And that's a wrap! End of CX season 2011-2012. Nationals in Madison and beyond...

Although I have already had a few weeks to reflect on the season, part of me remains unfulfilled. After nationals I did not have the feeling of satisfaction that should come with a race well raced. I felt like I wanted a do over or more racing. I wasn't done. I had already known that worlds was out of the question, with 5 of our amazing female athletes automatically qualifying for worlds with top 15's at World Cups. I didn't get to Europe, so I wasn't even in that pool, but I was still swimming. 

Madison was better than expected for everyone there. It was muddy, mild and just all around not like Madison in January. Amazing, actually. Having grown up in the midwest (MN), I was prepared for the worst. It didn't happen and no complaining from anyone. The course was hard, the mud was slick and it turned out to be pretty awesome. My race was good. I had a good start. I felt completely in control and capable of climbing on that podium again this year. But as sometimes happens with cyclocross, it didn't work out that way. 14 seconds. I was riding well, but as the course changed a bit, I overcooked the corner before the barriers and had a nice slide on the ground on the 3rd lap (I think). My right food slid just right to dislodge the shoe buckle. Bummer. That cost me. On the 4th lap, I found myself on the ground in a straightaway, not even knowing what hit me. But that is cyclocross. I knew that anything could happen and I should keep pushing. I did. I grew a bit timid in some corners, but I just didn't have enough. My legs would not get me there. I was in 4th then 8th, then 7th. And that is where I ended up, just missing one more spot at the line. Did I meet my goals? No. But there is next year and motivation sometimes comes from disappointment. Did I do my best? Yes. And that is where it landed me. Everyone had their issues that day. Everyone found the ground probably at least once. There was no room for error. Everyone was fighting for the same thing. And new faces graced the podium. It was a great day for American cyclocross. The sport is growing, getting more competitive and it is awesome to be part of the fight!

But this blog is not all about me, as we all know. I was also support for Tim at nationals on Saturday. 9 a.m. It was an early morning. Frozen death ruts for his race. It was comical to watch from the pits as poles snapped and tape was broken as the masters ping ponged around the course. Tim had a strong race. Although initially disappointed it was not a podium finish, he finished 6th. His best nationals finish yet! I applaud him for his tenacity on that course. It was rough, but it was good practice for what was to come the following week.

Although I wanted nothing more than to go back to Portland, Tim and I headed to Louisville so he could participate in the 2012 Masters CX World Championships. I did some volunteering and played support for the week. Tim had a great qualifier, finishing 3rd and earning him a front row start for the big dance. And he made the most of his starting position. On Saturday he was like a bullet off the start line, gapping the field and taking the hole shot. It was awesome. I was so excited for him to have the race of his life. And then I ran to the pit and I couldn't find him. Where did the guy in the white kit go? I was informed that after the start on the first straight away, it appeared that Tim found one of the icy ruts and was thrown hard off his bike off course. He went from first to almost last in a flash. But he got back up, back on course and fought his way back to 9th. It was a commanding performance and on da day where everything went right, I am convinced he would have been on that podium. But it wasn't meant to be and now he is hungry for next year. Goals have been formed and now with a little bit of snow coming our way, we have some time to relax, ski, enjoy our cabin and get fired up for the upcoming year of fun on two wheels. Thank you for everyone who has cheered us on this season. We are forever grateful for the love and support of our friends, family and sponsors. Life is good.

Tim about to get hole shot.

Game face. And in about 400 meters his race for a podium would be over.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Winning is a great way to start: CCCNYR, December 31, 2011 - January 1, 2012

WOW! I guess my life isn't exciting enough to just blog about the amazing adventures between Bend USGP & Chicago CX New Years Resolution. Not that they were anything to brag about, because it was the usual bike riding and training, but with 2 awesome weekends at the cabin surrounded by friends. I hope everyone had a nice holiday. Ours was quite and hectic all at the same time. And then it was off to start the new year with a BANG!

I headed off to Chicago without Tim, landing in Milwaukee and heading to my gracious host family, Wayne & Heidi Simon, producers of Enzo's Cycling Products, both Buttonhole Chamois Cream & Enzos Embro Stick. Both come highly recommended. And in Chicago, both were needed. Especially the embro.

