Saturday I decided to race XC again to see if I could better my time. I turned in a 1:53 which was 6 seconds better than the previous race!!

Sunday there were 11 women in the Pro Women's DH class. I ended up 9th. I had a smooth run in both the top and bottom sections but just didn't have enough legs left to sprint the wall which kept me off the podium.

See you all in 2 weeks for round 3!

Results

• Saturday - 3rd Sport Women 35+ XC


• Sunday - 9th Pro Women DH

1. 
   
   January 12-13 - Shimano Winter Series #1
   
   


2. 
   
   January 26- 27  - Shimano Winter Series #2
   
   


3. 
   
   February 9-10 - Shimano Winter Series #3
   
   


4. 
   
   February 23-24 - Shimano Winter Series #4
   
   


5. 
   
   March 8- 9 - Shimano Winter Series Finals
   
   


6. 
   
   March 15-16 - St. Patty's Day Feast DH/SD Bootleg Canyon
   
   


7. 
   
   March 27-29 - NMBS #1 Fontana National + Cal State #1
   
   


8. 
   
   April 12-13 - Gravity Shootout at the Ranch, Los Olivos, CA
   
   


9. 
   
   April 17-20 - Sea Otter Classic, Monterrey, CA
   
   


10. 
    
    April 26-27 - Cal State #2 Woodward West, Tehachapi, CA
    
    


11. 
    
    May 15-18 - NMBS #3 Santa Ynez National, Los Olivos, CA
    
    


12. 
    
    May 22-26 - Chili Challenge, Angel Fire Resort, NM
    
    


13. 
    
    May 31-Jun 1 - Cal State #3, Fontana, CA
    
    


14. 
    
    June 7-8  Santa Barbara Bike Festival @ Elings Park
    
    


15. 
    
    September 13-14 - Cal State Finals, Woodward West, Tehachapi, CA
    
    


16. 
    
    November 22-23 - SRC 17th Annual Challenge, Fontana, CA
    
    

So I decided to race XC on Saturday to test my fitness level. I warm up, take a last minue outhouse break, down a gu and then end up sitting for 1 hr while they get ready for a late start. Then off we go....the climbs were slow but steady and then the single track descents rocked. Got to pass a few folks (male and female) on the fast and the rocky sections and of course got repassed on the uphills. I had to keep reminding myself that the goal was to finish 2 laps and keep my time under 2 hours. Well, I actually accomplished that with a 5th place finish and a total time of 1:59. I guess I will have to try it again and see if I can better my time.



Oh, and I forgot to mention all of the cheering and encouragement along the way. Usually you only see people at the start/finish line, but because we raced next to the 4x track and the DH course, I got lots of cheering (including Brad and Frank who were hiking up the pavement) and many others on the DH/4x course!!!

To top it off, I even got an honorable mention and my photo in Mountain Bike Action.

Warm welcome: Longtime Southridge Pro downhiller Nancy Harris has just begun racing XC to improve endurance. This woman has the world's best attitude.

Then there was Sunday.....Up at 5am Sunday, down some oatmeal and coffee and off we go. The first thing we noticed on the road was the wind (which the weaterman predicted correctly). Registration opened at 7, then off to hike the hill!!! The wind picked up gradually  (60 mph winds with gusts at 90+mps all morning and the rock jump before the saddle on the DH course became quite sketchy never knowing if you would miss the sideways gusts or not. Practice ended up being non-eventful but was difficult in every section where you caught a gust or had to peddle into the headwind.



So, I got to start off the Pro Women's class. We had 9 contestents which was awesome since the class usually runs 3 to 5 on average. Off I went remembering to start in a higher gear and to upshift before every corner and uphill. Got to the rock jump, stayed low, sucked it up racer style, landed and got blown over. Had to jump off the bike and run up the saddle and then remount. I knew at that point I was not in the running for a podium spot, but as my coach taught me it's all about personal best. So I pedaled my butt off for the rest of the race, sprinted the finsih and was happy to have had a safe race with no damage done.



Congrats to everyone who raced and thanks to all of those who cheered me on. It really helps!!! See you all in 2 weeks.