I hope everyone had a awesome Christmas, I know I did.  Check out my new mini cruiser board.  It's so much fun to ride, and will be easy to bring along on camping trips and stuff like that.  Speaking of camping, I'm so excited to be heading over to Santos next week.  Been a long time since we camped for fun.  And I'm looking forward to some laid back family rides.  Coach Drew gave me a month off from training, so the GARMIN stays at the house and I'm going to enjoy the trails at a slower pace.  I may even stop to check out the wildlife and scenery like old times.  Anyway, bye for now and I'll be back after the New Year.   

FSC #9 Santos/Banquet

Wow, what a crazy race series!!  It was definitely filled with many ups and downs.  I didn't know whether I was coming or going.  And after my flat tire in the 3rd race, I was extremely mad and frustrated. That's when I made my decision to treat the remaining races as training rides.  But who would have thought that when I lowered my expectations, things would improve. My training started to kick in around race #4 and I just felt stronger.  I was back up on the podium, and I knew exactly what I wanted.  I was determined to finish the series in 5th place.  I continued on with the races, all while keeping an eye on my points.  And wouldn't you know it,  I had the same amount of points as another lady, so the last race was going to be the tie breaker.

Moving on to the final race at Santos... I was hoping once again that the technical race course would work to my advantage.  What freaked me out was the start.  It was down in some grassy dried up retention pond ditch.  You actually started in it, made your way around, then climbed out, and headed to the singletrack.  Pretty crazy, huh?  I was stressing- grassy starts + me= a terrible combination.

After Dave blew the whistle, I took off, and I was actually able to keep up with the leaders.  I was so excited, I just about peed my pants.   I was 4th getting into the woods, with Monica following close behind.  She stayed on my wheel pushing me to go faster.  I tried to keep up the pace, but she was just too fast and ended up passing me.  This put me back in the 5th position which was just fine with me.  At that time, the only goal I had was to cross the finish line ahead of the lady who I was tied with.  So I made my way through the rest of the course and onto the second lap, finishing in 5th place.

If Strava is accurate, I'm #5 on the leaderboard on John Brown.  Proud of myself, that's a hard trail! 

                                               

 Now onto the banquet....I finished the race series in 5th place, just like I was hoping for.  And  CycleYouth earned enough points to take the #1 spot in the team competition.

  

 

***Awesome pictures by: Mrs. Mace and Miss Christie.  

A HUGE THANK YOU to WTB for the goodies. Love the Volt saddle and can't wait to try out the Moto tires ( I already know the Nanos are awesome!!). 

 

 

***FSC #9 race report coming soon:)

 

FSC #8 Alva

With my sister's gymnastic meet on Saturday and the park not allowing dogs, I had actually planned on skipping this race.  But after looking at the standings, I started to get a little worried.  There's a lady racer that has been creeping up the ladder, and I'm scared to death she's going to steal my 5th place (in the series)  away from me.  I can't let that happen, I've worked way too hard. So after Kiki's meet,  my Dad and I headed to Alva.  We ended up driving almost a total 6 hours there and back just for a practice ride.  But hey, it had to be done.

Alva was not at all what I expected.  I heard it was a easy fast smooth course with some technical sections during the second lap.  Well, I definitely wouldn't call it easy. With it's constant ups and downs, rocks, and tight twisty turns, I found it to be a beater. And unfortunately, these are the kind of courses I struggle with when racing against the women.  They just have so much more power than I do and most of them are on 29er's.  So I was back to being stressed.

Sunday morning came too quickly. And it was time to get in the car for another 3 hour journey back down to Alva.  There was 10 of us lined up to race.  After the whistle blew, I felt like I was on a scooter and everyone else was on a motorcycle.

  I was 8th getting to the singletrack. And oh man did I have some serious catching up to do. Trying not to get frustrated, I began making my way through the course.  Some racers I was able to pass pretty quickly while others I was stuck behind for a little while.  I finally made it to the 4th position and was able to keep my spot throughout the rest of the race.  Now if Holly (the leader) would have been at the race, I would have been in 5th place. Still good in my opinion, but I gotta tell you it was nice to move over a spot.  And maybe one day, I can actually get off the ground and be up on those podium steps:)

LOVE the new team helmet, thanks again LeRoy!!!

Awesome pictures by:  Robin La Manna, MTBmike.com, Christie Burnett

Team Time Trial/ FSC #7 Lakeland

Yep, that's me.  The "caboose who broke loose" from the CycleYouth train:)

My teammates Adam, Sam, Jordan, and Cody ended up with the fastest lap time in the TTT (beating all the adult teams).  With Coach Chris's strategies and the guys teamwork, they were able to bring Team CycleYouth/Leroy's back up to the #1 spot.  And I gotta tell you, chasing those guys for a little while, I was able to break a couple personal records, and hey... I even got a couple QOM's too. Super proud to be part of such an awesome team!!!    

