Test of Metal

This weekend was the Test of Metal, or more fondly called "The Test."  Not because it is the hardest course of the year (Nimby 50 takes that one), or the most competitive (easily US Nationals), or the most technical (tie between Nimby 50 and Port Alberni Island Cup) but because it is the most of all of them....kind of like a highschool G.P.A. - it has the highest average.  It generally features world cup racers, national team members, local superstars, and relics who race to prove they still have it.  It has huge climbs, power sucking false flats, road climbs, and wheezing-inducing singletrack.  It has fast, flowy, wipe-the-grin-off-your-face-your-supposed-to-be-racing singletrack, eye-watering fire road descending, and tough, bridge-laden, rocky, hand-pump inducing descents that make you question your overall skill.  Jack of all trades, master of none....except suffering.

Anything can happen.  It is 3 hours long, you are constantly battling men, women, and children (true story - some of the Squamish kids are amazing!).  There are plenty of opportunities for crashing, mechanical-ing, cramping, or just generally blowing up.  The first year I raced it in 3:14, which has remained my personal best - the next year (when the course was supposedly faster - I had a good, but not great day on the bike).  This year, I wanted to hit sub 3:10 (well, actually I wanted to hit 3:00, but that was a little overzealous).  This year I went 3:20...here is the story:

In warmup - felt ill, legs felt like logs attached to an aching lower back.  Sweet.  Off the line shifted into "make your own pace" and spun up the road climb watching the other women and men with camelbaks and 30 lb bikes ride away from me.  Into the gravel path and fell into a good fire road rhythm.  Legs started to come around, into the first real section of trail around Alice Lake and things started looking up, my technical legs came around, the sun started to break through the clouds, and I was feeling good.  Through the first major descent (lined with tons of people) and the cheers of "right on girl," "yeah lady!" started getting me excited.  Through the feedzone with more cheers and a compliment for my M-frame copycat neon glasses, and my excitement rose further.

Onto 9 mile.  It is a climb, which isn't actually 9 miles, but feels longer.  It is a long, slow, and fairly boring fire road climb.  I went back into "make your own pace" and made sure to stay on top of my eating.  No worries as a couple waves of men passed me and my single speeding buddy cranked his way by....well, a couple worries, but I managed to stay on message.  Into Lavadome, the last bit of climbing which narrows into loose rock I finally got going.  Passed about 10 men (one of the waves from earlier) and headed into Ring Creek Rip a downhill, rough (on a hard tail), doubletrack descent.  Four guys passed me, but I passed three of them back after they flatted or crashed and just before the Plunge I hear female breathing (yep, I can tell the difference).  So far I'd been in no man's land with people telling me I was anywhere between 4th and 7th place, but Megan Rose, a steady starter who really gets going about 2 hours in, caught me.  Knowing she would be faster on the Plunge (the technical descent) with her full suspension and local knowledge, I let her by and watched her ride away.

Into the Plunge I was in survival mode - but rode more and smoother than probably any other year (even with the slight glaze the morning's rain had given to the rocks).  Couple little bumps and issues, a good crash from an American guy that had me picking my way around a rock garden on the wrong line, and out of the blue heard Sandra Walters voice behind me.  I had position, but didn't want to hold her up, and made plans to let her by in the feed zone.   Through the feed zone, however, she wasn't right on my wheel and I decided to attack and see how long I could stay in front of her.  I surged into Crumpet Woods knowing I would only be able to beat her if I got a gap in the single track (her racing knowledge would outsmart me on the road).  I got a good gap and started passing guy after guy.  All of a sudden I come up behind Cathy Zeglinski being trailed by another guy.  Guy won't get out of the way, my pace slows, and finally guy bobbles and trail widens to give me my one opportunity to sprint past both the guy and Cathy.  I kept it up until coming up upon another guy who isn't so keen to let me by, but after I explain that I need to go as fast as possible because I am trying to work on my gap, he finally starts going  until he bobbles and crashes just before we hit the road.

With Cathy on  my tail I knew I didn't want her close enough to draft so I sprinted ahead.  My lead was pretty good until Sandra surged back up and we went into the last section of doubletrack path together.  I  knew I had to be in front when making the left hand turn into the finishing straight, so when the trail widened and straightened I surged in front of Sandra and started the sprint (fairly far out).  Made the left in front and sprinted across the line barely in front to finish up in 7th place.

I still don't know what happened in Crumpet Woods, whether it was a second wind, the bike (perfect for that kind of terrain!) or just the last bit of fitness kicking in - but those 30 minutes were the most fun I've had in a race.

Now...well, now I am sitting in the Seattle airport, wishing the Starbucks line would go below 10 people (it has been 15-20 people long for the last hour) waiting for my flight to San Francisco for Marin meetings.  After 3 days in my favourite city Elladee and I will head to Vail, Colorado for Shimano and Pearl Izumi meetings for 7 days.  I'm a little sad that I don't get to race again until early July....but once I get back I'll (hopefully!) be guest riding a couple stages of BCBR and then heading to Sun Valley, ID for US Nationals!  But for now...it is time to suck it up, get in line, and hook up the caffeine IV drip.