2013 MABRA Age Graded RR Championship: Into each life some rain must fall.

Race Report

Dana Stryk

Evolution Cycling p/b Long and Foster

                      

Races	Shenandoah Time Trial and Miller School Road Race
Date	July 27 and 28
Field	6 and 15
Field Demographics	W1/2 and W35+/45+
Weather	Sunny, Rain, Locusts and other Plagues
Topography	Hilly

Title for this novella:  “Into each life some rain must fall.”

Saturday, July 27^th, Shenandoah TT, 40K of hills with a ceramic pig, tractors and VA championship on the line.

The Shenandoah TT, host to the VA State TT Senior Championships, is one of three road race events promoted by Chris Gould.  Each time I race in one of his events, I think to myself….”I should come back to the Luray area and just ride so I can enjoy the beautiful scenery.”  The rolling hills and surrounding countryside are beautiful and the hospitality of the region second to none.  For example, at registration, the Mayor of Shenandoah, VA was on hand to welcome each person to his town. 

I really like this course.  Unlike Church Creek, the terrain changes from climbing to false flat to downhill.  After winding through a neighborhood, you hit the main road with rolling hills and a wicked false flat that convinces you that your fitness is poor, your tires are flatting and you are better off spending Saturdays on the couch.

The race report:  I started, I suffered, and then it was over.  I knew going into the event, there were three women that are faster than me and two that I could beat.  Amanda (ABRT) passed me early on in true Amanda fashion – on her road bike looking like she was having fun.  I caught my 30 sec person and gained ground on my 1m30sec person.  For the first time in a time trial, Katy (ABRT) did not pass me. Before you want to know my TT training plan, you must remember….start times were alphabetical and I started after her….

I ended up 4^th overall and the silver medalist in the W1/2 VA State TT Championship.

Sunday, July 27^th, Miller School Road Race:  MABRA and VA State Age-Graded Road Race Championships, 30+ miles of hills, and an interesting dance by Mr. Katy Giles aka Scott.

For this race, the 35+ and 45+ women would race together but be scored separately for the MABRA and VA State RR Championship with medals and a jersey at stake.  Last year, Sue (ABRT) was off the front to win the 35+ race and a last lap attack by Katy (ABRT) splintered the field with Chris (Kenda) winning the 45+ race.  I ended up 9^th overall (thanks to my now teammate, Wendy, who yelled at me to get on her wheel after Katy attacked and descended like a mad woman to get us back to the main field), 4^th in the 45+ race and the gold medal for VA 45+.

This year my goal was the MABRA RR Championship jersey for W45+.  I expected the race for the 35+ jersey would be intense, with Katy (ABRT), Sue (ABRT), Mary (NCVC), Michele (unattached), Jenette (Jeff’s Bike Shop), Ali (Velocita) and Wendy in the field.  Hopefully I could use that to my advantage.  For my race, I had to watch Chris (Kenda) and make sure that I knew her location in the pack to make sure that she did not get into a break without me.  In the race I was lucky to have two teammates, Wendy and Christine.  Hopefully amongst the three of us we could bring home a jersey and some medals for Evo.

We roll out and start the first climb.  A strong rider whose name I do not know, also in the 35+ race, set the pace for most of the early portion of the lap.  A couple of ABRT attacks were unsuccessful and we turned onto the steep climb on the road prior to the finish line climb.  Katy is at the front of the group and accelerates up the hill as raindrops start to fall.  I think…Sufferfest one-minute Revolver interval #15 effort (the one with the dinosaur chasing)…keep the wheel.  As I am about to die, I look behind and realize that I am the back of the pack…there are 5 of us and more rain drops.

As we look up the road, we could see the rain.  Not a gentle, this is a refreshing kind of rain but more of a, “look, the animals are lining up two by two should we be concerned” kind of rain.   Upon cresting the hill, the race changes from fear of attacks to fears of crashing.   When I attempted to slow my descent, braking met zero resistance.  Not good. 

Thank goodness for the finish line hill….we had a chance to wipe our eyes, reposition glasses and breathe a sigh of relief.  Scott, Katy’s husband who was planning to feed ABRT, switched modes and provided an interpretive dance as we crested the hill that sadly was, in fact, a THUNDER dance.

 Another scary downhill.  Sue bridges up and we are six in total and I am the oldest in the group….the only 45+.  If I can stay away and stay upright, I will meet my goal.  The rain lightens and soon stops.  Thank God.

Then the Thunder God, upon seeing Scott’s dance, decided to send the storm back over the course with the extra effect of thunder.  The second downpour was heavier than the first and I had to spill as much speed as I could at the top of every hill, dropping me from the main break.  Now there are 4 in front.  For most of the remaining lap, I could see the final four but could not bridge the gap…when I would make progress, a downhill would loom and I would slow down again.

I rode with the aforementioned unknown 35+ woman and let her pull me up the first part of the final hill.  I sprinted around her and across the line….5^th in the combined field and 1^st in the 45+ race.  Christine joined me on the podium in third place.  Emily, one of our junior women also added to the Evo jersey collection, suffering through the same conditions to emerge the Junior 17-18 Champion.

Lessons Learned:

Check weather report before a race and pick wheel set accordingly.

Kudos and Shout-outs

Scott Giles:  Your silly dance lightened the race for a second or two…..just next time, make sure it is a SUN dance!

Chris Gould and the town of Shenandoah:  Thanks for a great race in an amazing venue.

CA:   For another great weekend of racing with the SWagon….and understanding my need for Starbucks regardless of the time of day.