Team Kenda Tire 2008!

I'm officially riding for Team Kenda Tire in 2008!

cyclingnews.com article
(scroll to the bottom)

Team Florida Ride-A-Thon

Who: Team Florida Cycling members
When: November 18th, 2007
Where: 100 miles of Gainesville roads
Why: To raise money for the team (put on our annual race, send us to nationals in May)

We're college students. We're working hard in school, and we still manage to find the time to get out on a bike and enjoy the fresh air. What little money we have to spare goes towards inner tubes, new chains, and the team uniforms (no, we don't get them for free).

The school cut our budget this year, so we're even more desperate for funds.

What can you do?

Sponsor me (or any other Team Florida Cycling memeber you know) for the Team Florida Ride-A-Thon! Every little bit helps - really. If you're a UF alum, a cycling enthusiast, or a supporter of fit people everywhere, this is a great opportunity! Send me an email at jcrowell@ufl.edu if you're interested. You can give a flat out donation or sponsor by the mile.

Thank you so much!

Jackie

Tour de Leelanau

The Host House

Breakfast

Lake Michigan


The Finish

This past weekend, I rode for Aaron's Corporate Furnishings at the Tour de Leelanau, a one-day UCI race in Michigan. Our team leader, Felicia Gomez, needed the UCI points to get into the Olympic selection pool for the Canadian team. Because Kristen Sanders broke her wrist at Downers Grove, they needed a guest rider.

The weekend is all a blur in my mind because so much was going on. I left for Orlando Thursday night after my physics quiz and flew out of Orlando Friday morning. Felicia and Nicky picked me up at 11:00am in Detroit, and we barely made it to the Managers' meeting at 4:00pm in Traverse City. That night we stayed with our host family in a beautiful B&B about a quarter of a mile from Lake Michigan (see pictures). We ate dinner, I put my bike together, and crashed into bed at around 10:00. The morning of the race, we ate a full breakfast and went to drive some of the course. We focused on the KOMs because Felicia is a climber. Although the finish was uphill, it couldn't really be classified as a real "climb." We were going to have to whittle the group down as much as we could before the finish to give Felica the best possible odds.

The race started without any mishaps. One thing: about a quarter of a mile out we all had to slam on our breaks to let a herd of deer bound across the road. The pace was pretty slow until the first KOM. Nicky and I did our jobs well. I drilled it from the bottom of the climb and then Nicky took over to lead Felicia out for the KOM points. We dropped more and more people at each KOM (some caught back on after) until the last one. The final KOM came right after a sprint. My job was to go from the sprint to the bottom of the climb. I was surprised because when I looked back, we'd dropped a lot of people. I guess I'm stronger than I thought.

Nicky led Felica up partway until she blew up. I ended up catching her and we rode in to the finish with two Cheerwine girls. It was one of the longest 40k I'd ever experienced. The cold weather threw off my drinking and eating habits and I was cramping up pretty bad. When I woke up the morning of the race, it was 44 degrees outside!

In the end, Tina Pic took the win, Felicia got 4th, and I came in 9th with Nicky right behind me. Here are the results. I was happy to be able to work for a team mate and still get a top 10 finish. I rolled over the crest of the hill and coasted right into the "cookie tent" where I proceeded to sample each different kind of cookie. I checked the anti-doping list and then went back to the van before I froze to death.

We headed back to the B&B where I packed my bike, showered, and ate dinner. We left for Detroit at around 9:00 pm and got there at 1:30am, only to wake up at 6:30 to catch my flight back to Orlando. A lot of traveling! I got back to Gainesville mid afternoon on Sunday and finished some homework. I was back in class Monday morning having flown to Michigan, raced 70 miles, and come home. It's kind of unreal.

Back in Orlando

Park Ave. with my friends

Well, I'm back and I'm already sick of Eagle Circle. Today I did my three fifteen minute intervals by riding laps around it. It's really the only place to go around here if you're not willing to slow for stop signs every few meters. I'm planning on doing Windermere this Sunday, so I'm getting pumped for that. You know how competitive those group rides can be. Meanwhile I'm gaining back the few pounds I lost at 'Toona by chowing down on home-made chocolate-covered oreos with my highschool friends.

