Freund San Dimas Race Report

Hey everyone,

So here is how the San Dimas Stage Race which included an uphill 3.8
mile TT on Friday, a road race Saturday and a Crit on sunday went from
my prospective.

Well the TT wasn't great. I had a good warm up, I felt pretty good,
and unlike Carter I don't mind TT's usually. However, I've never done
an uphill TT and to make things worse I went out a little too hard.
This is my biggest problem for TTs. I mean I tell myself to relax
don't go out too hard and I don't think that I went too hard from the
gun but it was after maybe 1/2 a K, when I got my 30 sec man in my
sites. Then I started to go too hard I caught and passed him probably
in the first K. I relized however I was going too hard too soon but I
could already see my 1 minute man and I kept the hammer down. I caught
and passed him probably around the 3K mark. So I still felt decent
for about another 20 seconds then I suffered the most just after half
way and before the last quarter of the race and it wasn't a good
suffer. It was the you have too much lactic in your legs and you will
slow down. This is not good because it is the section I should have
been going my hardest. So all in all I ended up with 15:26 in ninth
place. My first thought was "wow not good I hope Ebert doesn't kick
me off the team". Well maybe it wasn't that extreme but I was not
happy. Well it was on to the road race.

In the RR there were time bonuses available on lap 3,5,7 and also on
the finish. The race was very non-aggresive, barely any attacks and
the few that there were, were half hearted solo efforts which would
get chased down almost with easy. This is very different from the few
colligiate races that I've had this year which usually have relentless
attacks fro the gun. Everyone went hard on the climb but crawled over
the top taking time to recover. The pace was constantly up and down
but never that hard. So on the 3rd lap I attacked over the top of the
second climb about 3k's from the finish. I had a decent gap, however
I was caught on the long straight to the finish with about 150 meters
to go. So on lap 5 I took 3rd in the field sprint and then got myself
into the only break of the day that seemed like it might have a
chance. There was four of us and one of the guys was in the top ten
with me. I think we may have had 30 seconds or more at one point and
even put the two's field inbetween us and the main pack. We were
about to catch another large group of riders from another field but my
breakmates lost there legs. One dropped off the back while I tried to
power us over one of the climbs and the other 2 didn't want to pull
anymore. I tried to push the pace taking the lead for the entire
first climb but I could tell they were done. We ended up getting
caught just before the end of lap 7th however I took 4th in the field
sprint just out points/time bonus placing. So I sat in for the final
lap waiting for the field sprint. I ended up in eighth. Not very
good. However I learned some things from these field sprints which
prior to this I haven't had too much exspierence..
1. Enroll in Josh Carter Sprinting classes. 2. I was in too big of
gear for this sprint. 3. I was positioned too far up in the field
with a straight away that is 1k long. Lastly at the end of the sprint
I need to start looking for holes and the line rather than wheels. 4.
Enroll in advanced sprinting tactics with professor Carter.

Sunday the Crit. Well you could say I'm consistant because I took 4th
again in the time bonus sprint and eigth for the stage in another
field sprint. This race was another race which doesn't exactly suit
my tactics. It was decently fast with no real attacks and everything
getting chased down. It seemed as if everyone was content with a
sprint finish. I wanted to sit in and launch an attack with 2 laps to
go however someone stole my thunder and attacked with 3.5 laps to go
and I would have joined him but I was not in position. There was a
large team of Bishop guys there who had a couple guys in the top 5 and
they chased hard and kept the pace high. We caught the rider with
about 500 meters to go. I was a little spent for the sprint finish
because I kept following wheels that where going the wrong direction
so I had to keep excellerating to get myself in position (not making
any friends having to force my way back into line). Needless to say
the sprint was subpar. So a 8th place finish for the stage and 8th on
the GC.

All in all it was a great week in Cali. Great training and good
racing. Also good company, thanks again to Ebert and Rosa for putting
up with me for a week.

