I passed a few riders and made the mistake of thinking 'hey I'm doing better than I expected. Maybe I can do well today and not just hope to finish.' Silly me. That course was a beat down and I realized too late that I did not have the endurance to stay at the pace I was riding or with the women I was competing against.

The first two laps went well. Most of the third lap I still felt strong. Then, as I crossed the road to the final section of that lap, I felt it. I was fading. Fast. Cathy passed me on the pavement and offered words of encouragement. Not far behind her was Vicki, who caught me early into the 4th lap. She was soon out of sight. Next was Haley. Now this was probably the funniest (read: embarrassing) moment. I can only imagine how I looked to her as I was spinning with empty legs up a gravel climb, going so slowly that I simply fell over sideways due to lack of inertia! That's right. I tipped over. I didn't crash. I didn't miscalculate a tech section. Nope. I. Tipped. Over.
From that point on I was praying for it to end. The granniest of granny gears allowed me to limp my way through the final lap. That was the worst bonk I've ever experienced.
So, after being mad at myself for a day, I've decided to think about the positives:

I was able to ride the entire course. That horrible climb? I actually made it up that on my third lap! I didn't do it any other lap, but that was a big deal for me.
I also rode 21 miles. I've only ever ridden more than 20 miles on a mountain bike once before this race. It wasn't pretty for the last 5 miles, but I did it.
I finished 5th out of 9. That was much better than I expected for my first CAT 1 race.
And most importantly--With the start of race season, I'm reminded that mountain bikers are freaking awesome people. Every woman I raced with was super friendly and generous with their words of encouragement.

Tracy:

Last year, Hop Brook was my first ever MTB race, and looking back to that day my goal was the same. Keep the bike upright. Mission pretty much accomplished; I may have stumbled a little but did not have to pull myself off the ground, or better yet, no one else had to pick me up off the ground. Well, as usual my start was awful; I think I started up the single track hill about 3rd from the back. I then made a stupid mistake going over the first log obstacle which cost me some time and then the field was gone. I proceeded to push along but, started to feel pretty defeated early on in the first lap, questioning if I was going to be able to finish. I also dropped my chain during the first lap which only made me feel more defeated. At this point I possibly may have dropped the F bomb!!! Ok I did drop the F bomb. Somewhere during my first lap, yes my first lap, several of the men’s pro racers passed me. I continued on to my second lap feeling like I cannot quit that is just so wrong. My third and forth lap were a blur of feeling ok I can do this and feeling like oh no another climb am I going to have to walk up this. Well I did not have to walk up any of the climbs, well... except for the one steep one which I have never made up anyway. Overall it was a great day with great people; I truly love the camaraderie in mountain bike racing. Everyone is so encouraging and friendly. I am also pretty psyched that I did not give in to the little demon in my head telling me to quit, and as a bonus I didn’t puke. Can’t wait to do it again.

Liz Allen:

Going into this race, I felt pretty good.  I knew I was up against some really talented competition, but I also knew that I'd been working pretty hard training indoors all winter, so I wouldn't be at my worst.  Compared to cyclocross season, where I was lucky if I had time to ride once or twice during the week in between race weekends, I was in great shape.  What I've noticed between the KOB TT and Hop Brook is that my legs are strong and fantastic when I need to keep a strong steady pace going...  However, when it comes time to put out a hard effort, follow someone faster, or move out of my comfort zone, I just can't seem to do anything about it.  That's what happened on Sunday.  

I rode a good steady pace the whole time, pedaled over almost everything smoothly, and somehow felt okay on lap 4.  However, when it came down to my time and the times of my competitors, it's obvious that I have a lot of work to do.  My time this year was 3 minutes slower than last year, and there were two Cat 1 women with faster times than me.  So, my fourth place finish in the open category is really more like 6th.  It's hard to not be disappointed with myself, but looking towards the future, I have some road riding and hills planned.  I'm looking forward to some more challenges this season.  At the next race, I may even race in the men's open singlespeed category.  Watch out, boys.  

Here're the results...

Next on the race schedule is the Fat Tire Classic at Winding Trails on April, 21.  This is a fun venue for first-time racers because the course is generally forgiving, and there aren't many steep or long climbs or descents.  It's also a great place to bring the kids because there are park facilities.  See you there!