After a long 7 and a 1/2 hour rainy drive, we finally arrived at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers. With just a couple sprinkles, thank goodness the bad weather was coming to an end. And to my surprise, I found the race course to be in good condition. What concerned me was that there were very few people pre-riding. I was thinking...wow, this really stinks. I came all this way, only to have to race against myself. So, when I found out that Morgan (one of the super fast dudes from Florida) would be racing, I was stoked. He was one of the leaders in the FSC series, and also someone I never saw once we were off the line. Yep, he would finish the race minutes ahead of me. So, after hearing that he had not been training, I had a little spark of hope. Let's see...A girl that trains 5 days a week vs. a strong boy rider with excellent riding skills that doesn't train. I was looking forward to the challenge.
Eight riders lined up to race in the 10-14 junior class. The whistle blew, and I almost had to laugh. My starts are so awful!!! No matter how many times I practice, I still stink it up on race day. Nerves, maybe??? Anyway, I was able to get into the position I wanted before going into the woods. The first lap went smooth and I felt really strong. With Morgan only 30 seconds ahead of me, I was able to catch him going into the woods at the beginning of the second lap. I remained on his wheel until he collided with another racer. Squeezing by, I was able to put some distance between us by passing 5 guys on a climb. I finished the race in first place, and honestly I felt like I could have done a third lap. |
| photo by: Christie Burnett |
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| photo by: Christie Burnett |
I must thank Coach Drew Edsall for helping me to get stronger and faster. Thank you-Cody Burnett for letting me chase you during team practices. And Moccasin Bend Bicycle Company for such an amazing bike that has me floating through the trails.
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