Spring Hill Road Race

Race Report: Spring Hill Road Race
Category: W1,2
Teammates: Ange McClure, Maura Kinsella
Placings: Lauren 2/9, Ange 5/9, Maura DNF
Conditions: less than ideal aka pouring rain, wind and low temperatures
Course: 22 mile loop with three short climbs and rolling terrain in between. Potholes galore. 600m climb to the finish.

From the moment we woke up it was POURING down rain. Not the kind of rain that lightly falls over everything and freshens up the air but the kind that soaks you to the bone in a matter of seconds. We piled into the car and charged forth to the start, watching the temperature gauge slowly lower as we drove out of town. Our fabulous manager, Andi, called to tell us she was at the race course with towels, rain jackets, and, most importantly, PB&Js.

All three of us managed to change inside my CRV and only touched the rain to prepare bikes and head to the start. Needless to say, there was no warm-up. We descended down to the start line and realized we were a few minutes early so we trudged through ankle-deep mud to the registration tents for cover. Only problem was that we were standing in water and the wind was blowing water that had collected on top of the tent down over the sides and into our faces. So much for shelter.

We rolled to the start to find only six other brave souls. Already shivering we started our shortened race (from three laps of 66 miles to two laps of only 44). Despite the conditions and small field size the pace wasn’t too slow. No one wanted to face the conditions alone so the attacks were limited and mostly intended to tire others out. The first lap was uneventful; it was a “get-it-done” kind of pace. The second lap was also relatively uneventful except for the guest appearance of a medium-sized, unidentified black animal that decided to run out into the front of our peloton. One rider attacked the field two or three times and managed to break it up and cause some chasing.

With three km to go no one wanted to touch the front. Ange said that she was feeling better and would go for the finish so I decided to cover the front. Sure enough a Colavita rider attacked from the back of the field. I jumped to go with her, although rather slowly and numbly. I saw the moto roar up to her and give her the “throat-cut” sign. I assumed she had crossed the centerline and kept my momentum up and squeezed right between them as they discussed the offense. I was caught by the group as my legs gave out. Another Colavita rider attacked and I jumped to go with her only to see the third and final Colavita girl come flying up on the left. I saw her cross the center line and new she would be disqualified as well so I kept going. The winner of the race took off somewhere during that mayhem and I missed the move. As we hit the final climb I found myself with the last remaining Colavita rider and a Touchstone rider. I knew that both were climbers so my only job was to stay with them until the sprint when I thought I could jump them. We played a little cat and mouse and I managed to stay on until the line when I jumped for a short 10 meter sprint for second. Ange rolled across the line just behind my little group for fifth. It was a cold day but we all felt tougher for having faced the weather challenges.