I am very excited to announce that I have been selected alongside one other junior female to represent the United States in this year's Mountain Bike National Championship event in Hafjell, Norway.  

I remember when I picked up my mountain bike in late August of 2012, almost two years ago today, and realized the fact that I liked the excitement and challenge of Earth's terrain.  Soon after I decided that I wanted to participate in my State's Mountain Bike Race Series, MBAA (Mountain Bike Association of Arizona).  In September/October of 2012 I decided that I wanted to take this race season seriously and began riding as often as I could (luckily, that year we had a very mild winter and outside riding was permitted far longer than typical).  

In November I sought help from Ryan Geiger; Ryan was racing mountain bikes professionally, and we had a close relationship, I knew he would be willing to help me achieve my goal for the year.  He kindly gave me advice, was patient with me when all I wanted to do (and did do) was whine and cry, and STILL continued to help me advance my skills and fitness.  Ultimately, I sat on the start line of my first race as a cat. 3 as ready as I could ever be. 

My First XC Race, McDowell Meltdown, January 2013

After the first few races of the 2013 season I recall asking my mother if she thought I could make it to World Championships someday, she replied: "Of course I think you can, Shea."  But who knew that someday would be one year away...

Mountain biking has given me so many amazing opportunities.  It has brought me closer to my family, and closer to my amazing boyfriend/coach Ryan Geiger, and his parents as well, Mark and Joanne Geiger.  There are so many people who have influenced my determination, and success, taking a step back I can see just how many people are standing behind me.  I want to thank my friends too, I think the world of all of you, and find every one of you to be astounding, positive, supportive individuals.  It is wonderful to watch you all race and see you all only getting stronger.  I appreciate how much faith you have in what I do. Thank you, Zoe and Phoebe (the entire Dunn family), Angelina, Olivia, Sam and Erin (Alice and Rob Wilson), and Demi.

Some Amazing Friends Supporting Me While I Was Away

To my parents, I cannot thank you enough for the sacrifices that you have made, and are continuing to make to see my dream come true.  The love and support that my Mom and Eric have provided for me is exceptional, and I cannot wait to represent Flagstaff, Arizona and the United States this year. 

Thank you, Mom and Eric

Pivot Cycles and Absolute Bikes have helped aid my way to success this year.  From my bike, to clothing, to any accessories that I have needed during my season they have been there to give me anything to help my performance.  Thank you for sponsoring me and my racing this 2014 season.

The Arrival

I came to National Championships this year with a great deal of mixed emotions.  Last July, I had raced in the horrible heat wave (of basically 100 degrees and 100% humidity) how I even survived that, I do not know...Not to mention the fact that the amateur course in itself was challenging enough!  So, at the end of the day, I never got to finish my first National Championship race; I suffered from heat exhaustion and fell unconscious.  Needless to say, it was understandable that I had a great deal of hesitation before I even set foot at that unforgettable venue.

The Pre-Ride

My nerves were uncontrollable (and quite frankly, that is never a good way to tackle a first time pre-ride of a course) and ultimately, it caused me some damage.  I went into the track, and almost hated admitting the fact that I thought the slippery, rooty, on-going rock garden was actually FUN this year (the Category 1/Pro Course WAS indeed enjoyable).  But then, I came to the drop.  I hit my brakes coming around the corner, slowing myself to a dangerous crawl, and realised a tad too late, (yes, my front wheel had already made the treacherous descent downward), that I needed a bit more speed to clear this steep slope nicely.  Tapping my front wheel a bit too harshly, I let my weight fall forward, and head take all of the impact.  I made a bed of the dirt as I let the throbbing rage in my head subside.  I shook off the fright inside me, tried again, and succeeded! (Confidence boost? HECK YES!)  However, that night, sleep did not come very easily.  A steady resonating, pain continued to rise in my head.  Being safe, rather than sorry, I made a visit to Lehigh Valley Hospital (rather reluctantly because I told myself I would NOT go back there again this year).  There, the doctor diagnosed me with a concussion, advised me not to race the next morning, and told me I could not be cleared until I was two weeks headache free.  Fantastic!  Racing tomorrow?  Initially, my mom would not allow it, but at 9:00pm the night before, I convinced my mom that I was absolutely confident I could manage the course and not hit my head again.  I could certainly deal with head pain during my race (so long no other damage was done), count me in once again for MTB National Championships!

