Mountain Bike Nationals 2015

We woke up really early to start the drive to Mammoth. My mom woke me up about 4:30 and we had to pick up my grandma. It was only my mom, my grandma and me because my dad got his new job and couldn't bail on them. It was a 4-5 hour drive.

When we got there, I talked to my coach Julie Young for a little bit and then we got my race packet. Then we watched the 15-16 girls. I thought it would be good to watch the start. It turned out a group of girls got caught in a huge wreck and one of the girls may have broken a bone. Half the field got caught behind, including my friend Kayla. Kayla had a bad asthma attack because she pushed it a tad too hard up the hills. After that race was over, my mom said "Welcome to Mammoth" which I didn't find funny. We left the village and went to the hotel that was only 5 minutes away.

Race Day
My mom woke me up at 5:30 so we could get a coach's number plate and she could go on the course with me. The pre-ride time was 7-8am. The course was very loose and rocky. Also, it was either up or down. The start had a solid line to the right or a very dangerous line to the left with a few inches of loose cinders. The rest of the course was cinders and loose dirt. It went up to a short flat and the hill the downhill course. It was really fun. After the pre-ride, I watched my friends Bryce and Nathan race the 17-18 men race. They both finished. Then we went back to the hotel to rest and eat lunch.
                                                 

Race Time
When I got back to the village I was VERY nervous. I went for my warm up ride and then got in the call up chute. I am almost sure I got the last call up position and was very pleased to be on the right side of the line. I had a good start but only passed one person the whole race. I finished 23rd and had lots of fun.

I thank Roseville Cyclery for keeping my bike performing so well. A special thank you to Julie Young for teaching me how to be the best I can be. And an even more special thanks to my parents for letting me go.

Prairie City Race Series

Race #1
I was excited for the 1st Prairie City race. I felt good when I got there and then started to warm up. I said hello to everyone I knew and then lined up. I felt all of the race nerves come back to me. I had an awesome start and went to the first right hander when Sean Dickie slid out beside me and made a ball of people. I had a huge gap and when I looked back I saw dust and a bunch of people catching me. When they caught me, I let some pass me because by then Sean was passing me too. I felt really good and got 4th. I felt really good because this was my first race in the 14-17 beginner class. Thanks to Brian and George for the great course and Roseville Cyclery for the support.

Race #2
I had to skip race 2 because I was on Spring Break and went with my grandma to a treehouse resort in Oregon.

Race #3
When I got to race 3, I was relieved that Sean had moved up. I lined up and had a pretty good start. The course was fun and Bryan Albor and I went back and forth a few times. I felt ok, not great, and finished well in 3rd position.

Race #4
I felt a tad discouraged by the last race but put it behind me. I showed up a little car sick from Salmon Falls Road. I did a pre-ride and found out there was a four way split in the trail - riders choice. I chose the 3rd line through the uphill. My second lap was really bad because I felt like throwing up. I felt like I did really bad but then I saw the result - another 3rd.

Race #5
I felt car sick from the drive again but not as bad. I got there and tried to warm up as usual. When I lined up I felt more nervous but didn't know why. I felt like maybe I blew it up a little at the start but on lap 2 I felt a little stronger than the other races. A new racer showed up so I got 4th. Thanks to Team RC for the support and Prairie City for the fabulous racing.

Race #6
I was a little discouraged about my recent results and how I felt during the races (queasy on every uphill). Once I got to Prairie City, I felt way better than my recent races. I pre-rode the course and was going to go again but we arrived a little late due to a bike to school party so I just waited for the juniors start and did a few sprints. Once we lined up I saw Bryan Albor, a very good competitor. I got a good start and was right with Khy and Bryan. Once we got to the first corner I was a little worried because they both looked really strong but then I thought I am feeling strong too so I will stay up with them. I don't try and pass and leave Bryan because he is smart and will stay on your wheel to make you waste your own energy.

When I was almost done with the first lap, I passed Melissa Padilla. I knew she didn't like that because she passed me on the corner to the long straight. I passed her back just after that. Khy, Bryan and I were all in a little group just drafting off each other. About a 1/4 of the way through the second lap, Khy had a mechanical and had to stop, which was unfortunate. It also meant that Bryan and I were in a battle for first. After that I passed Bryan but once I felt like I was pushing too hard, I slowed down a tad. On the last segment, I pushed a little harder to open a gap to the finish. I tried to sprint but my legs locked out any more effort. I finished and was excited to beat Bryan because he is very fast. A few minutes later I looked at the results and saw that I got 1st. I was so excited! Thanks to Roseville Cyclery for sponsoring me.

Race #7
I was still happy from my 1st place the week before. When I started the race it was the usual three 1. Bryan, 2. Khy, 3. me. I was able to drop Khy but Bryan left me and won. Thanks for the great support Team RC. Also, thanks to Brian and George for some great racing at Prairie City.

Race #8
When I got there, I was excited from my recent results but when I lined up I saw a bunch of new kids. I was hoping that I could beat them but when we started, they were gone. I decided I would focus on racing Khy. I hung with him until he opened a little gap and kept it until the finish.

Race #9
I knew that this was the race before the last one of the season, which would be important. I knew that if I lost to Khy by a max of two, I could lose my second place to him. I had a good start and was in front of Bryan but Bryan sprinted ahead of me with Khy on his tail. That was unfortunate because that meant I had to follow. I followed right along but got dropped by Bryan on the first lap. The second lap I struggled a bit to keep up and was dropped by Khy on the second lap. I then got passed by another racer and dropped me. That meant I had lost two points to Khy and it would come down to the last race. It always comes down to the last race between us, which is good...to a point.

Race #10
I was sad that it was the last race of the series. When I was out on my pre-ride, I noticed that there was a split on an uphill. The 1st choice I made fit me just right because it was technical.The second line was where most people went and the third line was a rutted mess. Before that was a mile or so whoops section that I knew Khy was best at. When I lined up, there were not as many racers. I got a good start and was off. Bryan was on a loaner bike and wasn't quite as comfortable so he didn't have as big of an advantage. I felt really great on the race and was able to stay in front of Bryan. Khy had a really bad pain in his side so he wasn't his best. After that, I knew all I had to do was finish and hopefully stay in front of Bryan. I was able to do that and Khy placed third.

Thanks again to Roseville Cyclery for the great bike and keeping it running well. Also, thanks to Brian and everyone who puts the Prairie City races on. They are awesome

Awards at Yolo Brewing
I was happy to be at the awards for my second place in the series. I congratulate Bryan on his win and Khy for his 3rd. I would also like to congratulate everyone on Team RC and Placer Foothills MTB Club who got on the podium. A special thanks to Roseville Cyclery for the sponsorship and Team RC for the support. Thanks to Placer Foothills MTB Club for the team. Last but definitely not least, thanks to Brian and George for the amazing courses and everyone who cheered for us. See you guys next year!