1/18/15 - 1st TBF race - I was excited to start the TBF race series. I had two problems though - 1) I had just gotten 3rd at cyclocross the day before, and 2) I started to get symptoms of a cold the night before. I was up from 1:00 in the morning sick as a dog. My parents said I didn't need to race and maybe I should stay home but I was determined. When I got to the race, I started to feel even worse since there was fog and it was SUPER cold. I knew the course by heart so there was no reason to pre-ride. I warmed up on the turbo trainer. I felt a little better when I saw my friends.
At the start line, there were over 30 kids, which is a lot. They had a huge turnout for such cold weather. I had an OK start but I wasn't surprised when Leo and Khy were tire to tire flying past. Right then is when I knew it was going to be a bad, discouraging race. About halfway through I started feeling like quitting. Why? I was tired, weak, sick, discouraged when 7 year olds were passing me, and most of all, I felt like a wimp. 3/4 of the way through the race all I wanted to do was finish and not DNF. As soon as I crossed the finish line, I said my goodbyes and then said to my mom and dad, "Let's go."
I thank TBF Racing for putting on these awesome races and Team RC for the support.
2/8/15 2nd TBF race - I called the second race of the series the "redemption race". I wasn't sick and I didn't have a race the day before so I felt more confidence going into the race. When I got there, I rode around to do a pre-race warm up. When I saw my friend Khy I was delighted, but that soon went away when he told me he was SICK. I was bummed because he was the only kid my age and wasn't too fast for me or too slow for me. At the start line, there was some pushing and shoving, but not too aggressive. When the race started, I had an OK start, it wasn't my best or my worst. I made a few good passes and I was flying through. Khy did really well for being sick. The weather was terrible, it was a downpour the whole race. 1/3 of the way through my glasses were so dirty and spotted that I had to squint to see a bump in the trail.
I raced my heart out and crossed the finish line with satisfaction. I placed 8th and hope to do better next time. I thank Team RC for the tent out there. Also, TBF for the magnificent races.
2/28/15 3rd TBF Race - The third race of the series was different because it was backwards or reverse. I decided to pre-ride some of the course just to double check where I was going. Once, I knew where I was going I found my start gear and I locked out my suspension to give me more of a jump.
When the race started, I had an awesome start, I was right behind Khy. He led me out to the hills where we went back and forth. I felt good the whole race and the hard climbs.I made a lot of passes and definitely worked hard. I geared up for the long, straight sprint. I sprinted all of the remaining energy out of my legs. I finished the race feeling good and ended up in 5th place. I also saw Trevor DeRuise. Thanks to Team RC and Roseville Cyclery for the tent and support. Also, TBF for the outstanding races.
