Joe Martin Stage Race--Do Over

Missing the time cut in the women’s race by 1.4 seconds really stung. Thankfully I was given another chance to race in the Men's cat 3 race. Their race started on Saturday morning with the exact same time trial, Saturday Road Race, and the same crit on Sunday. So the only thing I didn’t get to do was the Friday Road Race. Typically Men’s Cat 3 races are almost the same pace-wise, though not quite the same competitive-wise as the pro women. For the record I did knock a couple of seconds off of my tt time, enough to have made the cut in the women’s race. Would have been nice to post that time two days before….. but at least I know I can do it. Later that day I made the time cut in the men’s road race, and my time also would have made the cut in the women’s race. The crit on Sunday was super fun. It was a long course with an uphill side and a downhill side and lots of turns. Very Cool! I finished enough of it to get an overall GC placing. I finished the Men’s Cat 3 stage race 44th out of 67 starters. I was hoping for a GC finish in the women’s race, but I’m cool with a finish in a Men’s Cat 3 stage race.

Since the men’s crit on Sunday was later in the day, it moved my departure from Sunday afternoon to Monday morning. This meant I could attend the post-race all-you-can-eat tacos and all-you-can-drink beer party at a local Mexican restaurant in town with my super cool host Jennie, and housemate Amy from Hub Racing. I met some fellow-racers and socialized, something I am usually unable to do while racing!

I had a good experience at Joe Martin and can’t thank the people in charge enough—Stephen Ray Stafford our rider coordinator, Bruce Dunn the race director and Bonnie Walker, the chief referee. All of these people were sympathetic and supportive. Most of all thank you to our super-accommodating host Jennie Horton—who opened her home for as long as we needed, got on the phone and lobbied for us, and cracked a bottle of wine when all hope was lost. My plan is to come back next year and knock a minute off my tt time!!

Unfortunately my car did not like the trip and after driving almost 11 hours (by myself—after leaving at 4 am—after getting 3 hours of sleep—after doing a stage race) on Monday my transmission broke on I-55 in Plainfield, IL. I was able to find a good repair shop thanks to Jason’s Uncle Alan who lives in Plainfield. Since I was anxious to get home to see my monkeys after being away for so long I packed up my messenger bag, hopped on my bike and rode to meet Jason who drove the opposite way in rush hour from downtown Chicago to meet me. I’d be lying if I said he didn’t find me on the side of the road in a heap somewhere near the theaters on Woodward Rd., but I made it home in time to play with the kids before collapsing into bed.

-Kristen