Between the Tape: Really Rad and NoHo Race Recaps
Between the Tape: Really Rad and NoHo Race Recaps
Words: Caroline Nolan
Photos: Hot Lap Photography
With the travel demands of being a West Coast cyclocross athlete, I find balance is key. After a success block of racing the Parkway CX Trophy Series in October, I came home for 2 weeks to train, spend time with family, and race the annual Surf City / Rock Lobster Cup, before heading back to New England for 2 more weekends of UCI racing.
First on tap was the Really Rad Cyclocross Festival in Falmouth, Massachusetts. I was excited for this race because it was a new-to-me venue and I was back to traveling with my favorite West Coast buddy, Caitlin, and East Coast mechanic, Taylor Jones. Having this crew to travel with makes race weekends so much more enjoyable! Especially when for the week leading up to race, my mind was preoccupied by the Kincaid Fire in Sonoma County.
Sometimes, it's hard to focus on racing when there are so much more important issues going on. I know there's only so much I can do and ultimately find that through my racing, I can still help spread awareness and raise a little money for the fire relief efforts. Last year at Northampton CX, I raced for the Camp Fire Relief Fund. This year, Really Rad became my race to support a cause and I rallied behind the Sonoma County Fire Relief Fund to race as best as I could to raise awareness of California's "new norm" and donate my race earnings to the fund. Having a cause kept me motivated but a few tactical mistakes on both Saturday and Sunday landed me just shy of the podium in 4th place.
The near podium misses on both days of Really Rad made me really hungry for a podium at Northampton CX. I knew Northampton was going to be my race to win and my race to lose. I was excited -- nervous, but excited. However, for the first time this season, I was able to harness my nervous energy into positivity rather than fear. I lined up on both days of Northampton CX smiling and calm.
Day 1 went off without a hitch! It was a surreal experience to be the strongest in the race and be confident in every part of the course. I felt in control and I felt strong. For the first time this season, it seemed like my mind and body where on the same page and knew what they had to do to succeed! I was (and still am) ecstatic about my first UCI win! I raced the race I wanted and rolled to the line solo. Plus, I got the big cookie :)
Going into Day 2, I didn't really care how the day went. Yes, I was in my first ever leader's jersey and yes, I wanted to extend my winning streak from the day before but I didn't want to let the expectations get to my head and overshadow my ability to race well. Day 2 was different because I wanted to make sure I stayed calm. I still dictated the pace and knew I was riding strong but I wasn't scared of being in a group or letting people take a turn in the front. I sat in and focused on my goal of eventually crossing the line first. We started as a group of 6, I pushed the pace to bring us down to a group of 3... and then I burped my front tire going around a sharp turn. With 3 laps to go, I had to make the choice - go into the pit for my spare bike and risk losing the front group, or ride my lower than ideal pressure front tire and hope it hung on until the end. I decided on the latter. I knew I was still controlling the race and riding strong so I gambled. The tire held and my wheels spun fast... And well, my gamble paid off with my second (and much narrower) UCI win of the weekend!
The last 2 weeks were everything I love about racing - fun and exciting courses, close finishes, and chasing my dreams. Nationals is a month away and I am eager to get some good training in before toeing the line in Tacoma!
Words: Caroline Nolan
Photos: Hot Lap Photography
With the travel demands of being a West Coast cyclocross athlete, I find balance is key. After a success block of racing the Parkway CX Trophy Series in October, I came home for 2 weeks to train, spend time with family, and race the annual Surf City / Rock Lobster Cup, before heading back to New England for 2 more weekends of UCI racing.
First on tap was the Really Rad Cyclocross Festival in Falmouth, Massachusetts. I was excited for this race because it was a new-to-me venue and I was back to traveling with my favorite West Coast buddy, Caitlin, and East Coast mechanic, Taylor Jones. Having this crew to travel with makes race weekends so much more enjoyable! Especially when for the week leading up to race, my mind was preoccupied by the Kincaid Fire in Sonoma County.
Sometimes, it's hard to focus on racing when there are so much more important issues going on. I know there's only so much I can do and ultimately find that through my racing, I can still help spread awareness and raise a little money for the fire relief efforts. Last year at Northampton CX, I raced for the Camp Fire Relief Fund. This year, Really Rad became my race to support a cause and I rallied behind the Sonoma County Fire Relief Fund to race as best as I could to raise awareness of California's "new norm" and donate my race earnings to the fund. Having a cause kept me motivated but a few tactical mistakes on both Saturday and Sunday landed me just shy of the podium in 4th place.
The near podium misses on both days of Really Rad made me really hungry for a podium at Northampton CX. I knew Northampton was going to be my race to win and my race to lose. I was excited -- nervous, but excited. However, for the first time this season, I was able to harness my nervous energy into positivity rather than fear. I lined up on both days of Northampton CX smiling and calm.
Day 1 went off without a hitch! It was a surreal experience to be the strongest in the race and be confident in every part of the course. I felt in control and I felt strong. For the first time this season, it seemed like my mind and body where on the same page and knew what they had to do to succeed! I was (and still am) ecstatic about my first UCI win! I raced the race I wanted and rolled to the line solo. Plus, I got the big cookie :)
Going into Day 2, I didn't really care how the day went. Yes, I was in my first ever leader's jersey and yes, I wanted to extend my winning streak from the day before but I didn't want to let the expectations get to my head and overshadow my ability to race well. Day 2 was different because I wanted to make sure I stayed calm. I still dictated the pace and knew I was riding strong but I wasn't scared of being in a group or letting people take a turn in the front. I sat in and focused on my goal of eventually crossing the line first. We started as a group of 6, I pushed the pace to bring us down to a group of 3... and then I burped my front tire going around a sharp turn. With 3 laps to go, I had to make the choice - go into the pit for my spare bike and risk losing the front group, or ride my lower than ideal pressure front tire and hope it hung on until the end. I decided on the latter. I knew I was still controlling the race and riding strong so I gambled. The tire held and my wheels spun fast... And well, my gamble paid off with my second (and much narrower) UCI win of the weekend!
The last 2 weeks were everything I love about racing - fun and exciting courses, close finishes, and chasing my dreams. Nationals is a month away and I am eager to get some good training in before toeing the line in Tacoma!