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Check back once a year to see MAYBE one additional blog post. Some topics may include, racing, training, and women's cycling in general.
New Team For 2017/2018 - The Meteor p/b Allied
Photo by Snowy Mountain Photography
Started the season off on a high note with a win. I got kisses from Sven Nys and all the tips he cared to share at the clinic the day before. First ride in my new The Meteor p/b Allied skin suit and it must have brought me some extra watts. Sven's podium technique was flawless.
Photo by Snowy Mountain Photography
A season in (quick) Review
I'm a little behind on catching up with my blog posts, aka completely behind, aka 1 year behind. I've come to the conclusion that I don't want to write long, blow by blow race reports that go into every nuanced detail of every race I do. Ain't nobody got time for (reading) that, including myself having the time to write them.
I do however try to take the time to take something away from each of my races. Something I've learned or gained from the experience. I'll endeavor to write something short for each of the races that I complete in 2017 (if there was something to be learned). For now I'll just list the races that I did this year;
- Trek CxC Cup Weekend
- Cross Vegas WC
- Jingle Cross WC
- Jingle Cross Sunday
- North Coast GP Weekend
- Major Taylor 'Cross Cup Day I
- 9 Chicrosscup races, including the State Championship
- Afterglow!
- Midwest Regionals
- Irish Nationals
That's a lot of racing, 25 races in all and up 8 races from last year. It included taking time off to go race 5 times in 3 states in 10 days. While the number of races I did was up, and it seems like my fatigue level should be up from last year, I actually feel significantly more rested and ready to tackle 2017 than I did last year at this point. While I still took a few weeks off from regimented training and caught up on things like laundry and chores, I am looking forward to the 2017 season already!
Nationals 2016
Photo by Sean Rowe
I arrived in Ireland a couple of days before Nationals, trying to balance the jetlag, work, and also enjoying my trip home. I felt very nervous in the weeks coming up to the race, with word coming through that Fran, last year's winner, would not be racing. I had high expectations, I wanted to win, I felt I could win, this would be my best chance.
My nerves were peaking just before the race with that sick feeling in my stomach, and in contrast I couldn't believe how relaxed and at ease Beth (the eventual winner) was. She turned to me just before the start, smiled happily and wished me a good race. At the time I was a bit miffed because the staging was a little all over the place. The race was staged by Ulster Series points so I wasn't even called out initially, after badgering the UCI official he declared I should start in the last row. I saw a friendly face, Loch Miwa (our local Chicago USACycling Official and now an Irish resident) who was there to grab my clothes from me as we got closer to the start, he was as confused as I was as to the starting order. Surely a national championship should be staged by UCI points, or by national ranking or some such system? It was my only fault with the race all day, it put me at a disadvantage as I would now have to work my way through 15-20 women to get to the front. To be honest it made me so mad that I started the race with a hot head, I was determined to show this UCI official what a real Chicago start was like, and I busted out to the start gate as fast as I could. I didn't slot into 1st as I had hoped, instead I found myself hurtling downhill through traffic and almost crashing and saving myself at least 4 times in the first 1/4 lap. Beth was back a little ways held up by two crashes, one of which was with myself when we chose two different lines and clashed, I was lucky to stay upright. Beth didn't take very long to get back to the front, and she took command of the race.
I pitted my bike 3 times, Kyle and Sean worked tirelessly in the pit to ensure I had everything I needed. Photo by Loch Miwa.
Meave O'Grady, Emily Birchall and myself tried to stay with her as she cruised past, she steadily rode her way away from us up the long climb to the finish on the first lap. Emily pinged back and forth, one second no where to be seen, the next right on my wheel and battling for 3rd, I had gotten pinged off myself a couple of times in the first lap. All three of us exchanged spots for a lap or two. Then it was Meave's turn to steadily ride her way away from me up the same hill that Beth had dropped us on. I gave my everything to close that gap, trying to come back to Meave, but she proved too strong. I was surprised to hear she had gotten a flat at one point, but luckily for her it was in the woods directly before the pit so it affected her minimally. Emily gave me a real scare on the final lap. Coming right back to my wheel and within a few seconds of me, I thought for a second that disaster was about to strike, but I pushed on, running the greasy switch backs which were one section that I was gaining time on everyone and opening back up a sizable gap. I could hear the announcer congratulating Beth at the top of the hill as I crossed the planks at the bottom. I crossed the finish line exhausted, the slow steady grind of Irish 'cross racing had taken it's toll on me, but I was quickly brought back to life when I saw my whole family cheering for me, the best reason to race at home.
