Race Report: 2025 Cat's Hill - Women’s P123

Race: Cat’s Hill - Women’s P123

Date: March 22, 2025

AVRT racers: Louise Thomas, Ari Fischer

Course: 0.9-mile L-shaped course, featuring a climb that reaches 23% at its steepest point. 

Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/13959395737

Nutrition: a muffin before the race and some malto/fructose mix during it. 

Recap: (written by Louise) This was my second race of the day and against a field with some very strong climbers, so my aim going into it was just to hang on as long as I could. The race started ok, I was able to move around in the peloton and could keep up with the group up the climb, but things started to go pear-shaped when they called the first prime. The pace picked up in the lead-up to the hill, and then I shifted too slow and ended up in my big chainring at the start of the climb. I frantically eased up to shift, but that lost me precious time and the group pulled away, leaving me solo off the back. The next three or so laps I pushed hard to catch up. Just when I finally managed to do so, they announced another prime. Great timing. The group sped up again and I got jettisoned off the back once more. 

After going solo for a bit, I saw Ari was also off the back in front of me, giving me an extra boost of motivation to catch up so we could work together. From Ari’s point of view, she had been yo-yoing in and out of the peloton trying to stay in, dropping, and then catching back on repeatedly until all the matches were burned. Then it was a steady effort off the back until we worked together with a few other stragglers and she was glad to have a friendly face to work with. 

The second half of the race was tough and mostly solo, but the cheering/heckling on the hill brought a smile to my face each time. Thanks to everyone who came and spectated! Overall, although we didn’t place very well, we pushed ourselves as hard as we could and I was happy we managed to catch back on after getting dropped a couple of times. I also managed to get the Strava local legend with 37 repeats up Cat’s Hill (apparently no one else wanted to double up for this race lol). And for Ari it was a successful turn out for the 3rd women’s series event of the season and fun to participate in the spirit of SHOWING UP regardless of how well you might place.

Photo credit: Adam Meyer

Photo credit: Dirk Bergtstrom