This year, Koppenberg was A LOT more fun. Not any easier, mind you. But a lot more fun.
We burned through the first lap in 15 minutes. In an hour and a quarter, the race was over. Even with the pros away at Joe Martin, our field raced fast and aggressively.
"That felt like a 'cross race," I exclaimed between bouts of post-race hacking.
The 'cross lung was earned. On the final, fifth lap, I had attacked on the decisive climb, the "Koppenberg." (These American dirt road races are cycling's equivalent of the fake British pub. All name, no real history. But still fun, especially if you're desperate.) It worked, and we headed into the finish with a group of four.
Photos by Mountain Moon. Thanks Annette!
The cool thing about all these long rides I've been doing to prep for France is that when I expect to be shelled at the end of a race, I magically have legs. It's fascinating. (So this is how real training works, eh?!)
I was able to hide my short little body behind a big tall girl (Gwen, in the green) for the final sprint. I moved out of her draft early enough to not get last, but too late to cross the line first. Which I was more than alright with.
Racing sure is a lot more fun when you have the legs to throw down. And training sure is a lot more fun when you have racing to put it to good use. I'll have to remember this for 'cross season.