Ryan

Carter Report: Pace bend RR and Walburg RR

Hi ABD'ers

 

Thought I would drop a short recap of the races down here.  I will start with Valley of the Sun in Phoenix, AZ.  It was a 3 day stage race with a TT, RR, and Crit based on time.  Now, it is no seceret that I hate TT's, but I actually was ready to really try and do well at this one, full on areo set up.  5k into the 22k TT I managed to find the biggest nail on the rode that went clean through my wheel.  Two thoughts went through my head: 1st- I am so glad that I have a great excuse as to why I did not do well.  2nd- Oh crap I have to ride the next 17k on a flat wheel so I can start the next day, I hope somebody will be there to score me in a hour or so.  Lucky for me they had a sweeper to pick people up in my situation and they gave me 5 minutes slower than the slowest time of the day, so I could start the next day.  RR went well, the results show me as getting 2nd (and I still would have done well) but with 1k to go they neutralized our finish because of a crash at the finish line in the 3s race.  So it did not really count.  The Crit went well also, long story shot, a Rock Racing guy and Waste Management guy got off the front with 1 lap to go and I got 2nd in the field sprint for 4th.

 

This last weekend I went the suburbs of Austin, TX to the Walburg and Pace Bend RRs (two big TX races that everyone has been talking about).  Saturday was Walburg- it was a long hard day in the saddle.  We had cold, clouds, rain, sun, warm, and wind (a lot of wind).  It was so windy that for about 5 miles in the cross wind I was trying to control my deep carbon Bontrager wheels at an angle as if I where going through a corner (only I was going straight).  I could feel my bike sliding sideways on the wet road.  I missed the 3 man break.  In the last 10 miles a 4th guy got away and I won the sprint for 5th.  Sunday was Pace Bend, it was a very cool race.  A 6.2 mile fully enclosed wide road loop with rolling climbs and a lot of dudes (130+ starters)  I quickly figured out that this race was going to come to a field sprint, it was too easy to sit in and to many guys with fresh legs.  Now with that being said it made it very hard to position for the finish.  There was a corner 400 meters to the finish and it was all up hill (not exactly my cup of tea) but I was ready for the fight.  I got boxed in coming out of the corner and had to soft pedal to get an open lane with 200 meters to go.  I got boxed in again and soft pedaled to get the line.  By the time I hit the finish I had caught all but 1 guy, all I needed was 10 more meters, but that is bike racing.  I will take 2nd place anytime.  That is all the races I have to report for now!  I will be at it again this weekend at Lago Vista.  Wish me luck!

 

~Josh

 

The Nowak Ski Trail Report

Hey all ABD'ers, there are some AWESOME x-country skiing conditions in the area.  Here is my first hand update on the local and some not so local trails.

The DuPage Forest preserves are in pretty good shape.  I classic skied Herrick Lake on Monday and the tracks were very good (other than one area where an old lady was walking in them).  The skate area had a lot of walking traffic, but looked to be decent.  Also checked out Arrowhead Golf Course and there was a nice wide skate lane.  The tracks there were not as good as Herrick Lake.

Also checked out Blackwell FP and the conditions were similar to Herrick Lake.

My personal favorite, Deer Grove FP in Palatine has EXCELLENT conditions right now.  This is all self groomed by the skiers there (i.e. me and a few other guys).  There is an unused road that travels from the west-most parking lot off of Dundee Rd. east for about 5K that is in very good condition right now.  It is very firm and getting fast.  There are also a large network of skied-in tracks that are getting worn, but overall they are pretty good.

Also, Rockford has a nice system at Rock Cut St. Park.  Check out the link below for Northern IL Nordic.

For those of you looking for a bit more adventure and challenge, I highly recommend the South Kettle area by Eagle, WI.  The Nordic trail system is in excellent condition right now and the DNR of WI does an great job of grooming.  If you are looking for a more challenging and anaerobic workout the trails at McMiller are also excellent.  This is also a shooting range and during the weekends it can be a bit concerning hearing gun shots.  However, this is a World Cup level trail and will leave you gasping.

