Well...I went to PA in hopes of becoming the next XC National Champion, but ended up with a another 4th place finish. Could I have won if I had not flatted and fixed my tire??? Nope, I don't believe so. Maybe I could have gotten a place or two higher, but not first. What I am most proud of is... fixing my tire and not giving up. I was in the 3rd position fighting for 2nd when I flatted during the end of the 1st lap. Having never fixed a flat before, it took me 4 long stressful minutes. So, by the time I hopped back on the saddle, I had slipped to 8th place. But thankfully, after a hard fight on a short 2 1/2 mile course, I ended the race in 4th place.
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| photo credit: Jackie Bovine |
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| photo credit: Christie Burnett |
Super D was my last hope in getting my hands on that stars and stripes jersey. I pre-rode the course several times and was confident that I would do well. But...what I did not predict was...flipping over the bars at the beginning of the race, shattering my garmin, and getting tangled up in the tape. Normally, during a crash, you just kind of get back on the bike and continue on. Well- for me- that was almost impossible. It took me forever to get my chain ring and crank arm untangled from the race course tape. To my surprise, even with my little incident, I was able to pull off the win.
Nationals was a great way to see where I was at in the game. Not a 100% happy, but I believe I have progressed a lot since last year. Now it's time for Mother Nature to speed things along for me, I think that will be the key to some additional strength and power.
