Cyclo-Cross Nationals Recap!

it's monday. i'm a bit bored. i'm in connecticut, (wo)manning the targetraining tri & cycle shop for the week while jeff is (playing) in boulder. i don't know enough about bikes to really help, but i'll smile and try to blind someone with my pro-ness. ha.
so i thought i'd recap nationals, albeit a month later. it was freakin dope.
i started the weekend (december 15th) by doing my first (and possibly last) master's race. the 30+ master's national championship. yes, i'm technically 30 in the eyes of the uci with cyclocross. sandbagger. anyhoo, it started out hot and anna milkowski (tt teammate this year! see warm fuzzy photo below) owned the hole shot. we were in hot pursuit, and soon it was me, rebecca wellons, dede winfield, kristi berg, and betsy shogren chasing anna.

anna made our jobs easier, however, by crashing herself really hard (i was worried as hell when seeing her laying on the ground, holding her head) on a section running into some dirt/tree roots. she survived but she broke her helmet and that really sucked. soon, dede took off and me and kristi berg chased after her. it was me and kristi for the rest of the race, and i would attack her but 1 lap later she'd claw her way back. dangit! so, on the last lap, i attacked on a steep section, knowing i was powering up those faster than her. i held it for the rest of the race and took 2nd. it was a good lesson for me. i told myself i could do it, took the risk, and it worked, damnit. i rode like the devil himself was chasing me. again, a good lesson: don't piss off the devil or you'll think he's chasing you in a 'cross race.
check the podium. notice the gratuitous cheerwine can in hand. sweet! ps: i am 10 lbs overweight in this photo. but it was 10 lbs of fast so whatever.
cara got top 10 after getting the 'reverse hole shot' (last). girlie can ride a bike.
my master's performance gave me confidence going into sunday's race, and i was happy and relaxed. i got a callup, and gave richard fries (announcer homeboy) a hug before rolling down to the start. i still get chills thinking about it. the cheers, the crowd, the warm weather. aw yeah!
the race went off, and i was about 10th wheel going into the hole shot. we all chased katie compton, as per usual. then, on the backside where there was a paved section, i used my newfound confidence to tell myself: 'damnit, mandy, you don't have to settle for riding 10th wheel! get your ass up there!' so i attacked the group i was with and caught up to ann knapp, national champ of 2002. big deal-yo for me! i rode with ann for a few laps, attacked her a few times, and was stoked to make up ground on her. at one point, i was in 6th place moving in on 5th (rhonda mazza at the time), and killin it (see photo). but, i derailed myself a bit when ann attacked me on a straight stretch, and i couldn't quite claw my way up to her. so, i was sitting 7th. this was good. but then i did the ultimate rookie mistake. i crashed. not because i can't handle my bike (though pendry and storm would argue otherwise), but because i was riding carbon wheels i'd never ridden till 30 minutes before my race. i locked them up going around a tree, fell over, and was passed by christine vardaros shortly thereafter. bummer! i was doing so well!
on the last lap, i was blown (which doesn't usually happen; i get stronger as time goes on), and some girl passed me in the last 500 meters. i was so bummed!
i settled for 9th, but was assured by my buddies that it was an impressive result no less. i guess i agree. i was freakin stoked to hear dave towle and richard fries yelling my name, and to hear people i didn't even know cheer for me.
nationals was amazing. gimme more. fellow charlottesvillian dede winfield got 4th and she is amazing! 1st was katie compton, 2nd georgia gould (who i beat once 2 years ago for my first uci win), 3rd kerry b. from tokyo joes, 4th dede, 5th ann, 6th rhonda mazza, 7th christine, 8th (a girl who's name i forgot), then me...there you have it.
okay, recap over. thanks for readin!

oh, and as always, there was some of this during saturday's men's elite nationals race. thanks, pezcyclingnews.com: