Thank You Webster Elementary School!

For the last three years I have spent Thursday afternoons at Webster Elementary School volunteering for Miss Eimer and her fabulous Third Grade Classes. I have treasured the time I have been able to spend with each class and its students. It is wonderful to have an enthusiastic group of kids who are as passionate as I am about biking. Just look at them as they chase me across the school yard after talking to them about bike racing!


As I move on I will surely miss the students cheering, “Miss Meggan’s here!” each time I entered the classroom and being able to help them with their school projects, but most of all I will miss their thoughtful and inquisitive spirits. Thank you for a very rewarding experience!

Thunk!: NMBS#3 XC Mount Snow 6/17/2006

After a few days recuperating in Upstate New York with my family, my husband and I made another road trip further north to Vermont. The third USA National Mountain Bike Series was in beautiful and weird West Dover, VT at the Mount Snow Ski Resort. The scenery explains why Vermont is called the Green Mountain State and I think the lack of sunshine during the long winters may explain the goofy flair of the local residents.

My husband was not going to be able to stay for the cross country race. It is rare that he has missed any one of my races. But it was important for him to attend a special family event in Massachusetts instead. Anticipating that he was not going to be there was making me nervous. He is my biggest fan and gives me the moral support I need to remain somewhat calm around race time. Without him there the night before the race I did not sleep very well. But I was surrounded by great energy and support from my family and friends to race 3 laps of a very technical 5.5 mile loop.

A large family contingent arrived in VT for their first adventure as mountain bike race spectators and I tried to get everyone settled. Early in the morning before the race I gave them a tour the main race area, feed zone and spectator spots. I also enlisted them to help me prep for the race and to hand me water bottles and gels in the feed zone. In cross country races, competitors may only take water bottles and food from specified feed zones or they will be disqualified from the race.

Warming-up for the race, my legs were feeling a bit tired. I was hoping that I would be able to acclimate into the race even though I was not feeling up to par from residual NC racing fatigue. My good results from the race in NC allowed for me to be called up to the start line somewhere in the middle. I was glad I was not going to have to fight my all the way from the back. Like NC, it was so cool to have family waving and cheering for me from the sidelines.

The gun went off and we all sped off for the first short climb. There were about 60 racers and it was not a good scene at the first technical root and rock section. Although I had started in the middle of the pack, I was held up by a train of racers who had dismounted and were walking through sections of the course that I was able to ride through easily a couple of days earlier in a pre-ride. This was incredibly frustrating since I could not find a way to either ride or run my bike around the crowd.

After meandering through the trees, over roots and rocks, we descended through some double track of mud and rocks and then climbed some single track as far as legs would pedal. This included a hike-a-bike section that did not seem to end. I know many racers were able to clean this area with some effort, but for me and many others it was a difficult section. My heart felt like it was going to pop out of my chest just trying to ride it. The course led us through more climbs and difficult descents. There was no room to hide, pass or take a break. And some of those who tested their limits were not so lucky. One gal I passed was receiving medical attention for a broken hand. It is considered the toughest course on the circuit by the top pros.

I made it through the first lap wondering if I was every going to recover from breathing so hard. The rain that had soaked the area for the previous six weeks made a lot of the sections greasy with mud. I was having flashbacks to competing at Sea Otter in April. I knew after this race I would be at the bike wash for a while.

Coming through for a second lap I yelled to my Uncle in the feed zone, “Shower!” This means he had to take the top off the water bottle so I could douse myself with the water to cool off. He executed this duty perfectly. I was off for a second lap, feeling refreshed and ready to go. I did much better on the climbs in the second lap, but on the descents I got a little sloppy. And I kept taking the same silly lines as I did in the first lap in the downhill technical sections that led me straight into trees or deep puddles. The pro men, who were also racing, started catching and passing the women. Only a handful of them were pleasant enough to let me know they needed a room to pass (which I was glad to give them) and the rest were overly aggressive sneaking up on me with a few almost knocking me off my bike.

