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!

Sea Otter

Day one
I arrived at Sea Otter on Friday after a 4-5 hour drive. I had to skip school on Friday but that was fine. I was so excited I was hopping around on my bike. When my dad, mom and I went into the festival it was chaos.We looked around the vendors and then I went to the pump track.There it was even more chaotic. After awhile, we went and got lunch from California Pizza and sat with Yvette Crockell. I didn't want to eat too much because I was saving room for Bubba Gumps that night. Yum! Then I got to demo a carbon Giant XTC on the pump truck. It was incredible but sadly I had to give it back. We went over to the dual slalom course and watched my friend Brandon in the qualifier for dual slalom. That was really fun to watch.

Day two
We had breakfast at the hotel and then my dad and I went for a pre-ride on part of the xc course so I could see what it was like. After that, we put the bikes in valet and went over to watch some downhill. I saw my friends Emily and Chantal on their runs. They are really fast. We also watched the pros qualify at dual slalom. I had a really good tri tip sandwich and then I got to cheer on my RC friends - Hank, Sara and Janell during their cyclocross races. That was really fun. I got to go to the ocean that night and then headed back to the hotel early.



Day three
I woke up and had a big breakfast before leaving for Sea Otter. When I got there, my dad made sure my bike was good and my mom made sure my race food was good. Then I went and warmed up. I was racing in the 13/14 boys class. When the race began, I was shuffled to the back. The first part of the course was on the Laguna Seca track. I had to work hard to stay with the main group. There was a lot of steep ascents and descents. Since the marine layer stuck around longer, I had put full finger gloves on. That was a bad idea because half way through the race, while riding, I had to take them off. Now I was riding bare handed. About mile 13, I had to go down hurl hill and that was fun. I felt a sigh of relief when I sprinted across the finish. I thought three things when I finished 1)That was awesome, 2) that will be a nice looking race bib on my wall, and 3) I'm really tired. I beat my goal of 1:45, with a finish of 1:37, and ended up 25th in a class of almost all 13/14 yr old boys. I thank Sea Otter for an awesome course and Roseville Cyclery for the awesome bike. Also, Julie Young and O2Fitness for the great training.

TBF Team Challenge

The last Granite Bay race was the team challenge. I was excited for the race because I chose to do 2 laps - 12 miles. When I got there, I didn't feel the best because my stomach was feeling bad. I went to say 'hello' to everyone I knew but when my mom went to sign me up for two laps, I was SUPER nervous and was going to call off 2 laps. It was too late to say that though. I felt better when I warmed up and was actually excited once Khy was able to move up also. I was racing Novice 14-17.
I felt motivated, anxious and still a little nervous

When I rolled up to the line, the organizer said 'Juniors to the back' and I had to say that I was doing two laps. Once I started it was a mess. Khy and I had to bob and weave through people. Khy is a BMXer and had a better start than me. When I got to the single track, I was 2-4 people behind him. I got to a more open spot, I heard something behind me. Then I looked back and saw a bike on the ground and a huge group of people. I just thought, 'I'm lucky I wasn't caught in that'. It was the first person behind me that had crashed. I felt gassed when I got to the first hill which wasn't good for the first of two laps. I passed Khy but every time I got to a part that I liked, there was a group of people.

My first lap I caught up to Yi, from the RC race team. She would fly up the hills and drop me. I would catch her on the downhill. I went out on the second lap still following Yi. The second lap felt nice and fast. It was nice for all of the spots I liked because there was nobody there now. I finally passed Yi in the oaks and was able to pull away. She was doing three laps = 18 miles after riding a 66 mile road ride the day before.

I felt terribly tired when I crossed the finish line, which is good I guess. I finished 4th. I had a great time afterwards with Team RC. I thank TBF for the incredible races, Team RC for the awesome group of people to hang out with and O2 Fitness for the training.

Cool MTB Race 3/22/15

The Cool Mountain Bike Race was, well, in Cool CA. It was a late start at 10am which allowed me to sleep in. I got to the race and went to see everyone I knew. I warmed up on the kid's race course once. Then about 10-15 minutes before the race, I warmed up again on the kid's course but not the full length. The starting was confusing because me and Khy were in the back so we had to hand our bikes over to my dad and walk our way through the crowd. Dad handed me and Khy our bikes over the fence and we were in the right spot. When the announcer said "GO!" to a class in front of us, 4-6 people in my class, including me accidently, started with the back of the sport men/women.

The first corner was a bottleneck. Then came a short, steep which I took a different line from Khy. That worked out because he got stuck behind a group of people that stopped and walked. After that, it was more open. I felt great during every uphill even Salt Creek. When I got to Knickerbocker Creek I had figured out a line when I pre-rode a couple of days before. I almost made is through the farthest line to the left when I hit a rock which killed my balance resulting in me STOPPING 3/4 of the way through. Lucky for me, I stepped on a rock just peeking out of the water.

I didn't see Khy but I had another competitor that basically matched my skills completely. His name was Nathan and was on the Limitless race team. I felt good all the way to the finish line and I finished 3rd in my class - 15 and under. I thank Placer Foothills MTB Club for the tent, Team RC and Roseville Cyclery. Also, another thanks to O2 Fitness for all of the training.

Mellow Johnny's Classic 2015

The Mellow Johnny's Classic race was in Austin, TX, at Dripping Springs Ranch. I had to fly to Phoenix, AZ. That was about a 2-3 hour flight. Then I had to take another flight to the 30-35 degree Texas weather.  Another thing, is that it was only my dad and I. My mom was too busy doing real estate, which is good for me so I can get a better bike. Just kidding.  When we arrived in Texas, it was really cold and misting.

My Aunt Jennifer picked me and dad up to take us to her very nice house. There I got to see my grandfather, grandmother, Uncle Jeff and 81/2 month old cousin, Tiegan. I went for a pre-ride on Friday. My dad was too sick so my Aunt Jennifer, who is a two time Ironman, took me. The pre-ride was on a trail near their house, which was good because it was only 31 degrees. When I got back, my hands were numb. I couldn't feel when they were touching.

On race day I felt prepared so I wasn't nervous at all. I did a few starter laps as a pre-ride. It was an AWESOME course because it was smooth, curvy, tight, and slick. I felt good and warm because they had a big fire pit burning.

When the race started I got the first position. I was first throughout the start of the first starter lap with a 20 second lead. The other part of the course was very technical and slick. I had to do 2 laps on that loop. I had to walk about 2-4 obstacles. When I finished I did a no hands finish (I threw my hands in the air like I just don't care). I finished first and was super happy. I was so MUDDY afterwards. My aunt and grandma were there to see also.

The flight home was safe and good. My ipod died on the way home so I was completely bored on the flights. I had my bike shipped so thanks to Bicycles Plus for the case.Thanks to my Aunt Jennifer for pre-riding with me and all of my family for the support. Another thanks to Team RC, Roseville Cyclery, Julie Young at O2 Fitness, Placer Foothills MTB Club, Brett Ramsey and Mellow Johnny's Classic for the incredible race.

TBF MTB 2015 Winter Series

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.