This past weekend was the Crystal Ridge WORS race. This course is my home field and I've always have a blast riding and racing this course. It's always hot/humid or really muddy. This year it was very very hot. But 5yrs ago in 2007 it was really really muddy. In 07' I was new to the sport of cycling. I always went to the races with my parents but never wanted to race. For some reason I decided to sign up for the Crystal Ridge race. I pre-registered so when it poured rain the day before the race, I couldn't back out. On race day I lined up, with the other citizens, in my tennis shoes and my dads CSC kit. I rode my hardest and finished covered with mud. As my mom always told me "if you're getting dirty you're having fun". Now 5yrs years later I lined up with the Elite field in my Shimano shoes and Wheel and Sprocket/ Vision kit. I went my hardest up the the start climb, but got blown away by Tristan who got the hole shot and the victory for the day. I was stuck behind some people in the single track on the first lap and couldn't get by. Once it opened up, I snuck around them and could finally start to race my race. I picked people off one by one. Each lap I worked my way through the field and tried to keep water coming in. I got a bottle from my coach, Joe and from my dad. I was drinking over 1 bottle a lap which is a lot since it's only a 7 mile loop. After climbing the start hill 4 times, I was finally on my last lap. I came through in 13th place and could see the next 3 places about 45 seconds- 1 minute ahead of me. I pushed and got around Justin Piontek right before alpha trail and focused on catching Ben Koenig. I caught him right before the rocks and the wood bridges in the new HD line. I floated behind him as he and I were riding at the same pace. We climbed craters of the moon and came out onto the white gravel road. Ben was far enough ahead where I couldn't get a draft, so I really had to push it to pass him before the upper section of single track. I got around him and set my focus on catching 10th spot, Brian Heifner. I saw him and ended up getting on his wheel about half way down the white gravel going towards the "wall". We climbed the "wall" and thanks to Rachel Horstman's cheering, I was able to stick on his wheel. He got a small gap on me before the start/finish climb and I couldn't close it in time. I rolled through the finish in 11th spot about 5-10 seconds behind Brian. Going back 5yrs to racing in the mud and my tennis shoes to now, taking 11th spot and getting on the podium in the Elite race, I'm really glad my parents highly encouraged me to saddle up and give it shot. Thanks for all the support you guys have given me over the past years. With my best finish of the year, things are looking very good for the next couple of months. Time to relax and get some zzzz's. Don't forget to check out XTR photo for some great shots of the race.
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