My Race Bikes

#1  LAPIERRE 627 Pro Race 27.5 Carbon
      XT Components and drivetrain
      Velocity Blunt SS wheels w/Schwalbe Racing Ralphs
      ESI Grips and FIZIK saddle

#2  BOREALIS Yampa Carbon Fat Bike
      Race Face/Shimano Drivetrain and Components
      Marge lites with 45nrth 4" Tires
      ESI Grips and FIZIK saddle

#3  REDLINE Conquest CX Gravel Grinder
      Shimano components
      Schwalbe tires

#4  RALEIGH Capri WSD Road
      Shimano 105 Components

#5  REDLINE Flight BMX Cruiser
      Alienation wheelset

***All of these bikes maintained and sold by Freewheeler Bike Shop!
     

Iceman Recap

With the last and final race of the 2015 season, Iceman Cometh Challenge, I would say that I was prepped for the race the best I could. 

The fun weekend started off with visiting the Iceman SRAM Expo the night before the big race. Of course, being a mountain biker, it was like a dream come true. Every single bike part and every single bike company you could think of...they were there. It was amazing to talk to future sponsorship and partner agreement deals as well as checking out all the fun. 

I got to meet THE Gary Fisher, cycling legend, and he signed my number plate, which I now declare is my luckiest racing plate. 

Afterwards, an amazing pasta dinner from Ruby Tuesdays (huge thanks to Karen Brower!) was brought to our whole Freewheeler Racing Team and we shoved as much protein, carbohydrates, and calories as we could in our faces. As my favorite food was pasta, I am proud to say that it was one of the best dinners I've ever had the night before a race.

And race day came. 

The 45 min drive up to Kalkaska was nerve-wracking. As my mom knows and as well as a lot of people, I tend to say nothing when I'm nervous. I remember eating my "2nd breakfast" as I like to call it, and prepping myself mentally. 

 As I was lining up at the start line, and shivering in the cold, Traverse City air, all I was doing beside my competitors was watching the clock, watching the long seconds tick by. It was 3 minutes, then 2:15...1:30...0:30...0:15...

The gun went off, and off I went.

I quickly got up to the front, as in my 15-16 age category there were only 3 competitors, so it was not hard to get myself pedaling. Already a gap was forming, but I was not concerned about my placement in my category, I was worried about my placement overall in the 18 and under age bracket.

When I race, I zone out and do not think of anything. I get tunnel vision, odd as it is, which keeps me from remembering what I do during most of my races. I was alone the entire race, that I do remember, which made it harder on myself. I had no one to get behind and draft off of, and no one was in front of me either. I was in no man's land, so I was racing against the clock alone. 

I attacked the climbs, passed people, had a high cadence on the climbs and accelerated and switched to harder gears on the flats. My legs were suffering, breathing was steady, and I was overall in good shape. Nothing was too badly fatigued, and I was having an extraordinary race. 

The finish line is what I remember the most, and I was overcame with joy when I saw all of my teammates on the last hill cheering all the racers on. 

The last hill of every race I've done is not only the hardest, but also when I tend to actually "show emotion" and smile. 

The guy smiling behind me truly gave me motivation through the last hill. ;) 

Breezing through the finish line in a blur. 

My finishing time was 2:19, and I placed 1st in my 15-16 age group but got 6th overall. Although 6th overall was not what I had hoped for, it instead made me reflect on the positive improvements that I've had in the 2015 mtb season and how far I've improved since last year. 

Watching the pros was another highlight of the Iceman weekend, as the team and I got to horse around and have our own fun. 

Biting the gold, as they say! 

As Iceman brought the 2015 season to a close, it was an amazing weekend that I was glad to experience. With only a few days left in my offseason, I am already excited to begin my 2016 season training. I hope that everyone had their best mtb season of the year, and cheers to the next!