NICA 2023 - Race 3 - Reveille Peak Roundup 02/26/2023

 TLDR: First JV1 race. Took first by 5 seconds! Exhilarating race with lots of competition. 

We drove up on Friday, marked off a camp spot for the team, and then set up camp. We were right on the creek crossing called the 'rim breaker' because it had destroyed so many people's rims from the previous races. I slept well, though it was a bit cold. 

When I woke up the next morning, it was pretty early - around 7:30. The team trailer arrived, and we started setting up camp. By this point, it was about 3 families, including us. Everyone started arriving after we set up camp, and I helped ensure everyone had their race plates. The team ride was around noon, so I watched everyone else go do the pre-ride. It was just Elizabeth and me at camp because we were doing the GRiT ride together. We explored the race venue and found a big rock formation. We hung out there, then went back to camp to get ready for the GRiT ride. 

At the GRiT ride, we could go in the front because we were using it as our preride. The course was very rocky and had lots of loose corners. During the GRiT ride, I made sure to go back and session things I missed or to go and try a section again to determine the best line. After the GRiT ride, my dad and I went back with some others from the team to session the first part, which we thought needed some more thorough looking at and sessioning. I was feeling really confident in the course by then, and my ability to do well on it. We went back to camp and hung out there for a while. For dinner, we had pasta, which was delicious, and then we hung out for a bit until I went to bed. 

In the morning, when I woke up, I felt terrible. My throat hurt, and I was just overall really tired and fatigued. I tried getting up and walking around camp a little bit, but I was really tired so I just ended up sitting down. My dad noticed, and he said I should probably go lay down and try to get some rest. I did and rested for about an hour. I warmed up and then went over to the starting line. I was in the second row, 6th callup. I got a position right behind Josie Cowen, who is leading JV1. My goal was to beat Josie because she was the points leader so far this year. I felt very nervous, but I told myself I could do it. 

During the countdown, I went into my usual 15-second focus, but with a little more nerves then usual. When the whistle blew, I got boxed out immediately. Great. On the hill, I was far behind and managed to pass a couple of people there. I managed to get 8th into the woods. There was a jump, but we were going up it, and I took the line around the jump while everyone else went over the jump, and I managed to pass 2 people there. I got around everyone else except for Josie and one other. I passed the other girl, Alyssa Candanosa, and then it was just me and Josie. Or so I thought. Halfway through, there was a corner that had two lines - Inside, and outside. I took the outside line and didn't think much about it until I saw Alyssa pass me on the inside. Internally, I was screaming. I sat behind Alyssa for about half a mile, and then it opened up into double track and I managed to pass her again. I stuck Josie's wheel, and then we got to the Rimbreaker. The Rimbreaker was a creek crossing that had a sharpish ledge that caused many a rider last year to walk their bikes across the finish line. Josie took the line through the danger zone, and I followed her. 

I stuck her wheel and when we got to the finish line to go out for the second lap, I started sprinting and overtook her. I then went into the woods and realized I had no idea where I was. I looked behind me, and Josie wasn't there. For a second, I thought that I had taken a wrong turn, and then I saw Josie behind me so I turned the gas on. I made it most of the way through the second lap while checking over my shoulder constantly, until I saw in the distance, Josie. I was super mad at myself for letting her catch up, and for sitting in. I went as hard as I could, but I could feel her slowly reeling me in. 

We were about a mile for a finish when she finally caught up to me, when I got stuck behind a girl for about 15 seconds before I was able to pass her on an open stretch of double track, where Josie was able to pass easily. I was working as hard as I could to keep her off of me, and I sprinted as hard as I could at the finish. I outsprinted her, and when I collapsed onto the ground, I was flooded with emotions, like disbelief and happiness. I remember standing up and then being really disoriented and confused. I almost started crying because I was really upset about the dust that stuck to my sweaty, sunscreen-covered legs. I was very tired and after I regained my senses, I walked over to the start line to cheer on the boys. During podiums, I stood on the top box once more and felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. And, I didn't fall off the podium this time! On the way home, I went over the race in my head over and over. It was my first JV1 race, and my first JV1 win, hopefully with many to come.