6 & 12 Hours of Temecula
It was a semi-cool typical SoCal Saturday, but I was thankful for this "colder" weather on race day. I was going to participate in a 12 hour four person team with my fellow teammates Alyssa, Hayley, and Coach Heather. This basically means that we would switch off each lap. To add to the excitement, our SoCal Devo team got to sport our new (and very comfortable!) team jerseys for the very first time.
We weren't sure what order to start the race, so I decided to take the parade lap. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to loosen up the legs and I was a bit tight, but I had some fun getting in the groove towards the end of the first lap. It was very crowded everywhere therefore I had a stronger focus on finding a place to pass people. After this lap, I tried to stretch a little, drink some water, and soothe the stomach aches.
The second lap felt much better and I just tried to focus more on being smooth and breathing. I love the feeling when everything kind of clicks when you are on the bike. Finding that my favorite part of the course was the "tunnel of love", I simply pumped the sections and tried to get a good rhythm in. One of the nice things about this race is that there is such a range of people, so I enjoyed interacting with them on course and wishing others good luck.
The third lap hit me harder than expected. I went out with the intention of beating my second lap time, but I found that my body was strongly disagreeing with me. To find motivation I would try to catch the person in front of me (even though they were not in my category). Slowly but surely I was passing quite a few people! There is always a way to find some type of enjoyment in the pain. By the end of the lap I discovered I was only a couple seconds slower than my last lap.
The fourth lap was definitely tougher because of dehydration and fatigue. It was more of a mental battle than anything else. This was a sunset lap, but I was lucky to have my Rudy Project glasses that transitioned to better suit the darker sky. Being that it was later, I only saw two people through the whole course (over 8 miles) which I found surprising. I still pushed my legs to their limit and finished a little stronger than I expected.
After this race, I have realized the true importance of something...preparation! It is so important to recover correctly after a hard effort in order to get back out there. Also, I've slowly learned that warming up before an effort is something that my body personally needs in order to thrive in a race environment. I was so thankful to not have any issues in regards to my bike, it ran smoothly and I didn't even crash once!
At the end of it all my team got first with 13 laps in total! It was exciting to race with my teammates and make some fun memories. I would like to give a shoutout to my sponsors: Ellsworth, Rudy Project, ESI grips, KENDA tires, RideFast Racing, Ryno Power, Ftech Cycling, and Scion Bags for giving me the best racing opportunities and equipment. I thank God for the strength He gives in the toughest moments. Without faith, racing would be a much greater struggle.
We weren't sure what order to start the race, so I decided to take the parade lap. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to loosen up the legs and I was a bit tight, but I had some fun getting in the groove towards the end of the first lap. It was very crowded everywhere therefore I had a stronger focus on finding a place to pass people. After this lap, I tried to stretch a little, drink some water, and soothe the stomach aches.
The second lap felt much better and I just tried to focus more on being smooth and breathing. I love the feeling when everything kind of clicks when you are on the bike. Finding that my favorite part of the course was the "tunnel of love", I simply pumped the sections and tried to get a good rhythm in. One of the nice things about this race is that there is such a range of people, so I enjoyed interacting with them on course and wishing others good luck.
The third lap hit me harder than expected. I went out with the intention of beating my second lap time, but I found that my body was strongly disagreeing with me. To find motivation I would try to catch the person in front of me (even though they were not in my category). Slowly but surely I was passing quite a few people! There is always a way to find some type of enjoyment in the pain. By the end of the lap I discovered I was only a couple seconds slower than my last lap.
The fourth lap was definitely tougher because of dehydration and fatigue. It was more of a mental battle than anything else. This was a sunset lap, but I was lucky to have my Rudy Project glasses that transitioned to better suit the darker sky. Being that it was later, I only saw two people through the whole course (over 8 miles) which I found surprising. I still pushed my legs to their limit and finished a little stronger than I expected.
After this race, I have realized the true importance of something...preparation! It is so important to recover correctly after a hard effort in order to get back out there. Also, I've slowly learned that warming up before an effort is something that my body personally needs in order to thrive in a race environment. I was so thankful to not have any issues in regards to my bike, it ran smoothly and I didn't even crash once!
At the end of it all my team got first with 13 laps in total! It was exciting to race with my teammates and make some fun memories. I would like to give a shoutout to my sponsors: Ellsworth, Rudy Project, ESI grips, KENDA tires, RideFast Racing, Ryno Power, Ftech Cycling, and Scion Bags for giving me the best racing opportunities and equipment. I thank God for the strength He gives in the toughest moments. Without faith, racing would be a much greater struggle.
"Whenever we begin to feel as if we can no longer go on, hope whispers in our ear to remind us that we are strong."
- Robert M. Hensel
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