The Warm-Up

The best way to sum up the morning of the race was that it was entire chaos (and that is not exaggeration).  Running late, I did not get to the venue until 7:20am, a 25 minute warm-up was anything but ideal.  On top of that fact, I quickly learned that I had left ALL of my race necessities at the hotel.  That meant no tube, no CO2, no multitool, no quick link, even no gloves!  So, using the little, precious, time I had to warm-up I scrambled around looking for someone nice that may have extras of what I severely needed.  By the time I was all set (I was able to get everything but a tube and gloves) I could only get a 15 minute warm-up under my belt, literally.  At 7:50am I made my way over to the staging, where I saw my competition and...AGHH! MY NUMBER PLATE!!!  Quickly, I found my grandparents with the keys to the car and got my fumbling hands to secure the plate to my bike.  Now I could roll up to the start line ready...Kind of... Only my mind was still flustered, I was not focused and my legs did not feel great, but the race must go on!

The Race

I did not have much room in my head to be nervous on the start line, my mind was still so distracted.  But, when it was time to begin the race, I decided to just have fun with it.  I did not need the pressure, and certainly could NOT afford another crash, given the risks.  After a horrible start, and suffering the brunt of a crash I pushed super hard to get comfortably ahead of the other racers.  I knew based off of whispered counts from the spectators that I was in the top 3! How awesome! Ahead, I spotted another girl.  Pushing up the hill, I passed her, cut over into the single track and began descending, even gapping her a bit.  However, I lost control, slipped and had a minor crash.  I took a moment to thank my lucky stars that I had not hit my head and took off after my competition as she passed me again.  During the chase, I snapped my number plate (my fork had compressed to the max and created pressure, causing the plastic to crack) and it fell, dangling between my spokes and getting caught in any place it could fit (I am sure you can imagine what a pain that was) but, I stayed close behind her wheel as I headed into the last lap.  

Riders from other categories called passes on the left and right, and one racer passed me, she dabbed, her rear tire hitting my front, and unexpectedly, I fell.  With horror I watched my competition leave my sight, and stunned, I lay there until my brain began working again.  I untangled myself from my bike, and was finally up and rolling.  I finished my last lap strong, flying down the drop, and having fun on the berms, and was definitely was not unsatisfied when Larry Longo announced that I would be taking home a bronze.  I got to represent Flagstaff, Arizona with a place on the podium!

The course was rough, slippery, rocky, but I had such an amazing time taking on the challenge.  I had great Maxxis tires, perfect for the course and an awesome bike that handled all aspects of the terrain very well, it is never a harsh ride on the Pivot Les.

This year has been amazing.  I never thought I would have made it this far in just under two years.  I have my family to thank for helping me, supporting me, and inspiring me.  Also, my fantastic coach, Ryan Geiger, who has dedicated so much free time to helping me become a better, stronger rider and racer, and giving me the confidence I need to continue when things get tough.  Thank you to my sponsors, Pivot Cycles, and Absolute Bikes for supplying me with all the tools to aid my racing success.

Here is to a great year (and many more) of cycling!!!

Hard work DOES pay off!!! I was selected, along with 3 other girls and 6 other boys, to represent the United States racing mountain bikes at two Canadian Cups (in Baie Saint Paul and Mont Tremblant).  This experience was the time of my life...as nervous as I was to fly and travel alone, I knew that as soon as I found the other members of the team we would have so much fun.  Shortly after arriving (1.5 days to be exact) we were already jumping into our first race...WOO!

The first race course in Mont Tremblant was CRAZY. Exciting, fun, technical....aaand, muddy.  Slippery tree roots threatened me at every turn and, long, swooping wooden bridges gave me a few seconds of mud-free riding ;) Needless to say, I had a VERY exciting adventure (West Coast terrain was the exact opposite of what I experienced in Canada, believe me), racing as hard as I could and taking the time to learn new things.

Now the trip to Baie Saint Paul!  The sights from our cabin sure were breathtaking...

I was still nervous about the next event, but luckily I felt like I had a little more knowledge under my belt about what this next race course would look like.  Sure enough, it was still wet, still slippery, but still SO fun! This race featured an "A" and "B" line, which I was so stoked on.  And during the race (the most fantastic feat I pulled...) I even made a close pass on another racer by shooting over the "A" Line drop!

As I finished this race, I realized that I did make improvements compared to last weekend's results.  Although it was not my best performance ever, I learned some of the greatest lessons, and I feel more comfortable with my skills in varying terrains.  A HUGE thank you to every single person that encouraged me, donated money to my cause, Pivot Cycles and Absolute Bikes for my wonderful race bike, and aiding me with nutrition and components. And I have so much appreciation for my very supportive family, and my amazing coach Ryan Geiger, who has given me training that is successful...You all have helped me achieve my dream.  Go USA!!!

