Mt Hood

This weekend was the Mt Hood Cycling Classic. I don't know if you've ever seen Mt Hood, but it is absolutely gorgeous...when you can see it sans clouds. I certainly didn't see it (much) this weekend, but had a blast at my 2nd ever stage race. I raced for my team and for more experience. It was the most rain I have ever seen. Certainly if I wasn’t racing I would have never mounted my saddle!

The first day was a big learning lesson. I didn’t know the course (except by reading the race bible) and I let myself pull my teammates a little too hard, too soon and too long…and did the second circuit solo (losing 16 minutes on the GC) on the 40 mile stage with 4,000 feet of climbing.

The second stage on day two was an 11 mile TT and it was a total blast. The only issue was that out of the gate my wheel slammed against my chain stay rendering my bike useless until...(I since learned my TT bike has limit screws to prevent this from happening when you slam down hard on your drive train), I was forced to dismount my bike 10 feet from the start ramp…open my wheel skewer, reset it – consuming 50 seconds before I could mount my bike and head off the road passing the woman who started behind me…THEN four other women in front of me! (think Lance passing Jan and Basso on his ride after being let out of the shoot on Alpe D'Huez)! YES! By the looks of it, I would have been around 16^th in the TT. I felt great and I FLEW on my Rocket Cervelo P3!

Stage 3, with my team mate Lea close to the GC lead (actually in 2^nd place and me sitting at around 30^th)…I asked how she’d wanted me to work for her. She said blister the monster descent of sharp turns with wet roads because the other GC riders near her in time were afraid and would need to work hard to catch us (expending tons of energy). That is what I did. My mountain biking skills slammed the pack and I lead the break on the flats making all the others suffer – including myself (probably opening up a 20 second gap and attack by just my lines and modest pedaling). I had just enough energy left to finish the race (sacrificial lamb that I was) and make the 200 meters of 15% slope at the finish. WHEW!

It was fun except for the crazy rain on the two (2) road race days that took much out of me. It was a rush! Now back to work…AND I’m now headed to bed!