Back to Back weekend- FONTANA AND KEYESVILLE
This weekend I partook in the challenge of a double races! It was filled with mental strength, personal growth as a racer, and of course some fun amidst it all.
The first race being on Saturday, was the US Cup race in Fontana with the UCI Junior girls! I had only participated in one race for UCI before this (Bonelli 2017) and there I got a huge mechanical involving my shifter cable and wasn't able to ride my bike. This would be my first time officially racing in Fontana, so I was slightly nervous/excited about its unique features and layout.
The race began around 8am in the morning and during call ups I was put in the second row. Off from the start line I got a bit caught up in the crowd and was starting the in the back of the race group! Right there I knew that I had to start making up places before the narrow single track. Doing so definitely helped during the race. On the decent I tried to focus on staying as relaxed as possible and being aware of the competitors around me. Knowing that I wasn't fully experienced on this course, I put emphasis in being in front of any racers that I thought might make up time on this decent.
After the first lap I was feeling pretty pumped to go out there for another one. Going through the finish section I had a group of girls behind me and my coaches told me that I needed to make a gap. Up the pavement road, I broke away, but another girl went with me. This time on the decent I was a little more relaxed and my heart rate wasn't quite clocking in the 190s anymore when I put out efforts. Everything about this race excited me between the thrill of not knowing your competitors to the course itself. When I finished I actually didn't know if there was a 3rd lap (there wasn't) so I hesitated a bit before getting off the bike. I had no idea what place I finished in. Later on I got to check the results and found out I got 13th place. Not too shabby! This is the post-race look.
After the race was said and done, it was all about RECOVERY! I had another race coming up in practically less than 24 hours and I didn't want to be flat on that race line. One of the unfortunate things I would have to deal with was the almost four hour drive ahead that wouldn't give me opportunity to stretch.
Sunday Morning: The Cruise the Keys race was almost underway by the time I arrived at the team campsite. I knew this race was going to be more physically demanding on my body because of Saturday, so I was trying to mentally prepare. Hours later, after a warm up, I headed to the start line for call ups. Before you know it the race had began!
At the beginning, the pace was not quite fast enough to where a group would break away and as a result there was quite a few of us together. On the first climb, I tried to enter the single track first and see how my legs would deal with new demands. This course is full of many climbs (both short and longer), so my calves definitely felt the impact.
By the end of the first lap I could feel the stress on my body which could be pictured as total back pain and muscle fatigue. Despite this, I tried to keep on chugging along with my Devo teammates as we entered the second lap. That lap was mostly filled with me riding solo. The third lap felt the longest, but I was determined to not let myself mentally give up.
At the top of some of the climbs, there were gusts of wind that I got to experience. My legs definitely wanted to cramp up, but luckily I didn't have any lock ups! At the end of the race, I was proud of myself for doing two races in one weekend. I had still finished 5th place, nabbing a podium position! I was also proud of my teammates for an outstanding performance.
I would like to thank God for giving me strength always. I would like give a shoutout to all of my sponsors for providing a mechanical free weekend full of smooth racing. Lastly I would like to thank my dad for always doing the most to make sure I succeed.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog!
"What lies behind us
and what lies before us
are small matters
compared to what lies within us"
- Emerson
The first race being on Saturday, was the US Cup race in Fontana with the UCI Junior girls! I had only participated in one race for UCI before this (Bonelli 2017) and there I got a huge mechanical involving my shifter cable and wasn't able to ride my bike. This would be my first time officially racing in Fontana, so I was slightly nervous/excited about its unique features and layout.
After the first lap I was feeling pretty pumped to go out there for another one. Going through the finish section I had a group of girls behind me and my coaches told me that I needed to make a gap. Up the pavement road, I broke away, but another girl went with me. This time on the decent I was a little more relaxed and my heart rate wasn't quite clocking in the 190s anymore when I put out efforts. Everything about this race excited me between the thrill of not knowing your competitors to the course itself. When I finished I actually didn't know if there was a 3rd lap (there wasn't) so I hesitated a bit before getting off the bike. I had no idea what place I finished in. Later on I got to check the results and found out I got 13th place. Not too shabby! This is the post-race look.
After the race was said and done, it was all about RECOVERY! I had another race coming up in practically less than 24 hours and I didn't want to be flat on that race line. One of the unfortunate things I would have to deal with was the almost four hour drive ahead that wouldn't give me opportunity to stretch.
Sunday Morning: The Cruise the Keys race was almost underway by the time I arrived at the team campsite. I knew this race was going to be more physically demanding on my body because of Saturday, so I was trying to mentally prepare. Hours later, after a warm up, I headed to the start line for call ups. Before you know it the race had began!
At the beginning, the pace was not quite fast enough to where a group would break away and as a result there was quite a few of us together. On the first climb, I tried to enter the single track first and see how my legs would deal with new demands. This course is full of many climbs (both short and longer), so my calves definitely felt the impact.
By the end of the first lap I could feel the stress on my body which could be pictured as total back pain and muscle fatigue. Despite this, I tried to keep on chugging along with my Devo teammates as we entered the second lap. That lap was mostly filled with me riding solo. The third lap felt the longest, but I was determined to not let myself mentally give up.
I would like to thank God for giving me strength always. I would like give a shoutout to all of my sponsors for providing a mechanical free weekend full of smooth racing. Lastly I would like to thank my dad for always doing the most to make sure I succeed.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog!
"What lies behind us
and what lies before us
are small matters
compared to what lies within us"
- Emerson
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