Welp, I made it though another semester of PT school, and I am officially half a doctor! (I decided to go with my left half if you were wondering) On the school front we have on more semester of didactic curriculum, and then a year of internships left. So we just started back and it's full steam ahead; gotta get that knowledge!
I was able to do one weekend of warm and sandy cross racing in Arizona towards the end of the semester, which was enough to qualify for nationals. So at the very end of christmas break I headed back to Texas with my parents and then over to Austin to race! Of course, I decided that since I already knew that training for a race was an effective preparation strategy, this year I would get the flu right before it instead to keep things interesting. But I think this was one of the most fun cross nats I've raced!
One NAU teammate also came out, so we are able to compete in the team relay on friday, each racing 2 laps. And even though we didn't have the fresh legs each lap of the other teams it was a great time and great prep for Saturday. The course was turny with punchy climbs and off camber sections followed by 2 sets of limestone stairs.
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| One of our hand-offs |
Sunday I woke up and it was 32 degrees and raining... perfect for a cross race! The course was a slip and slide of mud; wet and sticky enough to make it interesting enough but not gunky enough to stick to your bike. I was able to rely on my technical skills and ride though sections with girls crashing and running on either side of me- with much support from spectators haha.
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| D1 start |
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| Not too muddy... yet |
Of course my lack of power showed anytime we hit a flat straight away, but in the end I was able to hang on for a solid result of 21, and I was really happy with how I performed! I walked away feeling good, knowing that I need to improve on my fitness but I haven't lost my confidence or happiness on the bike, and I can still ride in mud like a boss haha. Thanks to everyone who support me getting there and everyday at the races!
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| Still riding |
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| What is running? |
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| Stairs #2 |
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| Still a Skyhawk at heart |