Here are a few links for more info if you are interested.

Ski Reports:
http://www.skinnyski.com/
http://www.laphampeakfriends.org/ViewSkireportsExpanded.php
http://ninordic.org

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us


Hope to see you out there.  Feel free to send any ski related questions, I'd be more than happy to answer them.

Jim

Paul Z's Prairie Path Update- 9/16/08

Thanks to all who replied about conditions on the paths and roads. I
went out this evening from Mile Marker Zero in Wheaton to Powis and Army
Trail. Despite Saturday's deluge and the remnants of Hurricane Ike, the
path is in pretty decent shape. However, there are a few sections that
were under water and will put you on your butt if you aren't careful.
The washouts left washboard sections that are guaranteed end-O's if you
hit them at speed on a skinny tire bike. The worst parts are near Prince
Crossing Road -- about one-quarter mile to the east and the other is
immediately after the IPP splits from the Great Western. Besides the
ruts and bumps, there's a dangerous mix of sand and loose gravel. Take
it slow and you'll be OK. Or set your front shock for full travel and
don't let go of the bars!

On the pavement, Powis will probably be open tomorrow. I rode north from
Army Trail to Stearns (in spite of the barricades and ROAD CLOSED sign),
and there's one small section with standing water near the recreation
area, just south of the railroad tracks. The water was no more than 2
inches deep on the crown of the road.

Munger is another story. While the water has receded quite a bit since
the weekend, it's hub-deep at the low spot, and about 70 meters are
submerged just north of the railroad tracks. There are a couple of wet
sections between Forest Preserve Drive on the north and Army Trail on
the south where you'll have to slow down.

Well, I have to go change the newspaper in my soggy cycling shoes...

Later,
.pcz
__._,_.___

Allison Moe Report: Wisconsin Triathlon

Race Report- Ironman Wisconsin 2008

What a journey!!! As I reflect on my first Ironman, there are so many thoughts that are going through my head. I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to do these types of things. Every starting line is a gift and every finish line is a reward. Doing the Ironman is simply amazing.

The Swim 1:20

Heading out to the swim was one of the coolest things that I have ever done. You have all these bobbing heads out there and you look back on shore and see thousands of spectators lining the Monona Terrace. There was so much energy coming from all the athletes, and at that point, it hit me that I was actually here doing this thing! I truly enjoyed the swim. It was what I expected. The "human washing machine" that everyone talks about was an experience. You expect to get kicked and hit, and the first turn around the buoy was pretty rough. But there was

an excitement to it that made the swim so much fun.  I thought the swim was so great, but then it got better. I loved having

the volunteers strip the wetsuit off. Every triathlon needs to offer that service. And the run up the helix, again, that was just another really cool aspect of IMW.  I loved seeing the MSM crowd about halfway up. 

The Bike 7:01

I love to bike, and I was so happy to get to the bike. I was anxious to

head out to the hills as I knew that there would be roads lined with people. The entire bike felt good. The crowds were awesome. There were so many people from MSM out on the "second bitch." And I wasn't expecting to see a band with a trombone and tuba player, but then again,

there are a lot of crazy things happening out there. The ride into Verona was another high point with about a mile of roads line with spectators. And my mom was waiting at the end of the road. I was able to

wave so she knew I was coming, and she got some pictures. The second loop was much of the same, just with a little more wind in my face. But

the last 14 miles back into Madison had a tail wind so that was helpful.

At that point, I was really ready to get off the bike and looking forward to the marathon. The ride up the helix was great, and I pulled into transition to a loud reception from my cheering section. They were

all there waiting for me and as I headed into the building, they followed me in and surprised me again! That was a great feeling.

The Run 6:16

I had no idea how this was going to go. I was excited to run and my legs felt pretty good coming off the bike. Heading into downtown Madison

was a terrific feeling. The roads were packed, the atmosphere was loud.

