Race Report: Tidewater Classic - My First Cycling Race

It was raining for my first triathlon, my first post-high school 5k, my graduation, and every first day of the semester for the past six years; therefore it is only fitting that my first cycling race this past weekend was met with chilly temperatures and a torrential downpour (needless to say, I will not be planning an outdoor wedding when that time comes).  After effectively avoiding a crossover from triathlon into cycling (admittedly my strongest of the three sports)for the past few years, I was finally talked into a 21 mile road race in Williamsburg, Virginia during my most recent trip to visit Ian (hey – if he was willing to fly my bike, I suppose I was willing to race it). 

Going into the race, I was a little nervous.  I was terrified of tight formations, sprints and surges (not my strong point), and remembering the etiquette of road racing.  However, I tried to avoid expectations and simply enjoy myself.  Lined up at the start line, it was pretty obvious that this crowd doesn’t see a whole lot of new faces in the female divisions (I don’t think I’ve been hit on that much since 2007 when I was the token blonde girl in a small Italian village) which helped to distract me and calm my nerves a little.  During the roll out, I did my best to lay low and settle into the pack and to then find a position near (but not at) the front once the real race started – I did NOT want to establish myself as the newbie triathlete who was willing to pull everyone for 20 miles only to get destroyed at the finish.

Obviously this is one of the men's races, 

but you can see how beautiful the day and road conditions were.

After about five or six miles, however, I started getting bored.  Realizing I was at a conversational pace and that most of the group was still together in one pack, I surged ahead and took the lead.  At this moment, I had major delusions of grandeur.  I pictured myself riding away from the pack and finishing the race minutes ahead of the rest in a wave of glory.  Unfortunately, when I surged ahead, about half of the group went with me.  After about 5-6 more miles, we entered our second loop and a few girls flew past me.  Suddenly, the game of draft legal cycling started to get fun.  Surging ahead to catch them, the ride became as much tactical as speed (which was only magnified by the fact that the rain now made it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead of you).  As we neared the finish, I used all any knowledge of draft legal racing that had been spewed at me by Ian over the last year and took a spot near (but not at) the front of the pack.  Finally, the finish line was in view.  With the final stretch on an incline, I had a distinct advantage over the sea-level girls and I sprinted my booty off across the line.  Much to my surprise, I looked around and realized I had come in first place among the cat 3-4 women!

After soft-peddling back to the car, I quickly changed into dry clothes and collected my winnings (a leftover William and Mary Cycling sweatshirt – best prize ever because it helped warm me up).  I was tired, freezing, hungry, and hooked.  After coffee and iHop breakfast, my elevated spirits were even higher!  Did I probably get lucky in placing as well as I did?  Yes, definitely.  Does it matter?  No.  I had an absolute blast and enjoyed the adventure of stepping out of my box a little (because learning to drive stick shift this week and proceeding to do so by myself in rush hour Virginia traffic wasn’t enough of an adventure).  I’m sure I’ll never just transition to being “just” a cyclist – I get bored way too easily; but I think I’ve found a new and fun way to race/train during the off season.  I’ve already started searching for some Colorado road races and can’t wait to get back out there!

You get some great looks in the airport when flying with 

your bike, suitcase, carry-on, and guitar. Oof!

Inspiration

Last summer as I was gearing of for Boulder 70.3, my swim coach, Reu, had a little visualization talk with me.  He told me to pick an object which would inspire me to keep working and push through when the race got tough or when I was feeling mentally or physically tired (he personally things of his awesome yellow motorcycle helmet).  I thought and thought about my options for an inspiring object.  I eventually settled on the image of my dad’s sailboat slicing through the waves.  This image work and I drew it to mind throughout the race but something just wasn’t right.  I knew there was a better option out there but I just couldn’t bring it to mind. 

