Bling win

Bling? Why would I be interested in winning bling? In the form of dangly, white gold and diamond filled earrings. When I don't even have my ears pierced?

On Sunday I raced the Glencoe Grand Prix, which is in its second year. Glencoe is a neighbourhood just north of Chicago. As I am staying with my teammate Bob in Gurnee, also north of Chicago, this crit is like the local club champs for Bob and his local training buddies. I raced here last year and finished third after doing too much work in that race. As its generally a local-dominated race, the girls here tend to race really negative. Well, with a small bunch everyone is careful not to expend too much energy. But in those conditions, it can get so negative that I go insane. And this forces me to attack just to keep my head from exploding.

I was kinda hoping this year would be different, with new sponsors coming on board and the new aspect to the races: an intermediate sprint comp. For the women, the winner of this award gets some bling from a local jeweller. Bob was pretty excited to tell me about the bling, but I mustn't have been listening very well. I only heard jewellery and $800 value. I was thinking maybe it could work out for some wedding bling. More importantly, the idea of the intermediate sprint comp would be terrific training, and would easily keep me occupied from going insane should the race be negative.

Having just come off the back of six days in a row of sponsor commitments: two very full on days in Charlotte followed by four very very full on days in Washington, I was completely stuffed (Australian for bloody bloody tired). We flew back to Chicago from Washington Saturday night and the bike remained unpacked until very late morning on Sunday. I basically rolled out of bed, put the bike together, and got in the car to head to the race. I had no idea how my legs would be, but at the same time, I was barely awake to care. To make matters worse I had stuffed up my race prep blood glucose wise, and was too low before the race started. I sat on the start line eating, hoping it would be enough and not too much and everything would miraculously stay in the zone...

The turnout for the race was a bit disappointing: only a marginally bigger field than last year. And with a small number, mostly consisting of local girls, the race was negative from the word: go. From early on I knew I was a marked woman. I would need to be smart to do well here. If I could contain myself and not keep attacking. I was happy to see Jen Greenburg coming out to play, and she was agressive all race. I let her roll off the front to see who in the bunch behind us would want to chase her down. I ended up sitting on the front controlling the gap for a couple of laps before someone finally decided to bring the pace up. Gall-eey!

My plan for the race was to use this for training. After the exhaustion of the past week, I wasn't expecting much from my legs. So, to hell with it, I would just try stuff and see how my body responded. Bob kept telling me to go for the intermediate as my race goal. I wasn't sure. For bling?

With Jen off the front she collected the first two sprints, but I made sure I was second for both. Just in case, you know, I wanted to go for the overall intermediate sprint prize thingie. But the competitor in me emerged regardless of my legs, and I won the next two, with Jen finishing behind me both times. We were now even on points. I knew the score, but I also knew Jen had no idea how close the comp was from being off the front and unable to see who had finished behind her. The announcers ended my advantage by letting the field know what was going on. At least it gave them something to talk about in the race! They announced the final sprint with three laps to go. I was second wheel, with Jen behind me. Leading out wasn't what I had in mind, but I turned around to see Jen give me a big smile. I returned it. It was one of those, 'yee hah, lets race!' type looks. Good fun to race against someone willing to have a go. With the status 'game on', I weaseled my way out of my position in order to sit behind Jen. She likes to go early, and didn't disappoint. I hung onto her wheel and came round to take the final sprint. I had beaten her by a point. But with only two laps to go there wasn't much time for recovery. By the final lap I felt okay, but coming around the last corner my legs didnt react and I was too slow coming out of the tight turn. I sat down and rolled in for sixth, getting swamped on the line. Arrgghhh, but it was good intermediate sprint training, the sort of stuff that I needed. And it gave me a good hitout for what might have been a rather dull race! The organisers do such a great job with Glencoe it is a real shame it isn't better supported by the women. I hope next year the event swells again. It has great timing on the calendar being a week before National crit champs which are also in Chicago. Where are you chicks?

I finished the race with my BSL around 105, which was pretty impressive considering the low before the start and the panic eating before kickoff. Mental reminder to avoid that for next time though..

The bling wasn't a jewellery voucher, but actual whitegold earrings full of diamonds. And as it also turns out, it wasn't valued at $800. It was well more than that. They couldn't announce the actual value as it was greater than the final place prize money. So in the end, even though I can't wear my prize, it was probably one of the biggest, and bling-est, prizes I have ever won!

Thanks to cameraman Bob for taking these pics:
Winning the final sprint against Jen

On the podium after receiving the bling.