Collegiate Nationals

It was 5 am Sunday morning when I heard pounding on my dorm room door. I had overslept. It was time again to pile in the team van, but this time the trip would be a bit farther than usual. All the way across the country, from east Tennessee to west Montana. I was excited to get there, but not so much for the 32 hr drive. We passed through a total of 9 states and saw cows, barns, and flat plains for hundreds of miles. Alas, we crossed into the great state of MT.

Somewhere along the way I turned around and Garrett took this picture to test out his new iPhone. The trave days were long, but in he end it was worth it.

1 am Tuesday morning, only 2 hrs till our destination, and bam! The van had broken down. It wasn't the horrid lawn-mower sound that woke me up from sleeping on the van floor, but the laughter coming from the front seats. It was quite humorous actually. The whole way, the joke was that the old van wouldn't make it and that we'd be stranded in the middle of nowhere. Now it was a reality. Cows off in the dark distance moaned as if they were possessed. The groggy team debated if we should sleep in the cold van, or limp it to the nearest civilization. We voted for the latter, and barely made it to a motel with one suite left for the night. We decided on sleeping arrangements and went to bed; nobody knowing what we'd do about our crippled van. Morning came and ideas started flowing. We were in a desperate situation that would require some creativity. Coach Zack finally announced the consensus: we'd rent a Uhaul which could pull the trailer with the bikes, and the team would be transported in the back. It was legit. At times it felt like we were being illegally trafficked as we sat in silence in the back, but of course we also had plenty of time for 'activities.' We'd all jump in and be let out, getting the strangest looks from onlookers in parking lots. We were jolted and dropped over bumps and through turns. Team bonding at its finest. Alas, we arrived at the house. It was a beautiful place to stay, with a river running through the backyard where some of the guys would fish and I'd take an ice bath. I wasn't quite sure what to expect of the team dynamic, but it was actually really neat all living together. We'd cook, eat, watch movies, and get ready to go as a team.

The days leading up to the race went by fast. I got a new Ellsworth Rogue 40 full suspension a few days before leaving, and the Nationals downhill course was going to be my first chance to ride it. Huge thank you to Coach Jason and Ellsworth for hooking me up with this beautiful bike. I felt on top of the world after my first preride.

Big drops, jumps, and steep descents... It handled it all! I was pumped to get out there and start racing, and on Friday morning the clouds rolled in, temps dropped 20 degrees, and it was time for cross country. I got a call-up to the front row. It was cold, but not miserable. The gun went off and I struggled for position as we headed up.

It was a half hour climb to the top of the mountain, then a fast, winding descent. We were greeted with a hail storm as we crested the top. The hail was small but stung my bare legs. Still, it was pretty epic. The view at the top displayed a hillside with pine and fluorescent yellow trees. I snuck a look then headed down.

Lap 2. I battled with 2 other girls to the top and made it to the singletrack first. But my position wasn't great. All the way up I felt resistance. I didn't know if it was the cold, if I didn't have a sufficient warm up, or if I was just having a bad day, but it was frustrating. I was not able to keep up with girls in my conference I should've been right there with. I crossed the finish line gassed in 10th place.

I knew I had left it all out there. It was my 19th birthday, and my parents, sister, and Grandma had all come to watch. Plus I had 4 more races to go, so I put on a happy face and kept a positive attitude. But I was disappointed. Top 10 was not what I was expecting, and I knew so many people would be waiting for a solid result.

Dual slalom was race number 2 and it was in the afternoon. The hail let up, but the freezing temperatures persisted as the forecasted rain fell from the sky. The snow line was slowly creeping down. It was beautiful to look at, but we all hoped it would remain above us. A lot of waiting and trying to stay warm, then riding as fast as possible down the slick berms. This was my second ever dual slalom race, so my result was just alright.

It was so sweet to introduce my family to the team and go to dinner with them. I haven't exactly been homesick since I wouldn't want to go home, but I do miss friends and family back in Southern Cal.

Marjie spent the night with the team in the cabin which was fun. The team is so weird, but a good weird, and this trip has really helped me feel more like a part of it. Saturday morning I was up early again for breakfast, but it was announced the downhill race had been postponed to the afternoon due to more snow overnight. Yikes. We all wondered what the course would hold for us. After a long day of waiting as the start time got pushed out further and further, it was time again to put on our jerseys, load the bikes, and leave the warmth and comfort of the house. We were surprised that the storm had just missed the top of the downhill course, but snowflakes dazzled the air as we lined up. I was ready. Downhill racing is intense, and this course was no joke. The sign at the top had a black diamond and read, "for advanced riders only" and "do not ride until you've inspected obstacles." I was getting excited. Finally, at 6:01 pm, I stood at the gate. 5...4...3...2...1...go! It was an all-out effort to the bottom.

I'm always shocked how heavy I'm breathing at the end. It's demanding of your whole body to maneuver the bike over obstacles with some intense pedaling mixed in. All I could think about was to go faster. My time was 4 minutes 20 seconds. I was relieved I made it down in one piece, but man was it fun. I hung up the Enduro bike for the rest of the weekend. 2 more races to go.

Sunday's short track brought the toughest conditions. By now the course was soiled. The cold air stung my skin and chilled me to the bone, and it was pouring rain. I was getting tired. My parents were gone and it was honestly harder than I thought it would be saying goodbye. The weekend wasn't going as planned. I was feeling pretty down. Our guys raced and returned to report the course sucked. I've only ever done one mud race coming from SoCal, and had a terrible experience. Nevertheless, I warmed up and kept in my routine.

Before call ups I finally did it. I'd been avoiding it since the end of the xc race, but it was time. It had to be done. I spun my rear wheel to check for resistence. It didn't free wheel for more than a second. I rushed my bike to the Shimano tent to get it fixed. It was a bitter sweet. I know it held me back in xc. But at the same time, I now knew I could've done a lot better. And now, lining up for short track, was my time to prove it. I had a solid start, and by the third lap was reeling in the front group and a podium spot. All kinds of people cheered for me. Friends from SoCal, parents, and racers from our southeast conference that I've never met cheered for me by name. Even Alexis Vitale urged me on wearing a bacon costume! I was actually having quite a bit of fun. Coming out of the woods I stood up to sprint through the slick, muddy grass and fell hard on my right side. I quickly popped back up to start again. By this time my bike and I were caked in mud. I went to shift and realized I had bent my derailleur hanger. Darnnit! I kept pushing, but it wasn't easy. 7th place caught me, but I could hear my team cheering and made a big effort to drop her on the climb. I crossed the line in 6th and elated. I was proud of my effort and not giving up when I had a frustrating mechanical. We went home to shower and eat, then headed out one last time for team relay. I would do both of the girls' laps and was excited. One last warm up. One more race. The sun finally peeked through the clouds, and man was it beautiful! I smiled broadly as I prepared. The race was fast and fun, and we ended in 7th place. Crossing the line as the anchor, I realized this was it. My first mountain bike season was over. I've made some wonderful friends from other teams and become closer with my own. I placed 5th in omnium (overall), and was happy to make it in the podium for my first Nationals ever. I now know the areas I have to improve, including getting used to my new bike and, uh, spinning my wheels before racing.

At times I was miserable, but at times I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt. I don't use the word often since I think it's kind of cliche, but mountain bike Nationals was a true adventure. Till next year, Montana.