I saw my coach Mike at the start and he gave me a few tips and sent me on my way. Around the corner, my cheering section was waiting for me again. I had forgotten that our race bibs had our names on it so at first, I was waving to everyone that yelled "Go Moe!" Pretty soon I

realized that they all really didn't know me, they just looked at my bib. It was great to hear people yell "Go Madness." It was so nice to have the jersey on and hear shouts of encouragement from the club members (athletes, volunteers, and margarita drinking spectators)! The first 13 miles felt pretty good, and the start of the second loop went well. After leaving Camp Randall Stadium for the second time, I started

to hit a major wall. I ended up walking most of miles 18-22. It was dark, there were many hills (how come no one seemed to warn me about Observatory Rd???), and my body was just tired. Luckily I met up with Donna who seemed to be in the same mode as me. So we walked and talked.

At one point, we even tried mental math. We were trying to figure out if

we maintained a 15 minute/mile walking pace, what time we would finish.

But mental math at that point in the day wasn't a good idea. So we just kept moving forward and celebrated every time we passed a mile marker. At about 9:00, it started to rain. Nothing bad, but it was just

enough to get us moving. We started to shuffle our way back in (there wasn't much running at this point, just shuffling). Coming into the last mile, I saw Coach Mike, and I knew that this was going to happen. I

couldn't muster up much speed at that point, but when I hit State St.

for the final time, the crowds were still loud and full of people (many

who had spent  a good chunk of time at the bars all day). At that point,

I started to get a little choked up but realized I wouldn't be able to

breathe if I kept that up. So I pulled it together and enjoyed rounding

the Capitol one last time. Making that final turn was the greatest feeling in the world. The lights were bright, the crowds were pumped, and the music was blaring. There was a party going on on that street! And then I entered the final stretch, and I let out a huge yell. As I began the run in, I heard Mike Reilly speak those precious words, "Allison Moe, you are an Ironman." And that was what I had waited to hear all day. It was the moment that I had imagined in my head every

day for the past year. It will be a moment that I will always remember and replay in my head for the rest of my life. I was able to yell a little more, pump my arms, and do a little jump  and moved on through the finisher's chute. And thank goodness Jaime was there to meet me right after I finished because all the energy just left my body. After a

few slices of pizza though, the energy was back. 

The End 14:58:21

After finishing, I was able to make my way back into the hotel lounge, and I thought I was still mentally a little shaky as I saw that the Bears were going to bet the Colts. But no, that was actually happening.

I showered and was going to head into bed, but there was still a party going on outside of the hotel and all I could hear was Mike Reilly's voice. So at about 11:15, my mom and I went down to watch the final finishers. That was the best part of the day. To walk down there and see

others finish, it made me so happy to be able to cheer for the others and see their excitement as they finished. The final woman came in at 16:59:56, and I imagine that she felt just as good as the first place finisher. 

Thanks

There are so many people that were a part of the Ironman journey. 

Bethann- we made it a point to do this with smiles and that we did!! Thank you for doing this entire thing with me from start to finish. 

Coach Mike- you are a man of your word. You told me you would get me to

the starting line healthy. And when I got injured back in March and had

those 6 weeks on crutches, you brought me back slowly, and you got me stronger that I had been pre-injury. On that note, my doctor and PT were

awesome and understood that my recovery needed to involve training for the Ironman.

My family and friends- anytime you asked about training or about triathlons, you allowed me to talk about what I love to do. Thanks to everyone who supported me throughout the training, came to watch, tracked online, or simply wished me luck. Boot Campers rock!

Mom- you were a trooper getting up at 4:30, taking pictures and running

around all day, and even watched the last racers! You are an Ironfan!

September 13, 2009- Ironman Wisconsin, I can't wait to do this again!

Allison Moe

Assistant Principal and Athletic Director moea@ccsd93.com

Jay Stream Middle School

283 El Paso Ln.

Carol Stream, IL 60188

P-(630)462-8949

Fax (630)462-9224

Prinner's Junior Nationals report (finally!)