Adam, Sam, Cody, me, and Jordan

 

As the race series rolls along, I'm definitely feeling more confident.  I no longer stress out about who's lining up, and I just feel stronger.  I was super pumped to be racing at Lakeland over the weekend and hoped the technical course would work to my advantage.  Going into the race, I knew it was very important to get a good start.  I didn't want to get stuck behind riders that had to walk up climbs or used their brakes too much.  So when I heard the whistle, I put the power down and landed in the 5th position going up Sprinkler Hill.        

 

 

I passed 4th place on a rooty section taking over her position in the 1st lap.  I thought it would be so awesome if I could actually keep my spot for a 4th place finish. So, I pedaled and pedaled all while looking over my shoulder.  Feeling comfortable with no one behind me, I made my way over to Puff N Stuff.....

After that, I was heading down a flat section - when all of a sudden out of nowhere- I have a lady in front of me.  WHAT THE .......???? Where did she come from??? Oh, she was good, real good... slid right in front of me and continued on. I tried to stay on her wheel and ended up crashing. Thinking back, I don't know how I missed her.  Was I zoning out for a brief little moment,  who knows???? Well,  I learned my lesson!!  And you better believe I won't be letting my guard down again!!  Another 5th place finish for me.

 

Way to go Sam on your 1st win of the season and congrats to the entire CycleYouth Team!!!

 

****awesome pictures by:  MTBMike.com, AG Factory Racing McCarty Training, and Miss Christie

 

FSC #6 Markham

I had zero expectations when heading down to South Florida. This was going to be my first time racing at Markham, and I heard the course was pretty technical with lots of locals competing.  So, when we pulled into the parking lot,  I was super happy that Adam Cohen and his Dad asked us if we wanted to go for a pre-ride.  With the exception of getting a flat tire, the ride was a lot of fun. And I was able to get lots of helpful pointers from Mr. Cohen.  I found the course to be like a "mountain bikers" playground.  With all the cool bridges, drops, and the pump track, I think it would be awesome to come back on a non-race day, and just play around.

There were 16 of us lined up to race.  The whistle blew...and with the long start, I was 10th getting into the woods.  During the first lap, I passed 2 woman on a climb and 1 on a downhill. This put me in the 7th position.  On the second lap, I tried to pass Zee (who was in 6th place), but she was just too fast.  However, I did keep her in sight.  And later on, I was able to get by her after she crashed on some roots, finishing the race in 6th place.

****Awesome pictures by:  Miss Tracy and Mrs. Mace 

FSC #5 San Felasco

This race for some reason has always been a challenge for me.  It's not that I find the course to be hard or anything.  I think... in the past, it was because of the grassy climb and the constant ups and downs that got to me (last year I ended the race in tears).  So when I found out I would be pre-riding with Andy and the Cycle Youth Team, I couldn't have been more excited.  I figured this would be a great opportunity to find out what I need to work on.

 

 

On Race Day,  I felt awesome.  The pre-ride on Saturday went well, and I got some good advice from Andy on braking and cornering.  And I think...with the back to back races, Drew's training, and riding with the Cycle Youth Team, I just feel like I'm getting faster and stronger.  Things were finally coming together and I was ready to fight for my 5th place spot.

 And that's exactly what I did.  I got to the single-track in the 5th position and continued on.  6th was close behind, so I knew there was no slowing down.  I pedaled faster... passing other riders from different classes, so I could put some distance between myself and 6th.  And it worked, I was able to keep my position ending the race in 5th out of 15.   

Awesome pictures by: Miss Christie and Mrs Mace. 

FSC #4 Alafia

I had an awesome pre-ride with the Cycle Youth boys on Saturday. And unlike in the past, the race course was smooth and fast (not a power course).  So on race day, with my lowered expectations and treating the race as a training ride, I still secretly hoped to be up on that podium.

While in Gainesville I had a good start, it was not the case at Alafia.  Before the race, my Dad switched out my broken pedals and replaced them with my Mom's (which are super stiff).  So after the whistle blew, I took off and couldn't get clipped in, which caused me to slip a pedal. Not liking the change in the race course already (leaving out North Creek first lap), I knew I was in big trouble.  I was thinking to myself, these ladies are going to crush me on the flats.  And I was right, I was almost the last one to reach the  singletrack.

