I had some major life changes in 2009 too. I went back to work ‘for the man’, aka Chris Carmichael, and resumed a full-time position at CTS. That was a major change from working in my pj’s at home on my own time to going back to a full-time job where I had to be somewhere occupying space from 8am-5pm every day Monday through Friday. Really, it’s not that bad. I do work for a cycling company, after all, where office meeting can often involve 3 hour bike rides on the open road. This year also marked another major life change to buy a house (townhome) and embrace the wonderful world of having a mortgage.
Despite all those changes, I really enjoyed the 2009 racing season. I have embraced my role as the old, wily, veteran racer who might not be as fast as the young’ins but has years of experience to carry me through. 2009 also marked the return, after a year hiatus, of my good teammate Beth. With Beth and Lisa back from having their babies, the addition of Maegan to our roster, and Jenna and Carol returning from last year we had a really fun and cohesive team for 2009. The more years I race, the more and more I rely on my teammates to make racing fun and help push me to a higher level.
2009 also marked a return to the track for me. It’s not that I ever really left the track, but this year I raced a full season on the track, and I realize how much that makes me a better rider. Track is great; it’s all the best parts of racing. It cuts out all that b.s. riding around for miles and miles before anything good happens and just gets straight on to the good parts. A long race on the track is about 12 minutes, so it suits my attention span just fine. I had a good year on the track in 2009 as well. By my math, I’ll win CVA rider of the year on points for the season, and I also won a couple of national championships. Masters Nationals was held here in Colorado Springs, and I won the individual 2k pursuit and the team pursuit. No matter what else happens, it’s a good season if you win a stars and bars jersey, even if it is just Masters Natz.
Our team also had a very good season. With Beth back in full-force, she won so many races I lost count. It was somewhere over 10 or 12 races; I’m sure she can correct me. It’s funny how when you’re on a winning team that it elevates the performance of everyone around. So, I think the team as a whole had a much better year in 2009. Everyone on the team raced really well. Maegan had a win in Glenwood Springs, and I finally got a win on the road too. I hadn’t won on the road since 2007, and it meant a lot to me to get one this year. I won the Vic’s crit in August, and I think getting that monkey off my back helped my confidence going in to nationals that was a few weeks later.
So I am satisfied with my 2009 season. I have this imaginary mark of a good season that is winning 3 races. I think that’s a pretty good season for anyone (except Beth). I won 2 by my count with Masters Natz and the crit at Vics. Sure, I could count the team pursuit or any of my other individual races at the track, but I never got the sweep at any nights of the track. At the track, we do 3 races every night. I count it as a win if I win all 3. I had a few nights of winning 2 out of 3, but a young 16-year old, Maddie, nipped me a few times for that 3rd win and the sweep. How’s that for injustice, getting beat by someone less than half your age and that you are totally old enough to be her mother! I feel old. I’m also tired, but a good tired from a good year of racing. So that’s all folks, until the 2010 season where I’m totally going to come back as a climber… (p.s. I say that every year and have yet to make it true ;-))
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