Arriving at the scene on Saturday, the course was fairly muddy, but the sun was still out and I thought it would be fairly decent weather. But as soon as that sun went behind the clouds and the wind picked up, it was a really cold affair. I was prepared and dressed ready to rumble. But my body wanted a few more minutes to prepare. Although totally warmed up on the trainer, my engine got off to a slow start and then the crash fest started. I found myself caught behind the pileup on the first slick corner. Oh well. No panic. Just start riding and picking people off. My pre-ride conditions were a lot different than during the race as I found out in a corner before the pits, when I slid out and superman'd the corner, letting everyone I had worked on passing pass me again. OK, back on the gas working my way up. I finally got myself back to 3rd, but needed one more lap. It was a great way to shake out the legs and get them race ready.

Day 2 was a whole different story. Colder temperatures, more wind and goopy, peanut butter mud. I actually called my coach (Kendra Wenzel) to get permission not to race. It wasn't that I didn't want to race, but I was worried about my bikes and thought that if it became a running race, was it really going to improve my fitness or help? Stories from earlier races made me cringe. Broken derailleurs, running huge stretches of the course, etc, etc. But I had a good pit crew and I just couldn't not race. I love to race my bike and I do like epic conditions. Except when they force you off the bike for long stretches. Luckily, it wasn't that bad. I was smart and actually did run more than I wanted to, just because it was faster. I had a great start, because it was a mean head wind and no one was as stupid as I was to go in the front, but I didn't want to get caught behind people and I wanted to set the pace and ease into the day. But again, after my fast start, my body just needed a bit to warm up. I settled in to my pace and just rode my race. In my head I had decided if I was out racing, I wanted to win. I rode smooth and just plugged away and my body started going faster. I finally caught the leader with one to go and in one lap put 51 seconds on her. I hate to admit that it was fun, but also, without the help of Wayne Simon and company in the pit, I would not have won. I rode smart, pitted every lap and just stayed consisten and it paid off. It was a great way to shake the cobwebs out of the legs and get ready for nationals. And ready I am. Although all the spots for the worlds team are already taken with automatic selections, I am still ready to rumble and have a great race! And the cold weather practice was a great way to start the new year!

PICTURES TO FOLLOW. Not sure how to upload on my ipad?!?!

Dry & Dusty in Bend: USGP 7 & 8, December 10-11, 2011

The last set of USGP races always comes too soon. But this year they came later with a change of venue. Instead of PIR, they were moved to Bend. I still considered it 'home court advantage', and by the awesome cheering around the course, it did feel like home. THANK YOU OREGON!!! However, I don't think the weather could have been more different than one year ago on the same weekend when we descended upon Bend for nationals. Dusty and dry with sunshine. But it still managed to be cold.

The highlight of the race weekends are often seeing friends, who are like part of your big extended family. This weekend was no exception, when we were graced with an overnight visit in Portland from the Thibault/Simms family. With 2 kids in tow, Wendy and Norm make it look easy and it was fantastic to catch up and spend some time with them. I don't think kids get much cuter than theirs. Seriously.

Friday we headed down to Bend for the usual routine of of pre-ride, number presentation & dinner. It was even better, however, because it was almost like being at home. Ryan is always a brilliant host.

Saturday was cold, but sunny. I made it to the course just in time to see Tim get passed in the last 500 meters of his race and take 2nd. Although a huge disappointment, because the leaders jersey was also on the line, he had an amazing race! 

My biggest regret of my race: taking my numbers off my regular skinsuit and putting them on my roubaix. I boiled to death the first two laps of that race. My legs definitely didn't feel as awesome as the prior weekend, but aside from my one big wipe out before the barriers, I had a solid race and finished 5th. I know I was too cautious in the loose corners, but at least I didn't go down more than once. I would risk all on Sunday. 

Sunday was cold. I unfortunately had to conserve my energy and not go see Tim take the big "W" for the season finale! Finally a win. He raced smarter than Saturday and pulled it off, taking 2nd in the series. 

As for me, I was a bit apprehensive of racing in the cold after my lovely experience in Iowa, but Madison was a month away. I had better get over it. Madison would be cold. I warmed up outside to get the lungs ready for the chill in the air. I was feeling the efforts from the day prior, but who wasn't? The temperature was dropping and when that whistle blew at 2:15, I was in slow motion. My start sucked, but I got back up there. And then my body just wouldn't warm up. Finally by the last lap, I was back on track. Too late to do anything, but I pulled myself back up to 6th. My last lap was 20 seconds faster than my 2nd lap. That is a lot of time. So maybe I need to go do hot laps before the race at nationals to get my body ready to go. The plan is starting to form.