The rolling hills of Sea Otter Classic proved to be equally as hard and exhausting as they looked.  I had no idea just how long my race would be until I got back from my 3.5 (more like 4) hour pre-ride... I was lost, dehydrated, and so sun struck that my body (also very burnt) radiated enough heat to keep me warm for months.  I was so zombified by the time I  finally made it to my team tent, Pivot Cycles, but but quickly rehydrated and ate.  At the tent I was able to meet the junior Pivot team from Canada, and was introduced to two junior girls who had made the journey to California to race.  I was so stoked to know I would be lining up with some team mates (even though they lived far away) on the start line.  I knew that the competition would be very hard, and with 14 other girls, some of whom I had never heard of, part of me did not know what to expect...and that made me even more nervous.  But when we lined up, and they counted us down, I focused and rode the best that I could.  I had an amazing start, and stayed close behind the leaders.

We were all packed so tightly together that there was a constant hum from several tires hitting, and even the sounds of a few crashes, but I did not dare look back.  About halfway into the race the group of us had thinned....and even more so due to the dodging and weaving between the racers of all the other categories.  With about 5 miles left to go, there were three girls in the lead...and I was one of them! Around 3 miles to the finish I lost energy, and fell back from the two other girls, feeling tired, and more thirsty than I should have, (Sea Otter definitely taught me the importance of drinking fluids) but I still was in third, and I was determined not to loose this place. I dug deep into the pain cave so I could finish the rest of my race as strong as possible, but I quickly realized (with a LOT of panic and horror) that luck was not on my side.  I had three more climbs to go before the descent to the finish line and my shifting was skipping, nor would it shift low enough for me to complete the climbs!!! Surely this had come about from rock kickback, tight squeezing between riders, and the hangups and jarring I experienced previously on the course.  I dismounted, ran up the first hill, and did the same for the second, but halfway up, I was passed...Now I was in fourth place. I had carried my bike up all three hills and was barely remounting so I could hammer down to the finish when BAM, I was passed again. FIFTH PLACE! I would not let that go.  Clipping my feet in my pedals I followed fourth place down as fast as I could, and I crossed the line, earning 5th place, still a spot in the top 5!  Although there were some frustrating aspects to my race, I was able to learn so MUCH (like FINALLY realizing the importance of eating and drinking during long races-despite what everyone told me, including my coach, I suppose I needed to have the first hand experience...unfortunately) and I appreciated the hard work I put in.  My coach, Ryan Geiger, prepared me for this race extremely well, and I do not think that I could have felt more ready.  I am so grateful to have a coach that is so personally invested.  Thankfully I have a really fast, light, responsive bike, and I could not have asked for a smoother  ride during the race.  I freaking love the 27.5 LES, it made the tight corners and any quick maneuvers that I asked of it so much more exciting and enjoyable.  Thank you Pivot for giving the the BEST hard tail to race and ride on...I am in LOVE with my LES, it shreds.  Absolute Bikes, thank you for helping me achieve this amazing bike.

Right now I was as ready for the 3rd US Cup as I would ever be, but as we lined up on the start line I could not help but feel nervous, and very tired from my sleepless night.  The Fontana course was technical and even at the start line the tires of our bikes sank into thick, crushed, asphalt quickly followed by a tight sandy turn, I knew it would be rough getting the hole shot; but after the start I could not have asked for a more perfect position.  I was right behind one of the fastest juniors, Haley Batten, and I wanted to stay as close as possible to her throughout the duration of the race.  First lap..."you're 15 seconds behind!" Climbing up the hills I was able to close a little bit of the gap between us, and downhill I kept her in my sights.  We rolled through the finish for our second lap where I heard..."you're 10-15 seconds behind!" PERFECT. But a few fatal mistakes cost me everything I worked hard for.  Crashing twice at the same spot and getting tangled up with another racer off their bike as I whipped around a corner made it hard to recover, but I hopped back on and raced as hard as I could.  The descents were fast and slippery, and the hills becoming extremely tiring, but I did not want to slow down.

I pushed hard to the finish line, frustrated, and with a few cuts and bruises, but I was very happy to have finished my race with second place.  I was challenged physically and mentally throughout the entire course, competing with really fast girls, but I cannot wait to race again and see what I am capable of.  I would not be as successful as I am now if I did not have the great support that I am blessed with.

