SERC #9 Huntsville Race Report

Having never been to Monte Sano State Park,  I was uncertain of what to expect.  I had heard that it was technical and rocky; but that was about it.  Both Carly and I were pleasantly surprised at her course:  a mix of pavement and smooth, buff single track.  What rocks?

While Carly and Zeke pre-rode her course, I went off to do mine.  The first few miles were fast and had a few rocks.  I was on my SS, running a 32 x 19.  At first I thought I might have to go bigger.  But then I encountered steep rocky climbs and steep rocky descents.  These rocks were sharp and slick.  And there were enough roots thrown in on top of the rocks to make it really fun.    Whoa, Nelly!  I would call it Pisgah Lite or Syllamo-ish.  There were a couple sections that I rode over and over again, trying to find the best line.  I don't think there was one.  I was wishing I had brought my full suspension bike. (Shoulda, coulda, woulda.)

After the pre-ride Carly and I finished up our day with 3 hours of pool time, while Zeke went back out to get his single speed fix on.  We capped off the evening with dinner at Chili's with Ursula and Jay. 

Race faces on!

Sunday morning came way too early for Carly.  Biscuits with sausage and gravy was her pre-race meal.  Carly had a good race with no bumbling boys to maneuver around and finished strong.

Pavement start.

Totally focused 10 yards up the trail.

My race started out with 1/4 mile of flat road.  My start was good and I was up front for about 1/2 of it.  Then I heard the gears shifting down behind me and I quickly went from 1st to 5th.  I managed to get around Paula when she bobbled in the first techy section (note:  Paula raced the Tn State Championship Road Race the day before) and passed Catherine when it opened up to double track. 

Kym, who won the Tn State Championship Road Race, was flying up front in first place with Gerri hot on her heels ... well, until she flatted.  After moving up to second place halfway through the first lap, I noticed I wasn't feeling all that sparkly.  Heavy legs and breathing way too hard, I knew that I was not on form to finish at this pace.  I backed off the pace and tried to settle, but on this course it is hard to settle.  The climbs are hard on a SS as they come quickly, around corners, and are strewn with rocks and roots.  All of a sudden the 19T felt like an 18T.  I had to run 2 short climbs (10 yards) and 1 long one (40 yards).

I actually looked forward to the final 0.8 mile paved climb as I could establish a rhythm that was not torturous.  And having Jay hand me an ice cold cup of water helped as well. 

The second lap was agonizingly painful.  Even spinning the flats at 120 rpm hurt.  I felt like a pinball in the techy sections.  Dabbing became a constant on that lap.  To top it off, Paula began to close the gap and at one point was only about 10 seconds back.  Although I felt I was at the end of my rope, I was able to dig a little deeper on the climbs and pull away from her.  Finishing never felt so good!

At the finish with a smile ... or is that a grimace?

As much as that race hurt, I would do it all over again.  Because with the pain and suffering comes a HUGE endorphin rush.  You just cannot beat that feeling of utter exhaustion and exhilaration, knowing you left it all out there on the trail.  Why do drugs or alcohol when you can race, I ask?  I friggin' love my bike!

SERC #6 Dauset Race Report

Note Carly's chipmunk cheeks ... full of bagel.

Our smiles sum up how the whole weekend went.  We were busy little beavers, but managed to cram a bunch of good stuff into this weekend ... other than bike racing.  But we must talk about the racing first!

Carly had another awesome course, 0.5 miles of single track, of which she did 2 laps.  Her second hardest SERC course yet, the first being Winder, Georgia. 

Off to a good start!

Carly managed to get into the woods in 3rd place, but ended up losing two places, she said, because of the boys bumbling in front of her.  I told her that she would have to get used to that because it happens to me, too. 

For just a second, I thought this was not going to end well.

Carly did not care for all the roots.  I can only imagine how jarring it would be on 24 inch wheels when even I felt it on my 29'r.  Somehow I gotta teach her how to stand and pedal over them ... her bottom is glued to the seat!  Perhaps a job for the "Zeke-ster."

