Tag Archives: Eastern Ontario Cyclocross Series

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October 31, 2011

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Racing in Cornwall

I’ll start this post by simply saying this: I had a blast yesterday racing in Cornwall. This race was part of the Eastern Ontario Cyclocross Series and it was well worth the early wake-up and early morning chill in the air. It is not often that I get to race at home in Ottawa, and I have to say thank you to the organizers, fans, photographers, other racers for making it such a great experience.

Some might think there are big differences between racing in our local Ottawa series and in Belgium… Well, yes there are some big differences: mobile homes, World Champions, 15 000 fans, frittes and beer stands, television cameras. But this is really just all details. What isn’t different is the spirit and the community. In fact I’d have to say that the spirit and sense of community is so much stronger and powerful in our local Ottawa series.

It was one of those days where I got to talk with so many people, to hear how their seasons are going, to tell them about my season and really just a chance to catch up with new and old friends. I think I was smiling all day! It took me forever to get changed after my race (and I missed a big part of Marc’s race) because I was talking with folks in the parking lot.

Highlights of the day include catching up with young Lois (a superstar young athlete and a fantastic kid), hearing the cheers during the race, duking it out with Mel (getting “oh so close” but not close enough), seeing Marc push through a race that just didn’t go his way (crash, destroyed rear derailleur, rolled clincher, five bike changes), chatting with the young guns and pretending I couldn’t see their moustaches/mullets, seeing young Timothy take notes from the tips and advice Marc gave him during our pre-ride (another one to watch out for), and really just being out there having fun on bikes.

So, you likely want to know a bit about the race. Well, the women started first – we had a five minute lead on the men starting behind us. Mel took off hard and fast from the line and my legs immediately felt like cement blocks. Basically it was a chasing game. I would close and even catch and pass Mel once during the race only to give up space and time in other parts of the course. I could see Mel standing up and sprint and this would force me to do the same. It was a good battle. I admit I wasn’t pleased with my effort – I felt like I could have dug a bit deeper and could have closed the gap – I had some mental battles and some issues with the cold (not excuses just reasons for not getting the job done). There were some really good moments in the race and it helped so much to have Marc there to encourage me an to give me pointers during the race. It was great to see so many women out racing and giving it their best – also fantastic to see so many kids out racing on a challenging course.

A big thanks to the organizers who were up and out at Cornwall very early to get the course set-up. Definitely a challenging course that made use of the terrain and gave us all a chance to practice our skills and get a few thrills as well!

Unfortunately, this is my last race here at home. This weekend I’m racing at the Cyclocross Nationals in Toronto and then I’m off to Belgium for the season. I’ll miss racing in the Eastern Ontario Cyclocross Series but I’ll have the lessons that this series has taught me and the smiling faces and friendly words with me as I chase my season goals. Many may not know that when I returned to cyclocross racing in 2006 I was definitely at the “back-of-the-pack” – I’m proof positive that you can set a goal and achieve it – don’t ever get discouraged by your results (I know I should listen to my own advice…) – just remember where you were and where you want to get to. And most of all – have fun doing it!

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October 9, 2011

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Eastern Ontario Series – Renfrew

Really this blog post should be titled “Fun On Bikes” because that’s what today was. Lots and lots of fun. The course was interesting and challenging. The other racers all seemed to be enjoying racing and out soaking up the fine weather. The fans were cheering loudly and ringing cow bells.

Yep, it was a fun day for all out at the Renfrew Fair Grounds. Of course all this fun wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless work of Bob and Cheryl Woods, Rosemarie, Ian Austen, the Tall Trees Cycle crew and the rest of the volunteers who helped build the course and tear it down after the racing. A big thank you to everyone who keeps one of the best cyclocross series that I’ve ever raced in going.

So today was a really good day. Early start to the morning and it would have been even earlier if I had actually paid attention to the race website…. I thought the race started at 9:30 but it started at 9:00. I didn’t find this out until just before 9:00 – this was a good thing because I didn’t end up getting a bit stressed about my rather late arrival time (8:20…). It all worked out – got the numbers, pinned up my skin suit, did two laps of the course and lined up for the race.

This year we have a separate women’s start. I like this. A lot. It gives the women a chance to do a bit of self-select ion and I think it makes it easier for the guys who are passing folks. I’m not sure how long the men started behind us, but it felt like 2 or 2.5 laps before anyone came up to us. I ended up starting in the back of about 30 women – so I had to be aggressive at the start and really focus on passing as many people as possible. I managed to catch and pass everyone except Mel. She had a great ride! At times I thought I could close on her and then she would hit hard or I would make a mistake. It was a good battle. As groups of guys came up to me I’d work on riding with them for a bit – I found it wasn’t so hard on the flats and open sections but I would lose them on the accelerations out of corners. All in all a great race.

I got to race for an hour and really push myself. I could hear Marc yelling (even though he wasn’t there) – he was saying “Now stand up and sprint. Shift down and accelerate!”. I tried my best to do this but there were a few times when I just didn’t do it. My barrier technique was okayish today – can always be a bit faster. I did crash hard on the uphill barrier – I must have landed on the one barrier on the top of my knee since it is now blue – but this is all part of the fun. My cornering was good at times and downright awful at other times – being cross-eyed and cornering doesn’t always work so well!

So it was good. I had a blast. Got to see so many friendly folks that I haven’t in so long. Even saw young Sabina racing in an Ottawa.cx jersey – this made my day! Great to talk with young Timothy – this guy is an up-and-comer. Really the enthusiasm and passion that the folks in the Eastern Ontario Series have for cyclocross is addictive. I’m looking forward to the next race I do at “home” on Oct. 30. (The city of Ottawa doesn’t know what it’s missing by pushing outside of Ottawa…)

Many thanks to the community of Renfrew for letting us invade their fair grounds for a great day of cyclocross racing! Very much appreciated. I think the grass even appreciated the attention.

So there you have it – a good fun, hard day on the bike. The racing was capped off with a good ride with Sophie and Mel – we found a good road and just chatted and pedaled – no complaints here! Thanks Sophie and Mel for coming out on the ride (next time I’ll look at a map!).

It is amazing to see how the Eastern Ontario Series has blossomed over the years – I remember when there two or three women out racing and we only had one race for the day. The participation levels particularly in the first race are very impressive and inspiring.

Okay, I could go on all afternoon about how much fun today was and how much I enjoyed racing in my “home” series – but I think I’ve typed enough for both you and me! Have a good one. I’ll try to post on Tuesday but likely the next time you hear from me I’ll be Plsen, Czech Republic!