My own worst enemy

"First, I would tell you that you are awesome! You have willingly chosen to do something that will probably cause you to lose a little blood, gain a few scars, and be cooler than a lot of other people in the world. Also know that there are more women out there who want to see you succeed and fall in love with this sport than you can believe. We’re here to support and encourage you."

 

'I did okay.'

That's my usual response when people ask how my latest race went. I often find I downplay my efforts and performance instead of being proud of what I accomplished. It is no secret that I am uber competitive in almost everything I do.

I started mountain bike racing this summer and it has brought a lot of challenge, accomplishment and crashes to my world. Thursday nights are a great opportunity to get out and try racing at Buck Hill. There is a category for any skill level and all ages. My first attempt to race was on my single speed fat bike, which is bulky and heavy! I went out for a practice lap before the race and knew I was going to be tired by the end of it.

Fat Alice is ready to race!

The start of the race brings you from the bottom of Buck Hill and uses switchback trails to lead you a good portion of the way to the top. You then head into the woods for a little singletrack riding before climbing another big hill and more singletrack. Halfway up the first climb I didn't think I was going to be able to finish. Getting into the second section of singletrack and finding my groove made things easier and I committed to finishing the three loops of the race no matter how long it took me. A little over halfway through my first lap, my chain fell off, and resulted in me losing slight control over my handlebars, and hitting my knee really hard. I stopped and put my chain back on, got back on the bike and took a few pedal strokes only to experience terrible pain. I was hopeful the pain in my knee would calm down once I started riding again. I took a few more pedal strokes around the next corner and all of a sudden my chain snapped! I pulled off to the side and looked back on the trail to see my chain laying there like a snake. Now what was I supposed to do??? I was mad because I couldn't fix this while I was out there and my knee was really sore!

I managed to find my way out of the woods and coasted my chainless bike down the road into the parking lot. At this point I realized I wasn't going to finish the race, which was a really hard pill to swallow because this had never happened to me before. I honestly think about quitting races all the time in the middle of them when I'm feeling tired and defeated, but somehow manage to pull through. Not finishing left me feeling mad, disappointed and discouraged.

 First DNF :(

My next race was my first in the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series (MNMBS) at Mt Kato in Mankato. Basically another ski hill to climb. I raced in the 'sport' category, which is one step up from the beginner class of 'citizen'. I finished middle of the pack with the other women I raced and ended up winning my age group! Not too shabby for my first time out there.

 Teammates are awesome! #hubbabes

Over the next few weeks I have raced my mountain bike, not fat bike, at Buck Hill and finished each time! I've actually grabbed two 3rd place finishes and each week it seems to get a little better!

On our way for a weekend getaway!

This past Sunday was my second race of the MNMBS. It was in Duluth at Mission Creek and I made the decision to race in the 'elite' category. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into and was extremely nervous to think about riding with the top women! My concerns were also about my struggle to eat and drink while mountain biking and I wasn't sure how I would manage to do both of those during the 24 mile race. At this point I have also never rode 24 mountain bike miles without stopping. Sure I can do 100 miles on gravel/roads, but this is so different!

Friday and Saturday before the race were spent hanging out in Duluth with new friends! As a life long Minnesotan I am still not sure how I have never spent a weekend in Duluth. It was really fun, and awesome to be with other racers to pick their brains about strategy and techniques.

We were lucky enough to see two ships this day!

On race day the sky was gloomy and there was talk of it being cancelled due to rain. The sky cleared up as the start got closer and we were on as scheduled. I was my usual pre-race bundle of nerves and before I knew it we were off the start line!

The long slow climb up the paved road at the start was brutal! My legs already felt tired and the temperature and humidity were starting to rise. Once we got to the trail in the woods things got better. I spent the first lap trying to find my flow on the bike and being a little cautious. I've never rode at Mission Creek before so I wanted to make sure nothing caught me too off guard and rumor before the race was the bridges were slippery. I was nearing the end of the first lap when I crashed on one of the bridges. I am still not sure how I did it, but I feel like I just wasn't focused and rode right off of it! Hahaha! I still have to laugh about it a little. I got up quickly and kept going to finish the first lap.

The second lap involved the same long hill climb, but this time my legs felt warmed up so it didn't seem as bad. I also felt faster on the trail because I knew there wasn't anything I couldn't handle! Finishing the second and onto the third lap I somehow saved myself from a terrible crash due to late communication with another rider. I am not sure exactly what happened, but am so thankful I didn't go down!

The third climb up the long hill was once again painful. I was starting to feel really tired and I still had 8 miles to go. I managed to shove 4 shot blocks in my mouth along with some water before getting back on the trail. The last lap felt slow and the tiny climbs in the woods were almost too much. I didn't see any other women racers ahead or behind me, but that didn't mean I couldn't catch them, or they me, so I tried to keep a steady pace. Nearing the end of the lap there is a downhill, corner section of patio pavers in the trail we had to ride each time. They were super slippery and sketchy to navigate down. A rider behind me was so encouraging as I yelled back to him 'Sorry I'm so slow!' He replied 'It's okay' and then provided me with some guidance to safely get down. I was wishing he would have been there for the previous two laps! I was so close to the finish, with one left turn to make before exiting the woods, when my back tire slid out as I cornered, and I fell for the second time. Damn it!!! I was so close to being done! I got up feeling embarrassed and biked through the last turn to cross the finish line.

It was amazing coming in to the finish and having people cheer for you!! The guy that helped me during the paver section was even waiting to say good job to me :) I took 8th place out of 11 and finished in 2 hours and 9 minutes.

When asked how the race went I said my usual 'okay' initially and pointed out what didn't go well. After sharing my story with friends over the last few days I have since turned 'okay' into 'good'. I have received so much support and encouragement from people and it has really changed my perspective on things. I am accepting and allowing myself to be a beginner at mountain biking even though I hate to be the newbie or novice. I think of all the times I probably fell down when I learned how to walk. Right now I'm learning a different way to 'walk' and I know with time, practice and patience I will continue to improve and hope to give the badass, elite women a run for their money someday!

 Taking it one day at a time :)