Race report from the three rounds of the 2008 North Island XC Cup series, held January/February, 2008. Report written February 2008.
Wow. Three weeks of racing really flies huh? And it's not over yet - still got the National Champs in Wellington plus my major race for the season, Karapoti, to go! But here's a re-cap so far:
Race 1 - Opotiki:
Wow. Three weeks of racing really flies huh? And it's not over yet - still got the National Champs in Wellington plus my major race for the season, Karapoti, to go! But here's a re-cap so far:
Race 1 - Opotiki:
The course: 21km lap around forestry roads, sheltered undulating 'singletrack', down a few steep descents, and across a couple of dozen creek crossings.
How'd it go?: Had a good start and at one point was in the lead (for a few minutes near the start!), only to be passed by a few women who were stronger on the climbs. Nic passed me on the first downhill section, but I kept up with her through the singletrack for a good part of an hour before she crashed on a corner and I passed her to take the lead in my category. I enjoyed the next 5 or so minutes in the lead before Nic passed me again on a very steep DH section (which I was attempting to walk, then ride). After giving up on riding (turns out putting your weight waaay back on a steep slope but only using the front brake does not really provide much traction!), I ran down the rest of the section and tried to get on my bike quickly. Unfortunately, the mud in my cleats from running was stopping me from clipping in so I was descending the next section frantically trying to clip in my right foot. This in turn led to a nice tumble down the (near vertical) bank on the right side of the track as I realised I'd swung too much weight over to the right in my clip-in efforts. I tried to put my foot down to stabilise myself but it was too late. Off I tumbled - a couple of metres down the bank! Thank god for the trees and shrubbery that held myself and my bike up!. After trying to scramble unsuccessively up the bank while carrying my bike at the same time and yelling for help every minute or so (I knew the marshalls weren't too far away from where I crashed), I decided to get myself up and leave the bike down there. There wasn't much to grab onto - no roots or tree branches or anything, but somehow I managed to find something to support my weight and pull myself up. As I was just getting to my feet, a marshall was coming towards me, asking if I was alright. I said yup, but my bike is still down there! So he jumped down and fetched my bike for me (yay!), did another check to make sure I was OK, and off I went on my bike. In the 5 minutes or so it took for me to scramble up the bank and for the marshall to get my bike, two other women passed me, so I was hoping to catch them both. I managed to pass one of them a few minutes later, but I was beginning to lose concentration on the final couple of kms to put much of an effort in to catch the other. Ended up coming 2nd in Senior Women (5 minutes behind Nic), with the Masters woman who I couldn't catch finishing only 15 seconds ahead of me. Off to the first aid tent I went to treat the graze on my right knee and the rotor burn on my left knee!
Race 2 - Rotorua
The course: 3 laps (approx 8km per lap) of Rotorua singletrack - Nursery Rd, Genesis, Rock Drop, Challenge, Exit Jumps, and Old Exit.
How'd it go?: For some reason, I wasn't feeling the racing "buzz" that day. Maybe it was the busy week of riding? maybe it was the sulfur in the air which was playing up with my breathing? Not sure. But I really wasn't feeling that motivated that day. All the women started at once (U15, U17, U19, U23, Senior, Masters 1, 2,& 3) so it was quite busy up the Nursery Rd climb to be first to the singletrack. I didn't have a good start and got caught behind two people with no room to move on either side (or through the middle!) to pass them. The pinch climb into Genesis was a bit of a bottleneck and the people in front of me were walking, so I had to get off and walk also. Back on the bike at the top and I quickly caught up with someone ahead of me, sat on her back wheel for a little bit thinking "hmm.. can I go a bit quicker or should I sit here?" only to be passed by a line of women. Passed the woman in front after being passed by half a dozen or so people first, and set off on the singletrack, with others passing every now and again, until I felt like I was the last one left. I couldn't get much of a flow on through the undulating singletrack (but on the upside I nailed the techy DH section - although Nic did come flying past me at that stage - I didn't actually realise she was behind me until that point), pushing too big a gear in the wrong places, and too small a gear in others. By the end of the first lap, I was contemplating pulling out - I really wasn't having that much fun. But stubborn-ness (and the fact that I'd made the effort to get all the way up there!) set in, and I continued on my second lap (after a rather confusing feed-zone bottle changeover as I realised I was drinking with my right hand while trying to pick up a new bottle with my left hand! - duh Celia! just throw the old bottle away!). The second lap HURT. My lower back started playing up and I couldn't get any power into my legs. I was looking forward to the DH sections just to give my back a bit of recovery from the constant pedalling I needed to be doing. I saw Nic ahead a couple of switchbacks up on one section, so I knew I wasn't too far behind her, but with my lower back playing up when I tried to pedal harder, I knew I had to back off the intensity. The third lap was just tiring and ouchy and sore and I did it because I really didn't want to DNF. Any flat, straight piece of track and I was trying to sit up with one hand off the bars trying to stretch my back. After crossing the line at the end of the race in fourth place (3 minutes behind Nic), I was in a very grumpy mood, not to mention very, very sore. Scotty wisely took me back to where we were staying so I could have a shower and a sulk for a while.