Fast forward a few months.  My friend Megan and I were climbing out of my car when she said, “Oh hey, I have something for you” and handed me a little pink Oakley for Young Survival Coalition (YSC) pin.  YSC is a program which supports young women diagnosed with breast cancer (check it out at http://www.youngsurvival.org/), an issue which has become extremely close to my heart over the past few years.  It is easy to make our mothers/grandmothers/aunts the face of breast cancer as they are who paint the ads when we walk for the cure or outfit our football players in pink for the month of October.  However, to me, the face of breast cancer is a little bit different.

Love this jersey – made by Giant and supports YSC

Two years ago, I sat quietly in the back of Research Methods in Music Therapy class as the professor had us all introduce ourselves (name, hometown, and fun fact about us).  I was fully engrossed in the contents of my planner when from the front row a tall, beautiful girl with short platinum hair containing a purple streak said, “Hi, I’m Megan, I’m from Naples, Florida, and this is the first semester at CSU I’ve started with hair.” I later found out that Megan had been diagnosed at age 21 with Stage IV breast cancer (contrary to my original suspicion that she was just crazy and liked to shave her head from time to time).  I didn’t spend much, if any time, getting to know Megan that semester but we ended up rooming together the next fall at national conference, which I attended and she presented at.  We hit it off immediately.  A few months later, through a series of serendipitous events, we ended up going to Vegas together for spring break.  The trip was full of adventures and shenanigans which I will not go into on a public forum, but the point is that we became fast friends.  Ever since, we have been all but inseparable. 

Megan and I in Las Vegas

On February 7^th, Megan celebrated her 5 year cancerversary: a day which doctors told her she only had a 15% chance of ever seeing.  The importance of that day cannot be stressed enough.  However, to me, the amazing thing is not that Megan has survived the last five years but that she has truly been alive.  No one would blame her for being angry and cynical, for dropping out of school, for staying in bed every crummy day, or for becoming a hermit (goodness knows I hole up at the slightest sniffle).  Instead, Megan has one of the sweetest and cheeriest dispositions I have had the pleasure to encounter, she has stayed in school and is committed to finishing her degree no matter what the obstacles, she’s always down to go get breakfast/dinner/froyo, and is one of the best dancers in the continental United States (an activity which she views as therapeutic). 

Celebrating Megan’s Cancerversary

Besides being one of my dearest friends, Megan serves as an incredible inspiration to me and has inadvertently become my motivation in triathlon.  Whenever I dread a workout, I am grateful that my body allows me to workout.  If I am tired, I think about the exhaustion that those who undergo cancer treatment must feel.  When the fight for the finish line feels long or seems distant, I think about how short and easy it is compared to a five year battle. 

Hairs growing back - BOOM

As I head into my next season, I have no doubts as to what my “inspiring object” is.  My pink pin will be affixed to my transition bag and I’m hoping to get my hands on a sticker for my bike (maybe even some temporary tattoos).  But the truth is, that object isn’t motivating at all, it is the woman that pin represents who inspires me every day.  Thank you Megan for being the beautiful human being that you are.  I love you and congratulations on your five year cancerversary!  P.S. I can’t wait for next month’s round two in Vegas! J

Triathlete Wisdom from Superbowl Sunday

Ah here it is, one of the most celebrated American holidays is once again upon us: Superbowl Sunday.  Now, many athletes, especially endurance athletes, seem to hold a bit of animosity towards the big boys who throw around a prolate spheroid and knock each other over.  And I get it, I’m as annoyed as the next guy when I see one of our CSU players scoot by on his stipend-funded moped to his scholarship-funded class despite their inability to win a game while my nationally competitive teammates and I struggle to be granted pool time.  But I digress.  The truth is there are several lessons we can learn from football.  Of course there are the obvious lessons (the importance of coaching, offseason can determine the season, the agony of injury, comeback kids, etc), but there are others as well.  So, kick back with some beer and wings this afternoon and be prepared for some football wisdom.

Do it for the love of the game

Brett Favre got a pretty bad rep when he retired for the millionth time from the Packers only to take on a few more seasons as a Jet and then as a (gasp) Viking.  As a Wisconsinite, I get that this was practically a mortal sin.  However, I get it.  To me, it always seemed as though Brett wasn’t playing for the fame or for the money (after all, he has that illustrious Wrangler endorsement) but instead for the love of the game.  As he got older, he simply couldn’t give up on the game, the way many of us can’t imagine a life without multisport.  As a triathlete, I try to remember that I’m in this not for a plaque or medal but because I love it and, like Favre, I will do whatever it takes to stay in my game.

