PWP: TD Bank Boston Mayor's Cup Sept 21, 2013

The race course

I've wanted to do this race since it started 5 years ago. It's got equal prize money for the men and women which is huge! I'd never been to Boston, the course is smack dab in the middle of downtown, and it just sounded fun. It's expensive for me to get there but the main thing that always held me back was that it's so late in the season and to tell the truth I'm usually burnt out and ready to be done. This year I was feeling pretty fresh and even though I haven't felt completely on top of my game all year, I decided to pull the trigger and go. Dana Kotler, a XXX rider from Chicago had just moved to Boston for her Sports Medicine Fellowship at Harvard, offered a place to crash for the weekend. I'd had a pretty poor showing at Gateway Cup over Labor Day weekend and didn't want to end my season with that.

The trip could not have been easier. It was beautiful sunny weather, and everything went really well. Dana was super awesome and even though originally I thought she would have to work, she ended up being able to hang out the whole time and even race in the 3/4 race on Saturday.

On the bridge going back to Cambridge

The race was the final race of the year in our National Criterium Calendar (NCC), and all the usual suspects were there. Our current NCC Champion Erica Allar, Laura Van Gilder, the Schneider sisters, Amy Cutler, to name a few. They all had at least one teammate there to help, and the Colovita Team had a full squad of riders. When the race started I felt great! It was such a relief. They were calling tons of primes and I went early for a three place prime. I led it out from the backside to get third to Erica and LVG. In my head I went "cha-ching there's my airline bike fee". Of course I had a lot more costs to cover so I considered going for another one but I knew I really only had one more big effort left so I saved it for the end. In the end I moved up as best I could but it wasn't early enough. I stayed with the front group and was passing people until the line, but my effort was a bit late and I only managed 17th place. It was still a nice chunk of money and while I wouldn't say I was "happy" with 17th, I felt it was respectable. The podium, predictably, was Erica, LVG and Sam.

After the race we got some dinner and walked around Harvard Square. The next day we went for brunch and met up with Dana's friend Erich, mechanic at the Hub bike shop, who had just returned from Interbike the day before. He ended up giving us a full biking tour of the city, which was cool for Dana too since she'd only been living there since July.

I had a great time and was really glad I went. Another season in the books! Looking forward to some beautiful fall rides, and of course PWP!!!!