I want to take a moment to reflect on the Blue Steel Cross Team.
What a awesome group of people... It truly has been my privilege to race with this talented group of athletes.
During the course of the season, we were very fortunate to add to our talent pool... with additions to both our men's and women's teams.
Collectively, we ended the season with in excess of 33 podium finishes... many of which I was not responsible for. What an incredible accomplishment!
The reason I wanted to point out that most of the podium finishes were not my doing was simply because, one would expect that I should be carrying the team... since I'm wearing the World Jersey... right????
Wrong!!!!
That wasn't the case. Nope... My teammates actually carried me!!! The vast majority of those podium finishes were from the efforts of my teammates!!! I was but a small contributor to what turned out to be a very dominating Blue Steel Cross Team.
The fastest women on our team this year, from a very humble and classy racer...Karen Tripp... she simply tore it up this year!
And with regards to the men, I have to say that Andy Gould and Eric Carlson, consistently ranked in the top 3 in their fields... gathering several podium finishes under their collective skin suits.
Below is a not so aligned list of the podium places.
So... Congrats to everyone, for a great season of racing. You all did really, really well!!!
2012 Season highlights:
Name Place race
Cathy R 3 Regional Champs
Andy G 3 Regional champs
Ronni V 1 Regional champs
Leah C 2 Regiona champs
Cathy R 3 Regional champs single speed
Karen T 3 Baystate
Cathy R 3 Shedd park
Cathy R 1 Velo cross
Andy G 3 Velo cross
Ronni V 3 Velo cross
Eric
C 1 Paradise
Karen T 2 Cycle smart
Kathy S 3 cycle smart
Cathy R 3 Orchard cross
Andy G 2 orchard cross
Ronni V 1
orchard cross
Sarah C 2 canton
Kathy S 1 downeast
Karen T 2 downeast
Cathy R 3 minuteman
Eric C 3
minuteman
Karen 2 Providence
Kathy S 3 Providence
Karen 1 Providence day 1
Kathy S 2 gloucester
Karen T 3
gloucester
Karen 1 gloucester
Kathy 3 gloucester
Eric C 1 White park
Karen 3 green mt
Karen 2 green
mt
Eric c 2 bob cross
Kathy S 3 bob cross
Total 33 Podiums for cx!
Not to mention all the personal achievements and numerous top 10 finishes!
Road- Eric podiumed in Beverly, Andy at the Indoor TT
Mtb-
Andy: 3rd at the Burlingame TT, 3rd at Endurorama New Jersey, 1st
overall at 12 hours of Bradbury, 2nd at the Millstone Grind marathon
distance, 1st at the Camden Enduro, 3rd at the Mt Snow Downhill race.
Karen- 3rd at
willowdale
Ronni- 2nd at Pinnacle, 2nd at moody park
George - 3 at harding hill
Jim hall- 3 at harding hill
BTW... Getting on the podium is NO indication of how well you raced!
Some of my best and hardest fought races never resulted in a podium. But it was still a great effort and a great race.
So... now that the regular season is done anyone who isn't going to Nationals or Worlds are now sitting back, drinking beer... and not even thinking about going out for a training ride... because frankly, it's too damned cold!
Plus... they are doing what any reasonable person would be doing, they are busy recovering from close to 6 months of racing Cyclocross!!
Not me... Nope, not only do I still have 2 races to race.. these 2 races are what what my entire year has been focused on... HOW CRAZY IS THAT??!!!
6 days before the National Championships... 29 days before the World Championships. For me... this is what the entire year of training and racing boils down to... these 2 races.
Talk about putting all your freaking eggs in a few baskets!!!
Yikes... don't drop that egg!!!
If anyone were to ask me at any point in the season, what's my goal? My answer would simply be... "To do as well as I possibly can at the National and World Championships."
Every training ride, every training hour, each of the close to 30 races we've raced in the regular Cross Season has been with these two goals in mind.
With that said... As I have eluded in my earlier comments, this past year of prep and racing hasn't been alone. It's been with an awesome support system made up of teammates, close friends, family, The Blue Steel Crew, my coach Tom Stevens, all our Blue Steel customers and all the folks I race with on the weekends.
This incredible group of people have helped me get ready for these 2 important races and without them, it would be damned impossible to get ready.
You have helped me stay mentally tough and made me want to continue to turn the pedals, even, when I didn't think I had the strength to go another second. So... Thank you.
Someone asked me... which is harder...
Trying to win the jersey when you don't have it? Or defending it?
WOW... It's a 2 part answer... because I have been on both sides of that equation.
#1. It's way easier trying to win the jersey when you don't have it... because you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
#2. Defending is harder. In a sense, you have a target on your back, you "feel" as if you have everything to lose and you don't want to give it up...