Finishing strong.

Carly did an excellent job of running up one of the steep step ups.  She is a strong hike-a-biker, like her Mommy.  At the finish, she managed to pass one of the boys who had caused her to bobble on the first lap.  When asked about her passing him just before the finishing chute, she replied, "I just wanted to finish this race as quick as possible."  Translation:  "I just had to girl him!"

My race was tough and the competition is only getting tougher.  My IT bands were quite happy, but seeing as this was the first race since they had flared up, I was a bit tentative.  Reluctantly, I voted for 2 laps instead of 3.  I swear I heard a few gasps when my arm when up for just 2 laps!

Spinning a cadence of about 130 here at the start!

The pace started off furiously fast and my quads screamed all the way up the hill to the single track entry.  I managed to dive into the woods in 5th place.  The five of us were in a train for about the first 10 minutes and then 4th place began to dangle.  Nooo ... dangling is not good!  I was screaming in my head for her to hang on to 3rd.  She popped and I had no where to pass.  I slowly watched them slip away.  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I was able to pass 4th.  I could still see the first 3 ladies, Kim, Catherine, and Carolyn, about 10 seconds ahead.  I was slowly reeling them back in when we hit the first flat section and then they clicked down and were gone!  I could not click and my legs were already spinning crazy fast.  I had to back off to a more life sustaining cadence and hope that their hard effort and the heat would soon get to them.

I pretty much suffered the first lap.  Having not raced or trained at the upper power levels for 3 weeks, my legs had gotten all wimpy on me.  They were barking the whole time on that first lap.  And even though the climbs were short, to my legs they felt like I was climbing Potato Patch.

Beginning the 2nd lap.

Finally my legs began to wake up on the second lap and I was able to up the pace.  I caught Caroline just before the second flat section and was able to pass her before the single track narrowed and the climbing began.  With about 1 mile left, I caught sight of  who I thought was Catherine.  This motivated me to dig deep and enter the pain cave.  I thought I might have a chance to catch her, but I just ran out of trail ... and energy. 

I was thoroughly pleased with my performance which netted 3rd place.  More than that was the fact that my knees stayed happy and pain-free all day.  I was elated for Catherine and her first SERC win!  The USSC-Trek-Vantaggio lady who I had been chasing was Kim, who wasn't having such a happy day.

Now on to the good stuff, according to Carly.  After the race, we went over to the Nature Center and saw all the cool critters, with the cougar being the coolest!  From there we began our quest to find a Dairy Queen.  Zeke had promised Carly a treat and she had her taste buds set on a Blizzard.  Carly wanted the large, but I knew better.  We met in the middle with a medium Heath Bar Crunch, of which she finished a little over half.  We topped off our day with supper at Mellow Mushroom in downtown Chattanooga.  I tried their GF pizza.  It was most wonderful and I did not get glutened at this restaurant.  I recommend getting the GF pizza with an olive oil and garlic base, as it adds some flavor to an otherwise flavorless crust. 

All in all, we had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  I wonder what SERC #7 will bring?

SERC #4 Winder: Carey's Race Report

After Carly's pre-ride, I went out for mine.  Once again, I chose one gear too easy.  I guess this either means I am either getting stronger or I am underestimating my level of fitness.  I hope it is the first.  The course was 10.5 miles of fast, flowy, endorphin-inducing trail.  There were 4-5 short climbs spread throughout, 1 creek crossing, and the Monster Mile, which ran you through some tight, twisty stuff and several deep ditches.  Once ditch required some skillful braking so that you would not be pile-driven into the opposite bank.

Gearing up for the pre-ride.

After the ride, I changed my gear.  We then spent the rest of the evening playing Monopoly and relaxing in the rocking chairs at the Jameson Inn while Carly ran laps up and down the exterior corridor.

