Hi Everyone,

What would Cyclocross Nationals in New England be without a blizzard? Lots of snow, rain, sleet, then snow and high winds? We racers were treated to all of the above conditions as two weather events that had ripped across different parts of the US got together this morning over New England. Wow, what weather!

The 2 mile course was a mix of steep ups and downs, a few short road sections, and three sets of barriers. Two sets were at the bottom of good sized hills, making for great run-ups. Two other formerly-rideable hills were too icy to ride up so they had to be run as well. When we arrived at the course yesterday we were greeted with a coating of icy snow and lots of oak leaves as we did our preride to learn the course. Lots of people were doing the same thing, generally breaking down the ice and making it easier to ride, but also digging into the earth and creating sections of mud.

It was snowing pretty hard when my race started this morning at 9 o'clock. Announcers said about 2 inches per hour. The good news is that for most of the race the snow was just snow and I had good traction, but in the last lap it got decidedly wetter and riding the course got pretty treacherous.

My category started one minute after the 40-44 women and thirty seconds after the 45-49 women. While the stars in those groups took off, the women newer to the sport were having a hard time in the snow. I cannot tell you how many women I passed or how many crashes I saw. I only had one fall, a tiny crash on the last lap, but other than that I managed to keep the rubber side down.

My race started fast and furious, but I did have a bobble on the first little climb, causing me to get off my bike. Two women got ahead of me, and I was unable to reel them back in. I went back and forth for part of the first lap with Tracy Lea, but she crashed and I never saw her or the women behind her again.

So I came in third, winning the bronze medal for my efforts. I rode about as well as I could have, but that tiny mistake near the beginning definitely cost me. I worked hard though, and my technical skills were pretty darned good. Those of you who have seen me terrified of downhills would have been proud!

As for the weather, it got "better," and then worse. Rain replaced the snow, making the course a whole lot easier to ride. After awards we watched the men's 35-39 race start and it was amazing to see earth and mud where I had been riding in show. Phil and I got completely soaked, though, and opted to head back to our hotel. I was really trashed from the race and wanted some warm food.

Once we got to the car, though, the wind picked up and it started to sleet. The four mile drive back to our hotel was pretty scary, with pieces of tree branches and other unidentifiable debris flying through the air and hitting our car. Once off I-95 we were treated to flooded roads. By the time we got to our hotel it was showing hard. Once inside the blizzard proceeded and I was just so happy that I was not out there racing. (I just logged onto the race web site and found that the last two races of the day were postponed due to that horrific weather.) It looked like it snowed 6 more inches in a little over two hours.

So that is the recap of the first day. Tomorrow's weather promises to be sunny, and we plan on being on hand to watch fellow MIM racer Maria KJ race in the 30-34. Phil races on Sunday, along with other NY notables like Karl Faruzal and Keith Gregory. Maria is scheduled to race the B race on Sunday as well, along with Liz Carrington. Plus, we get to watch the Pros!

Before I sign off, I want to thank each and every one of you for the support you have shown me during this cycling season. It was especially challenging for me this year, but exciting as well.

Thanks for reading!

Take care,
Margaret