Hello ABD,

There is no doubt that this year's Junior National Championships hosted some of the most exciting and challenging races, not to mention being located in sunny California, which tied together a fun vacation and a memorable experience.  Nomatter how many pages I cover this story in, it will still never include the entirely of the trip, so I figure I'll just pick out the highlights and not bore my readers with the nitty gritty facts.

                Never before had I ridden a bicycle in California, or been to Los Angeles, so that in itself proved to be an adventure.  Road Nationals were first on the agenda, so we stayed in a leaky hotel in Anaheim, within walking distance from Disneyland, where our podium presentations were to be held.  From the outside, our hotel looked like the face of luxury, but after just two days there, we realized it was literally falling apart from within.  It was everything from beaten in drawers, to broken toilets, to leaking air conditioners that made us wonder what bigger problems the place might be hiding.  Luckily, though, with my honed survival skills, I was able to make do with what we had (bed pans aren't out of style yet, are they? Just kidding.)

My first event was to be the individual time trial, which, luckily, I had my "super tripped out TT bike" for.  If there was a TV show called "Pimp my bicycle", my TT bike would definitely not be on it.  In fact, my TT bike was really an imposter, because it was, in fact, just my road bike with a cheap pair of TT bars clamped on it.  Fortunately, I happen to be a top-notch bike expert, and that imposter TT bike didn't fool me for a second, because as soon as I lifted my bike up I realized it weighed about 70 pounds extra due to the cheap TT bars.  If I ever buy my own boat, I will use those TT bars as my anchor (when I'm not using them for my "TT bike" of course).

                The course itself consisted of long, gradual hills that made it feel as though my wheel was super-glued to the pavement, and the blazing hot sun did nothing to improve the scene.  After a hard effort I rode into 3^rd place, just day one of a long two weeks of racing.

                The next day I arrived at the criterium course, which was literally located in the Angels Stadium parking lot.  The course wasn't much better than any other National crit course I've ever experienced, which means that it was pretty pitiful.  It pretty much looked like a giant blob with a loop at one end, and was fenced off with the usual iron gates used for a crit.  The day was about as hot as the previous day, and my wheels were practically melted to the pavement by the time the ref blew the whistle, where Coryn (the girl who won the TT) literally attacked as soon as she clipped in.  After looking around and decidin g that nobody else was going to chase (it was the first lap for Christ's sake!) I took the lead and quickly closed the gap before the end of the first lap.  The race continued as attack after attack was launched, and despite all my crafty sly moves, I didn't succeed in making a break for the larger part of the race.  Then, just about the time the sun and attacks were starting to wear everyone down, a solo move got away, and gained a quick lead as nobody attempted to chase right away.  As soon as everyone realized that the gap was 30 seconds and getting larger, it was too late, and scattered attacks and failed attempts to work together only added to our demise.  I did virtually no work in the chase, and made a flyer on the final lap of the race, managing to slide into second place.

The next day hosted the junior women's RR, which, was dishearteningly flat considering we were in California.  This race would soon turn out to be perhaps one of the most disappointing races of my young cycling career.  That very day happened to be one of those rare days where a rider hops on their bicycle only to feel like they're lugging a 20 ton load of potatoes.  This tends not to bode well in a National Event.  The combination of national event stress (which was pretty high at the time) and empty legs only furthered my discouragement, and just several laps into the race (personally I think road races should not be allowed to have laps), I made possibly the worst choice I have ever made in a bike race.  Despite my constant efforts at a chase, my legs were just not up to par and I could not make any moves that occurred early on in the race.  I soon ended up in the third chase group, and barely hanging on at that.  When it got to the point that my frustration and disappointment became overwhelming, I dejectedly slammed on the brakes and pulled out of the race.  Now, looking back on my impulsive choice, I only feel regret and remorse, and quickly learned that nomatter what plays out in a bike race, to never just throw in the towel when it seems as though all hope is lost, because giving up is the greatest form of failure.   Sometimes, as I have learned, you have to experience things the hard way to truly learn from them, and now that I see the mistake in my choice, I'm determine d to never let negativity or frustration get in the way of a race, or any other aspect of my life for that matter, again.