The 2007 Tour de 'Toona Stages 4-7

Reading Harry Potter #7 by the bathroom light so the rest of the team could sleep (or so I thought until Kacey snagged this photo of me). Love ya, Kacey.

Stage 4: Hollidaysburg Circuit Road Race
96.6 km / 60.0 mi
This was the worst stage yet for me. The course was relatively flat compared to yesterday and the day before, so I was expecting a little bit of a break. What came was a shock. Lipton and Webcore drilled it from the line. I was in the back on the start line and couldn’t get to the front for the whole first lap of three. I saw the front a couple times on the second lap, but I got dropped on the climb before the finish. I finished the last lap with seven or eight other girls and only lost about 9 minutes. I dropped back to 42nd in the GC. After the race, I got to meet Phil, our team sponsor who followed Theresa Cliff-Ryan from skating to cycling when she made the switch. I finished Harry Potter today and now I can finally rest in peace.

Stage 5: Martinsburg Circuit Road Race
123.6 km / 76.8 mi
This was the easiest stage yet. It started out fast, but slowed up on the second lap of four. There were sprint points available every lap that Theresa was aiming for. They key was to be near the front through town and I made sure that’s what I did the second and third times through. A helicopter followed the race the entire time, getting the whole thing on tape from the air. Sometimes it would swoop down so that it was only feet above the corn fields along the course. Once got close enough to blast us with turbulence and the entire pack swerved. It began to rain on lap three and by the time we were on the same stretch in lap four, the lightning was cracking all around us. It rained so hard that many of us thought at first that it was hailing. Fortunately, the girls took the turns safely. I avoided one crash by hopping up on the curb and into the grass. I finished the race with the group and moved up into 40th in the GC. Still, I was aware that my Achilles tendon was really beginning to bother me. I felt it twinge a little on stage 4, but there’s no doubt about it now. I iced it when we got back to the hotel.

Stage 6: Blair County Road Race
158.5 km / 98.5 mi
This stage is generally thought to be the hardest stage of this tour. It started out alright, but I was really hurting, both my legs and my Achilles. I got dropped about 25 miles in and rolled into the first feed zone with a TIBCO rider. Even riding moderate with her, I could feel the immense strain on my left ankle. There was no way I was going to complete the 10, 3, and 5 mile climbs of the day in that state and make it in before the time cut. I got in the car with Kacey in the feed zone and didn’t finish the race. Theresa won the both sprints of the day for five sprint points each. That night I slept ten and a half hours strait.

Stage 7: Altoona Criterium
48.3 km / 30 mi
I didn’t get to watch the race today because I had to head back to Kutztown with my ride. I heard it was a very fast race. Theresa rode the whole thing with a slow leak in her front tire. She didn’t notice it until after the race. She still came in second in the points competition even with that bit of bad luck.

The 2007 Tour de 'Toona Stages 1-3

Cramped in the car after stage 2

6 bikes, 5 people, 2 coolers, endless spare wheels, 1 station wagon

Stage 1: Team Time Trail
17.1 km / 10.6 mi
The team I’m guest riding for, Verducci Breakaway Racing, doesn’t have a GC rider, so there wasn’t any pressure on us for the team time trial. All five of us used our road bikes without aero bars. We still rode strong; it just wasn’t worth bringing another five bikes and endless aero equipment along for a stage we really weren’t focusing on. We’re going for the green jersey for Theresa Cliff-Ryan, our sprinter.

