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!!!