ALLISON MANN

Well, it’s finally been a full week since the race, and I’ve had plenty of time to chew, swallow, and digest my 18 minutes on UCI World Cup racing.

But, like all good race reports, I should start at the beginning.

The Thursday before Windham’s World Cup I woke up in San Diego, so awesome friend Steph could take JUSTIN AND I (yes, for this trip I’d be traveling with Justin, for which we were both excited) to the airport that morning for a not super early flight. Take-off was around 9 am, so we got to get up and make breakfast, have coffee, then Steph dropped us around 7 am at the United terminal at SAN.

Unfortunately, there are 2 United counter’s, in 2 separate terminals.

#bigmistake

Since we were flying to Newark, our flight was out of Terminal 2 (the old Continental), so we had to walk with our bags and bikes through the entire interim between Terminal 1 and 2, and the entirety of Terminal 2, to the end, to check in. The process is entirely different, but eventually we got in the long security line, through TSA, then on to our gate. We grabbed a coffee and sat down waiting to board.

After Ute Valley, when I’d seen that Katherine had a ton of food with her in her carry-on, I came fully prepared for an entire day’s worth of meals that wouldn’t cost us anything, and were healthy leftovers.

My bag of goodies for the day

While it was a 9 am departure, we weren’t due in to Newark until 5:30, and then it was a 2.5-3hr drive to Windham from there, so I didn’t want to take any longer than necessary getting there!

Mid-flight salad wrap

Once we got in we made our way through the airport to the rental place, and then it was NORTH-ward bound, seeing NYC skyline in the background

In New York!

We got in before 9, and spent an hour or so building our bikes by headlight so they were ready to go in the morning

Was amused as we built the bikes and someone said, “Are you Allison?” Crystal recognized me from my Twin Six RIDE tee. Awesome!!

Stormy Friday morning at Kelly Acres

Justin wanted to get out on course early for his pre-ride during the allowable non-UCI rider time of 8-10, so we got up Friday morning pretty early, had a big breakfast, then he set off to the venue to see if he could get some brake bolts as he’d left his on his fork at home. He was having to borrow a fork because the Specialized/Reba fork on the HT had blown up twice in 2 months.

My plan was to start a little slower, and ride into town to check in and then pre-ride around 10.

World Cup ready! Time to pre-ride!

I headed out on course for 1-2 pre-ride laps with Justin. Immediately as we started moving the humidity was killing me. I was dripping with sweat and not long after started having major shifting issues. Justin tried to fix my small ring shifting issue, only to then have a much more major issue with the big ring. It continued despite 3-4 attempts to fix the issue. We were finishing off lap 1 when I said maybe the chain was too long, so we headed out on lap 2 and I was determined to just deal with it and get in some good course efforts.

In the trees

We finished off and I had someone take a pic of us under the UCI start/finish arch

Justin checked in, and then we stopped by SRAM to see if they could look at my bike before the Saturday’s World Cup race. At first they suggested I bring it by in the morning (“Um, I’m racing?”). I left it with them and then we set off for coffee at Daly’s Coffee Bar

#Frenchpresssogood

After that we went back to the venue to see on the bike before heading back to Kelly Acres to race prep the bikes. My bike was ready to go (stellar!), but sadly was still having some issues. Justin thought he knew what might be wrong, so we set off back up the road to get out of sun and heat/humidity.

While I hung out and chatted with Erin, Katherine, and Jill in the main dining area, Justin used Rich and Crystal’s Kuat rack bike stand to try to troubleshoot my bike. Eventually he determined my big chainring was bent, and headed back to the venue again to see about getting a new chain ring. That was no dice, and since we’d packed light he had neither a spare chain ring nor the “special” Specialized crank removal tool. He barely squeaked one of those to borrow to switch his crankset with mine so I had a working crankset for my race the next morning.

I prepped dinner and he grilled

Saturday morning we were up after a solid 9 hours sleep to make oats and do final prep for my race. I’d seen (and bought) non-HFCS Coca-Cola at the Great American in Cairo Thursday evening. I had it set as my last lap bottle – hoped to make it on the lead lap!

Morning pre-race oats

Crystal, Rich, and Tracy had agreed to help feed for Katherine and I, along with Justin, so we handed out the feed zone passes and everyone set out.

I was feeling pretty tranquilo and ready to race. Not super anxious or nervous, but ready to fight at the start, and determined to race the start out of my skin and just try to hang on so that I did not get lapped and pulled.