Just a week passed after road nationals before track nationals began, and we packed up all 80 tons of equiptment into our rental mini van and headed for long beach, where the events were to be held on the ADT event center track in Carson.  This track was a unique sort in the fact that it was a wooden track composed of Siberian Pine, is one of the only indoor tracks in the U.S., and being just 250 meters in length, it had roughly 46 degrees in banking.  All I can say is that it's definitely quite a bit steeper than Northbrook, my native track.  In fact, the straightaways on the ADT velodrome are indeed steeper than the steepest turn on the Northbrook velodrome.   

I was just a slight bit apprehensive about racing on this track because it was very much unlike any track I had ever ridden before.  It is certainly at a rider's advantage to ride on their home track because a true track racer knows all the kit and caboodle about their own track from the scantiest bumps to the feel of the surface and the pull of the banking.  I virtually knew nothing of these properties at the ADT velodrome.  To prove this statement, one must simply know of my very first experience on this track. 

Before being allowed to just ride the velodrome, a rider has to first get certified to make sure they know how to stay upright on this scary-looking structure.  I began by riding around on the apron, which, in track jargon, is the innermost surface of the track and is completely flat.  After several laps I gained enough courage to leap up onto the real track itself and begin my adventure in track riding.  All was great, and I felt exhilarated at the exotic feel of the smooth wood under my tire as I chugged along on the first straightaway of the loop.  Everything so far was going wonderfully, and for about 50 feet I got to feel the satisfaction of staying up right on the daunting  ADT velodrome.  Then, unfortunately, I hit the first turn and realized that it was very, very steep, and even worse, that I really wasn't going all that fast.  It didn't take long for Gravity to put two in two together and come to the conclusion that me staying upright around that turn at that velocity would pretty much defy all the laws of physics.  And so my 50 feet of exhilarating ADT experience came to a quick and jarring halt as my tires slid out from under me, sending me sprawling down the track.  Perhaps the only good thing about falling off a 46 degree angle is that by the time you hit the bottom you literally off the track, and therefore can no longer get in anyone's way, like, say a paceline of 20 riders flying thr ough at 30 mph.

So with several days of practice under my belt, I felt a bit more confident for my first event: the sprint competition.  This event tends to be pretty complex with more rules than any one person can handle, but the basic idea is that riders are matched in pairs and have just three laps to figure out how to outsprint the other one.   The winner moves on to the next round where they go head to head with another qualifier, and so on and so forth until the final round where the two final contestants race for the gold. 

                Well, I happened to be matched with a newbie in the first round who was really quite as lost in as I was about how to race a match sprint.  Now you may think that this is a good thing, but let me assure you, it's not.  There's nothing scarier than having two novices out on the track trying to race a world class event.  Exactly how those world class people do it, I don't know, because as soon as we hit turn one after just one lap on the track, I realized for the second time that week that gravity was not so forgiving.  It didn't help much, either, that we were at the very top of the track.   My competitor was the first to go, and as soon as she hit the track I made the mistake of looking down, because when I did, I realized it was a long, long way down.  So what did I do?   I went down after her.  Is anyone actually surprised?

                Just a little bit of rug burn on my arm and leg and I was livid.  We started the round over (both of us kept a pretty good pace through turn one I must say) and I outsprinted her in the final stretch to move on to the next round. 

                My victories were short lived, though, because I lost the second round to take 7^th place.

The next day wasn't much better either.  I've never had a very good history of 500 meter TTs, and that day proved it because I took 14^th place after a shaky start and slow run.

