How to Dominate

Jingle Cross Rock- Iowa City, Iowa

1. Preparation-

Got Mud? State Wheels love to play in the mud!

There are a lot of things that go into preparing for a race; Tire pressure, shifting, brakes, hydration, breakfast/energy, clothes, and course. My bike was dialed and ready to rock, of course it wants to go faster than I can ride but that's okay with me, and the State Wheels were amazing in the mud. I had the best kind of energy that I can get, a banana 3-4 hours before my race then a Naked smoothie throughout the remaining time before the race start. I also had a glass or two of water earlier that morning so I wouldn't be dehydrated but I also wouldn't be too hydrated. I half rode the course but I only rode a part that was taken out for my race and another part that was really easy. I didn't ride over half the course but I figured I would just end up following someone and would see the lines or that there would be crashes and I would have to make up new lines. 

2. Warm-up-

Warm-ups are one of the most important parts of racing, the only time you really don't need one is for a long race 3-24 hours. I got on the trainer under the KCCX/ Fuji tent about 40 minutes before my race and did a 30 minute warm-up. After my trainer warm-up I headed to the start line and did a couple of laps around the grass with my teammate Sarah Worthington.  

Hammer the start!

3. Good Start-

Getting a good start includes registering early, something that I failed (my dad) to do. I was third row and number 27 for the call up (out of 40). The only good thing about that was that I lined up right next to my team mate. You also need to stay warm until the start of the race. I got my jacket off as late as possible but unfortunately right after that a blast of freezing wind came in and it stated to rain harder. With 30 seconds till start I was in my pedal  and with 15 seconds till start I was in my saddle with slight pressure and on the pedal and brakes. When the sound was made for our start I let go of my brakes and immediately moved up to the line in front of me and was gunning for the lead hard. 

Staying upright was key.

4. Move up (Be aggressive)-

From the gun I was on the gas trying to move up. I was cutting people off in corners by taking lines that were faster but pretty sketchy, taking some of the corners tape to tape while pushing some of the women all the way up against the tape in the process, jumping on the gas out of corners, staying upright, and by running faster. By the end of the first lap of the race I had moved into first and was already putting a gap into second.

5. Stay upright-

You can't win the race on the ground. Even though I wasn't going too fast through the corners I was taking them so that I wouldn't end up on the ground but still trying to put time on the field. The one time I did try to take a corner too fast I ended up on the ground and second place caught me (my second lap). Put in some really hard efforts and never saw her the rest of the race.

6. Race Tactics-

Flyover!

I know that what I do pisses people off sometimes but rubbing is racing. I used some tactics like cornering tape to tape and I was cutting women off just to get up front but I had to do it. On my second lap when second place caught back up to me she was taking some of the corners wide and slow. There was one particular corner that I could take sharper that her. It was a 180 right next to a barn so I went on her inside then rode next to her while closing in and pushing her up against the barn so she had to slow down and get behind me. When she had lost all of her speed I took off and never looked back. After my race I heard that she had flatted and that she was also the winner of Friday night's race. 

7. Gap the field-

After every corner I was out of my saddle sprinting and I was running every section as fast as I could run with the slick and muddy conditions. Every lap I was putting in time on the field and by the third lap someone yelled out that I had about a minute lead on second and third who were battling it out. Every time someone told me that they were closer or gaining I would go a little faster. 

8.Ignore the Elements-

Running up a hill (As fast as I could)

I was dressed perfectly for the weather at the start of my race, base layer and skin suit. I was a little chilly at the start but I knew that is how I was supposed to feel. It was raining but it was also muddy and even though that made it colder I was still dressed perfectly. Then a cold front moved in during my third lap and the temperature dropped from 53 to 42 in a matter of seconds. I started to get really cold but I knew that if I went faster I would risk crashing so I stayed the same speed and payed the price. When I finished my race I was soaked and frozen but they wanted to do the podium right after the top three women came in so I had to wait 5 minutes for them to get ready. After that we didn't know that they had a shower so my dad took a hose and sprayed me down with water which just made me even colder. During my race I ignored that I was cold and that I was getting mud and water all over my face and in my eyes so I could focus on staying upright and keeping my lead on the field. 

9. Leave everything on the course-

At the end of my last lap all I had left was a small sprint for the crowd. I had put in sooo many efforts to keep my gap that all I wanted to do at the end of my race was collapse. When I finished I had this plan for if I ever got first that I would sit up and throw both my arms in the air and smile. All I could do at the end of my race was throw one arm in the air and put my head down and smile. 

I won!!!!!!!!

Interview right after my race, sooooo cold!!!!!!!!!