This last weekend I got to experience a new course, for me, the Vanier Park cyclocross course.

A lot of people were excited for this race because:

1. It's easy to get to (being in the city)
2. It's more of a crit than a cyclocross course (it's fast)
3. It's well organized with good attendance of spectators and racers
4. There's some good prizes to be won 

I was excited and nervous for this race. Since everyone was telling me that it was fast and flat, I was worried the course wouldn't play to my strengths. I'm not the fastest rider on the course, but I make up for my speed in my technical abilities.

This would be my first day racing on my new bike too! Yes, new bike. I'll tell you about that soon.

The weather on Saturday had been wet and cold. I was hoping that the rain would continue on to Sunday too, and that we would have a mud fest. But, again, my hopes were crushed. Really, weather-man, weather-woman, weather-person! Is it that hard to order mud? That's all I want. Mud. Maybe with a bit of rain and mess.

While it wasn't raining or pouring on Sunday morning, it was a bit chilly. It was sunny and chilly. I was super happy to get to wear the skinsuit for racing again. That thing is cozy! A bit tight in places, but cozy.

We showed up early enough to catch the beginner's race start. There were a lot of people there, which was exciting. More than 100 people in the first race start. The first corner of the men's beginner race was so plugged up that people couldn't move. It was so entertaining!

I spent the morning ringing the cow bell, taking photos, eating waffles (thank you!) and enjoying the (cold) sun. My legs were stiff and sore from (I assume) moving and emptying the storage locker the day before. Multiple trips up and down the stairs of the apartment building, carrying heavy items...made me feel stiff and tight, almost as if I had just gone for a run. I tried to warm up before the race, but I was limited to busy pedestrian-bike shared pathways and the road. It didn't make warming up very easy.


There was a pretty decent turn out of women to the Intermediate race. There were 22 women on the start line - a mix of U17, masters and intermediate. A lot of the same faces from the previous races and a lot of new ones. Even a Continental Crit Nasty racer out on the cross course. It was nice to see cyclists from various disciplines out to race.

I got a call up based on my previous race results. We started off, and for most of the first lap I kept in pretty good sight of the first few leaders. I also kept a pretty decent sized group of women behind me. The course was certainly a good course if you had power and speed, but if you didn't have cornering abilities, you would suffer. I loved all the tight turns and corners that the race course designer tossed in there. It really helped the course feel less like a crit, and more like a cross race. The barriers on the uphill section were tough for my little legs, but I managed.




It was a lot of work holding those women back, and when it came to the flat straight sections they would get ahead of me. Then, we'd get back in the corners and I'd gain back on them.

I was having a riot. I get so pumped when there's racers in my sight and when I can hear them behind me. It fuels me to push harder and reach deeper for strength.

Hecklers along the course, cowbells ding-dinging, people cheering, spectators hollering and team mates pelting people with marshmallows, made the race even more entertaining. Honestly, is there anything better than racing cyclocross? How did I live before I came into this sport?



About 25:00 minutes into the course my back started to give me intense amounts of pain. Every push of the pedal felt awful. It felt like I was over stretched, and the pain was taking away from my enjoyment and my ability to keep my power up. I guess this is what I get for hopping onto a new bike part way through the cycling season.



It only took seconds for the women behind me to take advantage of my plight and pass me. I couldn't prevent them and barely had the ability to catch up. I actually had to slow down and take a bit of a break. I re-positioned myself on the bike. I kept pedalling, more people passed. I kept going. I wasn't about to give up. It was so close to the end. Another lap or two and the race would be finished.

The pain in my back was so bad that when I got to the barriers, I had trouble dismounting. I had even more trouble trying to pick my bike up. My wheels rubbed along the top of the wood barriers as I made my way over. My remount was pathetic.



35:00 minutes into the race and I was still feeling pain, but I was far too stubborn to give up. I kept going, however slow I was being. I was swearing under my breath when it hurt more. I was cursing. I was showing a pain face for sure!

Last lap bell finally came on, and I tried to pick up the pace. The more straight that I sat, the better my back felt, but the less speed I was able to carry. Knowing it was my last lap made it a bit easier. Corey was there with my dog (I had been dogless for 2 weeks!) and I was excited to finish. I had no sprint to the finish line. I was done.