After that came the scratch race, the first mass start race and my best opportunity for a good place.  The race was splintered with a series of attacks, none of which got away, and the race was neutralized by a crash with just 6 laps to go.  The field became desperate as the laps counted down, but every move never made it far, and it was sure to be a field sprint.  I learned quite a harsh lesson on the ADT about field sprints on a 250 meter velodrome: everyone pretty much finishes in whatever place they're in on the last lap of the race.  It really isn't much of a field sprint at all.  Seeing as though I was in roughly 5^th position on the final lap, that's exactly where I ended up finishin g.   5^th place wasn't so bad considering it was my first mass start on the track, but still just a tiny bit disappointing considering my past results.

Finally, the last day in my track competition arrived, and I was ready to take on the points race seeing as though it was probably my best of all the races.  The race started out calm for the first 9 laps, just a pack of cyclists riding in circles, until the first bell rang to signify a points sprint.  From then on the field was just a shattered remnant of a peloton, because four girls made it off the front to eventually lap the field, and I happened to be one of them.  In a points race, when a rider laps the field, they achieve 20 points, so by doing so the four of us pretty much secured out top four places in the race.  Sadly, though, I was unable to make podium because I missed out on third by one point, taking fourth place. 

In an accumulation of points I took 7^th overall, no doubt so low because of my low placings in the sprint and TT competitions, but still decent for such a tough week of racing. 

Overall I'm pretty satisfied with my Nationals results, but most importantly, I learned a lot about my strengths and weaknesses, and know what to improve for next year.  Going to California and racing on such an extreme track as the ADT was a great experience, not to mention I really enjoyed riding and racing on it, and sometimes struggling on a difficult new discipline is better than breezing through something you know really well.  The quick, harsh lessons I learned on the Carson velodrome will certainly aid me in years to come, because next time I race a 250 meter track I'll at least have some experience it won't take me by surprise like it did this year.

And that concludes California.

Till next year…

-Jessi

__,_._,___

Prinner Report: Superweek

After obtaining 4 state championship jerseys in just two weeks (two USCF at Proctor and two ABR at Wooddale) I looked on to Junior Nationals as being my last opportunity at donning a championship jersey for this year.  But before I knew it, I had my eye fixed unwaveringly on another jersey, one that would take a weeks worth of strategical brains and a heck of a lot of pain to achieve.  Superweek, by no doubt, is the mother of all criterium races, where cyclists race until theyre permanently attached to their bicycles.  The womens 3/4 series this year was the longest its ever been before, with seven stages in eight days.  Seeing as though this would probably be my last year as a cat. 3, I decided to go out with a bang and prove that I deser ved an upgrade by claiming the overall jersey. 
I began my series by entering a few womens Pro 1,2,3 races, and quickly decided that these women really meant business when it came to racing.  I was nothing but a piece of lint that clung to the Great Granddaddy Shirt of the womens Pro peloton.  I was still a proud piece of lint, though, because out of the four times the Great Grandaddy Shirt went through the washing machine (for thats what the races felt like) Little Jessi Lint was only swept away once; I actually managed to cling on and finish respectably in each of the other three races.  One time I even attacked and gained a considerable margin on the field, out by myself on a solo breakaway for two laps, and I probably could have held it to the finish line if there hadnt been 48 laps left in the race.
Finally, my first day of racing as a cat. 3/4 came, and I felt empowered as I rolled up to the line at Evenston, surrounded by over 40 ladies.  I, Jessi Prinner, was a survivor, someone who had seen and experienced a higher and greater power than the womens 3/4. Comparing the Pro women to the women 3/4 is like comparing an ostrich and a hummingbird; the only similarity they have is that theyre birds.  I had become accustomed to super long races lasting 50 laps, and now with only 15 laps in the race I felt like the Duracell bunny as I attacked just about every other lap for the first 8 laps (after the race a French rider compared my racing style to that of a rifle; reload, cock the gun, fire!  Reload, cock the gun, fire!).  At long last one o f my attacks stuck, and better yet a team Revolution lady had come along on my wheel.  Lets work together!, I screamed as elated as can be.  With a strong partner, I knew this break could stick to the finish.  All was well and great as we worked well for about 20 seconds, and then I pulled through and that was the end of team Revolution lady. 
Okay, I thought to myself, I didnt need her anyway!  I can solo it to the finish!  Then I looked up and saw I had 7 laps to go.
Lets look on the positive side, says Jessi, At least its not 48 laps to go!
Somehow I managed to power through 5 laps with just a 30 second gap before the officials neutralized the race for a crash and declared me the automatic winner in the end.
Yeah, so the next 6 races really arent as interesting as the first one, so Im just going to recount some of the more memorable moments of each race.

