CX season wrapped

Last weekend concluded my 2nd cyclocross season and I must say, I feel like in the midst of this year's race schedule, I really started to "get it."  I credit this in part, to racing a lot last year and this year, including often doubling up with the singlespeed race and then my category race.

Around the middle of the season, I began to see my results moving me up in the BAR standings ... (Best all round rider competition).  While it wasn't an original goal of mine, as I began to enjoy some success in the women 35+ category, I started to really focus on trying to win the BAR competition.  After several podiums I began to get some pressure from other racers and women in my field to "move up" to the women open category (elite/pro) however I felt that I deserved the chance to go for the BAR win.  So I raced a LOT and raced hard, figured out the hole shot and several other aspects of the racing that really hurt me last year, and low and behold ... I pulled out the BAR win for the season!

I'm also really proud of my teammates Linda, Cris and I - for working really hard to hold off other, bigger teams, for 2nd place in the team competition in the 35+ category.  Linda and Cris both would normally race women cat 4 however I cajoled them into racing 35+ or sometimes both on a single race day (back to back!) and their points combined with mine got us up into 2nd for the season.  I'm thrilled!!!

I pulled it off! 

So proud of us for holding on to 2nd place! 

Next year, I think it looks pretty likely that I will be moving on up into the women open field (back to getting my heart and soul crushed for awhile until I figure more out!) but I think it's a good move for me and hopefully will continue to test and challenge me at each CX race!  There's no other way to keep improving or getting better than to be stretched by competition that is better than you.

For now - the year is a wrap.  35 ish race numbers pinned on in road, mountain and CX events... My first Ride the Rockies and my first Ride on Chicago (combined, around 1000 miles between those 2 events!)...

It's time to find a new goal/conquest to keep me motivated in 2015!

I'm about 125 bike miles short of beating my car miles for the year so I've got some work to do in the next 9 days to bring them up to balanced.