After working about a gazillion hours at UPS, my awesome Dad still managed to find time to build my wheels.  Thanks Dad...YOU ROCK!!!

 

Meet Penelope.  She's almost done...just waiting for my Dad to build the wheels.   Can't wait to test her out!!!

Okay..so everyone knows that I'm not normal.  Weird?-no, just different.  I don't dress like my friends.  I like to wear T6 tees and trucker hats.  While my friends are playing volleyball and basketball, I'm racing XC. And I'm pretty sure no one from my school (high school side too) cycles off-road, let alone race.  I most definitely don't listen to the same music.  One Direction-gross!!!-I prefer to listen to alternative, punk, and old skool rap. My parents think I'm a 40 year old trapped in a 12 year old body.  I don't act old, I just think it would have been more fun to grow up when they did.  The music was better. Back then, my Dad said he and his friends would skate from sunrise to sunset. And now...well, most kids stay inside.  I could go on and on how different I am from everyone else..........

So...when it came time for a new mountain bike, I wanted it to be as unique as me. And after seeing, Mike Davis's Deep South steel creations, I knew that was exactly what I wanted.  Measurements were taken and I was even able to pick out my own paint color. This special project has been in the works for a couple months now.  Mike Davis put in a huge amount of time and effort into making sure the geometry of the frame would be a perfect fit for me.  And the result...this amazing work of art.

After the masterpiece was created, it was sent off to Tennessee.  While my frame was being painted, two cool companies merged.  Deep South Bicycles and Moccasin Bend Bicycle Company came together... and the result, my frame was transformed into this awesome one-of-a-kind "Lula".

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to meet Mike over in Orlando to pick up my frame.  And I gotta tell you, it is truly a work of art.  I feel like I should hang it up on my wall, rather than beat it up racing.
















Such an amazing gift, I am truly grateful. Thank you so much for your support- Mike Davis and Moccasin Bend Bicycle Company.  Gonna ride hard and make you guys proud!!

****My Dad has been working super hard to get the bike ready for me by Christmas.  Here's a sneak peek, almost ready.

FSC #9 Santos

First, I wanted to say thanks again to Mr. Mace for advising me to ride with the junior boys this race season.  While I know I made the right decision racing in the J3 class, I still found it very frustrating. Honestly, I tried really hard to stay positive, but all the training and no podium finishes, I wanted to scream and pull my hair out.  I had to constantly remind myself that the boys were not my competition.  Shoot- most of them are faster than the PRO women.  But what I am thankful for is- they are helping me get faster and stronger for Nationals. And that is my #1 goal.

Photo by: Christie Burnett

The last race of the series was at Santos (one of my favorite places to ride).  The course was awesome filled with all kinds of fun techie stuff.  So I got to thinking, what a great way to end the season if I could actually get a top 5 for this race. I figured I was slowly closing the gap between myself and the main pack, so a podium finish shouldn't be impossible, right??   But, unfortunately for me, that just didn't happen.  I finished the race in 6th place.  And once again, I walked away without a medal.  Was I disappointed?? -Yep.

Photo by: Nancy Cyman-Bregg

I will continue to torture myself by racing in the J3 class for some of the SERC races next year.  I will do whatever it takes for a sweet finish at Nationals.  I WANT THAT TOP STEP!!!

Good bye for now.  Going to be taking a couple weeks off the trainer.  I plan on riding my BMX bike, hitting a couple skate parks, and camping/riding with my family.  Happy Holidays

FSC #7 Lakeland

Thank goodness... I learned a long time ago, not to have high expectations when it comes to racing.  I have specific goals- yes, but I never assume that a race will turn out a certain way.  And a prime example would be this race.  Things definitely didn't go as smooth as I had hoped!!!

First, see that little tiny speck in picture about the 9th one back??? Yep, that's me.  Still working on my starts!!! 

Photo by:  ID Angel Maccarty Racing

In no time, I was able to catch back up to the main pack (with the exception of the first 2 juniors). I continued on, making my way up a steep climb on Puff N Stuff, when I was bumped from behind by a junior running his bike up it.  Yep- happy to see that I'm not treated any different because I'm a girl.  A quick "I'm sorry" (as I dangle off the ridge) and he was on his way. That's racing for ya.  So, I hopped back on my bike and continued on.