I crossed the line and immediately headed off the course. I felt stiff. I didn't even feel as if I could lift my leg to get it over the bike. I waited a few moments for the pain to subside a bit, and then I laid on the grass. I tried to stretch the pain out. It hurt. I wanted to hug my dog.

As I cooled down and was not longer pedalling, the pain got more and more manageable. I made my way back to the team tent. High-fived and congratulated everyone on their performance. Then, I got to hug my dog! Two weeks, it had been since I dropped him off with Grandma to have a dog-vacay while I embarked on my 9 day racing vacation. I hate leaving him, but it's impossible to take him everywhere. He was equally as excited to see me, and he covered me in snorts, snuffles and hair.We were reunited at last. ♥

It was a really fun race, and I think I managed to take a 9th place overall in my category. Not the worst, considering how slow I was going along the end. I was impressed with my ability to keep up my speed on this course, especially since I was so worried about that in the beginning.

Next step, is to get my bike fit done and do a few more rides with the new positioning so that my back adjusts accordingly. I don't want this pain to occur during the next race.

I'm holding a third place spot in the series standings right now for points. I'm excited to see where the series ends up in the end, and SUPER excited for some of the courses we have yet to race.

You can view my Strava details here: https://www.strava.com/activities/732586352

You can view the race results here: http://vcxc.ca/results/vanier-cx-2016-results/

Yes. I did.

I raced at CrossVegas.

Oh, yeah. Vegas, baby.


Really and truly, I did race CrossVegas, though not in the big lights, at night, or on camera. In fact, I doubt there's a single image of me floating around the web anywhere.

Oh wait, I'm wrong...you can just barely see my head in behind this pic of the USAC Women's start:

Image via MASH

I heard about CrossVegas last year, and after seeing pictures from the race, I immediately added the race to my to-do list. I not-so-patiently checked on the website for months, waiting for sign-up information to be shared. I knew I couldn't race Elite (not yet at least!) but I needed to be a cat-3 racer to be able to race in the USAC race. So, I applied to have my race category changed from a four to a three this summer, using results from 2015/2016. I got approved. I signed up for the USAC race. I booked my flight and hotel. Told my man to sign up to.

Everyone I spoke to warned me about the race. They said to practice riding in thick, tall grass and in the heat. The closest course that I have encountered here in BC, which is only a smidgen of the CrossVegas course...would have to be Donkey CX at Castle Park. And even that amount of thick grass doesn't compare!

Race bib pick up was scheduled for Tuesday, the day before the race. I was so excited to be amongst pro and elite racers! Or at least feel like I was! haha my race number was 13. When I saw my number, I had a moment of panic...what if there was only 13 women racing? What if there's so few of us, that I really struggle, and it is painfully obvious that I'm struggling, because I'm so out in the open? I was getting now, all these pre-race fears and concerns. The idea of this being the most exciting and fun race of the year was diminishing. Fast.

I had hopes that there would be well over one hundred women turning up for this race. I had this dream that I would have oodles of women to race against. That no matter how slow I was, there would be someone near or around me. That I'd have a great time being lost in the crowd.

The weather was supposed to be blazing hot, but we really lucked out and clouds came rolling in. Thank goodness! Our winter-Canadian bodies just don't handle the heat so well. We still slathered on sunscreen and covered our heads with hats, but at least it was manageable heat. There was a bit of wind too, which felt refreshing.

We rode our bikes from the hotel to the race site. I was pretty weary about the ride at first, actually, really weary. I was so nervous. I didn't trust the traffic, I didn't know if there were different cycling laws in Nevada than in BC. I didn't want to get hurt or hit or injured. I'm sure Corey was getting fed up with me and my nerves too. Turns out, the main road that we were on had a full lane dedicated to bikes and buses - cars could only use the lane if they were making a right hand turn. This road took us nearly all the way to the race site, and made the commute quick.

Showing up at the race site, I was beyond excited. We were a bit early, so we had no choice but to wait to get in. there wouldn't be much time for pre-riding the course.

Once in the grounds, we were impressed by the size of the course. It stretched all around the fields, had two fly-overs, a boardwalk corner, off-camber hills, multiple stairs and lots of straights. This would be a fun race.