Got my warm up on, got ready, and headed out down to the start, on Church street, at the bridge in Windham.

Dave McElwaine got a shot of a few of us US pro’s before staging

I was called up, I think, 3rd to last, and we all pushed forward once the top 10 were announced and called. Soon enough we were off, up the steep pavement climb, right on the highway to Windham, and up the service fire road. I looked around and felt like I was in good position, hoping to not lose too much ground behind Xprezo’s Sandra Walter. I felt like I was probably sitting around 30-35th and feeling ok, though definitely on the limit for me.

I was starting to feel a bit more gassed, hanging on tightly to the wheel in front of me, though at times wishing I could get around. Jean Ann put in a solid pass, but I made a mistake trying to pass, then just sat patiently.

Proof that I was legitimately in the race.  For real.

I heard cheers on the course, but was focused on the race. I knew that when the course opened up at the top of the climb I could make a pass and redline it on the climb to the singletrack descent.

Crystal had been up top getting a few shots before the upper feedzone

(Thanks to Steph and Jim for the screen captures!!!)

I had managed the pass and wanted to hold on to create a gap on the descent, so entered the woods, came out of the woods, pedaling, flying, hit a small kicker going into the next woods section and WHAM!

It all happens so fast…the crashing. For me, it isn’t slow-mo. I don’t see my whole life flashing before my eyes. It just happens then it’s over. I distinctly remember my left leg hyper extending back; it felt exactly like a horrible and debilitating cramp, and then I remember landing with all my weight on my right heel. I tumbled and my bike behind me, and a few spectators rushed over to move my bike out of the course. Typically I jump right back up after a crash. Well, sometimes I make some funny noises, and in riding/training I’ll take a breather. In races I jump back up and just want to get moving.

Not this day.

I remember taking a few seconds to assess. I tried to stand, and my hamstring wasn’t going for it. My heel hurt. OK. I’ll sit back down. It must just be a weird cramp. It’ll shake out.

Racers streamed by. I looked around.

This was my World Cup race. It was going by without me. I wanted to finish a lap. I could at least get back on the bike and roll it out. Finish one lap. I tried to stand up. I fell back down. I started crying. A spectator offered Ibuprofen or a bandaid. Neither was going to do me any good.

I sat on the side of the trail after the entire field had gone by. My left hamstring was severely injured, and my right heel was throbbing. Medical was on its way. I sat there, in tears. I just wanted to finish one lap.

Nathaniel from MTBR was there, and he sent Justin a text. I figured Justin would think I got a flat, but then would start to worry (I had C02 and a tube).

I was extremely bummed at myself. Eventually I was carried up out of the trees, waiting in the sun in a medical volunteer’s quad for the Texas wheelchair to carry me up to the very top of the DH course and the mountain, for a car ride back down to the venue.

I watched the top 20 or so go by for lap 2 and tried to cheer everyone on.

Eventually, extremely uncomfortable, hamstring swollen up like crazy, I got down to medical. They didn’t offer to do much, but gave me printed directions to an Urgent Care or 2 local ER’s. Justin came to meet me. I apologized profusely.

We got in the car and decided since I could not stand or move on my own (literally, I could not stand or walk) that we needed to go to urgent care or possibly the hospital. There was no way I could travel home on Monday if I couldn’t walk. I suggested we get food first, since it was likely Justin would get hungry. We stopped in at Higher Grounds where Justin got us wraps while I changed out of my kit very slowly and deliberately due to the discomfort and inability to really move around.

After food we got moving. The Urgent Care in Catskill had an ENT on call, so likely could not do anything for me. An hour later we pulled in to the valet parking (it was all that was available – don’t worry, I got validated) at the Albany ER, and got checked in.

Apparently I’m worse with a wheel chair than I am piloting a bike, and Justin had a lot of fun mocking my inability to wheel myself around the check in area. I got in to see a PA soon enough, got some pain pills despite not complaining much, then was off to X-ray. The X-rays were painful as the tech had me roll over on my stomach, which stressed the hamstring a bit too much. I was in tears again when I left X-ray, and then we sat in the ER waiting room for over 2 hours, before I was wheeled in to the ER to a bed to sit and wait for another hour.

STIL (Swollen-er than it looks)

A nurse came in and asked the same questions the PA had asked 3 hours earlier, someone tried to take me yet again to X-ray, and then 2 separate doctors came in asking the same questions (do you guys work together?) Eventually the nurse brought me crutches and despite wanting to teach me how to use them, had no idea how to set them up.