Photo by: Nancy Cyman-Bregg

Unfortunately,  my game was off a little now.  So, I wasn't surprised to find myself stuck in the bushes after hitting a root and flying sideways over the bars.  Guess I caught a little too much air. So, there I was, in the bushes on Cruddy Buddy near the alligator infested water. Helmet tangled up in some vine crap, the legs somehow stuck in the bike frame, hurt shoulder and chest, so yeah-  this time- there was just no hopping back on the bike, I really couldn't get up. To my surprise, Kyler Hall (one of my teammates) saw my little crash and stopped to offer help.  So, I took it.  And I'm so happy he didn't end up getting passed by anyone in the meantime.  I would have felt really bad if he lost a position because of me.

With the exception of being super sore, the second lap went really smooth.  I was able to pass a junior towards the end and finished the race in 8th place.  Even without the crashes, I don't think I could have done much better.  And I'm happy with my lap times when comparing them to the women.  Good bye for now and looking forward to the Santos race.

FSC #6 Alachua

Oh yeah...things are coming together quite nicely.  Ever since the Alafia race- I don't know- I just feel stronger.  Intervals on the trainer don't seem to be as challenging, and I feel like I'm flying on the trails.  I haven't hit my growth spurt yet (the doctor said that probably won't happen until I'm 14) so, it has to be Coach Drew's training program. I wanted to see if I had gained some extra power, so I decided to put myself to the test at the San Felasco race.

I had a plan for the race. I was going to get on Ethan's wheel and hang on as long as I could. With his fast pace, I figured he would get me up into the main pack, then it would be up to me to hold it.  What I had not planned on was such a bad start.  I slipped a pedal and was pretty much in last place heading up the grassy climb.  Thank goodness my legs were feeling great.  I was able to pedal my way through the racers and put my plan back into action.

Photo by:  Nancy Cyman-Bregg 

   
I caught up to Ethan and stayed with him for the first lap and going into the second.

Photo by:  Christie Burnett

Photo by:  Carol Coker

 And then... Ethan and a couple other racers started to attack, switching positions a couple times. And for me...well let's just say I didn't have any gas left in the tank to go into attack mode.  So, they pulled away, but not by much. Out of breath and ready to puke, I finished the race in 7th place.  But this time instead of being minutes away from a podium finish, I was only seconds.
  

Photo:  Nancy Cyman-Bregg

 

 

FSC #4 Alafia

I do believe my racing has come full circle, only things are much different now!!! Back in 2006 at Alafia, I was un-defeated against the boys.  But this year...we all know that's not the case.

  

I have been racing for 8 years now, but it's been a long time since I actually raced (if that makes sense).  Last year, the top 4 women racers were so much faster than me, I was left behind.  So, I kinda went at my own pace and as long as no one passed me, I was fine with that.  But now, I knew if I wanted to get faster for Nationals, I couldn't settle.

 

So...I had a couple goals going into the race.  Get a good start, keep racing, don't settle in, and keep the heart rate up. 

    

 And wow, the race went just how I had hoped.  I had a pretty good start.  With the exception of the 2 leading boys, I was able to keep up with the rest during North Creek. -Oh... and I lost my water bottle at the beginning of the race, so I had to do the entire first lap with nothing to drink- Anyway after North Creek, the group broke up again.  Two more pulled away, but I still had 2 racers to chase.  I do think the training is paying off because I was actually able to hang with them. ....Until the 2nd lap when a couple guys from a different class passed me, the boys ended up pulling away from me.  Still going at good speed and keeping my heart rate up, I continued on. And to my surprise, I was passed by a boy on Bridges, and ended up placing 8th again.

 

 I pushed myself, never settled, raced the entire time, and couldn't be happier with my results. Some may think that I'm disappointed that I didn't get a podium finish, but trust me, I'm not.  Those boys are so much stronger than me- I mean come on, I weigh 76 lbs- so, the fact that I can even hang with them for a short while, well...I'm good with that!!!   And just to give you an idea of how crazy fast the J3 class is, here's the times compared to W CAT 1-3.  Granted,   I know CAT 1 & 2 race 3 laps, but still...

 

 

 

 

FSC #3 HARDROCK

So, after my 4th place finish at Nationals, I got to thinking.  I no longer cared about Florida State titles, I wanted to be a National Champion.  And was determined not to let the fact that I live in Florida hold me back.

I knew that I had to step up my training or I would fall even farther behind.  Changes were made to my race schedule (less Florida races and more GA/AL races). More climbing experience is a must, those girls out West crushed me.  I have also decided to race with the 11-14 juniors (all boys).  I was originally going to race CAT 2 women, but with the helpful advice of Mr. Mace, I changed my mind.  He made me realize that the extra distance would not help me at Nationals.  The junior boys are actually faster than most CAT 2 women anyway.  So..."boy chasing" was decided, with a very slim chance of ever getting on the podium.

