“More Mud, More Blood, All Good” is a saying heard in the sport of Cyclocross, however in my case it sums up my 2007 Danskin race.
I start out the weekend by attending the expo with fellow RTBers Heather, Kathy, Ashley and Lindy. We have three bikes on the rack and two inside the van. Heather said “we’re going to look like a clown car when we all start piling out”. Thankfully, nobody called us clowns.
We get to the expo and grab our spot in line. Doors open right at 9:30. We quickly get body marked; pick up our packets and then head into the expo. It was nice being there so early, but my first thought was HALF the space as in the prior years.
Speedster Heather beelines to the cap and shirt pick up while the rest of us dally around. We finally catch up to her and wait in line for the rest of our race materials. Mass Mutual is giving out cute pink t-shirts with the frog on it so I pick up one of those. Kathy, Ashley and Lindy get one too. I asked where Heather was. Little Speedster once again was off and running. Note to self: Tell Heather the expo and the race are two separate events!
After grabbing some freebies and making a few purchases we head over to Genessee to rack our bikes and check out the water.
While Heather and I are getting my bike racked, she gets stung by a bee!! That was a bummer but she finds some ice to help ease the sting.
All racked up, we check out the lake. Buoys are out so we are able to gage the distance. Doesn’t look bad at all.
While discussing our parking plans for the morning, we discover that Ashley was way ahead of us on that. She actually checked out the transition area and part of the course on the Tuesday before. It paid off!! She met someone who volunteers his driveway for the day of the event. Doesn’t get much cooler than that. Our only hurdle in the morning is getting past traffic cop #2. With folded arms and a bit of a “yea, right” attitude, she buys our story and lets us pass (after the race, her arms were still folded and she had the same look on her face).
I really wasn’t quite as excited about Danskin this year. I had been nursing a hamstring injury for the past month. I just planned to take it easy and let my body do the race without causing further pain or injury to myself.
I do a pre-race warm up in the water. Great temp. I am surprised at the number of pink caps and how quickly the waves are starting. It is nice to get started and on with my race until I start catching up with the swimmers ahead of me. I even caught up to some triathletes that were several waves ahead of me. It was a very crowded swim. I focused on the orange buoys while spotting. Lots of back and breast strokers, arms and legs everywhere. I can feel panic starting to set in. For a brief second, I think about my Danskin from 2 years ago. Either I can let panic set in or I can get a grip, get my breathing down and finish the race. Luckily, option 2 takes over and I finish the swim in just over 13 minutes.
I run out of the water and start stripping off my wetsuit. As was the case last year, I pass dozens of women walking out of the water. It pays to be able to run and strip at the same time.
I’ve had the team Cervelo tri bike for the last 3 weeks and we’ve become very compatible. I get through the first half of the ride with no problem. I ride up Day Street and make it on to I-90 with little fanfare. I love picking up speed going down hill on the bridge and try my darnedest to go fast up those hills but the tri bike just isn’t made for hill climbing. Certainly isn’t me, right? I get to the end of I-90 to head back down Day Street and see quite the line up. Walking down the path isn’t mandatory yet, however due to a minor bike incident, everyone is forced to walk their bikes.
I make it down the path. I get on my bike, down a Gu and start riding like the wind! I’m going about 17 or 18 miles an hour! I’m aero! I’m hoping to beat last year’s 20 mph average. I’m passing everyone in front of me. I’m finally alone and then all of the sudden I see a wheel trying to pass me on my right. Huh? I didn’t hear anyone call out to me. There is plenty of passing room on my left. What the?!?!? Why am I turning sideways? I realize it is my back wheel trying to pass my front wheel. BAM! I hit the pavement and slide about 10 feet forward. I’m down! I scramble to get unclipped and get up. All I can think about is getting back on my bike. I have a race to finish. Two volunteers run over to me and ask if I’m OK. I start getting back on the bike and ask them to give me a little send off. My bike is in high gear and will be tough to start. I’m peddling but the bike is going nowhere. I think the chain is off but it doesn’t look like it is. Then I’m panicking. Bike problems! That CAN’T be. I hop off the bike and the volunteer starts cranking. The back wheel starts to move. YES! I hop back on and with a little help I’m on my way. At this point, I’m a little cautious. Only a couple of miles to the finish. I don’t even clip in. I ride unclipped and get it done.
