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.