12 ladies lined up for the start.  I fumbled a bit at the start, my right foot not wanting to clip in, but managed to settle in behind the lead group of 4 which included Geri, Kim, Catherine, and Jamie.  The beginnning always hurts as I am spinning a 120-130 cadence to keep up with the leaders and their "road runner" starts.  But I know that eventually everyone settles down.  Kim attacked just as soon as we settled; knowing I could not sustain that tempo, I soon lost sight of her.  Catherine, Jamie, and I rode together for quite some time but once I realized I was going too easy, I passed them on a climb. 

Towards the end of the first lap, just before the creek crossing, I came upon several 40+ expert men.  The first couple passes went smoothly, but I got all stupid and squirrely passing the third man.  I attempted a pass between a tree and a grape vine and became a human slingshot!  The grape vine hooked my right bar end at a speed of about 12 mph, lifting my front wheel up in slow motion as it gave ... up to a point.  It then proceeded to sling me backwards with a rubber band effect, dumping me on my a$$ with the bike on top.  The crash probably took all of 3 seconds, but it felt like 30.

Catherine was right on my tail the whole time and was kind enough to stop and make sure I was o.k.  Kudos to her for being a class act!  I quickly rebounded and remounted; only my pride was hurt. Soon thereafter, I passed the guy again ... at a much more open spot.  Perhaps one day I will learn patience.

The second lap was pretty uneventful.  I finally managed to pull away from Catherine ... must of had something to do with the fact that she raced the Twilight Crit the night before.  This gal is gonna be super strong very soon!  I saw Mark walking his bike out of the woods; he didn't even give me the chance to pass him on the trail this race.

On the third lap at about the 2 hour mark, my legs began to bark on the climbs.  This race ended up being almost 30 minutes longer than the first two SERC races and I was feeling it!  With the legs being heavy, I soon found myself settling in behind the expert men and riding their pace rather than pushing my own.  Funny how your mind wanders when the fatigue monster is on your back.

I still managed to finish second, 1:30 behind Kim.  Seeing how it is still early in the season, I feel pretty confident that I can improve upon my XC race pace single speed sustainability

photo courtesy of Carly Lowery

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YABA did an awesome job of getting the trail in prime condition.  They even pressure washed  the slab of rock in the creek crossing to clear of it algae that would have ruined the day for many racers.

Carly and I could not do these races together had it not been for our awesome pit crew.  Thanks Mom and Doug ... you guys managed to learn a thing or two from TransRockies. 

Love you, Mom!

SERC #4 Winder: Carly's Race Report

Carly and I arrived early on Saturday.  We pre-rode Carly's course, a 1/2 mile single track loop, which was pretty intimidating.  We got off our bikes on a long rooty section and together decided the best line through it.  After practicing it a few times, Carly had the line down pat.  After that was a 100 yard loose and somewhat rooty climb followed by a fairly steep descent with one "hole" to go down and back up out of.  The first time it came upon Carly so quick that she did not have time to get scared.  This deep ditch was about 4 feet deep and 10 feet wide.  Momentum was definitely your friend; if you hit the brakes you would not make it to the top and would most likely fall back down to the bottom.  The lap finished with a steep climb back up to the Start/Finish.

After her pre-ride, we registered and got our schwag bag.  Carly loves this part.  She pulled out a Jet Blackberry Gu and devoured it.  Next she pulled out this:

And then she asked me, "What does this taste like, Momma?"  I about fell backwards I was laughing so hard!  Once I told her what it was for, she got this disgusting "I can't believe I was about to eat that!" look on her face.

Once Grandmom Sandy and Grand-Doug arrived,  I went off on my pre-ride while Carly took the grandparents on a hike of her course.  My Mom later told me that she had asked Carly if she wanted to race with a bottle of water or sports drink.  Carly's response (with the most serious face, according to Mom),  "No, Grandmom, that adds WEIGHT."

Sunday morning, Carly's race went off bright and early at 8:30 am. The day before she had showed us our positions out on the course:  Grandmom at the root garden, Grand-Doug at "the hole," and I at the road crossing.

"Go to your position, Mom, you are getting on my nerves."

Carly's race was 2 laps.  Once the gun went off and she was out of sight, I went to my position.  Whereas on the pre-ride she was "on the brakes" on the descent, today she was flying today!