Thank you to my parents for traveling and supporting me, and my family friends who take care of whatever I may need! Ryan Geiger, my coach, with Geiger Coaching, who has helped me train with amazing results!!!  Pivot Cycles and Absolute Bikes, thank you for the AWESOME Pivot LES 27.5!

California bound! Sunshine, beautiful weather, palm trees...and the second US Cup at Bonelli Park!  I was ready to race hard Saturday morning, but rolling up to the start line I was unsure of who or even how many junior girls I was competing with. However, what I did know was that the course was fit to make anyone suffer, and that being near the front would be crucial.

The countdown began...30...15...GO!

Everyone put their pedals down hard, and in the whir of all the racers I quickly look for the girls I am racing with.  I catch a few 4I leg markings at the front and push hard to get closer.  The ups and downs of the course kept everyone on their toes and working hard, and the steep, punchy climbs were indeed BRUTAL, especially with the minimal recovery time the downhills provided.  Finishing the first lap I see 3 racers in front of me...but are they all in my category?  I get low, tuck in tight, and push hard through the flat, gaining a spot! I see another racer beginning the arduous climb into the single track, and I know this is where I need to pass.  Standing, I hammer up the hill, never slowing down, never looking back.  With 1.5 laps to go, I know that I cannot blow myself up, so I race my own race.  But who is in the lead?  Nearing the end of the second lap I spot someone that looks like another competitor.  They have no leg marking...I decide to take no chances, nearing a hill, I make my move.  Looking behind me, I find that this racer is right on my wheel! Now I suspect that I might have just encountered the first place junior, YIKES... And shaking her was no easy task.  Conserving my energy for the finish we battle over the course of the last lap.  I gave everything I had on the climbs and she was right there, following.  The end of the race was nearing and I felt nothing but a strong determination.  Legs burning, lungs feeling of the verge of collapse I make a break and attack on the last climb of the course nearing the finish.  I ride as hard as I can, but as I cross the finish she is still only 6 seconds behind me!

What a close race with amazing competition!  I was so happy to race against these girls, and I thank the competition I had that day, my coach, Ryan Geiger, and my parents for helping me push as hard as I did. I had an awesome time, and my Pivot LES 27.5 was reliable and fast, thank you Absolute Bikes and Pivot Cycles also for helping me succeed. 

Drippings Springs, Texas! We are finally here...now where is the course?!  I was itching to get out of the car, and onto my bike.  I was ecstatic when we pulled into the venue for the pre-ride, following the tape and the red arrows I saw single track dive into the forest and I knew that is where we would be riding.  I clipped into my pedals and disappeared into the trees.  There sure was plenty of technical riding on this course, from tight twisting corners to rock rolls, rock ledges, rock drops, and tree roots, but I loved the challenge, even my bloody knee and flat tire could not shake me, I kept my nerves in check.

Saturday morning was beautiful, the sun was shining at it's fullest, and I was excited that I would be racing in great weather, and just before the heat of the day, on Sunday morning.  The morning of the race the sky was overcast, but it was just over 60 degrees, perfect!  However, as we made our way to the venue I watched in disbelief as the temperature continued to drop into the low 40s.  Well, that was certainly a lot colder than I had bargained for.  Stepping outside of the car, I got a chill that went straight to my bones.  I geared up in my warmest clothes, throwing a rain jacket on for good measure and headed out to warm up (something that never happened).  About 5 minutes after I started spinning on my bike the the sky opened up, and it began to rain.  Soaked, cold, and shaking I made my way to the start line, racing in rain and 38 degrees was not ideal, my one goal at this point was simply to finish.

The whistle blew and I was bringing up the rear of all the category 1 women, frantically trying to clip into my pedal which was already caked with mud.  Luckily, the prelude lap helped me work my way to the front!  I followed the leader into the single track, mud spraying my face, blocking my vision, and with fingers SO numb I could not even shift my bike.  I was terrified of what would happen, terrified that I could not feel my fingers or toes and frustrated that the lack of mobility in my frozen body was taking a huge toll on the race.  The rocks were slick with mud and the tree roots threw your bike in any direction.  In many places the mud was so thick that holding a straight line was near impossible.  I tried hard to keep the leader in my sight, getting tangled in a few pile-up crashes with several racers made it hard, but even after I lost her, I knew I was fighting for second place.  The cold was becoming unbearable, but I knew it was important to persevere and I continued to give the race everything I absolutely had.  I have never been more happy to have finished a race and with a second place podium at the first US Cup!

Thanks to Pivot Cycles, my coach Ryan Geiger, my parents, and my family friends for getting me where I need to be.