Any member of Team CF who signs up for TSE will be afforded the following perks:

1. Our coach Chris Eatough will provide you with a training plan.
2. As a member of the Team, you will be provided with access to a password protected blog to ask Chris Eatough and Chris Beck questions related to your preparations for the race.
3. Team CF will have mechanical support for the race and possibly dedicated support at the check points.
4. You will be provided free of charge a “Team CF” travel duffel bag – still under development but should be available by March 1.

Come join us for the experience of a life-time and an opportunity to hang out and race with our Elite athletes. Please note that registration dues increase on January 31st.

Halfway through Holiday Break, I packed up and headed to Chicago for the last two races of the season before Cross Nationals.  I knew it would be good to get some races under by belt before driving to Madison the following Wednesday and a golf course in Chicago seemed like a great place to do so.  Both days of racing turned out to be incredibly hard days with epic conditions.  Who knew a golf course could provide such challenging conditions for racing?  The course was basically the same both days; lots of twists and turns, some sandpits, two solid run up/ride-ups and a TON of super deep mud.  I finished fourth both days, losing third place with a lap to go on day 1.  By Sunday night,  I was totally spent; the super deep mud had sucked all life from my legs.  We headed into the city of Chicago for a few days of fun and relaxation before heading to Madison.

Nationals –Masters Race

I headed to Madison on Wednesday to get ready for the Master’s race on Friday.  My goal was to make the top 3 and I knew I’d have my work cut out for me, with several of the ladies I’ve raced with all season contenting for the tops spots.  I had no idea what to expect but was really excited about the course conditions when I pre rode on Thursday.  The course was super muddy with lots of super wet sections and tons of greasy corners.  By the time our race rolled around on Friday, the course had tried out to a torturous state of peanut butter mud on many of the long straightaways.  I knew I was in for a challenge.  The gun went off and I got a great start.  We hit the first section of super thick mud and my legs felt like they were going to explode.  I was sitting in the top 3 but knew I had some racers coming for me hard.  I worked hard to ride smooth and composed.  With two laps to go, I moved into second place.  Andrea Smith was in first and pretty much out of sight.  I knew I needed to keep pushing hard, as Crystal was chasing me down hard and fast.  With a lap or so to go, Crystal came ripping by me like I was standing still.  As we headed into the last lap, I worked hard to close the gap between she and I but ran out of room to do so.  I finished third and was pumped to have met my goal.  Carolyn finished fourth and I was really excited that we were both on the podium!

On the Start Grid before the Masters' Race. Everyone's ready to tear limbs off.

Nationals – the Elite Race

The Elite race at Nationals would mark the last race of my season.  I’d worked hard all season and had shown improvement throughout and was hoping to finish the season with a top 15 result.  I felt okay warming up, but not totally fresh.  I hoped I’d loosen up once the race began and some of my prerace jitters subsided.  Not so much the case…. After one lap, my legs felt heavy and dead.  As  I passed through the finish area, I was praying I’d see 3 laps to, since we’d already been racing for almost 11 minutes.  I knew I was in trouble but tried to stay positive and hoped I’d only feel better as the race went on.  Sadly, the longer the race went on, the worse I felt and the further back I moved.  I had one big crash that sent my flying out of the top 15 and into the top 25.  I fought hard on the last lap to at least make the top 20 but crossed the line in 21^st place.  Not the finish I was hoping for by any means. 

After a bit of sulking and some time to reflect, I turned my frown upside down.  Even though the season wrapped up with a disappointing result, all of my other results were on par, or better than expected.  I have a lot to be proud of and have improved a ton this season.  I wanted to improve all of my finishes this year and I did that.  I’d hoped to finish in the top 3 at a UCI race and I did that… in fact I scored my first two UCI wins at back to back races in some epic conditions of mud and pouring rain at Beacon and Highland Park.   It seems fitting that my first UCI win be at Beacon – it’s by far my favorite course of the season and I count down the days until we race there each and every year!  I had no mechanicals all season (thanks Dan and the boys at Bicycle Therapy).

I had a TON of fun this season.  I loved every minute of travel and every ounce of racing and training this season.   I got to know some of the ladies I race with better and have some really fun people to travel with in the future seasons.  I am lucky to be a part of a sport that is so supportive and such a strong sense of family; the Midatlantic folks are always there to help each other out it makes racing so much less stressful and more enjoyable.  To everyone who worked the pit for me, cheered for me, heckled me, and encouraged me – thanks! 