We pre-rode the course, and I was excited. It wasn't too bad. It was hot, even though it was clouded over. I was so thankful it wasn't full, blazing sun. The grass was slow and energy sucking, just as people had described.

My thoughts and dreams of having 100+ women to race were smashed when we headed towards the start line. I showed up to the race with my lucky number 13 pinned (upside down...by accident, thanks Corey) to my shirt. Lucky number 13. Only 13 racers in the USAC women's race. One woman had a mechanical issue in her pre-ride, and couldn't start. One woman didn't show up. That made 11 of us.

There were probably close to 60 men in the USAC race. I was happy for Corey, aside from the fact he had to start from the back of the pack (we don't have USAC points for call-ups). He would have a great time racing all those men.

The women started just a few moments after the men. The start light was red. Red. Red. Then suddenly green!

The eleven of us took off from the start line like little rockets. I did my best to get up and sprint and push and try to find a nice comfy spot at least mid-pack before the first corner. I did manage, but as soon as we hit the back section of thick grass I was dropped. I had one woman in front of me for most of the first lap, but she too seemed to leave me in the dust.

CrossVegas was the longest three laps of my life.

We had a half-hour to race. We were to do four laps, but I lucked out with three.

Each pedal stroke seemed to sink me into the grass and suck away any speed I could have had. It sucked away my soul. It sucked away my happiness.

I wanted to quit. I was so far behind and men were starting to pass me. I was going so, f'in, slow that the fly-overs felt like hill climbs. How in the world did those women go so fast!?!?

I raced the laps on my own, knowing very well I wouldn't catch up, but not wanting to actually throw in the towel. Each lap, an unknown voice cheered out my name. Who in the world knew my name? Who in the world came to watch me? His cheer helped keep me positive.

Remounting after the gruelling up-hill, off-camber, 50 ft (I'm guessing...) sand pit was a struggle. The second and third lap, my run through the sand pit was more of a heavy footed trudge. My remount was more of a stop-rest-get on.

The stairs were well done and made in such a way that if you had speed you could easily ride up of them. But not me. Nope. I didn't even have to brake on my approach to the stairs, because I was already going so slow.

After being lapped by a few of the men (and not as many as I thought it would be) I was approaching the finish line, when I could hear the announcers calling out the lead woman approaching for her victory. She zoomed right past me, sprinting for the finish. So impressive!

Her finish also meant that the rest of us women were finished. Which meant that I didn't have to do another lap. I finished right behind her. I'm hoping someone got a picture of her finish, with me in there photo bombing the whole event, so that it looks as if I was in second place, not solid last.

If anything, CrossVegas taught me something: that we need more women on bikes! We need more women to shed their fears of racing and give it a try. We need you. I need you. #cyclelikeagirl

The more of us there is out there racing and riding, the less we can be ignored when it comes to sponsorship and attention. The more of us there is, the more attractive the sport can appear to newcomers. The more of us there is, the more fun we can all go have.

I don't know if I'll do the race again next year. Though, if I do, I will spend 3-6 months practising riding in tall, thick grass, up hill. I will wear an insulated onsie so that I feel the heat and sweat like crazy. I will go for runs in the sand wearing ski boots. I will ride uphill until it hurts.

If I do race next year, I will take it far more seriously...and not have the idea in my head that I'm going there for a fun, huge, single-speed-world's type of race.

You can view results here: http://www.crossvegas.com/25/results/3-website/results/255-2016-results
I was racing the USAC Women's category. You'll see my name near the bottom of the list.

If you have any pictures from the USAC races, I would love to see them and share them!

View some other write ups from racers at CrossVegas:

MASH

On to day two of my race vacation.

Back on the mainland, out in Port Coquitlam at Castle Park, to race DEVO/Donkey Cross. Last year, this was my very first race; my best friend, dog, sister, my mom, and a guy I was dating were there to cheer me on. I had bought my bike just the day before the race, and had spent the evening practising dismounting, running, carrying and remounting in the dark at the park across from my old apartment. I was quite excited to be out to race.

Not my image --- was sent my way, credit to???

So, it was nice to come back this year. A year later. A new category. A slightly different course from last year.

