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Team Santa Fe Newsletter
Janurary 2003
US National Cyclo-Cross Championships
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| Napa Valley, CA
December 14 2002
Ries Robinson
Pete Kern and myself ventured to the beautiful Napa Valley, and specifically
the magnificent setting of Domain Chandon. However, our idyllic venture to
the wine center of the United States was detoured by a massive storm. In
fact, it rained 12 inches in 24 hours, more than the average annual rainfall
in Albuquerque. Undeterred by the rain, I ventured forth with my trusted
Litespeed mountain bike into the incredible slop that had become the course.
My chances for a podium finish, which were minuscule at best, took a serious
hit at the start staging. I was in the last row with some guy dressed in
a cow outfit. Unfazed by my starting position I pressed ahead and actually
make some moderately good time on the field of about 100. The amount of mud
and slop was beyond anything I had ever seen. Major sections of the course
were through a 6 to 8 inch mud soap that effectively hid all the potholes.
The numbers of forward ejections from the bikes were significant and I partook
so as to not feel left out. The race was scheduled for about one hour,
but had a frantic feel from the sound of the gun. The basic recipe used by
the race directors was to pull the last 15 riders each lap or so until they
had the field down to 20. I survived until there were only two laps left,
then got the dreaded game over cue. This inauspicious end was at least rewarded
by a most excellent bike washing station and a hot chocolate at Starbucks.
Santa Fe Snowshoe Classic, 10K
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Santa Fe, NM
January 11 2003
Jan Bear, Ries Robinson
In preparation for the upcoming Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon Ries and I
thought it was time for a little snowshoe action. Thus our Crescent Moon
snowshoes and the Santa Fe Snowshoe Classic was the event, we participated
in the 10K race and we both finished in under an hour. The race course was
at the Santa Fe Nordic ski loop that is about 5k long thus we circled it
twice and the elevation is about 10,000 feet. The snow level was rather poor
and in fact there were some bare ground areas and a fair amount of icy patches.
I also used my trusty Leki poles to help with the short uphill sections and
for balance on the ice. The weather was cold, overcast and it was actually
snowing, about 2-3 inches of snow accumulated during the race. The result
was we both finished and got a great workout, my Polar HRM showed that I
averaged 157 BPM for the whole race, got a chance to dial in our snowshoes
from Crescent Moon in preparation for the Quad and realized that we had a
lot more training to accomplish. Thanks to all our great sponsors, I personally
used my CW-X tights, Crescent Moon Snowshoes, Leki Poles, Lowe Alpine gloves,
Polar HRM, ThorLo socks and Montrail Vitesse running shoes.
"The Wall" 30K State Championships
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January 19 2003
New Orleans LA
Barb Dutrow, 2:27, 3rd overall female, 1st Master
It is time to begin my spring marathon training, so to jump start my training,
I signed up for "The Wall", the annual 30K State Championship race.
The race moved down the levee and began at the same place as "Ole Man River",
the Army Corp of Engineers facility on the Intercoastal Waterway. At race
start, the day was perfect; temperatures in the mid-40's, with a clear blue
sunny sky. The race follows a flat and fast out and back course along the
levee but is very exposed to the elements. A 10k race starts together with
the 30K, so to avoid an overly fast starting pace; I carefully began conservatively
- although it turned out to be too slow! My goal was to use this as a hard
training run. The wind was at our backs until about the 6-mile mark and with
a large bend in the river, it becomes a headwind. But at the turn around,
it again became a tail wind. Of course this meant that the final six miles
would have the wind in your face. The crowd thinned considerably, so I ran
the last 13 miles alone, knowing full well that the last few miles would
be difficult in the wind. Fortunately the sun stayed high but the temperatures
remained
cool. The race is very well supported by the New Orleans Track club.
Miles are well marked and aid was plentiful. My time was slower than last
year, which will guide my training. About 400 people ran the race. Finish:
2:27, 3rd overall female of about 100, 1st Master.
Thanks to ThorLo socks for padding my feet and to Polar Heart Rate Systems for keeping me on track and recording my results.
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