For my final lap I was geared up but needed some energy to keep me going. I shouted to my Uncle, “Gel and shower!” He already had two bottles in his hand and looked confused. He handed me a gel and I held the packet in my teeth and promptly held out my hand for the water bottle. All of a sudden I feel water streaming through my helmet, in my eyes and down my back. To my surprise, my Uncle was taking care of the shower part. Letting the water drain off my helmet I kept riding. Then all of a sudden I feel and hear, “THUNK!” He had tossed the water bottle and it hit my helmet. Later I found out that he figured that by tossing the water bottle the remaining water in the bottle would finish off my shower. It did not work. Someone else in the feed zone jokingly called out, “Line foul.” My poor Uncle thought he got me disqualified from the race. From now on, my family will not pass on any opportunity to torment him for many years about his feed zone skills. Sadly pictures are unavailable since our camera battery died.

Fortunately, I finished the race without any more incidents or a concussion! Although I placed 44th in this race, I am happy with how I raced. Each of my lap times was consistent and I was becoming much better with the east coast root and rock trails. I will only get better with more experience and time.

Hurricane of Pain: NMBS#2 ST Sugar Mountain 6/11/2006

Part Two of the Showdown at Sugar Mountain in Banner Elk, NC was the Short Track race on Sunday. It turned out to be a really warm day. Rolling around on my bike in the expo area I felt the sweat dripping down my back – it was like being in a sauna with all my clothes on. My husband saw Geoff Kabush, a top pro rider, sporting an ice vest to stay cool during his warm-up laps. It was going to be a challenging 20 minute gut wrenching race in the heat.

I set out to warm-up on my trainer with plenty of time to get a really solid spin. I had it made in the shade until I unnecessarily let my mind wonder and somehow plenty of time turned into a compact warm-up. I had psyched myself out into thinking that I had less time than I had originally planned. Racing does crazy things to the brain. Then the race ended up starting about 15 minutes later than scheduled. So I rode around the roads near the start line to stay warm in the thick muggy air that had engulfed the area.

Finally, the race course opened up and the field of women was allotted two practice laps before the call up to the start line. I took just one easy lap because earlier in the day I was able to check out the course and felt familiar enough with the twists and turns. All the other racers were buzzing around me like neurotic drivers on the Los Angeles freeways. Since this was going to be my second short track race ever, my strategy was to conserve energy prior to the race. Sea Otter was the only other short track race I have done – and with all the mud at that one I was off my bike more than on it so it did not give me a good idea on what to expect.

As usual, I was one of the last handful of competitors called up to the start line. In short track the back of the field is a difficult position to begin a race. It would mean I would have to work super hard and make aggressive moves without ejecting my lungs out on the race course during the breakneck start. There is no room for mistakes.

The race began and the first right turn was a jumble of bikes, dust and people who may have never ridden in a pack before. Everyone was fighting for a better position. It was messy. I did my best to grab on to a wheel, draft and move up. The next turns were tough. It was a short stiff climb and then a bit of an S curve through trees, mud and gravel, followed by a super fast descent through the grass, a tight right then left jog through some slick mud, up another short hill, a final hairpin turn and sprint past the start/finish line. This race was going to last 20 minutes plus three final laps for the leaders.

The first lap was complete but my legs were no where to be seen. I was struggling to hang on. I also was getting caught behind racers who were starting fade. One of them slipped off her bike unharmed on one of the turns, making it difficult to get around her. I could not believe how hard my heart was pumping and how small my lungs felt as I gulped for air. Pushing myself from pain to numbness back to the ecstasy of why I love racing my legs kept turning the pedals around the course.

On my fourth lap, my body finally acclimated to the pressure it was under to perform so quickly. I was actually starting to feel good – in fact a bit spry. I was able to stand up and push through the short steep climbs. I was gaining ground and even started passing some women. Everything started coming together and then I was pulled from the race because I was in danger of being lapped by the race leaders. I was so bummed. The whole race lasted 12 minutes for me…..who knew I could have so much fun in such a short period of time!?!

