After Duluth, my motivation to train and race was seriously lacking. I signed up for the advanced 42k event at the NYC 100k way back when and this lack of motivation was not something I anticipated. Coming into the race, I did not taper properly, I did not eat a proper pre-race meal, I did not do my pre-race day workout, nor did I run through my usual warm up routine. In short, I was as scattered-brain as I could be.
Weather and wheel choice was obviously one big concern. Skating on a full set of Storm Surges would not be ideal if the course dries up mid-race. I was betting on a wet race so while everyone was checking out who was skating on what, I was content with my sticky wheels and greased dollar bearings that spin rather poorly. After all, this would just be a fun race for me...I'm vacationing in NYC...oh look, a race...hey I have my skates with me...I'll skate for fun. Of course, the minute I stepped behind the start line, my race mentality kicked in (we all know there's no such thing as a fun race). I positioned myself among the huge group of Roller Montreal skaters and was determined to stay with them right from the start.
The start of the advanced wave was tame but it took some time before the pack sort itself out. I kept an eye out on all the girls around me and there were quite a few familiar faces. Thanks to a whole season of hill repeats, the climb in Prospect Park didn't feel too bad at all. Sure my legs felt the burn but it was not the kind of climb that would break the spirit. Unfortunately, I made a silly mistake. In lap 2, I was feeling strong and stupidly broke away from my pack. The descent came quickly after the climb and of course I was no match for the packs coming up behind me. I missed one pack and barely hung on to the back of the second pack that whizzed past me. Had I got dropped right then, the race would be over for me. With some luck, guys in my pack were pulling hard and bridged us to the pack ahead of us.
Not long after that, I made another strategic mistake. I was hanging on to the back of the pack and got stuck behind a skater getting gapped. The guy ahead of me pulled out and started chasing the pack. I was probably having a brain fart because I did not move up with him. What was I thinking?! By the time I reacted, I had to chase all by myself. Luckily, it was climbing time again and I was able to make up lost ground without resorting to an all out sprint.
For the next few laps, it was just grinding out the miles. Some weaker skaters got dropped eventually and we were left with a core group of pretty strong guys. RM and SC from Montreal did the bulk of the work. All I needed to worry about was to stay in the draft and conserve energy. I did a few short pulls but I did not feel the pressure to work overly hard. I guess that is one difference between skating in co-ed packs vs girls-only packs. The descent was really the only danger area for me because I still could not commit fully to that kind of speed. Getting gapped in the downhill was a big concern. Fortunately, I did get slightly better with the downhill as the race went on.
The last lap of the race was a memorable one for me. It was during this lap that I realized I was the only girl left in my pack and there was probably no more advanced girls ahead of me. The prospect of winning advanced girls 42k overall was one enticing carrot. What was even cooler though was when our pack got lapped by the pro men lead pack. Our pack broke up pretty quickly as guys merged into the pro men pack. However, MW from the pro men pack shooed them out just as quickly because cross drafting between the pro and the advanced waves was not allowed. Unfortunately for me, I got dropped in all that melee and was sandwiched between the pro men and the curb. At the same time, the pro men pack slowed down and MW yelled at me to chase down my pack. It was almost comical as I accelerated and left the pro men behind me. Definitely a moment that I will treasure for a very long time...I don't think it will happen ever again!
Although I never did catch my pack, I was not caught by anyone either. I crossed the finish line on my own with a rough idea that I may have won advanced women overall for the 42k. When they called my name during the awards ceremony, I jumped into the air with such pure joy. I came into this race without any expectation yet it was the biggest prize I won this season. I cannot even begin to describe how good it felt. While Duluth was all about achieving my goals (with a serious face), New York felt like one big fat bonus to cap off an amazing season. And with that, my 2008 competitive season has come to a close. Race picture and podium picture will be available soon.
Way to go Candy. I can totally understand how a win when you don't expect one can be the best of all. Congrats.
Posted by: Cor | September 28, 2008 at 11:59
Hey Candy, What a race! Thanks for writing this memo. It describe a good part of my race too.
Congrats! I think that how you should get ready for all upcoming races. Well... It much easier no?
Simon
Posted by: SC from Montreal | October 02, 2008 at 00:26