I raced in the Carpentersville Cyclocross race on Sunday. And it was just super fun. The more I race cross, the more I really like it.

We had 21 women [yay!] in the cat 4 race, and the start was hot. I need to practice sprinting from the whistle -- getting out ahead at the start is SO important in cross. I ended up in a pack tearing over the grass and through the narrow corners -- something I was not completely comfortable with. I overcooked a corner before the first barrier and lost about 15 places. I spent the rest of the race catching and passing, catching and passing. Which, I have to say, was extremely gratifying. Especially as I was catching women I know to be very strong.

I was more comfortable dismounting and mounting, but still have a long way to go. My strengths continue to be that I'm fast in the straights and have the endurance to keep racing hard in the last laps. My endurance was better than at Jackson Park -- the "3 laps to go" sign wasn't anywhere near as daunting.

Coming through the start/finish for the last lap, someone yelled that I was in 7th place. I'd just passed and dropped two women and had another one 30 feet ahead of me. But the top five were long gone. I was able in the last lap to catch and drop the racer in front of me, and finish 6th -- which is a great result for me. As I improve my handling skills, my running and jumping, my mounting and dismounting -- and when I get better at the opening sprint -- I should be able to finish in the top five.

And it was just FUN.

Props to the organizers -- it was an excellent course that used the park's width, breadth, bumps, gullies, gulches, hill, and sandbox to the fullest extent -- and to the volunteers who kept everything running smoothly and on time. There was a drum corps, a live band, food stalls and prizes 10 deep [I won a tool set!]. There were tons of xXxers to cheer for and hang out with and a large and very strong women's cat 4 field. An excellent race.


Photo by Luke Seemann