The CrossRoad Racing team had a tent set up right near the barriers and behind the waffle truck. It was a beautiful and sunny day, but the course had been touched by rain, so it was a little damp. I was hoping for a full blown mud fest.... #bitterdisappointment

Since I was racing Intermediate, I had all day to hang out, cheer people on, warm-up and get ready. That's one benefit to racing late in the day. On the downside, it's also the last race of the day, and the course is usually pretty chewed up and drastically different from how it starts in the morning. The grass had really been churned into a few muddy pits and slippery sections (insert big happy face here).

There were a few women racing in the Intermediate category, and it was nice to see some familiar faces. I was somewhat regretting racing two days in a row, especially with such a hilly and technical course the day before. My legs were feeling quite stiff.

This was our first race with a call-up, based on the previous race's results. I was happy to be brought up to the front line. Though...there weren't too many women left on the back line!

We waited for the single-speeders and the intermediate men to make their starts, then we queued to the line. When the whistle was blown, we did our best to explode off the start line and get a hole shot for the first corner. It's funny, when I was racing in the beginner category last year, my starts seemed so much faster and explosive. I guess, in comparison to the others racing, it might have been, but in comparison to the other intermediate women....well, they are all pretty fast too! My starts no longer are my advantage.

I was mid-pack on the first lap of the course. Again, getting stuck behind people cornering slower or not handling the technical sections well, slowed me down too. In a course as long and curvy as this, it really helps to get in front of as many folks as you can.

I really enjoy this course, mostly because of the pain it causes. You've got a mixture of fast sections, tight corners, energy-sucking grass sections, muddy uphill hikes, somewhat sketchy downhill-off-camber places, barriers that are almost always too high for me, off-camber corners, and muddy-grassy-uphill bits. It's a challenging course and one shouldn't take it lightly.

Image by TLBVELO

I was really losing steam at about the 30 minute mark. I was in the chase with another girl, fighting to keep in front of her and to keep on her wheel when she was in front. It was a back and forth battle, which I thought I had won when she stumbled on the climb...until she caught up to me on the last lap.

She and I battled it out constantly on that last lap. And then we got to the uphill mud pit in the grass, leading up to the last muddy grass sprint before the final corner to the finish line. She and another girl whipped by me in that muddy pit of wheel-death and kept their speed, while my legs decided they had no extra gas to give. I barely had it in me to sprint to the finish...not that I needed to - there was no one else in clear view behind me.

All-in-all, Donkey CX was tough. It was enjoyable and fun, and I'll certainly come back next year...but next year I'll have fresh legs. ;)

You can view all the race results here: http://vcxc.ca/results/donkey-cross-2016-results/ -- I'm in the Intermediate Women's Cat. I managed a 7th place finish in my category...second to last.

You can view my Strava details here: https://www.strava.com/activities/717222000
I had some pretty decent achievements, according to Strava, but not everyone uses Strava! So, it's not the most accurate source of info... :) ...but I'll take it!

I do want to say a big thank you to all the sponsors, organizers and volunteers that make cyclocross here happen. I wouldn't be able to have so much fun this time of year if it weren't for you. So thank you. Many times!

Day 1 of my 9 day vacation started with an early morning rise in order to prep myself for the Mount Washington cyclocross race, Top of the Rock Cross, race #2 in the Cross on the Rock series.

Saturday, the morning of the race, as I readied myself, my bike and my gear, the weather was trying to scare all the racers away. The city of Courtenay was being drenched in a downpour. I was somewhat excited about the potential of racing in the mud, but also upset at myself for not packing more...I had packed light, according to the weather forecast I checked Friday morning. The current wet mess was not part of that forecast! I kicked myself for not packing my fleece-lined skin-suit.

My partner and I borrowed my Dad's truck - which was a treat! Heated seats, and a rear space big enough to hold both bikes, without taking the wheels off. We loaded up all our gear, as fast as we could, into the truck and drove up towards the mountain. Luckily, the top of the mountain is about a half hour drive from my island home.

Driving to Mount Washington brought me a feeling of being back at home. When I lived in the Comox Valley, I worked at the mountain for five seasons (4 winters, 1 summer) and spent a lot of my free time snowboarding, hiking and mountain biking in the park. I can thank the instructors and staff at Mount Washington for getting me hooked on mountain biking -- I took a lesson one day, bought a used DH bike right afterwards, and have been riding ever since. So many good memories made up on that mountain!