Cedarburg:
On this hilly course I made a four-woman breakaway and lapped the field twice.  Im convinced it was all a conspiracy, though.  The field planned it that way so that they wouldnt have to ride the two extra laps.  Little did they know that I was the last one laughing, though, because all those suckers were the ones racing for fifth. I ended up taking 3rd with a crummy sprint in the end.

Whitnall Park RR:
Not much really happened on this curvy circuit course.  I attacked and attacked and attacked but nothing got away.  The race ended in a field sprint where I took 5th.

Racine.org crit:
Today I made secret alliences with two ladies named Jeannie and Andrea.  Jeannie is from New Zealand and Andrea is from Canada.  Watch out field, I have foreigners on my side.  One speaks British and the other speaks French.  Unfortunately it came down to a field sprint and with bad positioning I got 13th.  So much for foreign aid.
           
Kenosha:
            Today was a very invigorating day.  First, as I was riding back from registration, I cut my finger on the metal ladder leading to the officials stand.  Normally, Im not a baby when it comes to cuts and bruises, but I definitely started to freak out when I looked down and saw it squirting blood.  By the time I got back to the van, it looked like an extreme massacre had occurred.  My finger was completely red and blood dripped down my leg and bike.  I was convinced my finger was going to fall off.  Luckily we managed to save it by applying a butterfly stitch (my mother was so excited her eyes were practically popping out of her head.  Now remember, this is the same mother that ran over my head with her bike two years ago.  These things excite her). 
            And not only did I almost get my finger cut off, but I also saw spider-man!  I am pretty suspicious, though, that it might have been an imposter because last time I saw him, spider-man didnt have a beer belly.  My lycra was definitely tighter than his, too.
            Oh, and my race came down to a field sprint and I took 3rd.
           
The Great Downer Avenue Bike Race:
            My warm up consisted of watching a puppet show and then shopping at some of the many great stores along Downer Avenue.  The race itself was divided quickly as a break of about six formed up the road.  Not wanting to miss out on any of the fun, I bridged the gap and we ended up staying away the entire race.  The sprint was a drag race to the line between me and a Dairyland Girl named Anna, but I took the win by just a margin of inches.

Whitefish Bay:
            Since Lake Michegan wasnt far from the racecourse, my mom, a French racer (the same one that compared me to a rifle), and I decided to ride down to the beach and dip our legs in the water.  Sure, our spandex outfits seemed like an unconventional bathing suits, but by now I was used to all the weird stares I got from all the conventional-bathing-suit people.  Even though my tired legs pleaded with me not to leave, in the end Jessis rational brain won out and we left our spot of luxery on the beach to greet the hot, unwelcoming slab of pavement also known as our race course.  The field was smaller than usual due to the enticing purse of the Chicago crit, and I could tell all the ladies were feeling tire d and lazy from all the racing, but I pulled myself together for a final day in Superweek and sprinted for a final place of 3rd. 
            After a long and vigorous week of racing, I was glad when I could finally get on stage and claim my yellow leaders jersey that I worked so hard for.  Despite what anyone might say, riding in circles for 11 days straight is more exhausting than it seems, and Im proud to be able to say that my yellow jersey is living proof that I rode in circles the fastest.
            I bet not many people can say that.
 
Till next race…
-Jessi