Victory At Vail: April 15th 2018
Going into the second race of the weekend, I knew my legs were not going to be the freshest, but I hoped my mental game and recovery methods would accommodate for the fatigue from Saturday.
The Sunday Morning began slower than Bonelli due to a later start time, but it cannot be mistaken as more relaxing There was still plenty of nerves to go around. As I got to Vail Lake Resort, I tried to remain focused on the task ahead for the day. After getting my gear organized and hoping on the trainer for a warm-up I began to worry as a burning sensation lit up in my slightly fatigued legs. I explained this to my dad and we decided it might be best to just sit in on the first section of the race so I don't burn too many matches.
Arriving for my call up on the start line, I began to mentally put myself in the mindset for smart and more consistent efforts. The sun beamed down on us stronger than anticipated and my dad hurried to give me a wet hand towel to throw around my neck and some ice to put in the back jersey pockets. Off the start line, I was cautious, putting me in about 7th place arriving at the first single track. I remained there until we began the fire road climb up to the top of a downhill known as "Tarantula. About halfway up, I noticed a gap forming from the front group and mine (the 2nd group). There, I decided that it didn't matter if I ran out of matches, but I wasn't going to let this opportunity leave me. For a while, this placed me in an in-between zone and I simply remained focused on finishing the lap, looking ahead to see my fellow Varsity riders not too far off.
On the second lap, I was mostly by myself, but I noticed the top three rider group had disintegrated. I spotted the 4th place rider now and then throughout the lap. It was mostly about consistent efforts and not letting the heat destroy my energy level. Each lap, I would dump a bottle of water all over myself, so I resembled a sweaty mess as the water slowly dripped off my helmet and onto my glasses. The section of the race from Tarantula to The Tunnel of Love was the more enjoyable portion I remember each time because I was primarily familiar with the turns and obstacles it consisted of.
The third lap, I was getting very close to the Varsity rider ahead of me. I was beginning to fall into the pain cave, but that didn't truly matter. All that mattered was pushing onward and striving to catch her. After arriving at her back tire, together we passed the 2nd place Varsity rider on the Fire Road Climb and picked up the pace. I tried to make a pass and went into the downhill portion in the 2nd place position. It was more difficult because a greater amount of time and energy was consumed in an effort to quickly (and safely) pass riders from the different categories. Here, I began to feel my legs burning intensely. Still chugging along, I kept an effort until I was passed back before a short punchy uphill called "Marine Corps". Heading into the final stretch, I could see her and tried my hardest to close the gap as the crowd cheered. In the end, I still finished 3rd place, but that was not with a lack of heart!
I would like to thank my school's BEAST cheering squad for making a special appearance and the whole M3T team for putting so much effort to make sure every race goes by smoothly. Thank you to my sponsors! My Ellsworth bike ran very clean without complications with the addition of RideFast Racing rims, Kenda Tires, and ESI grips to give it the support and lightweight speed it needed! The Rudy Project helmet and glasses fit so comfortably that I didn't even have to think about them! I didn't have to worry about flats either thanks to GUP Industries! In every race, I just want to acknowledge the true strength God gives me to push through, without Him, I do not know how I could survive.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I hope you enjoyed!
-Hayley Richards
The Sunday Morning began slower than Bonelli due to a later start time, but it cannot be mistaken as more relaxing There was still plenty of nerves to go around. As I got to Vail Lake Resort, I tried to remain focused on the task ahead for the day. After getting my gear organized and hoping on the trainer for a warm-up I began to worry as a burning sensation lit up in my slightly fatigued legs. I explained this to my dad and we decided it might be best to just sit in on the first section of the race so I don't burn too many matches.
Arriving for my call up on the start line, I began to mentally put myself in the mindset for smart and more consistent efforts. The sun beamed down on us stronger than anticipated and my dad hurried to give me a wet hand towel to throw around my neck and some ice to put in the back jersey pockets. Off the start line, I was cautious, putting me in about 7th place arriving at the first single track. I remained there until we began the fire road climb up to the top of a downhill known as "Tarantula. About halfway up, I noticed a gap forming from the front group and mine (the 2nd group). There, I decided that it didn't matter if I ran out of matches, but I wasn't going to let this opportunity leave me. For a while, this placed me in an in-between zone and I simply remained focused on finishing the lap, looking ahead to see my fellow Varsity riders not too far off.
On the second lap, I was mostly by myself, but I noticed the top three rider group had disintegrated. I spotted the 4th place rider now and then throughout the lap. It was mostly about consistent efforts and not letting the heat destroy my energy level. Each lap, I would dump a bottle of water all over myself, so I resembled a sweaty mess as the water slowly dripped off my helmet and onto my glasses. The section of the race from Tarantula to The Tunnel of Love was the more enjoyable portion I remember each time because I was primarily familiar with the turns and obstacles it consisted of.
The third lap, I was getting very close to the Varsity rider ahead of me. I was beginning to fall into the pain cave, but that didn't truly matter. All that mattered was pushing onward and striving to catch her. After arriving at her back tire, together we passed the 2nd place Varsity rider on the Fire Road Climb and picked up the pace. I tried to make a pass and went into the downhill portion in the 2nd place position. It was more difficult because a greater amount of time and energy was consumed in an effort to quickly (and safely) pass riders from the different categories. Here, I began to feel my legs burning intensely. Still chugging along, I kept an effort until I was passed back before a short punchy uphill called "Marine Corps". Heading into the final stretch, I could see her and tried my hardest to close the gap as the crowd cheered. In the end, I still finished 3rd place, but that was not with a lack of heart!
I would like to thank my school's BEAST cheering squad for making a special appearance and the whole M3T team for putting so much effort to make sure every race goes by smoothly. Thank you to my sponsors! My Ellsworth bike ran very clean without complications with the addition of RideFast Racing rims, Kenda Tires, and ESI grips to give it the support and lightweight speed it needed! The Rudy Project helmet and glasses fit so comfortably that I didn't even have to think about them! I didn't have to worry about flats either thanks to GUP Industries! In every race, I just want to acknowledge the true strength God gives me to push through, without Him, I do not know how I could survive.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I hope you enjoyed!
-Hayley Richards
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