Sucker Brook Cross - CycleCyclocross

Cat 4 men started with women starting about 30" later. I started at the back and was last right away...but everyone gets bunched up at tight corners. I need to be a little more aggressive at the start. Bike races are so different than tris in all the newbies are cat 4 for women and so I can race against women 19, 29 or 75. I think there were 3 of us 45 or over.

Fast slight uphill on pavement and turn over rocks into the grass section...off camber sharp turn and around, down hill with tight corner, with quick dismount and run up the stairs..I like this part, then more grass section which just is tough, into slight down hill and over a wood bridge..now is the tricky part tight left to steep up hill of maybe 10 feet quick 180 right down the hill and at bottom 180 back up...make it up the first hill turn and try not to get toe overlap on my wheel tough to make it clean out of tight turn to go up the hill..no way do I have enough speed to make it up..couple steps up the hill, remount, get clipped in then barriers...log jam of women...over them and remount.

Now into the path wooded section. I get caught behind a few folks going to easy at the bottom of the long slight downhill tight left with sand where my back wheel slides a bit each loop, more wooded section now with rocks painted orange, then tight turn right and left , down shift into the sand pit...key to keep weight back so front wheel doesn't get pushed down and stuck or maybe fall endo...get about half way which is the critical point and just can't go any farther..quick unclip and then carry my bike over last part of sand...180 and now the sand pit again..make it through okay with no speed and have to make a 180 uphill..yah right...put my foot down and push a little..now straight section back to pavement, some turns and start lap 1. HR is elevated and I'm panting hard now and my mouth is open. Folks are spread out more.

Lap 2 was harder as my HR was up and I wasn't so fresh. IM training is the opposite of cross training..IM steady state...cross is high HR with big variances of efforts of power...so doing cross is good for me but I'm not so well trained for it.

Lap 2 I find better lines but I'm more tired...do great on run up the stairs and I think pass some tentative women here, the grass section fries me some more, now the 180 hills up and down..make it up the first, get better line for downhill and try really really hard to make it up the second hill,about 2 feet from apex and I just tip over to the left and fall on my side. I just laugh as it was pretty funny..teammate spectators are right there and they all moan when I tip over..really it was funny..up and try to clip in but it is tough with sand in my cleats...so keep pedaling and try clipping in then dismount for barriers again..back into the woods and recovery time..push a bit more...get to sandpit and dang it loose steam same spot have to unclip and carry my bike. On other side of sand pit do okay, tight up hill corner not much better...bumpy section then road.

As I was completing my second lap, I saw the lap counter had 2 which means 2 more laps..but the guys were hot on my trail meaning they were going to lap me and the bell went off meaning one more lap left which is based on the leaders. Since I knew I was on the last lap helped my finish. Reminder if it says 2 and you get lapped you are now on your last lap.

Lap 3: I'm tired I can tell and men start passing me which sort of sucks as they pass me on both sides. The leaders are kind and yell passing on your right on the off camber turn..so I move slightly left and thank them. Around to the stairs, do them well and feel pretty good...I see the pack of guys gaining on me. After about 1/2 the first lap really no one is passing and I stay even with other women. Great the men are catching me at the 180 turns on the hill..I want to make it up that last hill...get up the first, better line on second...now the uphill...one guy tight on either side of me...crap I have no room and feel constrained along with the fact I could fall and be run over..I put my foot down and push my way up...not graceful but safer. Over the barriers and the clump of men is by me.

I think knowing lots of men are behind me made me push much harder in the woods. I shift to harder gear, no longer afraid I'll fall, I work hard knowing I'm almost done, I start passing folks..sweet! Make the sandy turn safe, gaining on another women, sweet pass her right at the corner just before the sand pit. Dang it I want to make it through..gain lots of time...reamember I need to make the vroom vroom noise like a 6 year old boy does while playing with cars or trucks....make the vroom vroom sound an make it through the sand pit ...yah me...make it through the other sandpit and now the nasty uphill 180..look I made it with just putting one foot down..now hammer it home..pass another couple women on the last grass section..hit the pavement and give it my all, pass 3-4 folks on the way to the finish..gosh that was fun...breathing heavy and my exercise asthma kicked up but slowly I get my breathing back.

Yah..that was wicked hard and so fun. I finished strong. I think the difficulty and craziness of what they want us to do adds to the fun of doing it. I sort of laugh when I see what they have laid out for us..thinking we are supposed to ride that? How? But each time through I learn a little and figure out a better way.



Start up front more and not be afraid that others will pass me..keep my elbow out and hold my space. Turned out those that I started with I was faster than or had more endurance than they did...be bold Kathy go for it...goal is to get the hole spot..not sure I'm that brave yet.

I was breathing pretty hard and my asthma kicked in..it was a great feeling..done..chatting with my teammates..all asking did you have fun? How'd you do? What race are you going to do next weekend.

Probably should have done some cool down riding but honestly had to get my breath out of control. My last kick in last 1/5th of the course I passed maybe 4-5 women...so well worth the effort...key was to know it was the last lap.


I wish I had started doing this when I was younger. Power/weight ratio thing...

What I'm good at is dismounting while going with speed and not braking..jumping off at speed is fun
Best part was stairs where I could carry speed and run up the stairs and mounted well
I found certain places I could really hammer hard like the wooded section..many went to easy here..flat..rocks..but I passed a bunch here..also finding a good line I could pass folks as they braked or took a different line.

HR spikes in run ups and barriers for sure.
Not so good..just general power of going hard fast on grass

It was so different emotionally than triathlons...I thought I'd be towards the back and I was. I didn't care where I was just trying to have fun and do my best. In thinking about this I am similar before road races. Only in tris do I get wacky and struggle mentally. I need to figure this out why? and try to improve on this. This feels so much better.




Nice course and fun atmosphere.

Cross is fun, and a great change of pace from tri training and racing.