Roll with it: Collegiate Race #1

The last 3 weeks of traveling to and settling into college life have been a whirlwind of training, studying, and making friends. Welcome week was filled with festive and adventurous activities, getting to know people, and good vibes all around. But after the excitement tapered off and class started I had a couple days where I felt really lonely and kind of hopeless. I didn't want to go home, I just wanted to disappear. One evening I went through my contacts and called some of my best friends and family back in California (and Tristan from New Zealand ;) They lifted my spirits for the night, but the next morning it was back to reality. I prayed, practically begging God to make it better. I was in a dark place but kept going though the motions. I didn't want to get out of bed in the morning, go to class, clean my dorm room, ride, or even brush my teeth, but I did anyway. I stayed positive and smiley during the day let down at night.

In time, things got better. My relationships with teammates and some classmates were strengthening, I got a grip on what professors expect out of their students, and the first MTB race was right around the corner, and I was nothing but excited!

This past week has been one of the best of my life. I have a deep peace knowing that Milligan College is where God wants me. I jump out of bed every morning ready to take on the day (well, mostly because of the breakfast buffet.) I smile at everyone I pass on our beautiful campus, and they always smile back. People at Milligan are so wonderful! The food is good, and it's even better since I get to eat every meal with friends. My classes are challenging but enjoyable. The dream is to be a middle school math teacher, so soon I'll be going into a local jr high for field hours. I'd have to say Bible Old Testament and Calculus are my fave classes thus far.

My roommate, Stephanie, and I are practically best friends already. Our relationship isn't perfect, but we still eat together, sit next to each other in class, and want to request each other as roommates again next year!

I know there will be obstacles and bad days in the future, but if you or someone you know will be in college soon, just know that things do get better. Stay positive around people, contact those who make you laugh, and, most importantly, keep going through the motions. I read once that 60% of college students go though a period of hopelessness, so I wasn't alone, and you won't be either.

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Ok, ok. Now the race report!

I had nothing but excitement for my first collegiate race. The riding here in eastern TN is phenomenal. It took me a few weeks to get used to the wet roots, slick ground, mud, and frequent rock drops, and at first I was frustrated and worried since it's the polar opposite of the dry, rutted terrain I'm used to in SoCal. I crashed almost every ride and even broke a rear rim going off a particular rock drop with a little too much heat. But the guys on the team were patient with me, and my wheel sponsor, Sta Tru, shipped me a brand new rear rim so I could get back out there asap. In the mean time my teammate Ruben loaned me his rear wheel. So grateful for the best support from those around me!

The time was 4:30am when the alarm went off Saturday morning. Our team piled into a van, bikes loaded in the trailer. It was a quiet and sleepy drive, but alas we arrived at a ranch out in the middle of nowhere in North Carolina. The freshman had never seen the course, so in the cold morning light we headed out for a pre-ride.

I rode with Helen. She's from Zimbabwe and mainly a roadie, but shreds the mtb as well. We got a little lost, so when it was all said and done our "quick" pre-ride took almost an hour. Woops. It had been pouring rain at the race venue all week, and, even though the skies were clear now, the course was slick, muddy, and off camber... nice!

At 11:00 Helen and I lined up with 16 other girls and sprinted off the line on a big grass field. Coach Zack had warned me who the competition was and how they finished at Nationals last year. I was intimidated. I didn't know who these girls were, but they looked strong.

My start was pretty awful...I think I was only 4 spots from last, so I knew I had work to do before the first single track. I powered around the pack on the right side and found myself in the top 5 going up the first climb. This was it I was racing! The moment I'd been waiting for, and it seemed surreal. I got excited by the crowd and competition and pulled away from the pack. A risky move on a fast course where drafting could be a game changer, but this was my main competition's home course, so I knew I had to make a move. I put my head down and successfully suffered to the single track first. Slip, slide, hold on, and stay upright! Then it was on to the 'grass crit' where we could see other racers around the bend. I had opened a minor gap on second. Now it was time to hammer to maintain it for 5 laps.

A slippery crash on the hike-a-bike mud climb bruised my already-purple knee from face planting last week. I rode by Coach Zack standing in the feed zone. The gap was closing, but I thought it was still enough. On the fourth lap, we went into the woods together, but when I came out second was nowhere to be seen. She had crashed. By this time I was lapping some of the girls, so I pretended they were beating me for some extra motivation to keep pushing. Lap 5 was my victory lap. I couldn't believe it! In the final stretch, a flock of my freshman boy teammates rode across the field to cheer me on. Woooohooo! I crossed the finish line with my hands in the air.

On Sunday it was harder to get out of bed than the day before, but we managed. Pile in the van, drive through the foggy morning, arrive at the chilly race venue, and unload the bikes. The course was basically a shortened version of the xc course. Short track is all-out hauling for about a half an hour...something I'd never done before.

I knew I needed a better start, so my teammate Kyle offered some advice and helped me find the right starting gear. I practiced a couple times in the chute and it payed off...fourth position into the first turn. Around the bend I tried slipping into first, but the leader wasn't having it. She stopped up the whole peloton, however, going over the first rooted section. Darnnit. I wished I had the lead and could ride away!

Once we were out of the woods, I put the hammer down and found myself winning. I hadn't expected to since sprinting isn't exactly my strong suit, but I kept powering. Second place, the girl who finished second the day before in xc, was only a couple bike lengths back. It wasn't until the third lap that the race directors revealed to us how many laps we would do...six. This was a little annoying. I had done the math and assumed it would be a max of only five, so my current pacing was not right. I let off the gas just a bit, and second caught up to me going into the single track.

One of the most exciting features of the course was a cold creek crossing. Straight through or over the slippery bridge on the left? Pick your poison. For every xc lap I had chosen the bridge, but now, with such a close race, we both flew through the rushing river. Coming out of the woods for the final time we both slowed way down. Who would draft off of who? I decided to pull to at least try my luck at pulling away and avoid a sprint finish, and get to the final corner first. But it was inevitable. The fast and furious sprint was in full swing as soon as we hit the gravel! Hannah got away to take the win in the last moment, but I was happy with a good fight. We hugged and spun out together... She's super cool, and I'm excited to battle it out with her for the rest of the season.

Thank you to Coach Zack and Coach Johnny, my sponsors, Milligan teammates, and all of you back home who were cheering and praying for me. Your support means the world! Now it's time to recover and psych up for Lees McRae next weekend :)