Poor Guy didn't get a lot of love after he left

There’s a place for all shapes and sizes

Football players come in all shapes and sizes from Gilbert Brown at 6’2” and 340 lbs to Jim Leonhard at 5’8” and 185 lbs.  Each player offers a specific asset based on his body.  At the starting line of a tri, it is always amazing to see the differences in bodies.  Some athletes are tall and lanky while others are short and stacked – each offering its own specific set of advantages.  Personally, I sometimes get down on myself because I am not as thin as the “typical” female triathlete.  However, I try to remember that my shoulders help me swim and my big quads help me ride.  As in football, we need to start seeing our bodies for all they do for us instead of how to fit a mold.

Ian and my bike side by side (and this is the larger of my bikes)

The game is played from start to finish

Everyone remembers that Hail Mary touchdown or an amazing sprint finish.  But the truth is, games are often won or lost by plays in the early and middle parts of the game (think: certain missed Bronco’s field goal in this year’s playoffs).  In a tri, it is easy to settle in or not push in the swim or in a transition because there is still plenty of race left.  But the truth is that every moment is a part of the race and should be treated as such.

We can all be friends here

One of my favorite moments of a football game is immediately after the game when players from opposing teams greet and embrace one another.  There always appears to be friendly banter as though happy to see a friend despite the loss of the game.  In triathlon, we develop an awesome community.  Out on the course your main objective is to beat that guy/girl but that should never stop us from sharing post-race meals and laughs with that person no matter who climbs the podium.  I love seeing the friendly banter between pro’s on Twitter.  Obviously, these people compete against one another but they also share a sense of camaraderie and true friendship. 

Gomez and Brownlee immediately after the 2012 Olympic race

Success doesn’t necessarily equal respect

Yes, sometimes the bad guy does win.  However, it only takes mention of players such as Michael Vick or Ray Lewis to realize that the athletic success of these players does not mean we respect them.  I personally respect Packers Aaron Rodgers and Donald Driver for their humble and respectful demeanors and would do so win or lose.  In triathlon, I don’t care who crosses the line first; I respect the athletes who play fair, who are kind and respectful before/after the race, who are humble, who thank volunteers, and who have a smile on their face.

Goldenboy Rodgers has bought my friends drinks and dates girls who have never heard of him while Driver has written thank-you letters to fans and the state of Wisconsin. <3

Being a bully doesn’t pay off

Two words: Detroit Lions.  This team is notorious for bully-like behavior such as the 2011 Thanksgiving game stomping incident of Suh on Dietrich-Smith.  Yet the Lions went 4-12 this season.  Ouch.  In triathlon, you can do some pretty awful things.  You can mess with bikes in transition, steal from transition, throw unnecessary elbows, purposefully draft, cut someone off, the list goes on.  But these things don’t really make you win in the long run.  The only way to the top is through hard work, dedication, talent, and luck – so you might as well be nice while you’re at it!

Not everyone can win – and that’s ok

Two teams play in the Superbowl and only one of them wins.  Each season, 31 teams will not be named champions.  Yet, we still love our teams.  On the morning of January 13^th, I woke up still a Packer fan and my Colorado friends and neighbors were still Bronco fans.  There’s even a sect of Americans who, despite all evidence to not be, are Miami Dolphins fans.  We don’t love our respective teams based on their record.  In fact, most people can’t even explain why we love our team; we just do.  In that respect, our friends and families love us for who we are and will do so no matter how long it takes to cross a finish line.  It is easy to place value on ourselves based on our successes or failures but the truth is that these events are secondary all secondary. 

So there it is, lessons from Superbowl Sunday: love the sport, love your competitor, and love yourself.  And, oh yeah, GO PACK GO!

Superbowl 2011