Stage 2: Vintondale to Cairnbrook Road Race
78.2 km / 48.6 mi
Today’s stage went very well for me. I finished in the first group of riders and got 28th place. There were two climbs: 2.1 and 2.2 miles long respectively with a points sprint between them. I made it up the first climb easily (considering the terrain and who I was racing). One part was so steep that the moto near me simply rolled to a halt and toppled over. The downpour began after the second climb. I was glad for it. For one, it makes things interesting and prevents me from becoming complacent, and for two, years of swimming have taught me to suffer when I’m drenched. Still, that’s not to say I wasn’t scared out of my mind descending down those mountains when I couldn’t see the road in front of me. For all I knew I could be about to ride off a cliff. In the back of my mind I was seeing that one crash that they keep showing on Versus where the guy flips over the guard rail and his bike goes flipping up in the air. But I made it to the finish line alive. My teammates rolled over the line in the second and third groups back.

Doesn’t that sound like enough of an adventure for one day? Well did you know that it’s possible to fit six people, five bikes, and endless spare wheels and equipment into a Volvo station wagon? We drove back to start crammed in together like that because we couldn’t wait around in the rain for someone to get the second car.

Stage 3: Johnstown to Altoona Road Race
154.3 km / 95.9 mi
This stage also went well for me, all things considered. I got run off the road into a ditch and crashed less than a mile before the big climb of the day. I was up instantly getting my chain back on, and the neutral support mechanic was right there to help me and give me a push. Gary was there in the team car to make sure I was alright. I looked down at myself and my bike as I held onto the car. My handlebars were twisted sideways, drastically unaligned with the wheel. I pointed it out to him, but I kept going without fixing it so that I could catch up to the group before the climb. I sprinted back through the caravan and caught the group right as they hit the climb. I managed to hold my own up the climb but I didn’t make it in with the first groups. I slid back into 33rd in the GC. Although everyone was exhausted that night after the race, I was mid-chapter in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows when they decided to hit the lights. I went into the bathroom to finish the chapter (picture to come). They all thought that was quite hilarious and made fun of me for being one of those fanatic HP fans. But they know nothing. In my opinion I was pacing myself quite well. Last time I was up only for restroom breaks and food and I couldn't see right for a couple hours after I finished. But in my circle of friends that's quite normal.

Nationals 2007

Podium: U23 Criterium

I have to say that nationals did not go as well as I expected, but then again I wasn't really sure what to expect. This was my first year racing U23, and I knew it would be a big step up - just how big I didn't know.

I managed to pull out a respectable finish in the time trial despite boyfriend and equipment troubles the morning of the race. I was feeling horrible in the criterium - gapping myself off when the field accelerated, but I was able to hold my position around the critical final turn and sprint for third (see pic above).

The road race was - what can I say - a learning experience. They combined the U23's and the elite women and, with almost 5,000 feet of climbing, it was going to be a really hard race. I made it up the five-mile climb on the back stretch, but a hard acceleration up the next hill was enough for me. I looked around and somehow I'd managed to drop back to last wheel. Well, that was that. I was NOT going to ride another 35 miles on that course by myself, no matter how much Kacye (sorry, Kacye) tried to persuade me.

Throughout the weekend, I saw many of my friends from Florida. The Brannigans and the Gerbers were there as well as Will Willis and his dad. Ashlyn Gerber won the 13-14 criterium, and Michelle Blake took 3rd in the 10-12 criterium and time trial, so a hearty congratulations to them both.

So, now I'm back in Kutztown lazing around as usual. It's a wonder I can even write this since most of the town doesn't have power right now. I got home from nationals yesterday afternoon and was so tired that I went to bed at around 9:30.

At 10:15 it began to storm and the unusually loud rain (which turned out to be hail) woke me up. The wind was blowing like mad and an unusually large quantity of water was coming in through the window. There were voices in the hall so I closed the window, got dressed, and went downstairs. That's when we lost power. I went in search of my cell phone (flashlight) while lightning was striking everywhere around the house - then all of a sudden a huge CRACK. I bumped into Rebecca in the hall - she was saying something about the tree in the back yard. The dog was going berserk, and I began to get scared. It was exactly like the hurricanes, but without the two days notice.