I get off the bike at dismount. Look at my knee and there is a trail of blood down to my ankle. I rack my bike and continue with my transition. I look at my elbow and it is worse than my knee. I run through the next timing mat and see Patty and Bill Swedberg. They’re cheering me on and with a big smile I say “I got blood!!!” This gets a few cheers from the crowd and gets me going. I see a photographer on the road and I point to the elbow and say “you gotta get this”. He laughs and says “got it”! A few women cheerleaders offer their sympathy but I am not feeling pain at all. I give them the muscle flex and their “oh no’s” turn into “way to go”. That was awesome!
I make it to the finish. Shoes are muddy. Body is bloody. All is good.
I get my medal and am happy to be done. A near panic in the water. A bike crash on the ride. A run with a strained hamstring. A respectable top 25 finish in my age group and top 4% finish overall. I’ll take it!
I make it over to the first aid station. The ladies in the tent clean my elbow and knee. They are convinced I need stitches and tell me to get treatment within 4 hours. We wait for the several more RTBers to finish. I run to use the Honey Bucket. Pull down the shorts and see my hip and thigh. Ugh!! Sorry for the graphic description but my hip looks like hamburger. Ewww!! Back to the med tent for me. On a good note, no rips in the clothing!
On the way home, we’re talking about our next meal. I’m starting to really hurt now. I tell our faithful driver Mr. Heather (aka Mark) to drop me off at Valley and I’ll call them when I’m done. I spend 3 hours there. No stitches but I do get a few x-rays of the elbow. The doctor asked me if I was upset that I crashed and didn’t get to finish. You should have seen the look on her face when I said “Oh, I finished. NOT finishing was NEVER an option.” With disbelief in her voice, I hear her telling everyone outside my room that I got back on my bike and then ran 3.1 miles. Classic!
It has been two days since Danskin. I’m still bandaged up but the pain is fading. I’m ready to do it again…rain or shine!
I start out the weekend by attending the expo with fellow RTBers Heather, Kathy, Ashley and Lindy. We have three bikes on the rack and two inside the van. Heather said “we’re going to look like a clown car when we all start piling out”. Thankfully, nobody called us clowns.
We get to the expo and grab our spot in line. Doors open right at 9:30. We quickly get body marked; pick up our packets and then head into the expo. It was nice being there so early, but my first thought was HALF the space as in the prior years.
Speedster Heather beelines to the cap and shirt pick up while the rest of us dally around. We finally catch up to her and wait in line for the rest of our race materials. Mass Mutual is giving out cute pink t-shirts with the frog on it so I pick up one of those. Kathy, Ashley and Lindy get one too. I asked where Heather was. Little Speedster once again was off and running. Note to self: Tell Heather the expo and the race are two separate events!
After grabbing some freebies and making a few purchases we head over to Genessee to rack our bikes and check out the water.
While Heather and I are getting my bike racked, she gets stung by a bee!! That was a bummer but she finds some ice to help ease the sting.
All racked up, we check out the lake. Buoys are out so we are able to gage the distance. Doesn’t look bad at all.
While discussing our parking plans for the morning, we discover that Ashley was way ahead of us on that. She actually checked out the transition area and part of the course on the Tuesday before. It paid off!! She met someone who volunteers his driveway for the day of the event. Doesn’t get much cooler than that. Our only hurdle in the morning is getting past traffic cop #2. With folded arms and a bit of a “yea, right” attitude, she buys our story and lets us pass (after the race, her arms were still folded and she had the same look on her face).
I really wasn’t quite as excited about Danskin this year. I had been nursing a hamstring injury for the past month. I just planned to take it easy and let my body do the race without causing further pain or injury to myself.
