2016 Berkeley Hills Road Race

images: Alex Chiu

Shelagh swims 'round the Bears to a second place finish in the 3's

We were with the Masters 1/2/3 35+ so we had a good size field that was being scored separately. Lots of hill climbers to keep an eye on. The race started well with a high pace set by Mak!

The first Bear approached and a couple Master Thirsty Bears moved to the front along with Illi, the 3 who has been kicking it this year. I moved up with them and we had a slight gap along with two other riders - both a Masters and 3.

We did another Bear and we had a clear break from then on. Everyone worked well, rotating through even through the rain that eventually soaked us. On the last Papa Bear pass with one lap to go, Illi and the the two Thirsty Bears had a gap then followed by myself and the other Masters. The two of us chased but couldn't quite catch - I was really satisfied to just stay ahead of the other 3.

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We rolled over the Bears for the last time and we were exhausted, wet, and cold but with content smiles.  Huge thanks to the sponsors that make this spring classic fun; Equator for caffeinating us, ProBar for fueling us, Osmo for recovering us, Capo for clothing us, and Mikes Bikes for our incredible bike maintenance so that riding through horrendous rain storms doesn't destroy our frames.  Also, although it was quite impossible to see through the rain and tire spray, our Smith Optics keep our eyes covered so that we can stay upright and safe as possible.

5 Things I Learned From My First P/1/2 Stage Race (San Dimas)

1. Warm-ups are crucial. It's worth the extra effort to lug around a trainer, even with a complicated travel arrangement, if you're going to make the effort to get there in the first place.

2. In a P/1/2 crit, 5 min early to the line is already too late.

3. If you want to recover, you've gotta eat, no matter how you're feeling.

4. It's worth it and satisfying to credit yourself with the things you know you achieved, such as a mid-race effort or a mental attitude, even if they are less accessible than your finishing place. This is another way of developing strength. 

5. Doing a race where you are the little fish in the pond is good for revealing what you need to work on. Give it a good think. Maybe you knew what you had to do to achieve a better result, but it didn't happen. Why? In my case, I knew I needed a good position going into the final, decisive climb, but I didn't get it. After thinking about it I realized that the place I had been planning to move up was a fast downhill leading into two tight corners, and actually my problem was that I was resistant to getting to the front at that speed and leading into the corners—thus I should probably work more on cornering and descending at speed/in packs, not losing pack position in the first place, and for the immediate future, more carefully identifying good locations/times for me to move up.

Coast Ride 2016 - Come Hell or High Water

Maybe it's best to have your first Coast Ride be the El Nino version. Important lessons came quickly: My bike is fairly waterproof, and so am I. I say "fairly waterproof" because of destroyed brake pads and some saddle sores.

On MLK weekend our crew of Dana, Emily, Shelagh, Julie and I - with Jared as our chief wind-blocker/flat fixer/steady wheel - rolled from San Francisco in a light rain, headed for Monterey with 200+ others. The Coast Ride begins.

There's a peaceful silence a group of riders will fall into when they're perfectly content, enjoying the miles as they pass effortlessly beneath their wheels. Our silence was more the kind that happens when you're miserable but trying your damnedest not to complain. Thankfully everyone was on the same page about this, mile after mile.

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As we passed through towns and the lunch stop, it became hard to know whether the water hitting my face was rain or just spray from the wheel ahead. A turn on the front answered the question; yep, still raining. Through the back roads of Monterey the wheel spray turned brown and it was pretty obvious that wasn't just dirt flying into my mouth and dripping from my helmet.

Monterey, what a glorious sight after 125 miles! I got into the shower in full kit, with my bike. (Apologies to the Days Inn about those towels.) Now relatively clean and with just one more day of rain-riding ahead, my misery changed to optimism. That's right, we were bailing in Morro Bay, which I insist is a sign of maturity, not weakness. 

Elise joined us for Day 2, which goes along a really gorgeous stretch of road...when you can see it. The rains of the day before were replaced by mist, fog, and then wind. We only needed fire to have experienced all the elements on this adventure.

Heading out of Ragged Point for that final stretch, with our brakes nearly worn down to the metal, it was everyone for themselves. I glued onto the wheels of some guys laying down a fast pace and shamelessly drafted my way to Morro Bay. Everyone made it in - Shelagh cried tears of joy (I think) while Emily rolled up in an RV already 3 beers deep and bragging of delicious sausages consumed in warmth and comfort. So jealous, but so incredibly excited to grab a beverage of my own!

And just like that, our Coast Ride was over. Watching everyone roll out the next morning into the rain, I thought maybe, just maybe I should have been riding. But then we went for cappuccinos and a huge breakfast and knew we made the right decision. Till next year Coast Ride, we'll bring our A-Game if you do!