The Costa Rican Saga Continues...

Other than flatting on the Saturday World Championships where my "team" all left me, only to be picked up out of Charity by the Santa Crew, and being left off the Power Rankings, nothing much is new in my small world of Cycling.

So, I will live in the past, like many others, and dredge up racing wonders that are now nothing but jpg's on my desk top.

DAY 1 of Racing!

Check HERE for race profile and my Garmin file from the stage!! Over 8,000 ft of climbing in 27 miles...do the math!

Despite high temperatures, the day began in a deep fog. There were times I couldn't see 20 feet ahead of me, climbing up the side of the Volcano. I remember seeing a form ahead and having no idea what it was until i was about 5 feet behind....a wild horse. I seen realized I was in a small herd of them and I could think of was getting decked in the Dome Piece by one of their hooves.

Riding up, up, up. No iPod, nobody to talk to, no idea how much I was about to hurt. There was a switch that I found way down deep inside that opened up the reserves and allowed me literally and figuratively, go where I have never gone while racing. In races since then, I have told myself "Go to that Costa Rica Place" and reminded myself that a 600 foot climb in a road race is chump change compared to what we experienced here.

I think this picture sums it up. No option to wear my shades due to high levels of humidity and sweat. 2 hours plus of straight climbing. Mind numbing climbing.

Javier came each morning to the hotel to fetch us! He waited during the whole stage for us, and carted us "home." Not a single bent rotor....amazing. En Ingles Por favor! Getting race instructions from Henry prior to stage one. Notice i was taking the picture, thus never got the instructions. Everything panned out however. Covered in dirt/volcanic ash from an epic endo while literally glisading down fire roads covered with literally 5-10 inches of silt. We had rooster tails behind us! Thank goodness for all that riding in Fontana sand, otherwise i could have died. The large machine: Cleaning up from January earthquake.

Driving back to the hotel DOWN one of the climbs we came UP earlier that day...



Traffic on the trails was amazing. It puts the Paint Ballers of Fontana to shame!

We all had NO idea what to expect. We were thinking 40 miles for this stage, it was only about 27. BUT...an epic 24. Its hard to gauge efforts/food/recovery when you are in completely unknown territory! Maureen took a CamelBak with a small cot in it (i joke, but that sucker was huge) and I opted for the lower cage mount. which, i never touched. That bottle was completely black after riding through cow pastures, coffee plantations, trash, single track, mud, town roads, and silt. Support for the national riders...

Bike after the stage...SUPER dirty!!

Elated to have finished, coming in second overall for women, and even more stoked have lunch hot and ready!

Getting HOOKED up at the bike shop with wash, detail, and delivery. for $6.oo US!!! It was like the bike came right off the Fisher truck at a national, i kicked down a 20 for the efforts! Awesome!

When in doubt, throw it ALL in the bathtub!!

I believe we all come in just about 20 minutes apart...Maureen decided the camelbak was a BAD idea, and I chose to take off the extra bottle cage and throw everything in my pockets for round two.

Then it was back to the hotel, to plot our attack on volcano #2!