Winter Park is my happy place!

After a rough week of being really tired and a slightly terrified I was getting sick again, I decided to test the waters Saturday morning at the 4th WP MTB Race. I did little to no training this past week but instead slept a ton and pumped up hardcore on several vitamins and supplements. There are so many factors that could have attributed to being exhausted but I wanted to be overcautious in case my immune system was in fact getting a bit depleted. My goal for the race was to go my usual race pace for the first big climb/descent then re-analyze how I felt. There was an easy bail out section that I could take in case I wanted to cut it short so I almost planned on just doing that. However, after the first 10 miles, I felt okay. I knew I wouldn't be able to hold that pace for the next 15 miles so I just decided to cruise. I lost my 2nd position very quickly when I toned it down but my lower/steady pace caught up to the others towards the end. I found myself riding with my friend Lisa who was in 3rd late in the last climb then used my descending skills to pull away on the super long descent to the last climbing section. Although my right inner thigh cramped to the point where I fell off my bike right after the long downhill, I was able to massage it out for a quick minute, get back on my bike, and hold on to the podium spot by a slim margin. It was definitely not my best showing in terms of power output but I was beyond excited to be on the podium considering I honestly didn't even fathom finishing when on the starting line. Every race this season has been a learning experience and I'm so grateful to to be healthy and able to race. I'm now tied for the points series lead so I'm hoping to be back to my 100% self for the next one!

I have been waiting since last December to build up my Norco Aurum DH bike and I finally got to ride it for the first time this past Sunday. We only got in a few runs before the massive rain storm blew in but it was enough to create an ear to ear grin for the rest of the day! What a freaking blast. Also, Bryce and Tom provided some great entertainment by crashing into each other on the fire road leading to the trail! Can't wait to get back up there this weekend and see how big I can go :)