Over The Hump - Week 10

Tuesday night is mountain bike race night for just two more weeks. As much as I've loved the Over The Hump Series, I'll be happy to have one more weeknight to devote to road training. Our next triathlon is a little over three weeks away, so I need to be fully prepared.

Week 10 was the hardest race so far. Not because of a difficult course, but the heat made it unbearable! The temperature when I got to Irvine Lake was over 90 degrees! I drank half my water bottle before the race even started.

Skyler didn't get to race, but he was there to cheer me on! If you've never done a race before, you have no idea how wonderful it feels to hear someone yelling your name and cheering you on. I love it! After riding the first half of the first loop, I came towards the spectator area and was surprised to see my family. My dad, mom, Eric, Cameron, and Holly were there cheering me on! I got a little teary-eyed seeing them. But a mountain bike race is no place for tears, so I turned my attention back to the race. I wanted to make them proud.

It was a hot night, but that didn't affect some of the racers. Three of the women in my group were killing it. I never even saw them. Deborah, Tran, and I stayed near each other for most of the race. The three of us have raced almost all of the races in the series, so we are the closest rivals. We all have our strengths, so sometimes one of us is ahead and then another pulls ahead, etc. Deborah and I sprinted to the finish, but she pulled ahead. Although I got my lowest placing of the season (5th), I still had a great time at the race. Maybe it was because my family was there, maybe it was because I can see my improvements, or maybe because I am starting to like mountain bike racing. Whatever it was, I hope it continues for the last two races.