Woodstock cyclocross. It was a good course -- not as technical as St. Charles or Northbrook, but long with LOTS of painful climbs, some fast descents, one set of three barriers, bumpy, bumpy ground, and some tricky downhill 'S' curves right before the finishing stretch.

I started better, but still not great. I was fifth or sixth through going into the first climb, and I could see Emily of VQ already pulling away from the rest of us. I was a bit blocked in, but managed to stay in the first chase group. At the barriers, an unaffiliated rider on a single speed tore past me and it took me until the next climb to get around her. I went through the start/finish in fifth place, and quickly passed the woman in fourth.

I caught up to Lara of mission bay and Carly of Tati on the long descent in the woods -- noting that they braked into the turn -- on the hill, I passed them, but was again passed by Lara. I chased her hard, and then she made a mistake: she took a wrong turn up towards the barriers and had to turn around and get back on the course. This gave me enough time to make my painstaking way over the barriers [I can't jump them, I just can't get the height] and ride on in the lead.

They were hot on my heels the whole way to and through the start/finish, but I had ridden the course 4+ times before my race and was able to take good lines, hit turns without braking and put a little more distance between us. But Lara was a jauggernaut. Coming into the final climbs, my teammates were yelling that she was 20 feet behind me. I worked SO HARD. I was at my absolute max and just kept pushing and pushing. Down through the gravel, around up the hill, onto the pavement, pushing harder, across the road, swooping down, braking to make the 180 turn -- right here my teammate Mike hollers, "don't mess up these turns and you got it!" forshadowing my downfall. -- back up the hill, around the 180 at the top, braking into the first 'S' turn, braking for the second, which you can shoot right out of and into the finishing stretch . . . but I was trying just too hard and missed the angle on the second turn, the easy turn, and slid out. Mike was screaming for me to get up, and I tried, but stepped on the side of my foot, rolled my ankle and fell again -- Lara passing me, of course -- I finally got on the bike and finished in third.

So frustrating. So disappointing. But that's bike racing. Skill is as important as strength and speed. Lara made a mistake that cost her and I made a mistake that cost me. And third is my best result yet. [My goal for next year is to be as powerfully dominant as Emily of VQ.]

The ankle is tender. I can walk on it fine, but it's weakened and if I twist it again it would be bad news. I have it supported and am being careful. Got to heal for Montrose Harbor!


Note the mud all over my left side and the grass sticking out of my brake levers. And my roar of rage at screwing up.

Thanks to Carolyn Golz -- velosnaps -- for the awesome pics!