Race 3 - Palmerston North
The course: 2 laps (approx 10km per lap) of K-loop. First half of each lap was a rocky, gradual climb to the top, then undulating singletrack with lots of corners and turns through trees and across a few short bridges, followed by a a quick descent (broken up with a couple of short climbs in between).
How'd it go? Honestly, after Rotorua, I wasn't really up for another race. With a sore back and difficulty sleeping for the week between Rotorua and Palmerston North, racing was beginning to lose the "fun" aspect, and was beginning to feel more like a chore. After the bad start to Rotorua (and to an extent, Opotiki, where I was also caught behind riders on the start climb), I was determined to get in a better starting position. Just U17, Senior Women and the Masters classes in our start wave (the U19s and 23s were to start in the afternoon), so less people than Rotorua on the start line. Was fourth to the singletrack, then proceeded to pass a couple of people (including Nic) to sit in second for a bit. Messed up a creek crossing and got passed by one person, messed up another creek crossing and got passed again by a couple of other women. Ah well - these things happen I suppose! I knew Nic was still behind me, so was determined to keep ahead. To the top of the 25 minute climb and it was time to go through the singletrack at the top. I'd been having trouble getting flow through this part on my practise laps so was hoping to not lose too much time on this. I made an effort not to look back in case I saw Nic right on my tail, but after climbing up a switchback and seeing her not too far behind, I put tried to put in bit more effort to keep ahead. Eventually she passed me on the main DH section towards the end of the first lap, but I was pretty stoked I managed to keep ahead for as long as I did! Through the start/finish area (thanks Scotty for telling me Nic was only a minute ahead!), and back into the climb for the second time. It hurt a bit more, and I was pushing a smaller gear than the first time up, but I made it up the hill (passing someone in the same spot where she'd passed me on the first lap - that felt good to do!), keeping an eye out for Nic in front. I finally spotted her through the top singletrack section, so continued on hoping I'd be able to catch her on the next climb. Unfortunately, I could see her near the top of the climb as I was approaching the bottom and knew that as soon as she hit the DH, I wouldn't have a chance to catch her. So the tactic went from trying to catch her to trying to post the fastest time I could (and to stay ahead of the person I'd passed on the climb), even though I'd only be in second place. Unfortunately, 5 minutes from the finish I decided to change lines halfway through a techy right-hand corner, messed it up, and ended up over the handlebars with the bike landing on top of me! Ouch. I quickly got up, made sure I could move, assessed the bike (yup, handlebars and stem straight, a quick turn of the cranks to get the chain back on), and back onto the bike. Realised I probably should've checked the brakes too before I mounted on the DH section, but luckily they were working! Took the rest of the DH a bit more conservatively than I did the first time and next thing I know, I was at the finish line, and only 2 minutes behind Nic this time.
All in all, I learnt a lot from the series and my road-trip family (Lisa, KC, Gav, Ricky, Connor, Scotty) about racing, riding, recovery, etc, etc. I'm still undecided as to whether I'll do it again next year. It was tough, and a bit of a reality check. There are LOTS of fast women out there! The up-and-coming Juniors are quick, and most posted faster lap times than I did. Even the Masters Women fields were pretty fast. I have to have a proper sit down and think after Karapoti (and probably over winter) about why I'm training and racing. I would like to get better and faster, but I don't want to feel like riding, training, and racing are things I "have" to do, not things that I "want" to do. Are "Nationals" really for me? Would I enjoy "participation" oriented events more, such as the Moonride and the Day Night Thriller? The North Island XC Cup was definitely a step up from what I'd been doing previously, riding Rec/Sport class in local events in Wellington (and Dunedin). Stepping up to Senior Women has been tricky, even with all the training. But it's three more weeks to Karapoti, so I better get out, ride my bike, and focus on the task at hand.