Approaching the mountain from the Valley, we could see blue sky ahead trying to peak through the clouds. The rain began to lighten up. As we drove up the mountain, we came up into the fog and clouds...then soon, we were above most of the cloud coverage and the rain had stopped. There was a mixture of blue sky and cloud, with a few drops of rain tossed in there for good measure. What a beautiful day! I no longer cared so much about not having the skin-suit with me.

We eyed up the course with delight. There was a mixture of uphill, slippery, off-camber downhill, off-camber traverse, cobblestones, single-track, rutted, bumpy grass, stairs, barriers and pavement. This course was pretty much a mountain biker's dream come true. As I had hoped, the course was wet. There was mud. I had been praying for mud.

The beginner's raced first, and wow, was there a lot of them! Men, women and children all zipped around the course at their top speeds. The course was so packed with racers, that you couldn't really tell who was in first and who was last. The most impressive, in my opinion, was the tiny girl with the colourful bike who muscled her way up the steep run up with her bike in tow. Gosh, she moved faster than most men on that course!

The weather on the top of the mountain was ever-changing between cold and windy, to warm and sunny and then back to cold. I switched between wearing a wind breaker, and not wearing one, and then wearing it, and then not. I chose to race in just my jersey, but kind of wished I had arm warmers.

The intermediate group raced second. There were so many of us, that I was super pumped. Single speeders, men + women, and U17. For the women, there was nearly 30 of us lined up to get started. I couldn't stop smiling at the thought of having so many people to race.

Call-ups were done, based on the first series race of the year (Top of the Rock CX was race #2) and that meant that nearly every woman around me got called up...I was nearly the last one on the line. Hm....that's a lot of people to try and pass!

The whistle blew and we all flew from the start line and up the first hill. Why did they start us on an uphill?? ;)

I tried my best to get in front of as many women as I could, before the first section of the course and the first corners. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to pass too many, because in the first grassy corner, I got held up by someone trying not to fall over, stopped in the apex of the corner. I had to stop. I had to go around her.

Back in the race, I pushed and pushed and rode the corners, the ups and the downs. I flew as fast as I could up the hills, so that I could hold my spot down them. I didn't slip at all on my dismount before the left turn up the stairs and onto the off-camber traverse and right hand corner. I found it easier to run most of the traverse, rather than try to remount on the low side of the hill.

When it came to the slippery, muddy, wet, off-camber, zig-zag downhill section, which led to a grassy traverse and a HUGE muddy-grassy run-up, I chose to run the entire section, rather than ride. Although most folks chose to ride the downhill section, they all had to get off their bikes and run up the next bit, so I had a bit of an advantage. I saved time by dismounting where it was convenient and using all my momentum from the flat section to run up the hill.

As the laps went on, there were men starting to pass me. Corey passed me. Dammit. ;) I had no idea where in the race I was, how many women were in front of me, how many were behind me, or if I had even been lapped by the race leader. I just kept my speed up, kept trying to pass people, and kept my eyes on the lap board. A few laps in, and it started to rain.

Some people rode the course on mountain bikes, and though their hill climbs were a bit less speedy, they seemed to have a great advantage on the downhill and rutted grass sections. Gosh, shock absorption on a cross bike would be amazing!

The last lap bell was rang, and I was so thankful. Although I was having a great time, I was extremely thirsty and starting to feel exhausted on the climbs. The course didn't really have a section where you could recover, so the entire race was spent pushing, pushing and pushing.

I finished the race. Tired. Happy. Muddy.

Somehow, I managed a QOM on the run-up, of 5 seconds, as well as a QOM of 5:42 for a lap of the course. Later, upon receiving the results, I see that I managed to come in 7th overall of women, U17 girls and SS women -- but 4th in my category. Not a bad result considering I started from the back of the pack!

I had no idea what place I was in, and results didn't appear to be getting posted anywhere anytime soon, so we packed up, said our good-byes and headed back down the hill so that we could catch the ferry that evening and get ready for racing in Port Coquitlam the next day.

