Title 175

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="02c285a1erlcgo.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>REI Austin Cycling Team</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="REI Austin Cycling Team"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> back to  <A HREF="id164.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Race and Ride Reports"><U><B>Race and Ride Reports</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="02ad2c00dkelyh.gif"> <div> <A HREF="id164.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Race and Ride Reports"><U><IMG SRC="03b0e0e0.gif" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>   <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14">     <A HREF="id174.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Title 174"><U><IMG SRC="02f0e0e0.gif" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>  <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14"></div> <div> <B>Warda </B></div> <div> <B>Race Report</B></div> <div> <B>... Dawn Juarez</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Finally getting around to filling you all in on the mountain bike </div> <div> race in Warda this past Sunday. I will share with you my </div> <div> experiences; others may have different views. I'm sure all will </div> <div> agree that the 25 degree arctic air presented certain challenges.</div> <bR> <div> The GOOD: I bring plenty of layers and my trainer to get warmed up </div> <div> prior to start time; The BAD: The time spent waiting to actually </div> <div> start chilled my body down to the bone (so much for warming-up.)</div> <bR> <div> The GOOD: I plan ahead; I'm asthmatic - attacks triggered by cold </div> <div> air, allergies, etc., so I take my allergy meds and bring my </div> <div> inhaler; The BAD: I stepped on my inhaler just before the race and </div> <div> crush it to smithereens before I can get a puff.</div> <bR> <div> The GOOD: I sprinted out fast and got ahead of everyone for the </div> <div> first 1/2 mile. The BAD: Apparently I went out too fast. When the </div> <div> cold air hit my lungs they responded as usual; with a restricted </div> <div> airway, tunneling vision, I thought I was going to pass out! Three </div> <div> people slide by me.</div> <bR> <div> The GOOD: I find myself in a fast, controlled rhythm at mile 2. I'm </div> <div> stoked, and think to myself "WOW! I'm the woman! I just might pull </div> <div> a Sarah Hughes today!" So I pick up more speed; The BAD: "Is that </div> <div> dirt I taste in my mouth" and "Why are the stars out during the </div> <div> day?" Yep - I crashed. I nearly knocked myself out. I hurt so bad </div> <div> that I thought I might be looking for the nearest bail out. I took a </div> <div> couple of minutes to shake it off and got back on my bike. By then I </div> <div> couldn't feel my frozen feet or hands.</div> <bR> <div> The GOOD: Still hurting (fell hard on my left side), but starting to </div> <div> feel better. I remember that I am in a race, and start kicking it to </div> <div> see if I can catch up with the rest of the group; The BAD: My </div> <div> reflexes are frozen and I kept missing turns, or having to slow down </div> <div> at the turns; I'm now wheezing so hard that one of my competitors </div> <div> asks me if I'm going to be OK as she passes me.</div> <bR> <div> The GOOD: Finally warming back up and getting into a good rhythm </div> <div> again at about mile 8; The BAD: Found myself in the dirt on my left </div> <div> side again!!! This time got my foot stuck in the front fork between </div> <div> the spokes, and the chain got all tangled up. All I could do was </div> <div> laugh (after shouting out a few choice words to the Trail God's.) </div> <div> So, I got up, fixed my bike and decided to slow down a bit so that I </div> <div> could finish the race in one piece. I was still in my first lap, </div> <div> with another one to go!</div> <bR> <div> A THOUGHT DURING THE RACE: I want my road bike! I'm going back to </div> <div> road racing! Forget this trail riding crap!</div> <bR> <div> The GOOD: I didn't finish last. The BAD: I finished 7th. Out of 8.</div> <bR> <div> The BAD: My body looks like I got hit by a mack truck. The GOOD: </div> <div> My bike didn't suffer even a little scratch! The bruises don't hurt </div> <div> so much now, and besides, purple is my favorite color and I'm </div> <div> sporting the lovliest shades of it right now!</div> <bR> <div> THE BEST: After finishing; sitting around with my mountain bike </div> <div> buddies eating a hot freshly grilled burger and chugging a beer. I'm </div> <div> jazzed! The trails may have bonded with my backside a few times, but </div> <div> it didn't beat me. In fact, I feel empowered. Yeah! I love this </div> <div> stuff. I can't wait for the next race! I should mention here that </div> <div> this was my first race back since I broke my arm last season. So </div> <div> despite all the challenges, I considered it a huge success. I'm only </div> <div> going to get better.</div> <bR> <div> See ya later gang,</div> <div> Dawn, aka Purplegrasshopper</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>