Celebration is always in order at the end of the USGP series, but unfortunately for me, I had to hustle on out of Bend that evening and get ready to get some wisdom teeth extracted on Monday. I'll blame that for my delayed blog. And as I write this, I am usually landing in Belgium to get ready for some Christmas time racing. It has been a different kind of year. But one that is not over yet. There is still some good racing to come.

Warm weather cross: CXLA, December 3-4, 2011

As many of you may know by now, our weekend was kicked off by a misrepresentation of who we are and what we stand for in one of the largest print publications in the country. Just remember people, what you read is not always 100% accurate and maybe you should get some facts before you draw conclusions. Lot of haters out there, but its not going to merit a response in MY blog. I just want to say that yes, we have a nice house.

More importantly, we had a great time in LA. Dorothy Wong is doing such a great job growing cyclocross in SoCal and bringing some UCI races to the west coast. I applaud her for all her efforts and her endless energy. She is truly amazing.

This year the CXLA was held in the Los Angeles State Historic Park. Quite a unique location and a much different course than Griffith Park last year. And the race had grown and the competition was stiff. After feeling like pretty much crap for the better part of a month off and on, I was a bit scared lining up at the start, but it was like magic. My legs were back. I felt so much better and after a week of tears and thinking my season was over. In fact, I almost cancelled this trip on Thursday. If it wasn't for Tim trying to improve his USAC ranking and for us being able to see family, I probably would have. But I was able to ride my bike with the fury that I enjoy. To my surprise, I grabbed the holeshot and then the hammer fest began. It was a course with lots of turns, but some long straightaways too. 3 places to dismount. A little something for everyone. There was an immediate split in the field, leaving 4 of us off the front. On one of the long straights, Nicole and I were away by a very small margin, then I thought I heard her say, "you have a flat". Unfortunate for her, but lucky for me, she said, "I have a flat". I came to this conclusion when I no longer saw her with us. Eventually it came down to Meredith and me. And she is crafty, smart and strong. She attacked me on the long straights, got a small gap and held it to the end. I was happy with second and to have finally felt good and raced well. 

A cultural celebration at start and podium. Very cool.

Tim had a GREAT race on Saturday. In fact, he was so far in front of his group, I had a hard time telling where he was. I think he ended up 5th overall, after starting a minute behind the non UCI cat 1's. At least 30 seconds ahead of the 35+ group he was racing with. It was pretty cool.

Sunday was another gorgeous day. Tim had to work for his victory today and won in a sprint by maybe a tire width. It was close, but it was a win. Exciting and nerve racking. I prefer a bigger margin for him than that, b/c it is less stress for me. But with relatives there cheering, he put on a great show.

Tim on top step both days.

As for my race, I was still a bit apprehensive about feeling good. I wasn't trusting my body, but my legs felt pretty good. I grabbed the holeshot and then we whittled the field down to 6, then 4. It was Julie, Nicole, Meredith and me. And it was a hard race. At some point, Meredith escaped, however narrowly, but she did. Then it was a race for 2nd.  And a close one. My chain kept popping down on my small ring on the front from the super bumpy course, causing me to have to keep chasing back on. But I was able to stay with them. Then it happened. My chain dropped off completely after the stairs. Hit a big bump going into it or something. I didn't panic, but thought I could pedal it on, so remounted and was able to get it back on. But they were gone. I had some real estate to make up. I kept pushing and they were getting closer. Then I did exactly what Meredith did to me the day before. Stood up and attacked in the last straight away before the last bit of winding course and was able to just stay in the front and open up a sprint at the end. I wasn't sure where anyone was at that point, so I even threw my bike across the line just in case. I was totally surprised (in a pleasant way) that I pulled that off. It was really a great stepping stone for this next weekend in Bend.

Such a cool back drop for a start/finish.

The stairs early in race on day 2. They almost were my demise later on that day.

Just in case...

Another cultural podium celebration.

