NICA 2023 - Race 6 - Lonestar Finale - 04/30/2023

 TLDR: My last NICA race of the year, and I won! State champion JV1, 2nd series overall, and I had a great time through all of it. 

We showed up on Saturday early and hung around camp. When the pre-ride time came around, I walked around with some friends from another team and we all decided to ride the GRiT ride together. For those that don't know, GRiT is only for girls, and it can be a bit of a change for racers to do their pre-ride without their teams. This year, I've done all my pre-rides with GRiT and the ride is starting to get bigger with more of the serious racers riding it as pre-ride together. GRiT usually has a get-to-know-you activity - this time we painted rocks which was fun. I've raced this venue a lot and every time we do some version of the same course, but this time it was pretty different - they'd included a lot of jumps (yeet!) and a real creek crossing where everyone got their feet wet. Then, the course opened up into a huge field. 

It was really fun getting to ride a part of Warda that I hadn't ever before, and I was looking forward to racing it. When I got back from pre-ride, I hung out around camp for a little while, and then it was time for the league party. The party had raffles and awards, and I won a prize for being a GRiT junior ambassador. I went to bed soon after, around 9:30. I woke up at 6:00, so I only got around 8 hours of sleep, which was less than normal for me, but I felt pretty good. I had oatmeal, and then I got on the rollers to warm up. When I made it to the start line, my call-up was finally in the first row and I made the most of it. When the whistle blew, I had one of the best starts of my season. 

I got out in front, but then Josie came up beside me and I hopped on her wheel. I made it around the first lap, with no issues, sticking her wheel and staying in second, and was in second place all the way to the four-minute field. 

I knew that if I were going to get around her, it had to be here, but I didn't want to pass too early because then she could draft and then pass me back. Near the end of the field, I saw an opening where she swung wide, and I took it. I passed her, and now all that had to happen was to make sure she couldn't pass me back. I went super hard right after I passed her, and I tried to maintain that pace for the remainder of the race. 

I remembered my lessons from Reville Peak, Race 3, when I got in front but didn't maintain the pace, and Josie caught up to me, and I used that to motivate me to keep turning the cranks. I just imagined that Josie was right behind me, just out of sight, ready to pass me if I even thought about sitting in. I kept up the pace and sprinted past the finish line, as the state champion by almost a minute.

When I thought about what I had just accomplished, I was overcome with emotions. I was so happy, and I was also exhausted. I was having trouble standing up, and I was really lightheaded. I started to feel better, though, and I walked around to congratulate my friends on their amazing races. 

When I stood atop the top box once more, I felt so accomplished. I won the Texas State Championship and went second in the series. I had an amazing season. I had wonderful support from my team, my coaches, and my friends. I had so much fun this season, and I can't wait for NICA next year.