I had to ask 2-3 times for ice packs and ace bandages, though they did send me home with quite a care package.

It was late and we were hungry, and I wanted beer, so we went to City Beer Hall in Albany

It was still pre-race for Justin, who hadn’t gotten to do openers or spinning or anything useful for pre-race the following day

Since it was so late we didn’t have time to fill my prescriptions, so we hurried back to Kelly Acres and got about 5-6 hours of sleep before getting up at sunrise for his pre-race prep

Justin didn’t have much to time to warm up since he wasn’t getting much help from me. My hamstring was utterly swollen and with the ace bandage I barely fit in shorts. I slowly crutched my way up to the lodge, then up the uneven and bumpy grass knoll to the feedzone. It was a long trip, but I got there.

Solid start

I basically sat on rocks trying to shade myself from the sun and not pass out from being sick due to the pain killers the night before until he was coming by, did bottle hand-offs, then sat back down. My hamstring and my heel both hurt, but I wanted to support. He went off on last lap in 7th, and feeling utterly nauseous I started my descent back down to the lodge to find somewhere to sit in the shade to await his finish.

He made some passes and wound up 5th!

Being injured, I was already doing a great job of putting on 5-10lbs of injury weight. Or rather, I was just trying to feed my injured and recovering body (soul?).

We thoroughly enjoyed the Country Store and Restaurant, though we did not get any fudge (no maple!)

We got back to Kelly Acres after getting my prescriptions and as I was instructed to sit and not move, Justin packed up the bikes and got our ish together.

I had since been spoiled on Stage 1′s Sagan winning, but I was excited to watch the stage none-the-less

Then I went up to pack our clothes a bit and try a nap, as Justin finished packing bikes outside

After he finished packing and showered we cooked up what was supposed to be Saturday’s pre-race dinner

Since Kelly Acres had some “leftovers” from previous guests, we enjoyed some sweets, and some Nutella toast

Eventually, many hours later, we made it back down to Newark to our hotel by the airport where we enjoyed a Founder’s Dirty Bastard from Earl

…before promptly hitting the hay. I didn’t sleep well or comfortably, and wasn’t very much looking forward to a half day of travel.

BUT, we did get to watch the Tour stage on the plane

And thanks to my ER care package I could ice my hamstring on the plane

Steph picked us up a bit after noon, and treated us to home cooked carne asada lettuce wrap (delish!). I got uncomfortable enough and we had errands to run for groceries at home, so we set out.

We got home and settled, and both had work on Tuesday.

4th of July, instead of driving to UT on our way to Nationals we spent the evening with Steph and Dan and Justin did some grilling

So good!!

Due to the discomfort of hours at work on Tuesday in the desk chair, I took Thursday off. Being injured makes me really hungry

Enjoying the slow down?

My crutches need a bottle cage

Here’s a pic a few days ago of the bruising by my groin from my hamstring (don’t click if you don’t want to see it)

Prognosis? I have no idea. I went to the doctor on Tuesday, he wanted MRI’s on my hamstring and my right heel. I could not get in on Tuesday. Wednesday was a holiday. Thursday their machine was being fixed. Scheduled for Friday. They cancelled on me due to insurance not getting the authorization through. Friday I picked up a walking boot for my right foot since it hurts so much to walk on my heel.

MRI’s on the hamstring and heel scheduled for Monday. Naturally the doctor is not working on Tuesday. So, in four day’s time I should know what is wrong with my hamstring and my heel and maybe have a better idea of what to do and where I’m going.

In the meantime, I’m barely mobile, definitely not riding bikes. I’m eating like it’s going out of style. But, that changes Monday.

I’m starting the Whole30. Check it out on Whole9′s site. I picked up a copy of “It Starts With Food“, which I promptly started reading while waiting to get a burrito (#ironic).

Interested? Check out the site, get the book, and start the the program with me. It isn’t a diet. It’s a lifestyle. Time to clean up and clean out and get back on track.

Got my last burrito for awhile

And I’m working on finishing the beer in the house (while reading Colt’s Tweets on MTB Nats)

What? IPA’s should be enjoyed fresh. They don’t keep.

Speaking of keep… keep on keepin’ on… keep on truckin’.

Last summer was much more fun. But, maybe once my hamstring and heel heal up I can try some cross training. And get back on my bike. I honestly can’t wait to get riding again, build some fitness back, ride a true road century (it’s been awhile), ride Noble Canyon on a dually, and go camping. Who’s with me?