Cyclocross Racing

A really great way to stay in shape and to practice racing skills is to race cyclocross in the off season. Cyclocross is primarily a winter sport which means that it won't interfere with mountain biking. Cyclocross is a sport where rain and snow is accepted and even encouraged and the toughest of the tough persevere. Cyclocross is also very versatile in the sense that you can use a specific bike for cyclocross, a mountain bike, or even a road bike. Cyclocross is considered too hard by many, yet some love it and it is their main focus. The courses are usually around a mile or a little more and they have barriers that you can either run over or bunny hop. Cyclocross courses also generally have one or more very steep hills and some very twisty and tight turns. I have done 3 cyclocross races and it is very hard. I would've gotten 4th in the state championships but I got a flat tire. To be completely honest, racing cyclocross isn't actually very fun. I didn't enjoy my first race but I slowly started liking them more and more as the season went on. I ended up selling my cyclocross bike because half of the time it was broken. Next year I plan on racing cyclocross on my mountain bike.

NICA Race #4 - Woodberry Forest

Nica race #4 was by far the biggest deal out of all of the races. I was extremely determined to win and I did pretty much everything in my power to make it happen since a win today would mean that I won the whole series. The race was very flat and fast, and it consisted of many grassy fields and long fire roads. The course also had some singletrack sections and a very steep climb. The start of the race was very similar to the last one, but instead of being in the first group, I was in the second one close behind. One rider in the group I was in urged me to increase my speed so we could catch back up. I then pedaled harder and caught up, but it turns out that they didn't go with me. I was now in the first group with two other riders. One of the riders wasn't as strong and ended up falling behind so now in the first tenth of the race I was leading with another guy. I followed behind him for a little while but eventually he took a drink and I attacked. I ended up with him right on my tail until we got to the steep climb where I attacked again. I ended up pulling a huge gap on that climb and kept it until the next lap came around. In the second lap, he was starting to catch up again but once again I attacked on the climb and got another gap. I was able to hold the gap for the rest of the race and won. It was an amazing experience to go from 7th place all the way up until 1st. I was so happy to have won my first race series. It is now time to stop training for a while and enjoy the rides while planning for next year.

NICA Race #3 - Miller School

In the weeks leading up to race three, I had been training hard with many intense rides and some interval sessions mixed in (1 or more a week). The course was my "home field" and I had ridden and raced there multiple times. I was feeling pretty confident and I was pretty sure that I could get another podium result if I conserved my energy. Off the line I wasn't feeling well at all, so I just tried to stick with the lead group. The lead group did a whole lap together before we split up from four riders, to three, to two. It was just me and one other racer pushing up all of the hills and in the very last section of the course I made an attack and was able to get a gap and my first ever win. It felt so great that all of my work had payed off and I was finally satisfied with my result. I got a 1st place medal, but unfortunately I wasn't the series leader so I didn't get a jersey. The odds of being able to become the overall series champion were very slim. I had one chance and if I didn't win the next race, then I wouldn't win the series.

Victory! It was an amazing experience.

NICA Race #2 - Stokesville

In the weeks leading up to race #2, I made sure to go to each and every CRC team practice with many rides mixed almost everyday in the rest of the week. This race I knew where I was fitness wise compared to the rest of the field, and I could make sure that I didn't get too tired too soon. The very fast freshman racer went up two categories, so I was pretty sure that I could get 6th place. The course was very hilly with over 1,500 feet of climbing in total. I started the race pretty well and actually took the first position for a section of the first lap. I was then passed by one rider and was not able to catch him. I stayed in second position for a while longer but then got passed by another guy which put me in third. I stayed in third for the rest of the race and got my first ever podium and medal in bike racing.

NICA Race #1 of the fall season, Miller School - First Ever MTB Race

My first mountain bike race was a great experience that made me super excited for the rest of the season. I had been doing some training but nothing too hard and I was practicing with the mountain bike team for a few weeks. I didn't really know how it was going to play out, I was pretty sure that I'd get top 10 but I wasn't sure how my fitness was compared to others. Race day was rainy and muddy and I never really ride in those conditions so it was a learning experience. When the race started, I found out that Virginia has a very serious cycling program. I sprinted as hard as I could and ended up 8th after the start. It turns out that I went a little too hard at the beginning because a few other riders who saved their energy better passed me very quickly. At the first climb I passed some people back and got my spot (8th) again. At this point in the race, I decided to go my own pace and go as hard as I could without blowing up. On the last lap I passed one more rider and ended up 7th which was roughly where I started. The guys in front of me weren't too far ahead but the guy who won was about 7 minutes ahead. The guy that won catted up in the next race (went to the next category) so I may race him again sometime soon but not for the rest of the season.

The Roots of Cycling in my Family

This was my first road bike, it was way to big.

My family has been a cycling family ever since my dad got into cycling at 14. He rode with his brother which also is a big cyclist and he started riding harder and racing against the local competition. At his first race he was instantly dropped and got last place but he kept on riding and trying more and more races. He also got a job at his local bike shop to pay for all of his gear (which can get very expensive in cycling.) After years of riding and some wins, he got pretty good and took a trip to Belgium to bike race on the rough cobblestones. He never really had any good results there, but when he got back in America, he started winning mountain bike races.
After mountain biking for a little while, he took a pretty substantial break from racing (a few years) and then got his interest back again. He had many phases of on and off racing but his most successful phase was in his late 30's where he won the state championships and had the opportunity to go to nationals. He didn't end up going and never really did race out of state aside from going to Belgium, but he had many successes in his home state of Virginia.
My mom is also a cyclist but she prefers the section of cycling with suspension and knobby tires. She was initially introduced to cycling by my dad and she continues to ride as much as possible now. She wasn't big on racing but she did get third place in her first ever (and last) race. She rides probably around once a month due to being to busy.
Nowadays, my dad doesn't ride much but he is my coach for bike training. He teaches me what I should be practicing, eating, and doing so I can have the best chance to win. He also provides me with all of his old jerseys from when he raced and with his nice bike for racing. He also got me and my sister into cycling at a very early age. I got my training wheels off around three, so I've been able to ride for a long time. I rode once every few months for a few years until I picked up other sports. I thought of biking as a hobby and I didn't ride all that much. Once I had picked up other sports, I didn't ride much at all. (Until now)

A ride at one of our local trail systems, Preddy Creek. I was about 7.