So this race was 73miles. Fist QOM at 6.3mi...that Chrissy drilled it up to...so it started fast... Jane Ziegler got her first QOM point ever on that first climb (meaning we were 5th)...I got popped about 1.5k to the top of the QOM, but lucky for me I have LOTS of practice in catching back on...and got back on fairly quickly...
A flurry of attacks came as we made our way to the first Feed Zone...but nothing stuck...after the feed, as soon as everyone was feed (of course), I noticed that the tone had shifted (from ATTACK, to ahhh relief)...so I seized the moment and attacked (and dropped my bottle in my pocket)...
I was given a gap, which grew quickly as no one chased....then Amber Rais joined me..and we set to work....we brought the gap up to 2:40min...then approaching the second feed zone Lipton gave chase, bringing the gap down to 1:15...Amber and I decided to fight as long as we could, and increased the tempo...at next check we had the gap back at over 2min...but now we hit some big rollers, coming into the last climb...and I was fading...Amber is by far a better climber, and I was less able to pull through w/ the rollers..and about 10mi to the finish I lost her wheel on a roller...as I hit the final climb, I was quickly passed by Kristin Armstrong and the front group of climbers...my race was over, but Jane and Liesolot were in there...that's all I cared about...Lipton had lead the chase, PERFECT...
So, there I am (all alone, after Chrissy tired to help me...thanks!, but I didn't have anything left for the final climb)...SLOWLY climbing..and WHAMO, cramp-o-rama....wow, that has never happened before...BOTH lower/medial quads cramp....but I was too scared to get off my bike..I've seen those poor soles on the side of the road screaming in pain w/ cramps, I didn't want to be one of them...I'd rather suffer on my bike...so I focused on my hamstring/gluts to take pressure off my quads, and tried to relax and NOT fight the pain...a car slowed to make sure I was ok...it was enough of a distraction to help me break my fear...and I remembered Nicole always saying "If you ever cramp, drink all you have and eat a GU"...so I did , and gave up any pressure to climb...and rode super easy...and the cramps faded....then soon I heard Jen Joynt's voice on the radio.."Kele I'm coming up behind you"...what a wonderful sentence...she helped me into the finish...got me more water, and gave me a wheel to follow...It's awesome having teammates willing to help!!
At the finish, I got day 2 of IV fluids!! The BEST way to recover!! Thanks so much to the volunteers that made it possible for me to have that!!
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