Toast
A few hours later Kyle and I were sitting in front of a fire and had US nationals up on the TV. I watched as Kaitie Anntoneau rode an amazing race, one that she posted about after saying she had truly started the race determined to win, a feeling that she said has not come easily to her, it was refreshing to hear such an accomplished experienced racer say something like that. I am not alone in struggle to believe in oneself, believing that I can win a bike race is not an easy concept for me to grasp. I fear that if I truly believe I will win, I will not prepare myself mentally to dig as deeply as required to win, and then I will loose. So with that in mind I go into each race with the mindset of 'I will do well, I probably won't win, but I'll go as hard as I can'. I started the National Championships in this mindset, and I regret it. It's a tough concept to come to terms with, and something that I will have to change if I want to improve and grow as a rider.
“ For me, starting the National Championship race with the mindset to win is a huge win for me and a big jump forward mentally.”
I am not intending this post to be a negative one, far from it, I gave everything I had while we were racing. I was initially disappointed with the outcome, but with a few minutes perspective and hugs from my family, I knew that I had done well. I had ridden a clean race (hitting the deck only once in the conditions I consider to be clean) and had battled with some talented women in a cyclocross scene that is going from strength to strength. I came out of the race with a determination to do better next year, to take steps that would turn my short comings into strengths.
- Begin a rain dance for wetter weather here in Chicago and the Midwest
- Race more regionally, go after the tougher courses and the tougher competition.
- Squat, squat, squat
- Work on low cadence/steady sustained power, the Irish courses are the antitheses of the sprint and turn and sprint style of racing here.
- BELIEVE IN MYSELF. BELIEVE I CAN WIN.
While the race gave me personally a lot of food for thought, one thing I am sure of is that this was a fantastically well run event. I'd like to thank Martin Grimley, Lisa Millar, Dromara CC and the whole Nationals crew for putting on such a stellar race. The course was challenging, with leg breaking climbs, screaming slippy descents and plenty of opportunities to get rad and push your bike and your body to the limit. The pit was a thing to behold, the most Belgian-like race I've ever attended.
Battle with Emily Birchall for 3rd, Photo by Sean Rowe.
Emily ended up taking 4th, but first Junior on the day. I'd consider her the Junior girls National Champion, an amazing achievement for a 16 year old. I hope that she will get some recognition from Cycling Ireland of her achievements, she's a stellar bike racer in the making and will be on the top step in a few years I have no doubt. With the development of the U23 category at Worlds there is definitely an opportunity there for junior girls to test their talents at the highest level. I was glad to hear that David Conroy and David Montgomery have been selected to race, hopefully Cycling Ireland will build on this momentum over the next couple of years and a junior girls and women elite team will eventually be selected.
Meave O'Grady, Beth McCluskey, Myself, Photo by Sean Rowe
Proud parents. Photo by Loch Miwa
And now to enjoy a few weeks off. We started by climbing all the mountains we could while at home.
I'd like to say special thanks to Sean Daly, Martin Grimley, Lisa Millar, Dromara CC, Loch Miwa, Natalie Grieve & Caroline Martinez, DIRECTOR OF PMA Newton Cole, Comrade Cycles, Daphneak and Miatron, THE CHICAGO CUTTIN CREW, Chicago Sport Massage, Cathy Frampton, Luke Batten, Manuel Tenorio & Johnny Sprockets, Heritage Race Club, ELLA NEUROHR FOR BEING AN INSPIRATION AND A HERO, Dani and Tricia from TSH, The Chainlink, Snowy Moutain's Nathan and Morleigh.
Finally thanks to all of my friends and family who have flooded my facebook/social media/inbox with love and support.
Cross Vegas World Cup
AKA. Maria Stinks Up Vegas
It's very difficult to put into words the whole experience of my first World Cup race. As I sat on the toilet (lid closed) in my hotel room talking to Robin Amer of the Chicago Reader, it struck me that I was really there, really doing it, and having the same experiences as a professional athlete at a major bike race. Robin wrote a really nice piece explaining how I got to where I am today, and the challenges and successes I've faced on my way to racing Cross Vegas, you can read it; here.
