Thanks to Allison Mann for the photo
I was really excited for the Pro XCT/Bonelli Park weekend to show up. I knew that I'd get to watch and meet some of the big time pro racers and that I'd get a chance to work on getting my pro license.
Saturday I showed up in time to watch the pro women warm up then line up. Just watching them at the start line made me so nervous. It was as if I was going to be racing too, elevated HR and pre-race jitters. Since I've raced with a handful of them, my body assumed I was going to be racing with them. But what a powerful front line: Georgia Gould, Lea Davidson, Krista Park, Heather Irmiger, really I should name every one of them. They are all amazing. Georgia ended up crushing the race, crushing it for real. She took off about 5 minutes into the race and increased her gap every single lap. It was unreal to watch. Lea chased super hard, but never closed the gap. They did 6 laps, so we got to watch them come through the feed zone frequently. Sarah, Kelsy, Amanda, and Lydia all did really well with strong finishes.
The men's race was equally exciting, with Jeremiah Bishop taking the win.
While watching the races I got to know Justin and Alison Mann, both great riders. Allison should've been racing with the pro women, but is sitting out due to an injury.
My race the next day went really smooth. I had a plan and stuck to it. I wasn't sure what to expect out of the other Cat 1 women. I was warned about Heidi Volpe; Lynda & Sarah both said she was crazy fast, had really strong technical skills and would put up an aggressive race. That was all true. She & I sat in behind another girl for the first lap. We were trying to assess the field and race. After the first lap I got out in front and pushed it until the finish. I came across the finish line first in the Cat 1 women's field.
The course was more technical than any I can remember. There were short, punchy climbs and a few steep drops. Luckily, the Cat 1 course had a 2 mile loop that I could put in some big chain-ring time, because the other 3 miles were mainly small chain-ring, short climbs, short descents with lots of obstacles.
There were two lame things I did race day. First, I forgot to remove the ear warmer I wore during warm up. It was around my neck during the race, I couldn't feel it and discovered when I was done racing. No, it's not a new fashion, just me being a nerd. Second, I missed the podium announcement. I realized it about 2 minutes too late, they let me stand up there alone, but I missed the announcement. Kind of rude move on my part, but it was completely unintentional.
A few friends on have asked why I'm sandbaggin' in the Cat 1s. Well, a USA Cycling license wasn't required at any of the races I did last year. So I wasn't collecting points or podiums that would count towards a pro license. This year I wanted to do some true Pro races, so I have to get my license. Unfortunately, they don't let you petition for a pro license. You have to place top 3 at a USA Cycling sanctioned races. There are only a handful of races to chose from. Hence, the reason I raced Cat 1 at Bonelli Park. So now, everyone keep your fingers crossed for me. I've petitioned and am hoping to have it for Fontana in 2 weeks. I'd much rather not be a sandbagger for two races. I might make some enemies, unnecessarily!
Sweet trophy