Being at the back of the bus, I knew I had some serious catching up to do.  On the first lap, I was feeling very strong. I was using my gears more (thanks to Coach Chris), and was able to pass 3 women. Continuing on with the second lap, I was still feeling great. I passed another racer on North Creek, and ended up finishing the race not having a clue as to which place I came in.  After hearing from my parents that I came in 6th place out of 12 racers, I was okay with that. I felt like I gave it everything I had, and if 6th was the best I could do, well then so be it.  But...when I found out a couple minutes later, that I actually came in 5th place, I couldn't stop smiling.  Apparently, one of my favorite lady racers cut the course by accident, and forgot to do Roller Coaster on her second lap. So while she went back out to complete her lap, I was bumped up to 5th.  So I was able to get my podium finish after all:)

Team Cycle Youth is sitting in 1st place!!!

   Congratulations to the entire Cycle Youth team.  And thanks to Mrs. Mace and Miss Christie for the pictures.

FSC #3 Hailes Trails

Well, I got a good start.

Thanks for the picture, Mrs. Mace

And that... would be about it.  About 3 quarters in on the 1st lap, I flatted.  I had no CO2's with me, and even if I did, I wouldn't know what the heck to do with them anyway. So trying not to freak out, I pulled out my phone, and called my Dad. I know the rules about getting help, but I didn't plan on finishing the race anyway, so I didn't think it would be a big deal for him to fix my tire. Well apparently, it was a big deal because I got scolded by a lady in my class. So, the first opportunity I get, I will learn how to fix a flat tire!!! (I should already know how to do that anyway)

Believe it or not, I'm Okay with how things turned out (after crying a little, of course).  Thinking back, the pre-ride with the Cycle Youth boys was awesome, and I think I did pretty good on the time trial.  But, with the already fast women in my group plus a couple more dropping down from the sport class...top 5 just wasn't a realistic goal for me anymore.  So, I'm going to have fun, pedal forward, and think of the remaining races as training for next year.              

The Real Me

Just wanted to clear a few things up.  I know when reading my race reports sometimes it seems as though I'm feeling down or just have a little bit of a bad attitude.  Which is partly true.  I will be the first one to admit that I'm a "poor sport" (in the sense that I hate losing).  Oh yeah, this goes way back.  For instance, back in pre-K my Mom told me I was depressed for a week because a girl named Rachel in my class could color better than me.  And oh yeah, when I was in kindergarten, it took 3 teachers to calm me down because my teacher gave me a mark on my card for talking.  I wasn't mad I got in trouble, I was mad because Jack in my class had never had a mark on his card-which made him the winner of the "no marks on the card club".  I could go on and on.  I have to run the fastest mile in gym class (not just the girls, but the boys too). I must have the highest test scores in all of my classes.  I try to create the best science projects and write the perfect Tropicana speeches.  I'm not too good of a team player and when things don't go my way, I get grumpy. Yes, the list is never ending.  But that's just me...and I can't change who I am.

So please keep in mind when reading my blog. I'm a lot stronger than you think.  Things just get a little frustrating sometimes.  That's it.  See you at the next race- Hailes Trails- wa-hoo!!          

FSC #2 Fort Clinch

Okay...what happened to all of the junior girl racers????  

2007 Gainesville 6-11 girls (that's me at 6 in the red and white jersey)

Because racing with the women is driving me crazy!!!  I never know what to expect. I did my homework.  I looked at the fastest lap time from last year at Fort Clinch and thought to myself, no problem, I can do that.  But who would have thought 13 mph would be the fastest time this year.  13...really????, that's pretty fast to be in with the beginner women, don't you think???

Anyway, the race was a controlled start, but not as far as last year.  Which left a lot of road riding until you reached the single track.  Definitely the worst case scenario for me.  I was left in dust and  entered the woods in almost last place. I did feel a little better in the beginning after passing 2 women on a climb.  And later on, I guess another racer didn't want to let me pass because as soon as I tried, she fell on top of me (just kidding...she didn't mean to, she's super nice).  After that, sometime or another I smacked my knee on a tree which caused my speed to go down during the second lap.  And the rest of the race was a blur.  I ended up placing 8th out of 14.

Blah, Blah...enough of the excuses, it was...what it was.  And that's that.  I'm just going to keep on pedaling.  Just like in the picture above-when I was 6 racing the 11 year old girls-there was no way to beat them.  But every once in while one would crash or have a little bobble and then little me would just slip on by. So my plan for the rest of the race season is to keep up the training and see if  I can get them on the more technical courses.  And if that doesn't work, HOPE.  Hope that I grow!!!  Because this whole not getting on the podium thing, is not working for me!!!

