Practice makes Perfect: Descent Style

As a new member of ToughGirl Cycling, I'd like to thank all of my teammates, our terrific sponsors, and our awesome supporters this season. I have learned so much from ToughGirl veterans on the mountain bike (Rebecca, Lynn, and Sheri!) and hope to keep improving for many seasons to come. 

Coming from a road background, riding singletrack descents always has pushed my adrenaline levels through the roof, but not in the go-really-fast-kind-of-way. More likely, I'd "freeze" than "flee", as I was overly brake-happy and looking straight down instead of ahead. So, some friends decided it was time to hit Monarch Crest Trail. What a great ride!! I knew I was in for a long day, so I packed up my pack with PowerBar Bars (Cookies n' Cream) and set-up my wheels with the Schwalbe Hans Dampfs. With some advice from Rebecca--to just let go and hold on!--I finally found my groove on the 30+ miles of singletrack descents. The tires were a big boost in confidence as they gripped on all kinds of terrain. 

Channeling that feeling in the finale of the Winter Park Series, I felt solid throughout the entire King of the Rockies Race. The pace started out moderately, with Rebecca, Erin Huck, Lisa Hudson, and Sheri Boltz, and I breaking from the start. I followed Lisa into the singletrack, sitting in 4th. I reined in my effort on the first big climb, as I had bonked the year before, so I kept the top three in sight until the final switchback. Then, the Spruce Creek descent was lonely, as I solo'd down to Flume trail and then onto Chainsaw. A group of Expert and Pro women caught me in the twists and roots of Flume, but I just kept my pace and stayed smooth. I pulled away at the top of Chainsaw, and then, increased my gap with the descent into Elk Meadow. The water aid station was perfectly timed, as I was getting hot and asked the boys to douse me (they smiled and obliged). Checking in with my legs, I knew I could start to ramp up my cadence and effort--for the first time this season, I found the sweet suffer spot, where I was giving it my all, but not running out of steam. I worked with Christine, another Pro rider, up the doubletrack climb, but left her in the technical sections of WTB, where again, everything was falling into place! I cleaned the entire trail for the first time and found myself charging all the way to the finish line. 

Coming in at 4th place in the Pro Women's Field, I checked my time and saw I shaved 20 minutes off from last year!! Was it the confidence in the descents? I think so! 

-Claire