Goldsprints and a Race Report

Last night was our cycling team party and we had Goldsprints.  What are Goldsprints?

• Two bikes are placed on rollers side by side, the rollers are connected to a large clock with two hands. Each hand represents the progress being made by one of the two cyclists and the first cyclist to get their hand to go all the way around the clock (representing 500m) wins the race.
  

Oh man, what crazy fun! 

I'd never done them before and I had to go up against Brooke, our team brewer, in a beer sprint. [On "GO", you must chug a cup of beer and throw the cup down before starting sprinting.] Damn! I used to be able to chug quite well in college, but doing it and then trying to sprint 500 meters on a fixed gear bike was just a little hard. Ever try burping when you are spinning 120 rpms at max effort? Doesn't work so well and I was thinking for a minute that the beer might come back up, but it didn't. Brooke had her beer downed before me and I couldn't make up the time on the bike. I definitely want a rematch. Just not on the night before a cross race! Plus, sprinting in jeans and tennis shoes isn't the most comfortable or aerodynamic! Oh yeah, I'd done a long ride Saturday afternoon too, so my legs were a little tired.

Today was the last cyclocross race for the CCCX series. In order to place in the series (7 races), you had to race and finish the finale. Low score (or a missed race) from races 1-6 was thrown out. I was sitting in 3rd place in the women's +45 division, so I had to finish. Where I finished didn't really matter as 4th was too far behind, unless I got a zero for the day. That's a good thing since I woke up with TIRED legs! But hey, it's cross! Suck it up and race.

I left SF and it was nice and sunny, but cold (50F?) I got down to Ft. Ord and got ready. Ren and I did the first couple of laps in base layer, jersey and arm warmers, but as it got closer to race time, the temperature shot up and we started stripping clothes. Later the news said it was 75F. Just a beautiful day! 

The course was the reverse of the other two times we'd raced there, with a lot of turns, lots and lots of turns. We started on the road, so it was a sprint to start, then a hard left turn onto the dirt. Ren and I went to pre-ride the course before the race and the first part was fine--back and forth and a couple of 180 degree turns, nothing too difficult. We then went up on the field where people were parked, so a crowd at the first set of barriers. Over them and then a short, steep downhill and a bumpy, loose dirt uphill to a barrier, then a short steep runup. Back on the bike and then a long uphill in the dirt. I was in my smallest gear and not going too fast. Up this hill six times and I was able to ride it four times. Twice I got into the really loose dirt and all of a sudden, wasn't going anywhere.

At the top of the hill there was a bit of a downhill (loose dirt and sand!), then another long uphill, though not as steep, so this one was OK. Then it was back down the hill and there were some ruts and loose dirt, so a couple of times going down this section I had a bit of a high heart rate from skidding around. And quick two 180 degree turns, then another downhill on the gravel and a left turn/right/left turn off camber combo and the last left was a bit of a drop. On the pre-ride, Ren was behind me and it's probably good since if I'd been by myself, I might have stopped and freaked out. Instead, I said, "OH S&#!" to myself and just went for it. I made it through OK five of the six times. The third (of four) time through in the race, my bike just didn't want to make the left at the bottom of the hill and I went straight through the tape, heading right for the EMTs and their truck. They jumped up and helped me get untangled and said they'd tie the tape back up and I was on my way. Around the picnic area, downhill, over another barrier, slight uphill past the finish line, another 180 turn and another slight downhill, off camber, up, more turns, down, up, over the double downed telephone poles, lots more turns and back up the hill to the road for another lap.

I finished, which meant 3rd place in the series. A big plaque, a t-shirt and and IOU for a bunch of strawberries. Rod and Keith are the best race directors and their races are a blast. They put on mountain bike races, so I might have to try one this spring. The Mice had all three women on the podium today in three separate categories, so it was a good day!

Now, it's time to focus on the road and the track. And a little run and swim training too.