Intensity!

 

 

On the second lap she had lost a position.  She later told me that the girl (in the picture above) had passed her on the climb, causing her to bobble.  But she said she ran the bike up to the next level spot and hopped right back on.

Finishing!

 

 

When asked what the favorite part of the race for her, she replied with a big smile, "The downhill!"  Awesome.  At the previous two races the answer to the question had been, "the finish."

Other than the competitor-induced bobble, she executed a great race.  Doug said that she made "the hole" look easy.  He helped a lot of kids up and outta there by grabbing on to their handlebars as they just barely crested the summit.

All the kids are winners.

Now, if I can only figure out how to make L4 and VO2 max intervals fun for her!

SERC #1 Race Report

A job well done, both by racer and support crew!

 

 

The first one is in the books and what a nail-biter it was!  The Lowery Ladies finished respectively in their categories.  Both the girls 6-11 and Women Pro/Cat 1 had 12 racers each ... what an awesome turnout.  Charlie got an A+ for his support roles:  chauffeur, photographer, cheerleader, and soigneur.

Saturday Carly and I pre-rode the course.  I first rode several laps with Carly; her course was the first 1/2 mile of my course and 90% single track, which was really cool.  Tight and twisty it was with sandy berms and even a log crossing!  She experienced her first crash when her front tire washed out in a sandy turn (there were even more crashes on race day in this same corner).

Afterward, I did two laps on my course.  Coach had told me to do one lap with gears and one lap on the SS.  However, after my geared lap, the only way I was going to race my SS was if Indy ran away in the middle of the night.  With long flat stretches broken up by short, steep punchy climbs, I knew I was not at the fitness level to be able to power up those ant hills in a gear where I could be competitive on the flats.

Come race morning, the butterflies were furiously fluttering in my stomach!  I really did not care how my race went so long as Carly enjoyed hers.  Our rules for racing are pretty simple:  Have fun, race smart and fairly, and then and only then do we worry about where we finish.

Carly was the youngest in her class.

I could tell Carly was nervous at the start.  But when the whistle blew she was all focus and determination.  I stayed at the Start/Finish while Charlie went out on the course.  Carly's race was 2 laps.  When I saw Carly come through on her first lap, I think I finally took a breath.  No tears or blood, just heavy breathing!

Looking strong and focused.

On her second lap, as she came out of the woods towards the finish, she was just ahead of Lydia.  However, there was a boy (different class) ahead of her.  As he turned the corner to enter the finishing chute, he crashed hard!  The chute was narrow and he completely obstructed Carly's path, which allowed Lydia to catch up.  After what seemed like an eternity, an adult pulled the bike off the boy and got him out of the way.  The whole time we (the parents) were shouting, "Run it in!  Run it in!"  Lydia got a head start on running her bike in and just beat Carly by a wheel length. 

Competitors and friends!

 
What an epic battle as these girls were neck in neck the whole way!  Afterwards they hung out with each other and rode bikes the remainder of the day.  They will be seeing more of each other as Lydia is racing the series as well. 


My race went off at 11:30am.  It was 80 degrees at the start!  I forgot just how ridiculously fast an XC start is!  I got a good jump and headed into the single track in 4th position just behind Kym Flynn.  It was like trying to keep up with greyhounds when you are a dachshund.  I barely hung on to Kym's wheel for the first half of the first lap.  Knowing I could not maintain that redline pace, I popped off and settled in to what I felt I could sustain for a 2 hour race.  I also hoped that the front runners could not maintain that madness for 4 laps.

I love rocks!

 On the 3rd and 4th laps, true to my consistent nature, I started gaining time on 3rd place.  But it was too little, too late.  Although I managed to see Shelly quite a bit on that final lap, I was unable to reel her in.

Stay focused on the trail as the fall just might kill you!

  
I was most pleased with my 4th place, as it has been a long time since I have raced highly competitive XC race.  I see I am going to have to train this engine a bit differently than I do for the all day races.  I need a hybrid engine: diesel for TNGA and high octane for XC's.  Coach is gonna have her hands full with me this year!