2007 Reddick 4th place (It's hard to believe that I'm the same age as them now) 

FSC #1 Tallahassee

Practice on Saturday was crazy (and fun). The course was a disaster and filled with rivers. And it probably would have been easier to put on my bathing suit and swim the course rather than bike. So, with the trail conditions, I do have to admit, I was a little relieved to hear that Dave cancelled the time trial.

Race Day... After warming up the legs, it was time to wait. I think lining up and waiting for the white wave to begin is always the worst.  Yep, that's when the nerves start to kick in.  I would much rather show up to the race 10 seconds ahead of time and just go.  But, no I've got to stand there and wait...and wait, which gives me way too much time to think.  This time all I thought about was 17.  17 women I've got to race.  Was my goal to be in the top 5 realistic???

Finally... Dave blew the whistle and we were off. I'm not 100% sure, but I think I was 5th getting to the singletrack.  During the race, one of the racers slid out in front of me, so I was able to pass her.  Then, another one passed me, which put me back in the 5th position.  I continued on with the course following the advice Coach Chris gave as to which lines to take.  And before I knew it ,I was done with my second lap and crossing the finish line in 5th place.    

  

Congratulations to the entire Cycle Youth team, you guys did awesome!!  See you at the next race.

Flair Anyone???

1. Take one somewhat dorky kids camelbak
2. Find a nice lady named Peggy
3. Have her sew those awesome T6 patches on it
4. And BAM...you got yourself one cool and most definitely unique hydration pack 

Upcoming Race Season

I will be going into this race season totally different.  For the first time ever, I've actually trained!!!  Back in January, Coach Drew set me up on a training program and I have stuck with it ever since.  I'm not as lucky as most racers are in being able to train on actual mtb trails.  No...the nearest place to ride is about an hour away, so I've been stuck on the trainer during the week.  Anyway, I have come to look forward to my weekday training sessions.  I blare my Rise Against (which I'm pretty sure all the neighbors can hear) and can't wait to check out my results on the Garmin.

And finally...I'm 11 and 11 lbs heavier!!!  Last year around this time I weighed a whopping 66 lbs.  I don't think I'm much taller so, hopefully I gained the weight in muscle.  (I do seem to have some extra meat on my thighs) So, hopefully this will help me a little when racing against those women. I think this race season is going to be a lot of fun and I'm happy to be a part of the Cycle Youth Team.

Trail To Trail Race

I was really looking forward to this race.  Coach Chris teamed me up with a roadie.  And I was able to practice the MTB course ahead of time with the Cycle Youth boys. I wanted to say thanks to Cody, Sam and Morgan for taking the time to ride with me.  I know I'm not helping you guys get faster, but you are certainly helping me get stronger.  So...thank you.

Race day...I was pumped and couldn't wait to hit the single track for an awesome day of racing........  Until, I started hearing stuff about my teammate.  Not only was he supposed to be some super amazing roadie, he biked across America, and rode 70 miles to get to the race on Sunday.  That's just crazy, so all the excitement I was feeling in the beginning, turned into this monstrous bucket of nerves.   There was no way I was going the let my teammate down, so I added about 5,000 pounds of pressure to my already monstrous bucket of nerves...which I'm pretty sure was a terrible way to start a race.

It was a mass start ...and of course, I was toward the back of the bus.  No worries though, the nerves and pressure kind of left me and I was pedaling away hoping for the best.  Well...I shouldn't have hoped  for the best I should have hoped for a miracle.  After my 8 mile lap, we were in 6th place.  Not so good considering there were only 6 co-ed teams. I do have to say that (to make myself feel better) 4 out of the 6 co-ed teams had men doing the mountain bike part of the race.  So there was no way I could come close to competing against a man. Unfortunately, Kent had some catching up to do if we were going to make it on the podium.

After my lap, I had a quick snack, rested a little and then decided to head back up to wait for Kent.  What I didn't realize is that I only would be waiting for couple minutes.  I was shocked to see Kent return from his 30 mile ride so quickly.  This man was unbelievable, like a super hero or something.  He bumped us up to third place.

After Kent's hard work, there was no way I was going to let anyone pass me.  So I pedaled away, finishing the race in 3rd place.

Thank you Kent for an awesome race!!! Maybe we can do it again next year???  Hopefully I will grow a little, get stronger and faster, so you won't have to work so hard.

Team Ride @ Lakeland

Got my butt kicked by the Cycle Youth boys today.   It's only 5:00 and I'm ready for bed.  Good night!!