Yesterday I raced the Canmore Canada Cup out here in Alberta. When I first got on the trails on Thursday it had been raining on and off and so they were extremely slick. I took a good look at the steep, rocky, rooty terrain and attempted to ride a couple of the tough downhills. When it started to rain though, I decided to take a break for the night and come back Friday.
On Friday I tackled the trails that had seemed terrifying at first, and managed to figure out my lines now that everything had dried out.
It took a couple hard crashes. I went over the bars once and had my bike flip over top of me. Another time I almost hit a tree as I bailed. I came out a little bruised but with no serious injuries.
Saturday was race day. My body was sore from riding the day before. This course was really challenging for my arms and shoulders especially. Despite feeling the need for more rest, and being a little jet lagged, I geared up and got ready to go. The start was fast, up a steep gravel climb. Then we hit the single track and I was fighting to stay with the group. The altitude got to me a little throughout the race and my breathing was faster than usual, which was a challenge.
I pushed hard to chase and finished in 9th place out of 11. I was just happy to have made it down the steep terrain without crashing ;)
Now I'm look forward and training hard for both the Horseshoe Canada Cup and the nationals at Hardwood, which are a little closer to home and on more familiar trails.
Stay tuned for more.
Happy riding!