Now that the racing was over, we rushed off, Tim said his good byes, we stopped at a Christmas party thrown by some relatives to see some people, give hugs and get him to the airport.

Our 10 minute stop at the xmas party. Pictured with Grandma Jo & Triss.

I stayed another night for a bonus half day of amazing weather. I rode over to my Great Aunt Toni's house to say hello. She is 97 and still sharp as a whip. Getting around with her walker and just amazing. An inspiration for sure. I went 'home', packed bikes, loaded up, grabbed my Grandma Jo for a quick lunch an then had to say good bye to sunny SoCal. But at least I was coming home to clear and cold Portland. It's not so bad.

Amazing and inspirational. 97 and so with it.

I wish I shared her genes. Grandma Jo looks GREAT!

OBRA CHAMPS & JINGLE CROSS ROCK! Catching up on the past few weekends.

Somehow time got away once again. So I have to back up to the weekend of November 19-20th. Tim and I both became the OBRA CX Champs! It was non stop excitement. Actually, it was just an awesome course with slippy mud and some not as bad weather as we had expected. I was totally psyched when I crossed the line and they announced that it looked like 'the Butlers would be taking home matching medals.' And then he came across the line way ahead of his competition. I was absolutely ecstatic. It was the one that had eluded him in years past. And finally the gold was going home with him. Whew!

YAHOO!!!

Half the fun of CX are the friends.

Butlers with their game faces on.

A quick week at home and then Thursday Tim was off to Kansas and I was off to Iowa. He was visiting family and eating some turkey and I was racing my bike. At least I had the company of Serena Bishop on this trip. It was 3 days of racing in what looked to be some challenging conditions. But our challenge started the minute we arrived and our bikes did not arrive. A direct flight and no bikes? Not a great way to start our adventure. With the promise of "your bikes may arrive on Saturday before noon", we decided an overnight in Chicago and picking our bikes up by ourselves if they made it in on the promised flight at 11 a.m. was a better way to go. Then at least we still had a chance to race on Friday evening. It worked out. They came. Not an ideal situation to drive 3.5 hours, quickly build bikes, change clothes and then go race, but it is all part of the adventure. Friday evening was dry and clear and almost balmy. Racing in the evening is always a bit challenging for me, but I mustered a podium in the 3rd spot.

Wish I could have stayed in this position.

Saturday was the rainy day. Lots of mud, super fun course. It was ideal for cyclocross. I just wasn't riding ideally. But I came back from a few mistakes and again, slotted into the 3rd spot.

Awesome conditions.

Freezing cold & muddy.

Sunday was frigid, but not raining. Still muddy and fun, but super cold. Thanks to the great support of MyWifeInc, we had a tent to warm up in over the weekend and a cx family to hang with. It was awesome. My race on Sunday, however, not so awesome. The cold air and the run up Mt. Krumpit put a fork in me. I was done. Although it was only four laps, I went backwards. I was having trouble breathing, pedaling, running, walking, riding, etc. It was one of those days. I hung on for 6th, but it was one of those body mechanicals that causes you to wonder if this is really worth it. Not breathing is not fun. But a few days pass and you send a few emails, talk to your coach, doctor, etc and then decide, yes, it is worth it. And if they told you you had to quit, you probably wouldn't listen anyhow. Already excited for the next race.

Before my race totally fell apart...

USGP round 3: Louisville, KY, November 12-13, 2011

It struck me this past weekend when a fellow athlete said, "I don't love this enough to do it on my own", that I am different. I DO LOVE THIS ENOUGH TO DO IT ON MY OWN!!! After spending a week on the east coast, albeit with great hosts that are now friends, I am doing this alone, and somewhat on my own. All for the love of the pain and suffering of 'cross. I am not going to lie. It is hard. I am a one person team. I have no mechanic. I have no tent to warm up under that belongs to me. But I am lucky. I have a husband that is as passionate about racing his bike as I am, I have friends that help me out and I have great sponsors that get me through the year. I sometimes question my sanity for doing it, but for now, when people ask me why I do it. I just say, because I love it. And I am still having fun.

With that being said, this past weekend was fun, aside from the 2 40-minute sessions of pain. I don't think I have suffered more than I did this weekend. It was one of those weekends that I just didn't have it. No explanation. Perhaps Ohio took more out of me than I thought?!? Perhaps sleeping in a bed that wasn't mine? Perhaps something I ate? But what I do know is that both days, I fought with everything I had. Nothing was easy. Every pedal stroke hurt.