You can view my Strava details for this race here: https://www.strava.com/activities/715767119
Full race results can be found here: http://www.crossontherock.com/php/race-results/?raceid=67

Less than a week away and I'll be warming up my little legs to race the Cross Vegas 2016 USAC category women's race. It's something I've been looking forward to since last year when I got into cyclocross and saw images of the madness and excitement that Cross Vegas is.

I'm flying over to Las Vegas on Monday with my loving, bike-obsessed partner (who is also racing) and I'm already starting to get pre-race nerves. The course sounds technical and hard, and I'm worried my legs just won't be as fast as the other women. I know I'm not racing elite UCI, but still, I don't want to be dropped or last.

I've been training with my new team each week, and I realize I should at least get a sand riding session in before I go on Monday. Sand, and also dismounts on an uphill grade. And dismounts in general. And remounts. Gosh, the list is getting long. I could practice all year and probably still feel as if there was something else for me to work on! #storyofmylife #constantimprovement

Being the organized self that I am, I have already started making a list of everything I need to pack in order to not forget anything. So long as the airport doesn't lose my luggage, I should be all set to race Wednesday. Do you need a packing list? You can download and print the list if you'd like, I've even added extra space for you to customize the list to your needs. Click here to download.

Race Travel Pack List

Ride-able

• Bike (kind of hard to go without it!)
• Spare tubes
• Tire levers
• Multi-tool
• Hand pump (assuming there will be many floor-standing pumps there)
• Grease for chain
• Bike lube
• Bike bag (rented or borrowed)
• Tools for assembling and dissembling the bike for transport

Wearable

• Helmet
• Racing kit
• Cycling cap
• Cycling gloves (full finger and half-finger, depending on weather)
• CX shoes
• Sunglasses (with clear and tinted lenses)
• Dope socks -- might need a new pair to match my new shoes!
• Rapha Chamois cream - my go to choice for keeping my bits + pieces happy
• Sunscreen
• Extra hair elastics
• Deodorant
• Change of clothes for post-race

Eatable

• Clif Bloks - Energy blocks in Black Cherry
• SKRATCH Labs electrolyte mix in Raspberry
• 2x water bottle
• Handful of protein bars and energy bars
• Post race recovery drink mix

Other

• Registration documents
• Garmin (and charge cord)
• UCI Licence
• Government ID
• US$ Cash
• Health care card
• Extended insurance card
• Camera
• Extra safety pins for race bib
• Baby wipes (redneck shower: to clean off sweat and chamois cream)

 Day of Race

There are a few rituals which I have developed for myself, and they seem to work for me. Obviously, race day rituals will be different for everyone.

Eat a Balanced Breakfast

I like to have some slow digesting carbs, lean protein and start getting the electrolytes into my body. Especially with the Vegas heat, fluids will be essential. I usually start the day with some oatmeal topped with fruit and nuts, and a protein drink. I love using XX milk chocolate protein powder; it blends in really well and doesn't have a sweet aftertaste.

Keep My Body Fuelled

I eat a lot more on the days leading up to the race than normal. On race day, I aim to keep my carbohydrate store stocked up, and I keep carb-loaded snacks with me to enjoy throughout the day. I make sure to give my body a bit of time to digest the last carb snack, 2 hours or so seems to work for me. I consume lots of water and electrolytes, so much so that I have to pee constantly.

Bike Check

Though I will have been on my bike the day before the race, I like to give it one last check over on the day of. This leaves time for surprises and fixes if something arises. I don't adjust my tire pressure until after I have checked out the course and have done a course pre-ride. A habit I've learned from my partner is giving my bike a good wipe down, to remove and dust, dirt or lingering crud...it's nice showing up to the race with a sparkling clean bike.

Pre-Race Check

• Kit on
• Number pinned
• Tire pressure checked
• Garmin on bike
• Any food/fuel I need in my pockets
• 1/2 hour warm up completed
• Know where the start-line is

 Well, these are all the things I make sure to go through before I get out to race. I find I'm always learning new tricks from other racers and team members, and from trial and error. What do you do to prepare before a race? Show me your pre-race prep via Instagram (@katrinnalouise) by using the hashtag #cxraceprep and I'll showcase my favourite ideas here on the blog.