I do a pre-race warm up in the water. Great temp. I am surprised at the number of pink caps and how quickly the waves are starting. It is nice to get started and on with my race until I start catching up with the swimmers ahead of me. I even caught up to some triathletes that were several waves ahead of me. It was a very crowded swim. I focused on the orange buoys while spotting. Lots of back and breast strokers, arms and legs everywhere. I can feel panic starting to set in. For a brief second, I think about my Danskin from 2 years ago. Either I can let panic set in or I can get a grip, get my breathing down and finish the race. Luckily, option 2 takes over and I finish the swim in just over 13 minutes.
I run out of the water and start stripping off my wetsuit. As was the case last year, I pass dozens of women walking out of the water. It pays to be able to run and strip at the same time.
I’ve had the team Cervelo tri bike for the last 3 weeks and we’ve become very compatible. I get through the first half of the ride with no problem. I ride up Day Street and make it on to I-90 with little fanfare. I love picking up speed going down hill on the bridge and try my darnedest to go fast up those hills but the tri bike just isn’t made for hill climbing. Certainly isn’t me, right? I get to the end of I-90 to head back down Day Street and see quite the line up. Walking down the path isn’t mandatory yet, however due to a minor bike incident, everyone is forced to walk their bikes.
I make it down the path. I get on my bike, down a Gu and start riding like the wind! I’m going about 17 or 18 miles an hour! I’m aero! I’m hoping to beat last year’s 20 mph average. I’m passing everyone in front of me. I’m finally alone and then all of the sudden I see a wheel trying to pass me on my right. Huh? I didn’t hear anyone call out to me. There is plenty of passing room on my left. What the?!?!? Why am I turning sideways? I realize it is my back wheel trying to pass my front wheel. BAM! I hit the pavement and slide about 10 feet forward. I’m down! I scramble to get unclipped and get up. All I can think about is getting back on my bike. I have a race to finish. Two volunteers run over to me and ask if I’m OK. I start getting back on the bike and ask them to give me a little send off. My bike is in high gear and will be tough to start. I’m peddling but the bike is going nowhere. I think the chain is off but it doesn’t look like it is. Then I’m panicking. Bike problems! That CAN’T be. I hop off the bike and the volunteer starts cranking. The back wheel starts to move. YES! I hop back on and with a little help I’m on my way. At this point, I’m a little cautious. Only a couple of miles to the finish. I don’t even clip in. I ride unclipped and get it done.
I get off the bike at dismount. Look at my knee and there is a trail of blood down to my ankle. I rack my bike and continue with my transition. I look at my elbow and it is worse than my knee. I run through the next timing mat and see Patty and Bill Swedberg. They’re cheering me on and with a big smile I say “I got blood!!!” This gets a few cheers from the crowd and gets me going. I see a photographer on the road and I point to the elbow and say “you gotta get this”. He laughs and says “got it”! A few women cheerleaders offer their sympathy but I am not feeling pain at all. I give them the muscle flex and their “oh no’s” turn into “way to go”. That was awesome!
I make it to the finish. Shoes are muddy. Body is bloody. All is good.
I get my medal and am happy to be done. A near panic in the water. A bike crash on the ride. A run with a strained hamstring. A respectable top 25 finish in my age group and top 4% finish overall. I’ll take it!I make it over to the first aid station. The ladies in the tent clean my elbow and knee. They are convinced I need stitches and tell me to get treatment within 4 hours. We wait for the several more RTBers to finish. I run to use the Honey Bucket. Pull down the shorts and see my hip and thigh. Ugh!! Sorry for the graphic description but my hip looks like hamburger. Ewww!! Back to the med tent for me. On a good note, no rips in the clothing!
On the way home, we’re talking about our next meal. I’m starting to really hurt now. I tell our faithful driver Mr. Heather (aka Mark) to drop me off at Valley and I’ll call them when I’m done. I spend 3 hours there. No stitches but I do get a few x-rays of the elbow. The doctor asked me if I was upset that I crashed and didn’t get to finish. You should have seen the look on her face when I said “Oh, I finished. NOT finishing was NEVER an option.” With disbelief in her voice, I hear her telling everyone outside my room that I got back on my bike and then ran 3.1 miles. Classic!
It has been two days since Danskin. I’m still bandaged up but the pain is fading. I’m ready to do it again…rain or shine!
No comments:
Post a Comment