What's a blog? and Tyson's

It has become quite evident in recent weeks that if I want to be a serious MABRA racer, I need a blog. That is not to say that blogging will make my legs stronger, my bike lighter, or my face more generally aerodynamic. What it will do, though, is relieve me of the deadweight incurred by all these damn bicycle stories I lug around with me that are totally lost on my coworkers, roommate, and small hipster friend. So there it is. Welcome.

I started riding a bike in April of last year after an Ayn Rand-inspired epiphany. Instead of becoming more capitalist, I turned into a bike-riding vegetarian. In any case, I rode with a group of Potomac Pedaler guys all last summer, and was convinced to try a 'cross clinic in the end of the summer by one of the DCMTB guys. I raced 'cross through the winter and loved it. Only from racing cross did I realize that I truly love (love) mud. I love mud. So I got bit by the racing bug, and all the sudden, cross season ends. What is a cyclocross racer to do come springtime? Well if Tim Johnson can race on the road, by golly, so can I. So I bought a new whip (Jamis Ventura Race), threw some buttery-fast wheels on it (Neuvation M28 Aero4s), and entered a race.

Holy shit road racing is fun.

My first real road race was at Tyson's a few weeks ago--the Cat 5 of course, and it felt great. I like to set goals for myself that are just a bit out of reach, like being the first African American female democratically-elected shah of Cuba, and the Tyson's race was no exception. In a field of 50, I wanted to place in the top 10. Now, in a previous life, I was used to placing top 3 in 5k running races. The best I did over cross season was 15th at Kelley Acres, a non MABRA series event.

So I saw some video on the you-tubes about how to compete in a crit, and the nice man in the tv screen told me to stay in the front third and go with all the breaks. Staying in the front third I was ok with, but going with all the breaks, not so much.

The Tyson's race was something like 11 laps, and I stayed with the front third for about the first 8. I tried to bridge up to a two rider break right around then, but that damn hill in the final stretch convinced me to sit up and fall back into the pack for the rest of the race. I fell back to the back third of the main group in the next two or so laps, and started to work my way up in the group at the beginning of the last lap. Just after the "large, sweeping downhill" on the back side of the course, I got passed on the inside by an NCVC guy who had a look on his face that said "I'm going to win this fucker," so I jumped on his wheel and followed him up to about 4th place. I hit the gas a little too early on the last hill--round 250m from the line. So I got jumped by a couple of guys and finished 9th. Like whoa, I finished 9th in my first real road race.

So now I'm hooked, and I want to spend next summer living in a van driving to races every weekend all spring and summer. Any takers?

In any case, check out some pictures from Tyson's taken by my brother.

Pre-race breakfast on the trainer

Descente needs to sponsor me immediately.

Coming up the hill on an early lap

There were so many effing NCVC guys (at their own race)

The sprint for 5th-9th

Listening to Gronlandic Edit by Of Montreal. Thanks to my small hipster friend for that one.