County State Park with 6 Expert women on the start line. A couple of the girls came up from Kentucky since this race served as the “Kentuckiana Championship,” an inventive ploy to get more racers at events.On the start line, I got that sinking feeling in my stomach that my laziness and carefree riding of late was going to get me. My confidence was low—sometimes I’m easily intimidated. So, the goal for this race was to beat last year’s time of 1 hour 39 minutes 51 seconds.
We started in the grassy field at the trail head of the north parking lot. Instead of taking said trail to the top, we had the privilege of climbing the paved, STEEP road all the way to the North Tower entrance to the trail. Granted, it’s not steep all the way, but the incessant climbing doesn’t do much for my attitude. Just before I entered the trail, my dad & step mom were cheering me on. Too cool.
I was in 5th when I entered the woods (not counting the super fast Sport riders who had beat me up the hill). However, in the first ½ mile, an Expert rider had gone down. She was off the trail when I went by but quickly passed me again. Argh! For some reason, there seems to be a lot of pressure when it’s your home course and everybody expects you to do well. (I know, it’s imagined.) Nevertheless, I feel like I should perform better for some reason.
At the bottom of the North Tower Loop, about 4 miles in to the race, I spotted my husband and threw my sunglasses off in the grass; I was having trouble seeing the trail. Of course, that could have been from the lack of oxygen in my brain.
Then we started on the Aynes Loop—the one with the long climb that just sucks everything out of the legs. Yep, I was in the granny gear cross chaining b/c I knew I would need it for the steep parts. I tend to pedal smaller gears with a faster cadence; especially on the first lap. I didn’t want to burn my legs on the first climb knowing I would have to do the hill again. Near the top was a competitor off her bike gasping for breath. Huh—local knowledge may have come in to play. Did she go too hard too fast? Not pace herself good enough? I didn’t care. I just went by her.
I made it down the other side of the hill and through the straight section by the creek only to catch another one on the hill to the connector. I made it by her and made a mental note to step it up so she couldn’t catch me.
I started the second lap relaxed and ready to do it all again while focusing on my time. On the North Tower Loop, I see the girl in second place, Melanie Rogers. Melanie pounded me last year at Warsaw and in the Iceman, so I’m stoked to be this close to her. I gave chase and seemed to be 20 seconds or so behind her at all times. During this section, my chain came off once and I lost several seconds from chain suck, or something similar—I couldn’t pedal at all. Weird. I got off the bike, shifted, and pedaled by hand. All was well. Again—weird. So, I managed to catch up with her again on the downside of the Aynes Loop. Every time she saw me, she would find a reserve of energy and take off. You know how drivers do in movies when they are neck-in-neck—one of them will shift and find some extra power to inch away? Kind of like that.
I caught her on the last climb. I was breathing down her neck almost touching tires, but I couldn’t muster actually passing her. The new tactic would be to hang on her wheel to the finish and sprint for it. How exciting! She was choosing the best lines in the downhill and not giving up any time. Her speed and my speed were equally matched. Coming out of the woods and into the finish area, I was still on her wheel but clipped a log with my pedal. My foot came out and I couldn’t get it back in. Had my cleat been stripped off? I turned the pedal over, still nothing. We turned into the grassy field coming to the finish line, and I still couldn’t get my #$%^@ foot in the pedal! Needless to say, she pulled away from me and won my 3 seconds. I finished with one foot in. I checked my cleat after the finish—it was still there.
So, the lingering question, “Could I have beat her in the sprint?” Hell yeah, I could have and would have. But the world will never know. Final results: Heather C, first (by 7 minutes); Melanie R, second (by 3 seconds); Angela Breeden, third--$25 richer (2 minutes faster than last year’s time). What a tremendous day!
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