Last year, I wasn't quite sure why I raced the collegiate calender. I suppose I did it because everyone else was doing it, because my coach said I should, or a combination of the two. At any rate, I can't say I enjoyed it very much. All a collegiate race meant was a long, cramped car ride, a cheap hotel room, and a lot of money out of my pocket. And the prize for winning the race?
...the satisfaction of winning the race.
...the satisfaction of winning the race.
I can remember several hotel rooms in particular: The Econo Lodge in Alabama with the stains on the sheets, the Motel 8 in Georgia with the musty old-cigarette smell (even in the non-smoking rooms). No one would draft behind us after two days in that place.
The worst part was the traveling. While all the Florida racers were enjoying a weekend off of racing, I'd be driving 500 miles to Alabama and Tennessee to compete in fairly small races that had no prize purses. These were the weekends when I could be staying home, catching up on some homework, and, for once, taking the time to breathe. So the 2007 collegiate season pushed my limits. In the end, I qualified for collegiate nationals and was there when my teammate, Rebecca Larson, won the road race and the omnium. So it was worth it, right? At the time, I didn't think it was because, truthfully, I didn't have much to do with Rebecca's victory.
But now the collegiate season has begun again and, because of last season, I feel prepared. I've been training harder and feeling stronger than I ever have before, and I know what I'm up against. I went into the first collegiate race (granted, many of the top contenders weren't there) and rode circles around the group. At the UGA race last weekend, Lees Mcrae and UGA gave me a run for my money, but I won both Saturday and Sunday. If there's one thing I learned last season, it's how to race my bike, and that learning began with the spring collegiate races.
So here I am continuing to race the collegiate calender. Right now, I'm sitting in a hotel room in Newnan, Georgia with several other team Florida members. We've brought 13 people to this race (Georgia Tech), and we've managed to cram ourselves and our bikes into two rooms. The drive up here wasn't too bad, except for the rain. The rain was from a cold front that we knew was coming through. We packed our warmest clothes and joked about the forecast for a 'chance of snow' never thinking that it would actually snow in March.
I woke up at 6 to leave for the race and couldn't believe it when I looked outside and saw the flurries falling to the ground. I was thrilled because I'd never seen it snow before. But by the time I started my ITT, it had gotten worse and I was ready for it to stop. Still, the way it floats through the air fascinates me. We got some pretty good pictures - I'll post them later.
The worst part was the traveling. While all the Florida racers were enjoying a weekend off of racing, I'd be driving 500 miles to Alabama and Tennessee to compete in fairly small races that had no prize purses. These were the weekends when I could be staying home, catching up on some homework, and, for once, taking the time to breathe. So the 2007 collegiate season pushed my limits. In the end, I qualified for collegiate nationals and was there when my teammate, Rebecca Larson, won the road race and the omnium. So it was worth it, right? At the time, I didn't think it was because, truthfully, I didn't have much to do with Rebecca's victory.
But now the collegiate season has begun again and, because of last season, I feel prepared. I've been training harder and feeling stronger than I ever have before, and I know what I'm up against. I went into the first collegiate race (granted, many of the top contenders weren't there) and rode circles around the group. At the UGA race last weekend, Lees Mcrae and UGA gave me a run for my money, but I won both Saturday and Sunday. If there's one thing I learned last season, it's how to race my bike, and that learning began with the spring collegiate races.
So here I am continuing to race the collegiate calender. Right now, I'm sitting in a hotel room in Newnan, Georgia with several other team Florida members. We've brought 13 people to this race (Georgia Tech), and we've managed to cram ourselves and our bikes into two rooms. The drive up here wasn't too bad, except for the rain. The rain was from a cold front that we knew was coming through. We packed our warmest clothes and joked about the forecast for a 'chance of snow' never thinking that it would actually snow in March.
I woke up at 6 to leave for the race and couldn't believe it when I looked outside and saw the flurries falling to the ground. I was thrilled because I'd never seen it snow before. But by the time I started my ITT, it had gotten worse and I was ready for it to stop. Still, the way it floats through the air fascinates me. We got some pretty good pictures - I'll post them later.
Breakfast