How'd it go?: Had a good start and at one point was in the lead (for a few minutes near the start!), only to be passed by a few women who were stronger on the climbs. Nic passed me on the first downhill section, but I kept up with her through the singletrack for a good part of an hour before she crashed on a corner and I passed her to take the lead in my category. I enjoyed the next 5 or so minutes in the lead before Nic passed me again on a very steep DH section (which I was attempting to walk, then ride). After giving up on riding (turns out putting your weight waaay back on a steep slope but only using the front brake does not really provide much traction!), I ran down the rest of the section and tried to get on my bike quickly. Unfortunately, the mud in my cleats from running was stopping me from clipping in so I was descending the next section frantically trying to clip in my right foot. This in turn led to a nice tumble down the (near vertical) bank on the right side of the track as I realised I'd swung too much weight over to the right in my clip-in efforts. I tried to put my foot down to stabilise myself but it was too late. Off I tumbled - a couple of metres down the bank! Thank god for the trees and shrubbery that held myself and my bike up!. After trying to scramble unsuccessively up the bank while carrying my bike at the same time and yelling for help every minute or so (I knew the marshalls weren't too far away from where I crashed), I decided to get myself up and leave the bike down there. There wasn't much to grab onto - no roots or tree branches or anything, but somehow I managed to find something to support my weight and pull myself up. As I was just getting to my feet, a marshall was coming towards me, asking if I was alright. I said yup, but my bike is still down there! So he jumped down and fetched my bike for me (yay!), did another check to make sure I was OK, and off I went on my bike. In the 5 minutes or so it took for me to scramble up the bank and for the marshall to get my bike, two other women passed me, so I was hoping to catch them both. I managed to pass one of them a few minutes later, but I was beginning to lose concentration on the final couple of kms to put much of an effort in to catch the other. Ended up coming 2nd in Senior Women (5 minutes behind Nic), with the Masters woman who I couldn't catch finishing only 15 seconds ahead of me. Off to the first aid tent I went to treat the graze on my right knee and the rotor burn on my left knee!
Race 2 - Rotorua
The course: 3 laps (approx 8km per lap) of Rotorua singletrack - Nursery Rd, Genesis, Rock Drop, Challenge, Exit Jumps, and Old Exit.How'd it go?: For some reason, I wasn't feeling the racing "buzz" that day. Maybe it was the busy week of riding? maybe it was the sulfur in the air which was playing up with my breathing? Not sure. But I really wasn't feeling that motivated that day. All the women started at once (U15, U17, U19, U23, Senior, Masters 1, 2,& 3) so it was quite busy up the Nursery Rd climb to be first to the singletrack. I didn't have a good start and got caught behind two people with no room to move on either side (or through the middle!) to pass them. The pinch climb into Genesis was a bit of a bottleneck and the people in front of me were walking, so I had to get off and walk also. Back on the bike at the top and I quickly caught up with someone ahead of me, sat on her back wheel for a little bit thinking "hmm.. can I go a bit quicker or should I sit here?" only to be passed by a line of women. Passed the woman in front after being passed by half a dozen or so people first, and set off on the singletrack, with others passing every now and again, until I felt like I was the last one left. I couldn't get much of a flow on through the undulating singletrack (but on the upside I nailed the techy DH section - although Nic did come flying past me at that stage - I didn't actually realise she was behind me until that point), pushing too big a gear in the wrong places, and too small a gear in others. By the end of the first lap, I was contemplating pulling out - I really wasn't having that much fun. But stubborn-ness (and the fact that I'd made the effort to get all the way up there!) set in, and I continued on my second lap (after a rather confusing feed-zone bottle changeover as I realised I was drinking with my right hand while trying to pick up a new bottle with my left hand! - duh Celia! just throw the old bottle away!). The second lap HURT. My lower back started playing up and I couldn't get any power into my legs. I was looking forward to the DH sections just to give my back a bit of recovery from the constant pedalling I needed to be doing. I saw Nic ahead a couple of switchbacks up on one section, so I knew I wasn't too far behind her, but with my lower back playing up when I tried to pedal harder, I knew I had to back off the intensity. The third lap was just tiring and ouchy and sore and I did it because I really didn't want to DNF. Any flat, straight piece of track and I was trying to sit up with one hand off the bars trying to stretch my back. After crossing the line at the end of the race in fourth place (3 minutes behind Nic), I was in a very grumpy mood, not to mention very, very sore. Scotty wisely took me back to where we were staying so I could have a shower and a sulk for a while.