Feeling the single track love!

 I did enjoy the Haile's Trails.  They are so radically different than what I am used to.  Smooth flats, super tight and twisty flats, sharp rocky descents down into quarries, followed by grunty, loose rocky climbs out of them, chunky ups/downs with sketchy off-camber sections, and multiple ant-hill climbs made for a good "shock" to the anaerobic system!  My back was sore after the race and not because of the rough terrain as I had my Era to smooth things out.  I really used my back muscles to power up the steeps and negotiate through the tight twisty ups and downs.  It definitely helps to have a solid core for these types of races.

After our races, it was super cool as we both discussed our race, our competition, and our finishes.  Nothing makes a Mom prouder than to see her daughter perform well and have fun doing it.  I think she is beginning to like this mountain bike thing!  Next up for the Lowery Ladies is SERC #3 in Spartanburg.  I cannot wait!

Better Than Southern Cross ... for me

As much as I would love to race every weekend, that would be counter-productive to my training goals and motherhood.  So instead, Carly and I met up with Zeke at the Whitewater Center for a day of skills work and riding. 

I am Carly's training/racing partner and NOT her coach.  She listens/learns better from the non-parental units.  So I shut up for the first half and let Zeke have the floor ... or should I say the campsite.  Zeke worked with Carly at the Thunderock Campground for about 30-45 minutes.  Cone drills, board drills, and weaving in/out large rocks.

Zeke looks amazed that Carly is actually listening to him.  Probably because I do not!

Working on standing while riding over obstacles.

After a picnic lunch we then headed out on the Rhododendron Trail.  Nothing too technical or steep with a fairly wide path.  Needless to say there was still a danger element as one side of the trail dropped off to the Ocoee River below.  As we pedaled out to begin, Zeke's exact words to Carly were, "Be careful.  If you fall off the trail, you just might DIE!"  Thanks, Zeke.  The height and the steepness of this side cut trail did not bother Carly, but I think I was terrified for the first few minutes, ready to leap off my bike and catch Carly in mid-air should something happen.

One of the few spots on the Rhododendron Trail where falling didn't mean dying (according to Zeke).

At the Whitewater Center we piddled around a bit, giving Carly a brief respite.  The trail leading from the campground to the WWC is mostly uphill and with Carly's 22 pound, tall-geared (equivalent to 32-18 on a 29'r), bike with what seemed like 120mm crank arms, she needed to unload the lactic acid.

Skipping rocks.

This beats any $500 payout!

Today was fun, but without the pain.  I am so glad I did not race.  Spending time riding bikes with my daughter is priceless.  Zeke was an excellent coach and Carly gave him an "A."  She is progressing well. The best part, the part that made my heart warm with intensity was when Carly descended the last hill on the trail, she pedaled super hard, tucked down into position, and gave a great big, "Whoo hoo!" 

I can't wait for her new bike to arrive.  I am going to have Bruce upgrade it with a few parts:  DT Swiss 240s, SunRingle' rims, Magura brakes, SRAM shifters/derailleur, Thomson post/stem, Specialized carbon bar, and an XTR crank if I can find 165 mm crank arms.  This bike is gonna be SWEET! 

Looking Forward

In a little over 7 weeks, the racing season is going to kick off.  With it will hopefully come warmer, drier weather.  I have set a new all-time trainer record, with 5 days in a row of going nowhere fast in my basement.  I can honestly say I was not looking forward to each session, but now that it is over, it was very productive.  These trainer days help to improve my mental fortitude.

The kick-off to my racing season will be the March Snake finale, followed two weeks later by the first SERC race in Gainesville, Florida.  While most of my competitors will be racing brand new 2011 bikes, I will be on bikes that have already seen a couple seasons of epic racing.  This has been dictated mostly by my finances, but also by the fact that my bike shop is unable to acquire any S-Works bikes.  Even though Bruce only sells Specialized, he can't get an S-Works Epic or Stumpjumper for me.  I am not sure why; Bruce says it has to do something with volume.

