I just completed my first ZRL race in over a year. I raced with the Pink Cheetahs’ D squad. Only 4 per team in this session of ZRL giving us a field of 37 women. It went really well! The course was Legends and Lava, so I knew it would be painful, but painful for everyone, not just me
I did as Coach suggested and focused on staying with the front group as long as I could. I ramped up my cadence and watts about 15 secs before start and easily hung on until a section of them split off. I stayed with the second group of about a dozen women. PR’d on Titans Grove climb, but lost the group on the downhill. A teammate helped me back and we stayed with the group for the rest of the race. I paid attention to how I could use the draft, cadence, and gearing to get rest in the group. I decided not to sprint and instead to save legs for the Volcano climb. But I still had to go hard to stay with the pack and here again, I used my training here to pay attention to my surges and keep them at a level where I knew I could still recover and have energy for the rest of the race.
I felt good about my effort on that climb, though I didn’t PR. I had been nervous about not performing at a level that the team hoped, but I ended up being the first of my team to cross the finish
I don’t think I would have had such a positive attitude or such strong legs if it weren’t for the training I’ve received here since January. So thank you for that!
Thanks for the race report @laurasibson ! Exciting to read about your progress on the fitness side, and how you approached the event by focusing on racing skills and racing “your race”. Fantastic job!
I’m popping in to provide a shout-out to @PaleGail for her amazing race result! I saw the post and wonderful photos on Instagram. Gail – well done! You trained hard and you showed up. This is such an inspiration to me!
This past weekend I had my big MTB race of the season. It was 32 miles with 4500 ft of climbing. The race was at Grand Targhee Resort in the Teton Mountains.
We were very lucky with the weather. At the start of the race the temperature was 55F which was perfect as we started climbing from the get go (the base of the resort sits at 8k feet). It was sunny with almost no wind.
I felt like I came to the race well prepared. My plan was to ride the first 20 miles at a moderate pace and to finish the last 12 miles strong.
The course had the most difficult climb from mile 20 to mile 28 so I knew that if I paced myself well I was going to be able to pass a lot of people on that climb. An 8 mile climb on a MTB is a very long effort (especially after riding and climbing already for almost 3 hours). This climb had technical sections, really steep switchbacks and lots of loose rocks to spice it up even more. And as part of the race, this climb was timed separately for a QOM prize. The last 4 miles of the race were fast and furious with a couple technical sections sprinkled in between and there was a timed segment here as well for the Queen of the descent!
I did this race last year but the course was quite different. This year they added an extra 600ft of climbing and the 8 mile climb was also new. The first half of the course was very similar to last year’s course so at least I knew that I should be able to ride all the technical sections and that the descents weren’t too scary .
Overall I felt great during the race. A lot of people were not happy with the 8 mile climb and were complaining to the organizers after the race but for some reason that type of climb, at the end of a long race, suits me and I passed so many people there that I kept pushing until the top to pass as many victims as I could! And best of all, once I didn’t have any one ahead (that I could see of course) I tried to keep increasing the gap to whoever was behind trying not to get caught on the last 4 mile descent. I’m happy to say that nobody pass me there even though I felt like my hands were falling off and my calves wanted to cramp. Somehow I kept it together and crossed the finish line in 4 hours and 43 min. I finished 6th (out of 15) in Women Veterans. And for the segments the standings were for all women so ended up 19/65 for the QOM and 33/65 for the downhill segment! Overall Women I finished 36/65.
This was a great race and result. I think I’m the most proud of the downhill segment because that is still my biggest weakness and even last year I was at the very back of any downhill segment so been right in the middle is great progress! I’m also proud of my climbing segment time (1hr 20 min). My time was as good as many juniors (which are insanely fast and most of them finished the race one hour faster than me…
Shawn and one of his friends also did the race. Shawn DNF’d and his friend finished 40 min after me . They usually both beat me by 5-10 min in the midweek MTB races which take me around 1 hour. But neither of them follow a training plan. They just ride (and they can ride looong) but this is a proof of how much training with a purpose goes a long way. (I also beat both of them on the gravel race we did at the beginning of the season). They don’t know how to pace themselves and they just go out too hard and blow up… and when I pass them I just ask “are you okay?”
Now I do need a couple days to recover… i still feel like a truck run me over… legs feel tired but my upper body is sore like if i did a crazy strength training session
And I will listen to my body because all my devices say I’m fresh and ready to keep going but I can definitely tell I need extra recovery!
Thanks for the wonderful race report @Covi ! You did amazing! It’s so much fun to see you getting better and better. Try not to rub it in too much beating the boys though I’m giggling with delight about it.
@Covi you are an absolutely amazing MTB rider and overall racer. What a great race report and marvelous opportunity. So glad your race went so well and your recovery is going well. You certainly showed the benefits of our fabulous training we have here from @Coach_Theia And you need to ignore your devices telling you are fresh.
Great racing @Covi. I have friends who just ride and don’t train and some times I am amazed how they can ride as well as they do, but I guess your performance demonstrates how structured workouts really pay off!
@Covi WOW!! This was a high-level performance across the board!
Fantastic race, and an even better execution of strategy and fitness! It’s clear you came into this well-prepared, and pacing the first 20 miles conservatively really set the stage for a strong finish.
Your ability to maintain effort and pass others late in the race speaks to solid aerobic durability, mental discipline, and excellent energy management. And to have this result after being off the bike earlier in the year is even more remarkable. Congrats also on the strong climb and badass downhill skillz!!!
Oiy last week was a whirlwind with the travel and the experience and i was all ready to sit down Sunday but the forum was down - then I’ve had another crazy week at work - but I’m finally catching up - thank you so much @laurasibson !!! I saw your message and it gave me such a boost!!! And @bkolden thank you also!!!
I was feeling good about my races then I looked at my strava history and realized maybe not my fastest ones ever - but i didn’t bother checking weather - the 10k was 100% headwind on the back 5k and as i told @Coach_Theia i just focused on pedaling and keeping a decent cadence, i didn’t focus on power or speed just powering through, i felt so much more in control of the bike in the 10k even after some lady told me to hurry up at the turnaround when i was as far to the outside as possible and even had to go outside the cones - but i stayed upright, no foot down and that was a win! Coach pointed out that there were Cat 2/3 in my race and that makes mid pack feel good.
I couldn’t believe how tired my body was even with the short distances, i think it was the travel and the adrenalin wearing off - but I’m really glad i did it and really happy with how it all went.
Thank you all for the support!!! I knew you were sending me ride ons the whole time!!
@Covi that’s awesome!!! So happy for you!!! Sounds like you prepared yourself mentally and did exactly what you planned on!!! We know you were prepared physically!! Coach always has us there - having a plan and executing it is wonderful!!!
I do have to ask, how do you remember all those details after that long an event?! I can’t recall that much detail for a short race
I saw the post and wonderful photos on Instagram. Gail – well done! You trained hard and you showed up. 
This is such an inspiration to me! 
. They usually both beat me by 5-10 min in the midweek MTB races which take me around 1 hour. But neither of them follow a training plan. They just ride (and they can ride looong) but this is a proof of how much training with a purpose goes a long way. (I also beat both of them on the gravel race we did at the beginning of the season). They don’t know how to pace themselves and they just go out too hard and blow up… and when I pass them I just ask “are you okay?” 