Now what stinks is trying to balance school work and training.  And man has that been extremely challenging.  I'm in all advanced classes this year, with about 2-3 hours of homework each night (even on weekends). But...so far-thank goodness- I'm making it work.  I have straight A's, have never missed a workout, and even manage to squeeze in some time to hang out with my friends- skateboarding and jumping ramps on my BMX bike.  I feel stronger, power is increasing, and I'm getting some defined muscles in my arms and abs from the core/full body workouts.

Finally... on to the race report.  I will make it short since I've been rambling on.  The course at Hardrock MX was AWESOME!!!  Many of the racers complained about the drops and climbs, not me, I loved them.  I hope they open the course year round for bikers, so I can go back and play around.

The race started with a steep climb, I managed to position myself in the middle of the pact.

photo by: Christie Burnett

          And then, nothing really exciting to report.  I keep at good pace going down all the drops and making all the climbs.  Nobody passed me, and yes according to my heart rate monitor, I did slow it down during the last 15 minutes of the course.  Hey, I was tired and boy chasing was wearing me out. (Not sure I like wearing the heart rate monitor, it's like a little spy camera, ha ha.)  Anyway, I ended up finishing 8th out of 16.   Had lots of fun and happy to be racing kids my own age again (even if I have to eat their dust).

Thanks Coach Drew for helping me get stronger and preparing me for the race with your custom training plan.      

photo by: Nancy Cyman-Bregg




 

photo by: Christie Burnett

A Story/Page1

  .....Once upon a time there was a girl named Madison who was at the 12 hours of Santos race with her very talkative Dad.  Sometimes her Dad's constant chitter-chatter can be very annoying, especially if she's moody (which can be quite often, after all, she is 12 years old).  But, little did she know, something amazing was in the works.  While Madison's Dad (Bruce) was making his rounds at the race talking to practically each and every racer, he came across a guy named Mike Davis.  Bruce found this guy to be extremely interesting and learned he has been in the bicycle industry for 25 years and now hand builds custom bike frames for his company, Deep South Bicycles.  Madison's Dad was always looking out for his daughter.  He knows pretty soon she will be in need of a new bike.  So, he made sure to keep in touch with that cool guy named Mike with Deep South Bicycles.

 .....Seven months later, Bruce and Mike still continue to chat on the phone, almost like they are besties or something.  And shortly after Nationals, Bruce received a phone call from Mike that shocked both himself and Madison. He asked for Madison's measurements, and said he was ready to start building her a custom, one-of-a-kind bike frame.  Story to be continued..............................

Trail 2 Trail Race

Another awesome T2T race with my former teammate Kent!!!  Some really tough competition this year on the co-ed teams. I was the only female to do the MTB part of the race. And although my times were much faster than last year, I was still minutes behind the leading man on the first lap.

So by the time I made my way back through scoring, we were in 3rd place.  I handed the baton off to Mr. Kent, and he took off like a rocket.    

 

With Kent's unbelievable fast speed, he passed 2 women in our class which brought our team up to 1st place.  He was also able to give me a couple minutes head start on the last lap.    


 

During the final 7 mile lap, I kept a good pace determined not to let anyone pass me.  I finished the race in first place (co-ed team), but with only about 50 seconds to spare before 2nd place came through. Man...that was a close one!! 

    Congratulations to the entire CycleYouth/Leroy's Team.  And a special thank you to Cody Burnett for taking the time to pre-ride the course with me.

Cool pics by:  Christie Burnett, Robin and John LaManna, and Big Dog Action Photography 

So...I was going to post a little something on FB for LeRoy's Bikeworks, but figured Mr. LeRoy deserved so much more than a quick thank you.

How many times have you walked into a bike shop and was greeted by the owner with a warm hug???  Probably never!!!  I have been to many, many bike shops over the last 7 years and never felt more at home than I do at LeRoy's.  Mr. LeRoy treats everyone as though they are part of his family.  He not only supports junior racers, he also keeps them busy by providing them with jobs at his shop.

So here's to you, Mr. LeRoy:  I am extremely thankful for everything you do!!!  You are an amazing person with a huge heart.  Your kindness and generosity is very much appreciated.  And I will forever be your loyal customer, friend, and biking buddy!!

P.S.  Sweet new wheel set!!!  Breaking 2 spokes at Nationals definitely worked out to my advantage:)

 

USA Cycling XC MTB National Championship Bear Creek Resort, PA

My last post ended- "Let's see what happens".  I will tell you what happened alright, I got smoked by 3 girls and I didn't even know it was coming.  At the time, I wasn't sure whether to be shocked or excited I finally came across some serious competition!!!  I have been waiting four long years to race girls my own age.  And I was beginning to think that I was the only 12 year old XC racer out there.  Well...maybe on the East Coast, but definitely not on the West!!  Those girls from Utah and Colorado have some mad climbing skills.