Daphne and I arrived Monday night, bike box and multiple bags in tow. The race was to be Wednesday night, and we arrived two days early with what we thought would be a comfortable amount of time to get ourselves situated. Daphne was determined to give me the full experience and was taking her role as Soigneur very seriously.
Mia, my trusty mechanic and acting manager for the UCI, arrived the next morning. Despite waking up very early, a few key things set our schedules back. I was using Daphne's bike box which allowed for a very simple set up and minimal bike building if you have the right tools with you. Unfortunately I had neglected to pack a multi-tool that would make our lives easier, Mia thinking I had brought all of the tools required, also did not have one, so we were in a bit of a pickle. My preride was scheduled for 2-4pm so we began scrambling to find out who was staying in our hotel, and who could help us out. Thankfully there was a bike shop not too far off, so after an (interesting) cab ride, my trusted staffers got what we needed and Mia built up my brand new Kona Super Jake.
The recommended race hotel was located in the center of the Las Vegas strip, about 8 miles from the race location. I had not anticipated that the Las Vegas strip would be so car-centric, and a pretty inhospitable place to ride your bike. While out grabbing some food I ran into Lars Van Der Haar (on his bike) at a stop light, I realized very quickly I would be riding out to the race solo and I should probably hurry up as I was going to be late. With my bike together I threw on my Chicago Cuttin Crew kit, and practically ran out the door of the hotel room. Literally riding my bike out of the casino. I got turned around a few times on the large streets on the way to the race venue, almost ending up on a highway a couple of times, this was not the ideal build up to what I thought would be calm cool collected pre-riding.
When I eventually got to the Dessert Breeze Soccer Complex I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the whole experience. The stressful couple of hours before the preride meant that I was not in a good head space, and feeling very low confidence in my ability to ride, I felt like an impostor. I was also low on energy as I had rushed my lunch in order to get to the course more quickly. There were rows of staff from the Telenet-Fidea and Sunweb teams standing at all the most difficult sections of the course, not to mention all of my cyclocross heros sharing the course with me, everywhere I turned I felt like I was being judged, and being found wanting. I very rarely struggle with anxiety, at least the sort of anxiety that can lead to a panic attack, but I was being to feel like that was what was about to happen. I was being to doubt I could even do a proper remount in front of all these people. My breathing was getting fast and shallow and my chest was beginning to tighten, not good, not good at all.
Right at the moment when I thought I was finally going to actually have a nervous breakdown, I ran into Helen Wyman. I can easily say that talking to her and her husband Stef made my day. She was so relaxed and open, she stopped and chatted with me, complimented my Kona bike, we were riding the same type, and introduced me to the two other British riders that she was travelling with, Amira Mellor and Hannah Peyton, both super nice ladies, as well as the Australian National Champion Lisa Jacobs. It's amazing the difference a friendly face and a kind word can make to a nervous and overwhelmed Irish woman. I decided that I had to relax, I'm here because I earned my spot, just like everyone else. Despite what I initially thought, the other professional riders were just humans, humans who were experts at their jobs, but humans none the less. I had to begin to treat them as my equal, just as Daphne had reminded me time and time again. After that point things began to look up, the course was hard but very doable. Not technically very difficult as much as strength sucking and brutally exhausting. I nailed a few remounts and even rode up the sand steps a couple of times during the warm up, and just tried to block everyone else out, trying to focus on myself and my own race.
After the preride ended, I headed back towards the hotel for the rider confirmation and managers meeting. What a difference a tail wind can make, I flew back to the hotel, feeling strong again with the wind propelling me back towards the wacky world of the strip. I will say that despite my newly determined attitude towards my fellow competitors when I walked through the casino to the elevator lobby, and around the corner from the other end of the hotel came Tom Meesuen, I did feel slightly (completely) starstruck. Not only that, but the entire rest of the Telenet Fidea team turned the corner behind him, and within a minute we all were laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. 7 (what seemed like 15) cyclocross riders, and their bikes, a smoky casino in Las Vegas. What the hell were we doing here?? I chatted briefly with the guys and rode up in the elevator with them as the other hotel guests gave us weird looks, myself included. I was floating on high, to be lumped in with the bunch of tall gangly professional cyclocross racers. I sprinted back to my room to tell Mia and Daphne all the crazy things that had happened in just a few hours.