BUT... having answered the question... here's what my heart would tell you....
It's such a privilege to wear it... I am happy to bear the weight of trying to defend it... but in reality, the day of the race, it's no longer mine... There is no Champion until the winner rolls across the line to claim what is rightly theirs...
So we all have to go out and race for the privilege of wearing it... be it for the first time or for another year.
You can bank on one thing... I will do everything in my power to do my very, very best... I am not afraid to suffer and I'm not afraid to do what I need to do, so let's keep our fingers crossed that everything goes well and I'll keep you posted on our adventures along the way.
Sadly the Flea (Karen) and Big Pit (Jeff)... won't be joining me on the first leg of the trip (Nationals... in Madison WI)... but they will be blogging from a unknown remote location... Hell knows where they will be at... but I bet my bib shorts it will be a lot warmer that MADISON WI.
They will be joining in on the second leg of the trip to the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS in Louisville KY, that's when the joint blogging with commence.
I am however going to be traveling with Tom my coach in the Blue Steel Van again... God only knows how that's going to turn out... my stomach is already churning in anticipation.
I've decided I'm not going to tell my insurance company... it's best they not know!
So... with 3 day left before blast off... now's the time for final equipment check out!!
3 bikes and 4 sets of wheels... that should do it!
Can't forget my lucky Ice Weasels T-shirt!!! I will wear this to bed before each Championship race!!
Colby knows that a trip is on the horizon and is already burying her bones in my bag... she doesn't know she's not going....
Until later....
The Peanut Gallery
Plus... they are doing what any reasonable person would be doing, they are busy recovering from close to 6 months of racing Cyclocross!!
Not me... Nope, not only do I still have 2 races to race.. these 2 races are what what my entire year has been focused on... HOW CRAZY IS THAT??!!!
6 days before the National Championships... 29 days before the World Championships. For me... this is what the entire year of training and racing boils down to... these 2 races.
Talk about putting all your freaking eggs in a few baskets!!!
Yikes... don't drop that egg!!!
If anyone were to ask me at any point in the season, what's my goal? My answer would simply be... "To do as well as I possibly can at the National and World Championships."
Every training ride, every training hour, each of the close to 30 races we've raced in the regular Cross Season has been with these two goals in mind.
With that said... As I have eluded in my earlier comments, this past year of prep and racing hasn't been alone. It's been with an awesome support system made up of teammates, close friends, family, The Blue Steel Crew, my coach Tom Stevens, all our Blue Steel customers and all the folks I race with on the weekends.
This incredible group of people have helped me get ready for these 2 important races and without them, it would be damned impossible to get ready.
You have helped me stay mentally tough and made me want to continue to turn the pedals, even, when I didn't think I had the strength to go another second. So... Thank you.
Someone asked me... which is harder...
Trying to win the jersey when you don't have it? Or defending it?
WOW... It's a 2 part answer... because I have been on both sides of that equation.
#1. It's way easier trying to win the jersey when you don't have it... because you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
#2. Defending is harder. In a sense, you have a target on your back, you "feel" as if you have everything to lose and you don't want to give it up...
BUT... having answered the question... here's what my heart would tell you....
It's such a privilege to wear it... I am happy to bear the weight of trying to defend it... but in reality, the day of the race, it's no longer mine... There is no Champion until the winner rolls across the line to claim what is rightly theirs...
So we all have to go out and race for the privilege of wearing it... be it for the first time or for another year.
You can bank on one thing... I will do everything in my power to do my very, very best... I am not afraid to suffer and I'm not afraid to do what I need to do, so let's keep our fingers crossed that everything goes well and I'll keep you posted on our adventures along the way.
Sadly the Flea (Karen) and Big Pit (Jeff)... won't be joining me on the first leg of the trip (Nationals... in Madison WI)... but they will be blogging from a unknown remote location... Hell knows where they will be at... but I bet my bib shorts it will be a lot warmer that MADISON WI.
They will be joining in on the second leg of the trip to the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS in Louisville KY, that's when the joint blogging with commence.
I am however going to be traveling with Tom my coach in the Blue Steel Van again... God only knows how that's going to turn out... my stomach is already churning in anticipation.
I've decided I'm not going to tell my insurance company... it's best they not know!
So... with 3 day left before blast off... now's the time for final equipment check out!!
3 bikes and 4 sets of wheels... that should do it!
Can't forget my lucky Ice Weasels T-shirt!!! I will wear this to bed before each Championship race!!
Colby knows that a trip is on the horizon and is already burying her bones in my bag... she doesn't know she's not going....
Until later....
The Peanut Gallery