Now don't get me wrong; Specialized has been great to me the past few years of my racing career.  I love their bikes; I don't think I could ride anything else.  And their support has been great!  But it is quite disappointing that just because The Outdoor Store doesn't do a certain amount of $$$$ with Specialized, they don't have access to their top of the line bicycles.  I could always get one of their non S-Works bikes at a killer deal, but why would I want to?  Not only would it be heavier, the componentry would be less than what I am riding now.

My bikes ('08 S-Works SJ FSR, '09 S-Works Era, '10 SJ 29'r SS) have taken a beating over their life, but they have never failed me.  So rather than ride a lesser model, I am going with what has taken me to many podiums over the past 3 years.  It is not the bike that makes the racer, but rather the racer that makes the bike, right?  Performance is 95% racer and 5% bike, so I will just let that be my handicap.  Anyways, I already think I have made that 5% up, what with the killer strength sessions Coach has been giving me.

Regardless of what I ride, I am looking forward to a fantastic season of racing my SS in my regional XC series and throwing in a little endurance racing here and there.  My daughter will be racing the SERC kids series.  I am stoked!  Earlier this year, I told her that she was going to try a sport and her choices were basketball, soccer, or MTB'ing.  I was quite surprised with her decision.  She loves to play sports, but does not like having people watch her, especially team mates that might judge her abilities.  Hmmm, I wonder where she got that?  (I was really never a team sport kinda gal, either).  Zeke is going to be her coach and I will be her training partner.  I hope that Carly will enjoy it as much as I.

So although I won't be racing on a shiny new bike or in a shiny new kit, I will be racing with my daughter.  And that is what really matters! 

A Kitten With a Contract

A couple months ago, I decided it was time for another cat.  Carly had been wanting one since Angel had died last year.  With spring upon us, I figured now was as good time as any and there would be a bigger selection.  I had not been fervently searching, but just waited for one to "fall in my lap."  For me, those are the ones that turn out wonderful.  It is hard to really know what you are getting into when picking a kitten and I did not want to get stuck with a "demon from hell."

So last week, Carly spent the night with Stefanie while I was racing Syllamo.  I asked her if she would check her barn loft for any kittens as I knew that "old broken leg" was residing there and it was kitten season.  Amazingly, when they did check, they found four 5 week old kittens that did not hiss, spit, and run away, but came right up to them unafraid.  Now that was a sign!  There were 2 tabbies, 1 torti, and 1 orange.  Another sign as our favorite cat color is orange.

We picked Sunshine on Tuesday night.  Using my amazing motherly powers, I was able to get Carly to change his name to Sully -- he he!  He is currently residing in Carly's bathtub while we transition him to the litter box and solid food.

It has been since 1988 since I have had a kitten.  A kitten is a lot of work and responsibility, especially if you want them to turn out right.  So I made Carly sign a contract.

No, not cruel and unusual, but responsible.  Although, as I was writing this up, I was thinking, "And I thought my parents were hard on me!"  I think I just one-upped them.  This has already gotten Carly off on the right foot.  She has been an excellent mother, going to bed just a wee bit later and getting up a wee bit earlier to take care of Sully.  She is doing all of the above and then some.  She has even been wiping his bottom after he eats to stimulate him to pee and poop.  It has made me very proud to see her in action. (Don't tell Carly, but I have already gotten attached to the little bugger, so he won't be going anywhere.)

I have also decided to apply this whole virtual pet Webkinz thing to the real world.  Sully will be Carly's financial responsibility as well.  I purchased the first bag of food, litter pan, litter, and toy.  But from now on, she will buy what he needs.  She will be able to earn money by doing chores around the house, i.e., vacuum, dust, unload dishwasher, weed the flower beds, etc.  Charlie wanted lawn mowing and washing/waxing his truck, but I do think she is a bit young for that.  Sorry, Charlie!

I guess I will see how this experiment unfolds.  Should be exciting!