A Blow by Blow Account of How it Went Down!

There is a reason we have been littering podiums all over Nor Cal this season. We get in there and do whatever it is that needs to be done. This week I knew my job would be much more demanding in body and spirit than going all-out on the race course. It was a job I have been able to shirk my whole entire life ever since I was a teen and I did try it once, it so traumatized me... Okay, back to the story, Sarah and Chris are two of our star riders and it usually works out that they can race and then do the baby-toss. This race was a mass-ish start tho. I knew If someone did not come forward to watch Simone, I would have to put aside my fear of human babies and do the right thing. It is that important to me that NorCal have good results and my donations to various cycling bodies unforch do not work to this end. Here it is Saturday night and the phone rings, sweeet jeebers its Clairebell willing to trek over there to watch the little one. A tiny life is saved! We pick up our little princess right before the racing starts, so far so good. Claire is doing everything, woot! I hold her little hand and lo and behold- no crying at all. Amazing! We had one frightening moment when she went all stiff and the diaper seemed to take on extra weight. I asked Claire if she had ever changed one, no. But thats one thing about Claire, she learns fast, real fast. She swapped out that diaper like a rear wheel at a crit. The two hours went by so fast, Simone was out making friends with everybody, every dog every can of Red Bull she could latch onto, shes fast but we were doing our job like the pros that we are. Besides, when there is Red Bull around, I will not share no matter how cute you may be. All in all a great day! The dynamic duo got 2nd and 3rd I think, and we had a great time! HK

Super Sarah Reports...

I have to first thank Katrina and Claire for making this race possible as they watched Simone so Chris and I could both race. We got to the race early- unusual for us fashionably late folks. We got a good warm-up in. Enough for me to get an inch of mud stuck to my tires, it was gonna be dirty day. After a good race at Sea Otter I decided to upgrade to expert class for this one. Right from the start I noticed the difference from sports, especially when I struggled to not be in dead last. This course was tough, tougher than last week for sure. After one of the first steep descents followed by a steep ascent, I got chain suck in a bad way. I had to flip over the bike and yank like hell to get the damn chain out. A spectator even helped me. After what seemed like 3 whole minutes, it probably was, I got it out. At this point I lost the pack, and was bummed. I kind of went out to lunch here, talking to fellow sport and single speed male riders, chatting about our kids, etc. I was trying not to be too stressed. I felt tired too, legs not recovered from last weeks race and the crazy work week I had. Then all of a sudden I felt pretty good and started racing again. I was able to pass 4 or 5 girls as there was some serious climbing on this course. Granny gear was my friend for sure. I had a rooky move at the end not sure where to go at the finish but I was able to finish 3rd in my age group, 10th amongst the expert and pro women (there were 15 of us total) I was pretty happy considering my crappy attitude during the first half of the race and my trashed legs. Next week we race Firestone near San Luis Obispo. Pretty psyched about it as it seems like a cool festival, until then....

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004