Three Races In
Santa Vall · Castellon · The Hills
Three races in, and the learning curve is still pretty steep. Here’s an honest look at where I’m at, from the breakthroughs to the breakdowns.
Santa Vall
Finding my head and keeping it on my shoulders
I have long been a believer in the environment you are in being strongly correlated to your performance. And some people need different things. For me, it is lightheartedness, positive vibes, and sometimes a reminder that what we do is not all that serious. If something goes sideways in this bike race, the world will not end (though my anxiety likes to make it seem that way).
I was lucky to land myself in a group like Castelli SOG because they embody those things while also striving for performance. I really think being with that crew the couple days leading into the race was the biggest contributor to how I felt on day 1 of Santa Vall.
Not once did I yell at myself, and not once did I panic. Could the result have been better? Of course, but I did everything right on the way.
I had mechanical issues that took me out of the fight for the front group frustratingly early, but still managed to keep my head on my shoulders, tell myself I was doing fine, to keep pressing forward, to keep eating, and put myself into a good position.
Day 2 brought a completely different mechanical issue that effectively ended my race. I was frustrated, to say the least, but refused to beat myself up over something that was not my fault and I could not control. It was the first race of the season, and there were still some big wins I could take away from it.
Castellon Gravel Race
So close to a breakthrough, and a handy World’s Qualification
I did not have high expectations — I still was unsure about where my legs were at — but to my utter shock, I made it over the first big climb just behind the front group. I spent most of the race about a minute behind that group until I absolutely imploded. It was a mix of underfuelling and getting too excited about the position I was in and overextending myself.
All I could think was how close I had come to a really good result in an unusually strong field.
The last 30 kilometers lasted forever, and I was absolutely crawling. I lost six minutes in the last 15k. Thankfully, I had friends and my boyfriend at the finish line, screaming at me to keep going. It simultaneously pushed me to get over it and made me break down.
With distance, I can see it more clearly. I was in and around some of the big girls for a good chunk of the race, I qualified for worlds on my first go, and I was still building towards my big goals of the year. I was on my way to proving that I could be there.
Who knew you could race bikes for 12 years and not know how to stop properly.
— On asking Nathan Haas for a skills sessionOne thing I was convinced of after this race was that I needed to ask for help on the technical skills. I had shown I had the potential to climb with the big guns with some work, and I was passing some technically savvy riders on some descents, but I knew I still had some weaknesses. I did not want my technical skills to prevent me from staying in the front group when I got there. Thankfully, Nathan Haas agreed to take me out on a skills ride, working on braking, of all things.
The Hills
The craziest course I have ever raced
This was maybe the craziest course I have ever raced. It was purely repetitions of steep climbs into steep, often singletrack, descents. After the pre-ride, I was a mix of excited and terrified. Excited because I knew this would challenge the strong, but not so skilled riders, but terrified I would be included in that latter category.
I was able to achieve a near flow-state in downhill singletrack that a month ago would have had me panicking.
Coming out of the first start loops and technical single track section, which was chaotic and tense, I found myself in a strong group of riders fighting for top 10. I had learnt my lesson from Castellon and focused on riding my own race and eating at every opportunity. Again, I was able to keep my internal monologue positive and was proud of how I was riding — until a heartbreaking mechanical meant I had to ride nearly the last 25km in the 38/38, unable to pedal on anything but a steep uphill.
Key Takeaways
Technically good, but I do not want to get complacent. There is always more to learn, and it is probably the easiest way to get faster.
Close to climbing with the big girls. As someone who was often told they were a climber without feeling like I could ever measure up, it feels good to start to be confident in this ability.
Fuelling and pacing progress. I quickly overcame my shortfalls from Castellon, showing I can quickly identify and address weaknesses.
Looking Ahead
The next month holds a couple of big goals that I am really excited about: the Monaco UCI and Traka 200.
I would love to be able to say that I am doing a bunch of really great training to get ready for these upcoming races, but I am currently writing this laying on the couch after being knocked out by an illness for the last few days.
However, I know staying healthy is the most important thing, and you do not lose fitness in a few days. Things are not going as smoothly as I had hoped, but it never does, and often I perform my best when no one expects it.
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