We went downstairs and I began to wonder if we were going to have to use the basement - thank god for basements. Then we heard a horrible screaming - the cat was still outside. I'd never heard a cat make such a racket as that and it didn't help to calm me down. I also don't think I've ever seen Rebecca move so fast off the bike. She ran to open the door and the cat dashed inside. It was still hailing really hard. But then, almost as soon as it started, it was over. The whole thing lasted maybe fifteen minutes. We went outside and could see the flashlights of other people and a huge tree in the road a few houses down from us. The sirens started a minute later. It sure looked like there had been a tornado, but it could have just been all the lightning and wind. We stayed outside for awhile, but I soon went back to bed. I swear, that storm was probably the most exciting thing that's ever happened in this town.

Results

Iron Hill Twilight Criterium

I was pretty happy about my performance at this race, that is, my performance up to the sprint finish. I was in every significant break, one consisting of all of the big girls (Laura Van Guilder, Theresa Cliff-Ryan, Rebecca Larson, Sarah Caravella, Brooke Miller) + me. If you go to usacrits.com, you'll see that these women are currently ranked 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 7th in the USA crit series. This particular break started after a prime sprint. Rebecca won and I stuck on her wheel around the first turn. We worked together to stay off, but Laura and the rest bridged after a couple laps. Once they got up to us, none of the fast women were willing to work together and some of the girls were able to catch back up to us. Oh, well.

The rest of the race had exploded. By 10 to go, there were, I'd say, about 15 of us left. I had a horrible position around the last turn and I couldn't make up for it in the sprint. In the end, I got 10th. I was a little upset about the finish, but there were other, more important things to cheer me up. Rebecca introduced me to Theresa Cliff-Ryan (national crit. champion and winner of the 2007 tour of Sommerville). Theresa was impressed with my ride and might be able to get me on her team (Verducci Breakaway Racing) for the Tour de Toona, the $50,000 + stage race which is coming up after nationals. Then, after Toona, I'm coming home to Orlando for a couple weeks to see my friends and get ready to move into my new apartment in Gainesville. I'll also probably going to get to do some of the Orlando group rides that I haven't done in over a year. I'm looking forward to beating up on some of the hometown guys. Watch out!

Fitchburg Longsjo Classic

1:00 Am Sunday night: The car breaks down on the way back from Fitchburg.


Day 1: Individual Time Trial
Results
I the time trial went well for me. Although I didn't feel my best, I remained focused (Lately, I've been working on the mental side of my TT). I think it was to my advantage that the time trial was uphill (3% average grade). So as of now, I'm seventh in the GC.

Day 2: Circuit Race
Results
Today's race was one of the easier ones I've done up here (probably because I wasn't off the front the whole time). The course was 3.1 miles long with a steep climb on one side and a long downhill on the other. I was patient, and I made sure I positioned well. The race was going to come down to the last turn, the turn after the long downhill and before the climb leading up to the finish (no one could get away with a long downhill like that). I sat on the back and recovered on the downhill, hustled up to the font before the turn, and was usually in position for the climb. On the last lap, I gave it my all to be up there through the last turn, and it paid off. I got 4th.

Day 3: Road Race
Results
I made some big mistakes today like (1) not making the break when I could have and (2) using a 23 on the back. I was track standing up the climb. Still, I only lost one spot in the GC. Now I know I need to change my cassette for nationals.

Day 4: Criterium
Results
I rode so strong today I really shocked myself. I was off the front for more than half the race in various breaks. I got two primes and I was chasing girls down like crazy. Finally, my acceleration is back! Got caught behind a crash with 4 to go and had to chase back on for over a lap. Didn't have muscle or position for the sprint. Still 8th in the GC. Car broke down at 1:00 Am on the way back to Kutztown (see pic)