My experience before the race started off very rocky (literally). Pre-rides with Coach Drew Edsall always ended in a crash.  And by the time the race rolled around, I was beat up with cuts and bruises and a swollen pinkie finger.  I also had to borrow a rear wheel from Stan's NoTubes because I broke 2 spokes during practice.  However, I was hoping that all the bad stuff was out of the way, so I could have a nice smooth race.

I was 3rd called up to the line, so that was awesome.  And a great start had me in the lead, until.......the climb.  Then, 3 of my competitors just pedaled on by like the steep climb was nothing to them.  Honestly, they were equal to, if not faster than the 3 top women I raced last year in the FSC series.  So, after the climb, my goal was to continue at a pace where I wouldn't be passed or have any crashes.  And I hoped the heat would get to the girls in front of me so I could catch up, but that just didn't happen.  I finished the race in 4th place.

Well, I came to Nationals to win and walked away with a 4th place medal.  I learned a lot and now I know what to work on.  Going to spend the entire year preparing for the next National race with the same goal of being on the top step of the podium.

A big "Thank You" to Coach Drew Edsall, Coach Chris Burnett, the CycleYouth team, Leroy's Bikeworks, and Twin Six for your support.

***Awesome pics by Jackie Bovine and Mrs Mace. 

    

I'm Ready

Ahhhhh..........recovery week.  I can't believe it's been 2 months since I started preparing for Nationals.  And the last 2 weeks have been super intense.  Obviously, we have no mountains in Florida, so Coach Drew gave me some really awful interval sessions on the trainer. The kind where you don't know whether to cry... or puke...or both.  But, I completed the crazy workouts and never once quit.  For that, I'm very proud of myself.  Nationals is just one week away now, and I couldn't be more excited. Thank you -Coach Drew Edsall, Coach Chris, and Cody Burnett for your help in getting me ready and giving me the confidence to do well.  I'm shooting for a 1st place finish, let's see what happens:)    

  Just checking in.  I've been keeping super busy following Coach Drew Edsall's training program he has made for me.  Four days a week, I spend my time doing intervals on the trainer, and weekends are spent riding on actual trails.  Between the two, I'm putting in about 85-100 miles.  Coach Drew is awesome and just seems to really understand me.  He knows just how much to push- without burning me out. And I actually look forward to the workouts (even if sometimes my legs feel like they are going to explode).  My power is improving and I feel stronger (got some nice new thigh muscles to prove it).    

I'm so lucky to have 2 amazing coaches (actually 3 if you count my Dad).  My CycleYouth coach, Chris Burnett, is someone else I am very thankful for.  He's really good at catching things I can improve on when riding on the trails.  Right now, I'm working on my cadence.  Got to do more mashing and less spinning!!!

So, with the support from my family, Coach Drew's training program, and Coach Chris's helpful advice, I think I have an awesome shot at winning Nationals this year.                    

Hammer Head

This was my first time competing in the Hammer Head 100.  Of course...I didn't sign up for the 100 miler, instead I entered in the 25 mile open women class. Going into the race, I had no expectations for a podium finish, and I just figured it would be a great way to get a training ride in.  Prior to the race, I did a couple 25 mile road rides on my MTB, and I also managed to squeeze in a couple extra sessions on my trainer.  So, with the exception of waking up at the butt crack of dawn on race day, I was feeling great!!!

After arriving at the Landbridge Trailhead, I was really surprised to see so many riders. There was 105 racers competing in the 25 miler (only 12 of them were women).  And I was super happy my Dad was going to be racing with me.  He's gotten a little slower these past few years (because he works about a gazillion hours a week and has no time to train), but we had a plan.  He would ride with me until he felt like his legs would fall off, and then I would pull away.  I just liked knowing he was behind me in case anything happened.

The race began with a controlled start for about 2 miles.  This gave me a chance to get ahead of 2 women before reaching the single track.  So, I'm pretty sure I was the 5th girl going into the woods.  After about 7 miles in,  I was finally able to pass another woman on a climb (she was super fast on the flats but was struggling with the technical stuff).  I, then caught up with Connor (Leroy's CycleYouth teammate) around mile 17, switching positions with him for a couple miles. Ditched my Dad at mile 20.  While trying to keep up with Connor's fast pace, I ended up passing 2 more women, finishing the race in 2nd place.





I officially met Duffy who rides for the Rose Bandits.  She's super cool and gave me these awesome glasses.