For this race I finished 36th. I just need to practice, practice and practice. Once I have the opportunity to participate in more short track races, I will get better. All in all, it was great weekend of racing. But being surrounded by family and friends in North Carolina to support and cheer me on was the best race food to keep me going.

Connect the Dots: NMBS#2 XC Sugar Mountain 6/10/2006

The USA National Mountain Bike Series continued with the Showdown and Sugar Mountain in Banner Elk, NC. My husband and I made the long, hot and tedious drive from Southern California to North Carolina in three days for this race. We almost melted in Arizona and Texas with temperatures peaking at 111 degrees Fahrenheit. Arriving in North Carolina, we had a few more brain cells than the average zombie. But we sure did welcome the cabin that my extended family so generously let us crash in for a couple of days before we headed up to Sugar Mountain for the race chaos. The view from the balcony of the Blue Ridge Mountains was gorgeous- take a look for yourself!

The hour drive from the cabin to Sugar Mountain did not seem so long after spending 12 hour days in the car driving cross country. We took the opportunity to pre-ride the race course during some rain storms. The loop was 6.6 miles of a punishing long climb up to 5300 feet and a tricky descent with lots of rocks and roots. The rain had made the roots and rocks wicked slippery and even though I had some monster truck tires on my bike I was still sliding all over the place. Plus, Southern California desert riding does not provide similar training options. My lack of practice in these tight technical sections showed. I felt like a beginner, not sure what lines to take and a little spooked with my last race crash fresh in my mind. I was trying to figure out how I was going to manage three laps through the trees with wrapping my bike or myself around one.

On race day, my warm-up did not go very well. It seemed like my legs were stuck in cement. I did not feel very powerful and my energy levels were not anything near being the Energizer Bunny. Figuring this was my first race in about a month, I decided to focus on the mental game plan: HAVE FUN. Once again, since I have just started out on the pro circuit, my ranking gives me a spacious spot at the back of the pack. I almost had all the racers in view. At the start, instead of fighting my way through to the front, I decided to take my time and ride into the race.

My plan worked. I worked my way up in the race. On the first lap, I was passed at the base of the climb by several racers hammering their way up the hill. I paced myself nicely to pass several people toward the end of the climbing sections. However, some of these chicks are really smooth in the technical descents and sailed past me. Putting on my brave face, I tried to ride as much of the descent as I could possibly muster on my first lap. I dropped my chain twice and I only crashed once with my bike flying over my head. Luckily, I caught the bike out of the corner of my eye and made a run for it so it would not land on me.

On the second lap, I powered back up the hill. I was starting to feel surprisingly well. My legs were warmed up and some of the racers who passed me on the descent I was now catching on the climb. In these racing moments when I get into a groove I sometimes have songs that appear in my head out of nowhere. For this race I was entertained by the no longer kid-friendly Pee Wee Herman’s Playhouse song “Connect the dots. La, la, la.” Over and over and over and over and over and over again in my head. I am not sure if I pedaled faster to get the song out of my head or if I was really enjoying the melody. Reaching the downhill section a second time, I decided to not fiddle around with getting on and off my bike and just run it. Running it seemed to take a lot less time than crashing all the way down.

However, when the climb for my third and final lap began, my right inner quad muscle seized up. Oh the pain! I kept riding and punching the cramped part of my leg to make it go away. Downshifting to an easier gear, I kept pedaling through it. I was not going to get off the bike because that would ensure I would not get back on again. It helped to have a mini drum corps in the middle of the climb to provide a beat to pedal to and to distract me. For the final descent I had some gumption and tried to ride more of the technical sections than run them. I was having trouble holding a good line and kept getting tossed. Playing it safe, I rode only the areas I felt super confident and ran the rest. Later I found out that my handle bars had loosened and were twisted about 10 degrees to the left. Ooops! I guess maybe some of my downhill skills were not too terrible.

Barreling through to the finish line I was pleased with my performance. It was the first time in a month I felt happy to be racing. My burn-out rehab was complete! I also managed to reel in a 30th place finish which means I am closer to finishing in the top half of the race field.