Final Results:
General Classification

Racing in New England - Top U23 Rider

In front of the State House: Providence, RI
Cox Charities Cycling Classic 2007

The Cox Cycling Classic criterium course was in downtown Providence and went right past the State House (above) - very impressive. The race was classified as a "womens' open" race which meant that women of all categories could sign up. So, the race was more sketchy than I was used to. Still, I knew who I had to watch and where I had to be. No one was getting away; It looked like it was going to come down to a field sprint. I won one of the preems early on, but decided to hold back on the later ones to save myself for the finish. I knew I had to watch Mackenzie Dickey (Colavita), and be on her wheel through the last turn. Unfortunately, the race slowed with a couple laps to go, and the group swarmed around me on both sides. With less than a lap to go, I fought back up to the front. I was up there, but I wasn't on Mackenzie's wheel. I ended up 5th, a podium spot, and the top U23 rider by far. I was happy with my result, but I think I could have done better. Next time, I won't sprint in such a tall gear when the sprint is uphill.

Right now, I'm staying with my Aunt and Uncle in a town near Boston, MA. That's the nice part about traveling all over the place for races. You get to see friends and family, meet new people, and see new places. You see the parts of the area that the normal tourists don't get to see. Today I'm racing in Exeter, NH. It's a $1500 crit with not many women signed up. Hopefully I'll make some money.

Typical Days

The Track
















Training Ride in the Valley















More Riding

Two $5,000 Circuit Races

This weekend, I drove to Washington D.C. with Dan, Rebecca, and Jason to do the Crystal City Classic and the RFK race, both $5,000 circuit races near downtown. We saw the Washington monument and the Lincoln memorial as we drove in, but that was all the touristing we got to do. Both courses were open and safe, but I have to say the atmosphere of Crystal City was far better than that of RFK. Crystal City was a real downtown race that went by all the shops and outdoor restaurants; this, in turn, drew lots of spectators. RFK, on the other hand was the epitome of a parking lot race (no trees, wide open), and the blazing hot temperatures didn't help a bit.

I talked with my coach before the race about my most current problem: getting swarmed on the last lap of these crits and finding myself out of contention before we even get to the last turn. He told me how I should move relative to the others, pull out to the side, avoid getting boxed in at all costs. I tried the strategy and it really helped. I got 12th at Crystal City and 8th at RFK and came out with a total of $295 dollars for the weekend. I really impressed myself. I was just finishing up a hard training block and I was still able to ride the front of both races, chase and follow Cheerwine and Aaron's, and still have something for the sprint.

Only once did I freely give up a wheel I wanted - it happened to be Laura Van Gilder's wheel with a couple laps to go. All of a sudden there was this shadow looming over me (tense, anticipating background music). It was Anna Lang, the women who I watched get second in UCI Kerin at the Trexlertown track only two days before. The woman who beat her was the current world champion. So there really wasn't much I could do about her and, to tell the truth, I didn't want to find out what would happen if I tried to fight her for it. The long and the short of it is: I was up there, got boxed in a little at the end, and took 12th. Kyle Wamsley (Navigators) won the mens' race. I see him out training around here almost every day.

Sunday I was more fatigued. I followed stuff at the beginning, but I was too tired to do anything by the last third of the race. Fortunately for me (never thought I'd say this), it came down to a sprint. I took the inside of the turn right behind Anna Lang and sprinted for 8th place. Results are here: http://www.hubracing.com/criterium/rfk2007/city_bikes_rfk_criterium_results_2007.htm After the race I talked with Anna and some of the other top girls, and I think they're beginning to recognize me. I never thought I'd benefit by being the only person on my team, but I really think that fact helps me stand out from the rest of the girls. Even I tend to group all of the Hub Racing girls and Kenda Tire girls together, and I think they do too.

So, this week is a rest week so I can rest up and get back in the swing of things before Fitchburg and Nationals. Tomorrow, my team mate Alane and I are going to go to Michael's in Reading to get some arts and crafts stuff to occupy our time. This past week we've survived off of the craft section at Walmart - I got some colored pencils and a drawing pad and she got the only cross stitch pattern they had, a big jesus head, halo and all. Meanwhile I'm almost done with Lolita and I'm hoping we can go see the movie Waitress or rent Pan's Labyrinth. I don't have any pictures from this weekend, but I'll try and find some online to post.

