Second race of the season, White Tanks Whirlwind...I was filled with a fierce determination to go fast.  I wanted more than anything to stay with the professional women, to race at the front of the pack, so when the countdown ended we all sprinted hard.  The course was very demanding, with technical features threatening to slow me down, but I pushed hard through the rocks and chunder of the terrain.

I had all three professional women in my sight as we began the exhausting climb up the switchbacks.  I knew I was much closer to my goal of racing with the pros than I had been during my first race and that only fueled my energy.  But just over halfway through my first lap I hit a drop off a rock concluding the last technical section, felt tire sealant spray my face and heard the all too familiar sound of air rapidly leaving a hole in my tire.  I pedaled quickly knowing that the course was fairly smooth from this point on, and with the hope that my tire would re-seal.  It continued to spray at random times, but I was hesitant to stop, especially being so close to the third place professional woman, who I worked hard to stay with, and was a mere 8 seconds behind.  I opted to stop in the feed-zone for a few minutes to fix the flat tire that I had gotten earlier that lap.  Once back on my bike I took the encouraging words from friends and family and pushed hard, recovered from the delay quickly, gave my best effort, and had a very solid finish!  I took the win in my category, but would not have done it without my awesome coach, Ryan Geiger, my friends, and amazing parents Tonya and Eric Pitcher supporting me every step of the way!  Also, I owe a lot of thanks to Absolute Bikes and Pivot Cycles who have given me the tools to succeed!