Now, I get to take a few weeks off the bike and hope to track down a few piles of stuffed French toast, some Cinnabons, an ice cream cone or two, and accomplish all of the household projects that have been mounting since September.  Heck, I might even offer to make dinner once a week for a little bit.  (Let’s be honest… by this I mean I’ll order take out for Mara and I.)  Thanks for reading… see you in February!

Video: Masters Women 30-34
Video: Junior 15-16
News: Junior 15-16

Full coverage of the USA Cyclocross Nationals on Cyclingdirt

Let’s sum it up:

1. I don’t like this race to be so pushed back after the summer racing season
2. I don’t like cold weather
3. I don’t like flattish course
4. I don’t like the mass start where everybody is fighting for position

But I know exactly what I dislike the most: being 7 minutes behind the winner’s time at the 2010 Iceman. This year, it was all about redemption and finish 3 minutes or less behind the winner.

The preparation to the Iceman started back early September; instead of completely stop riding after the last N.U.E. race. I kept the legs spinning. By no mean, I can call this training. I was riding along having fun in the nearby parks that are Bloomer Park and Stony Creek Park. The trails there are not the most fun trails to ride in the nation but I challenge anybody to build better trails with the type of terrain we have. My hat down for the trail coordinators!

Now, two weeks prior to the Iceman, I beat myself to go back into training mode. The temperatures were already too cold for me to ride outside. When temps are in the 50°F and I am already a “no show”. Only one option: kill it on the trainer.

At the start line, I assessed my chances. I like to compare myself to a solar powered machine tuned for warm/hot temperatures. Well, the sun was out: Great! – Warm temps? Not quite to my standard but above average for that season: I’ll take it. Overall it should be a good day.

Every year, it seems that the competition intensifies. This year besides the regular faces, the Flueckiger Brothers racing on the World Cup Circuit were there…

I tried to ride closer to the front for this edition of the Iceman. Well, that is a skill I might never hone as I screwed up the start again and ended up around the 30^th position with 1 mile completed. From there, it was pretty much a long struggle for 2/3 of the way. Our group will pick up few strangled racers and they would eventually be able to connect to our group or be left behind. Mind you that nobody could reach back to our group and get away at the front.

When Troy Wells was in our group, he did an excellent work at the front. I envy his strength on the flat trails. I was seeing stars just by staying in his draft. I cannot imagine what kind of power he might have. He struggled a little bit in the climbs but was it because he is not such a good climber or because he pushed so hard on the flats?

At some point, we reached back to Matthias Flueckiger from the Trek World Cup team along with another Trek rider: Matt Shriver. They were not riding extremely fast and I ended up leading our group for a kilometer or so. At each uphill section I could either ride at front or cover attacks from both Matt. With only 3 kilometer to go, Nathan Guerra attacked as well and a group of 5 was spawn: Nathan Guerra, Isaac Neff, Matt Shriver, Matthias Flueckiger and I.

The spectators were very loud and numerous: it was great to focus on something else than the pain in the legs. I was riding behind Matthias and this kid is good! I was way pass my comfort level following him in the technical trail. Fortunately, the Specialized Stumpy 29 was keeping me upright and close to his wheel.

As we came to the sight of the finish line with 50 yards to go, I was satisfied finishing a couple of seconds behind Matthias. I settled to roll behind him. Sprinting is a dangerous maneuver and I did not feel to take any risk especially when I completed 99.9% without hurting myself. Why risk kissing the ground for a 19^th place rather than a 20^th place?

My mind was moving faster than my legs and with only 40 yards to go, I convince myself to try to out sprint him. When will be the next opportunity to beat a World Cup racer? I launched my sprint, came super close to nail him at the line.

I did not stay at the finish for the results or to know if I got in front of him or not. I just rolled to the bus shuttle that would bring me back to my car; 28 miles away from here. Only when at home, I realized that we were sprinting for 8^th place; not the 20ish position I thought we were. My late surge was not enough to beat Matthias however the results gave us the same finish time. To be honest I would love to see the photo finish just to witness how close it really was: my guess less than a tire width.

Anyway I was a little disappointed by myself: the price money for 9^th place is good enough to pay for gas; the money for 8^th would also have paid for my dinner! And there is no doubt in my mind, I had the legs to get it done. Overall I am very satisfied with my race result; it is well within the 3 minutes interval I gave myself (1min9s). Great time! I’ll race Iceman again if I have the opportunity.