Reading Classic; Watching Philly; Local Race

Tour of Highbridge - leading up the hill















The Manayunk Wall















The Womens' Race (Still at the wall)

This past Thursday was the second race of the triple crown, the Commerce Bank Reading Classic. I actually got into this race (I didn't end up getting into Philly, as you can see from the pictures above) because the rules regarding team entry and such were fairly lenient. Sixty of us started and I think about 35 actually finished. I was in a break for a few laps, a first for my NRC racing career. On the last lap, however, I faded going up the last part of the hill. There was no way I could make my legs turn over any faster - they felt like lead, probably from the three hours tempo the day before (my coach insisted). Results from the race were posted on cyclingnews (DNF's omitted for the womens' race which makes me very sad because I look so next to the next to the last place). Here they are: http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/jun07/commercebank07/?id=results/commercebank072

Today, Sunday, we left early for the Tour of Highbridge so we could stop by and watch some of the Philly race (pictures posted above). The way they have the men and women on the course at the same time and the publicity and position of the race right in downtown, make it a very spectator-friendly race. Yes, people were drunk at 9:30 am when the first riders went through. We got there at around 9:00 and had an adventure zooming up and down these narrow, car-lined streets in the Philly ghetto in order to find a parking space and watch the race before we were late for our own.

Ok, my race. Well, it was a pretty easy win for me. All of the hot shots were at Philly and I rode the race very well, if I do say so myself. Four times up a short, very steep climb, four times down a narrow, horribly-paved road (In the race flyer this was called a "real Europeanesque road"), and four times down a fairly safe decent by a river and back to the hill. I attacked the second time up, soloed for a bit, got caught, and sprinted for the win at the end. I came out $105 dollars richer with a new pair of training tires (the preem). I don't think the results for this race will be posted online, so you'll have to take my word for it. It was a good day, although I do regret not being able to do Philly. My boyfriend's team won the pro,1,2 race, so we were all pretty happy. We're celebrating by going to the local theme part, Hershey Park, tomorrow. At least together we won't look so odd while wearing our swim suits and sporting the ridiculous tan lines.

Living in Kutztown - Racing in Trexlertown

The back side of the apartment















The new track bike

Let me just say that the cycling scene up here is nothing like I could have imagined. No more silly, flat, same ol' same ol' Florida racing. Instead I'm racing three or four days a week, today in Delaware, tomorrow in Maryland, Tuesdays at the Trexlertown track...it's so much racing that I hardly get nervous anymore (the exception will be Philly if I get to do it this weekend). With school being out and a job out of the question, cycling is my entire life and god, it's awesome (ride at nine, sleep, eat, watch South Park all day). Somehow the plastic dishware, folding chair furniture and air mattress, and lack of AC make the experience complete.

We're living in a little apartment above "Salon Joey" off main street, Kutztown, PA. It's a small little town surrounded by corn fields and picturesque views from the tops of hills that you have to tear your eyes away from in order to avoid crashing. I'll post pictures later. Trexlertown is about a forty-five minute ride away from the apartment. The ride to the track is one of the flatter rides to do around here.

Riding up Hawk mountain last week, we saw some Webcore girls. If I stick my head out of the window of the apartment, I can look down the street and see the house that the Colavita guys are staying in. Sitting in our living room, surfing the internet, I watch the Toyota United guys, and some of the local track stars ride past all decked out in team clothing or national championship jerseys. I'm telling you - it's a completely different scene.

I have yet to witness the Friday night track races which I hear are amazing - fans screaming, drunk people, famous big shot racers, and the hectic UCI Madison. I'd say that the spectator-friendly track racing helps make cycling a real sport up here. For now, however, I'm still a cat 3 on the track which means I can only do the Tuesday night races. Tonight we did a Miss-and-Out, Devil's scratch race, and another that I can't remember - they're beginning to run together already. I'm proud to say that I'm past the point of having to constantly say to myself "just keep pedaling." I rode the Trek T1 that I just arrived for me today. Great bike, awesome sparkly paint job.