After our meeting with the UCI, we confirmed our pit location (lucky number 13) and picked up my numbers, we settled in to watching Forensic Files and an early night. The next day we got to the venue with plenty of time to spare. I had lots of chances to pre-ride the course, and was feeling better with each lap. We found a spot under a shady tree to set up the official Cuttin Crew base camp, which afforded us a perfect few of the whole lower section of the course. Nathan and Morleigh were at hand with everything a girl could need, clear lenses, sunscreen, documenting the whole experience.
Before I knew it I was at the start line. I could see Sanne Cant, Katie Compton, Katerina Nash, all of my heros right there in front of me. I felt proud to be there, and looking over at Daphne, I knew she was proud too. The whole beginning of the race was a blur, a complete rush, something I will never forget. The lights, the cheering crowd, wheels, bodies, my heart rate immediately peaked in the start loop. The race started so fast, the pack was spread across the course and there was simply no where for me to go. Starting at the back of a group of the most talented riders in the world means that even your hardest dig only moves you up a spot or two. The pack stayed together somewhat on the first lap, I tried to move up where I could and push myself as hard as I could. I knew the start would be fast, and extremely difficult for me, but I knew I just had to keep going, keep pushing. Every turn was a bottle neck, navigating the riders and the obstacles was a blur, everything was a blur. I eventually settled into my spot, trying to chase down the riders nearest to me, I traded back and forth with a couple of Canadian riders for a lap or two. Lap after lap I was expecting to get pulled, not because I felt I was riding badly, I felt I was actually riding well, not making big mistakes, no crashes, trying to attack out of every corner but because I knew what I was up against. When I saw 2 laps to go, I knew I could make it to the lead lap, that was my one tangible goal, I began to push hard again, simulating my final lap in order to make the cut. I desperately wanted to finish on the lead lap with the best women in the world. Unfortunately Katerina Nash had other ideas about my World Cup Goals, unbeknownst to me she put in a huge dig with 1.5 laps to go and began to open a huge gap to the group in second. I could see her off the front as I began to finish the second to last lap. Shit shit shit! I dug deep. I could see the Canadian rider Siobhan Kelly in front of me, a few turns away, I was maybe 10-20 seconds down from her. I saw her round the corner into the start chute the officials had waved her though. I really thought I had it, the officials were scrambling a little, and I yelled out 'CAN I GO THROUGH'. They crushed me a little as they held out that paddle with a little red circle. No dice. 1 lap down, I exited the course. I missed the lead lap by only a handful of seconds, and was first to be pulled with the 4 riders behinds me also being pulled. As crushed as I was not to make that lead lap, the feeling of disappointment quickly passed. I had given it everything I had, I just hadn't had quite enough. I knew that for my first UCI race, and for my first UCI World Cup I had done really incredibly well. I got nothing but positive responses from everyone who I met. The whole race atmosphere was electric, and I heard nothing but well wishes and compliments over my kit, and shouts of 'MARIA STINKS'.
At long last I felt I could relax. I sipped some birthday (I frequently forgot about this fact) champagne that had been chilling in the Oakley VIP area that Bud Reeder had guarded with her life and celebrated the day with friends.
There are countless people to thank for getting me to this race. In no particular order I'd like to thank; Comrade Cycles, Chicago Sport Massage, Johnny Sprockets, Srammies; Mike Phillips & Mike Hemme, Matt Schweiker, Sage Hahn, Tim Holt, David Reyes, my teammates at the Cuttin Crew, Frankie Reynolds (for our celebratory champagne), Heritage Race Team, Newtron Cole, Snowy Mountain Photography's Nathan and Morleigh, Brett and Yasmeen from The Chainlink, Tenspeed Hero, Robin Amer, Lindsay Knight, Sarah Szefi, Rawny Semba, Caroline Martinez, Ryan Connor, Robin Seymour, Martin Grimley.
I'd like to thank Cycling Ireland for giving me this chance to compete at the highest level. Helen and Stefan Wyman for your support and advice which was given on the fly but made me feel so much better. A huge thank you goes to Daphne, Mia and Kyle, I really don't want to think of what could have happened with out these three people, my every need was taken care of, my mood calmed, my ego massaged, and my equipment polished and cleaned to the nth degree. Everyone at home cheering from Chicago and Ireland, I put everything I had into the race for all of you.
Full race results are available; here.