Tim arrived on Friday after the pre-ride and I was totally psyched about the course. I liked it a lot. I knew it was going to be hard, but I did not anticipate how hard. Saturday my start was fine. Nothing special. But I was mentally ready and ready to gut it out and have a good ride. One lap in, I was willing my legs to go faster. They didn't listen. I was hurting. I kept fighting. I blew through the course tape, having lost focus for just a minute. I ran back and got back on the bike, back to the fighting and suffering. Somehow I managed to drop my chain on the flyover, but I got it shifted back on. On the last lap of going backwards, I was still fighting in the top 10. And then with 1000 meters left, I dropped my chain again. This time it would not shift back on. Off the bike to fix it. Couple more places lost. I was so spent, I was just sloppy. I was so exhausted after the race, I just got in my car and drove 'home'. A hot shower and some calories helped a bit, but holy mackerel. WHAT JUST HAPPENED? My coach was surprised to find out how awful I felt. She would have thought I would have felt better.  I was more than surprised. More like shocked. But I knew tomorrow was a new day. I hoped a much different kind of day.

Warming up Sunday, I was starting to wonder if my body was protesting. I was hoping the day prior was a temporary period of horribleness and I would be back on track. Sunday I did feel better, but better is relative. I still suffered like a dog. I still did everything in my mental power to push harder. It was not coming naturally. My legs gave me a little bit more than Saturday and I didn't make mistakes like the day prior. I still faded, but this time only back to 8th. And when I crossed the finish line to my smiling husband, I told him, "I gave it everything I had. I just didn't have enough."

Yep, there will be days like those. Disappointing as they may be, it is part of the journey. Thankfully Tim had 2 great days. 2nd both days. And although great, he was so close to winning it was painful. I was so proud of him. I am already looking forward to the next race, so at least it didn't destroy me. I am ready for the next fight. Like I said, I DO LOVE IT THAT MUCH!!!

UCI3 in Cincinnati! 3 days of pain. November 4-6, 2011

Some think 2 races in one weekend is a lot. Add another and it is more suffering. I have been participating in this weekend of suffering since its inception in 2007. The third race was added in 2008. Over the past five years, I have seen this event grow and the cycolcross scene in this area multiply tenfold. It has been a real treat. This year served up the deepest competition yet, and the hardest courses. But don't worry, I will still come back for more.

Day one is always hard after traveling from the west coast. 6 hours in the airplane, layovers, driving up from Louisville. Friday was no different, except the course was harder than ever before. It was steep climbing and very heavy, boggy grass. It was just brutal.  There was a pretty big selection made of 6 or so of us. And by the end, it had sorted out very differently than it had started. I ended up 5th. 

Day two's course amazes me. They are able to put together a really quality course in a very small park. It's a mega effort with course tape and fencing, but always done well. This year was no exception, except the sand was missing. I kind of liked the sand, but the boggy mud in the back sufficed for a small challenge. It was different than last year, but I found that I rode it better than the past. My cornering was spot on Saturday and I had a great race. I was fighting for second, but got gapped in the last half lap and couldn't close it down. A very close third. 

 Day three is the day of pain. No matter what. The third day of racing hurts, but this year, it hurt more than normal. The grass was like velcro. Making your legs burn. The uphill to the finish before the sand was more brutal than normal, sucking all your energy and then challenging you to make it through the sand. I think I was 50% on that. It was hard. It was challenging. And it was a mental fight. I came unglued from the leaders as the initial attacks and accelerations were made, but I kept fighting. I was willing myself to get back on. Anything can happen in cross. Never give up. I landed in between the barriers on lap 3. Didn't quite clear them and put myself down. Caitlyn got away, but her draft was pretty worthless anyhow. She is teeny tiny. But I got up, got my shoe fastened again and started chasing. It was relentless. And in the end, I stayed in 5th. A solid weekend of great racing. Pushing the limits and going in the pain cave. Deep in the pain cave. And from this, I will be stronger. Thanks UCI3! Job well done!

ALL PHOTOS BY LYNE LAMOUREUX! FANTASTIC JOB LYNE!!! LOVE YOUR WORK!!!