Since I've been up here I've made $110, a race T-shirt, a nalgine bottle, and a pair of sneakers. Not bad for only a couple races. This past Sunday I did the 16th annual Wilmington Classic, a local race in Delaware. Two laps in, I found myself off the front after a slight acceleration. "Who's this girl we've never heard of? We can let her go." So there I was, off the front and I had to go. I ended up winning by staying off the front for the whole flipping race. I need to working on winning races other than the hardest way possible. Once you're gone you're gone in these little races. The women never chase. If you want to see the results, here they are: http://www.teamdrt.org/Race-results/2007WilmClassicResults.htm

The recent big news is that there's a possibility I might be able to do Philly this weekend. One of the girls from a New Zealand team called Jazz Apple is injured and is considering not starting. They might let me start in her spot. It's a slim chance, very last minute, but just the idea is pretty cool in itself.

Pictures From the Trip

At the Airport in Kansas City, Missouri

Lost 1

Lost 2

The Original Course

The New Course

Introduction:
I was reluctant to start a blog becuase, in my experience, they can drastically change others' opinions of you. Please keep in mind that this is just a blog, nothing profound. The point of it is to keep me busy this summer and keep my friends up-to-date with my racing or racing in general. This summer, I will be living in and racing out of Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Fitchburg, the Tour de Toona, and U23 Nationals are on my to do list.

Everything Important:
I suppose this is where I talk about recent races. Ok, Collegiate Nationals. This year, like the past two years, it was held in Kansas and hosted by Kansas University. We flew into Kansas City early Thursday morning. By the way, Kansas City is not in Kansas. Somehow between 4th grade and now I managed to forget that. It was a very Dorothy-esque experience, the confusion about my location relative to Kansas and, later, discovering the flooding from the recent tornados.

We unpacked and headed off to meet the rest of the team at the road race course. We were forced to find another way across the river, a way that diverged from the Mapquest directions, because the bridge we needed to cross was flooded. Our logic was to follow as close as we could to the river until we found a driveable bridge across. To make a long story short, being lost in Kansas took three hours, involved longer-than-we-thought dirt roads, tractors that wouldn't get out of the way, and several local farmers in overalls who didn't know exactly where they were either (see above pictures).

Eventually we made it out and were able to find and ride the road race course. Disregarding the "DANGER - road flooded" signs blocking the road, we continued in order to verify for ourselves. It wasn't exactly a waste of time becuase I'd never seen water over a road like that. It wasn't much, possibly 8 to 10 inches, but it was enough. The officials ended up rerouting the race down a dirt road that I thought was pretty cool only because I wasn't one of the twenty or so in my race to get a flat. My teammate, Rebecca Larson, won, so we were all in high spirits. Our TTT got fifth place with only three of us (most teams had four), one of whom just started racing this year. At lunch that day, there was a big diagreement over how high the water actually was (6inches, a foot, some said 2 feet which is impossible) and wheather the dirt was much better than the water would have been.

Rebecca ended up wining the overall omnium like she did last year. I was able to help her a tiny bit in the road race, less so in the crit. That crit was darn scary. I managed to get off the front for one glorious lap by countering a preem sprint. The announcer, Dave Towle, actually talked about me and my junior national title, the title that I don't think really means much to anyone. I was a little surprised and definitely pleased becuase the whole weekend I'd been feeling very unimportant next to Rebecca. If you don't recognize the name Dave Towle, he's famous for his sayings like "we're in downtown pain city," "let's launch these ladies into orbit," and "they packed their suitcases full of courage here today." The mechanics and staff at the Central Valley Classic a couple months ago got a kick out of playing "Dave Towle Bingo." One box per saying....you understand.

Today I learned how to sell stuff on ebay. National team skinsuit anyone? I'm still debating if I should sell the long sleeved one or not. Ok time to see if I can download some pictures from the trip onto here. I also have to mail my plane ticket stub to UF so that I can get reimbursed for the trip.