Race 3 - Palmerston North
The course: 2 laps (approx 10km per lap) of K-loop. First half of each lap was a rocky, gradual climb to the top, then undulating singletrack with lots of corners and turns through trees and across a few short bridges, followed by a a quick descent (broken up with a couple of short climbs in between).How'd it go? Honestly, after Rotorua, I wasn't really up for another race. With a sore back and difficulty sleeping for the week between Rotorua and Palmerston North, racing was beginning to lose the "fun" aspect, and was beginning to feel more like a chore. After the bad start to Rotorua (and to an extent, Opotiki, where I was also caught behind riders on the start climb), I was determined to get in a better starting position. Just U17, Senior Women and the Masters classes in our start wave (the U19s and 23s were to start in the afternoon), so less people than Rotorua on the start line. Was fourth to the singletrack, then proceeded to pass a couple of people (including Nic) to sit in second for a bit. Messed up a creek crossing and got passed by one person, messed up another creek crossing and got passed again by a couple of other women. Ah well - these things happen I suppose! I knew Nic was still behind me, so was determined to keep ahead. To the top of the 25 minute climb and it was time to go through the singletrack at the top. I'd been having trouble getting flow through this part on my practise laps so was hoping to not lose too much time on this. I made an effort not to look back in case I saw Nic right on my tail, but after climbing up a switchback and seeing her not too far behind, I put tried to put in bit more effort to keep ahead. Eventually she passed me on the main DH section towards the end of the first lap, but I was pretty stoked I managed to keep ahead for as long as I did! Through the start/finish area (thanks Scotty for telling me Nic was only a minute ahead!), and back into the climb for the second time. It hurt a bit more, and I was pushing a smaller gear than the first time up, but I made it up the hill (passing someone in the same spot where she'd passed me on the first lap - that felt good to do!), keeping an eye out for Nic in front. I finally spotted her through the top singletrack section, so continued on hoping I'd be able to catch her on the next climb. Unfortunately, I could see her near the top of the climb as I was approaching the bottom and knew that as soon as she hit the DH, I wouldn't have a chance to catch her. So the tactic went from trying to catch her to trying to post the fastest time I could (and to stay ahead of the person I'd passed on the climb), even though I'd only be in second place. Unfortunately, 5 minutes from the finish I decided to change lines halfway through a techy right-hand corner, messed it up, and ended up over the handlebars with the bike landing on top of me! Ouch. I quickly got up, made sure I could move, assessed the bike (yup, handlebars and stem straight, a quick turn of the cranks to get the chain back on), and back onto the bike. Realised I probably should've checked the brakes too before I mounted on the DH section, but luckily they were working! Took the rest of the DH a bit more conservatively than I did the first time and next thing I know, I was at the finish line, and only 2 minutes behind Nic this time.
All in all, I learnt a lot from the series and my road-trip family (Lisa, KC, Gav, Ricky, Connor, Scotty) about racing, riding, recovery, etc, etc. I'm still undecided as to whether I'll do it again next year. It was tough, and a bit of a reality check. There are LOTS of fast women out there! The up-and-coming Juniors are quick, and most posted faster lap times than I did. Even the Masters Women fields were pretty fast. I have to have a proper sit down and think after Karapoti (and probably over winter) about why I'm training and racing. I would like to get better and faster, but I don't want to feel like riding, training, and racing are things I "have" to do, not things that I "want" to do. Are "Nationals" really for me? Would I enjoy "participation" oriented events more, such as the Moonride and the Day Night Thriller? The North Island XC Cup was definitely a step up from what I'd been doing previously, riding Rec/Sport class in local events in Wellington (and Dunedin). Stepping up to Senior Women has been tricky, even with all the training. But it's three more weeks to Karapoti, so I better get out, ride my bike, and focus on the task at hand.
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