It's been a little while since I said I'd post a race/life report but I swear I really have been busy!
Since my last post I had a very rude awakening to the realities of altitude, riding a very good first lap and a half before my heart and lungs decided that was all they could do with the oxygen they were given. After the short track on Sunday (which went just about the same as the XC the day before) I packed up and headed down to Durango for a short week of training and catching up with friends before the big trip towards the east side of the USA.
The week in Durango included some hard mountain bike rides and some easy ones followed by time at/on the Animas river doing stand up paddle boarding and tubing. It was a great time to relax and finish organizing travel details for the six weeks of racing to come.
The first race of my current trip was in Portage, Wisconsin at a little ski resort called Cascade Mountain. It was a relatively long lap with punchy climbs and grassy ski slope traverses, not overly technical unless it rained... Which it did. My race started out well, from the back row I made my way up to around the top 20, riding in a group of four guys and feeling good to recover a little for the last couple laps and maybe make up some more spots. This plan went pear shaped as it started to rain on lap 4 of 6 and my mud riding skills from Alice Springs really began to show. I would get passes on a singletrack, try to hold the rider's wheel, and fall over. It went like this for the rest of the race, sliding and crashing all over the place, eventually finishing in 33rd. Definitely a lot of things to take away from this weekend, the main conclusion is that I need to ride more mud.
The place we stayed in Wisconsin was a cool old farmhouse with cows, corn, a snapping turtle, but no internet. Sorry Cruz and Elena, happy belated 21st to you!
Since Wisconsin, Levi Kurlander (Ska/Zia/Trek MTB team) and I have been treated to wonderful grandparent service with my grandparents in Pittsburgh, PA where they DO have WiFi! I am writing this from their living room before we head out to the next stop, USA National MTB Championships at Bear Creek Mountain Resort, PA. It's the morning of my 21st birthday and I am very excited for the next few weeks, not because I can drink legally, but because I feel that my legs are finally deciding it's time to switch on - I guess we'll have to see!
Sorry for the lack of pictures this time, will do my best to add some from nationals.
Cheers,
Ryan
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