WIN!

Last weekend PCC athlete Jenny Ives put in an amazing ride to win the womens field, here is her story.

At the start of the 55 mile road race around Wilmington, Lake Placid with a finishing climb up Whiteface mountain road ending just beyond Santa's workshop, I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. I was in for it, I looked around to spot the other women in my race, but it was hard to find their faces since they were buried in the crowd of Cat 3/4 and 35+ men. As if I wasn't frightened enough with the course and the climbs and the twisting descents, now I had to start with the men. I looked for the familiar men's faces I knew from my area and decided that I would stick with them as long as I could. If I could only just sit in the field it would be an easy ride.

I worried some about the climbs, but as I worried I realized I was already 10 miles into the race and I was still riding with them, even after the big climb. I was just amazed, usually I would have been dropped, well I kept going as we approached the twisting decent, I clung to my teammates wheel, who I worked on descending with and put my trust in him, well it worked we actually gapped the field. I felt like I was flying and like this was all too good to be true. As the race went on more and more attacks were taking place, I was able to stay on by grabbing the nearest wheel, I did get gapped close to 26 miles into the race but caught back on with the screaming decent, which actually caught the officials attention asking me if I had permission to descend like I did, I just laughed. For that official to comment on something like that, well let's just say it doesn't happen often. After the descent I noticed it was the start of the feed zone hill, which was a 3 mile climb, I stayed with the boys until just a little over half way and then someone attacked and I went then another attacked and I went and then another, and another, and another, and on this last one I just couldn't go I was done, so I dropped off thinking, man those other women are lucky to stay in there, well, as I looked closer I didn't see one woman, no way I thought. Well I took a breath and thought man this is like a solo break, so I took a drink and popped a GU and rode like crazy for the last 30 miles! I didn't get caught and I didn't see a woman in sight. Well I finished the climb just 3 minutes and 20 seconds ahead of 2nd. I was so excited, this was the first time I won in a break. The race gave me a whole new picture of racing and opened me up to my capabilities, all things I have never experienced before!

Zach, you have taught me so much about riding and how to enjoy it and how to not give up and be patient because my time will come, well you sure know what you are talking about! Thanks for everything, you have shown me a whole new side of my capabilities, I guess you could call it. Thanks again for everything, hope this write up helps some.