SoCal Race #2: Vail Lake

On Saturday morning Hayley, some of my Yucaipa teammates, and I all pre-road the course to get a feel for it and dial in our lines. I have raced at Vail many times, so all the trails on course I've done before, but it was interesting how there was not that much climbing as usual. I knew this meant it was going to be a fast and speedy race! After the pre-ride we ate some lunch and set up our hammocks by the course to cheer on the middle schoolers. Around 6 o'clock there was a SoCal Devo meeting, where we discussed some strategy and got our new team kits! Then I ate dinner and chilled out before it was time to go to bed.

Sunday morning seemed to go by so fast, we ate breakfast, went to the team pit, and then warmed up before staging. I got very nervous before the start because I did not know how I would feel, due getting a cold just days before the race. I had a fifth place call up, putting me in the front row for the start. The start consisted of everyone sprinting to get into the first single track, I was in fourth going in and it stayed like that until the start of the first fire road climb. Marjie and Hayley broke off on the climb and then it was Genevieve, Mady, and me going into the decent. Genevieve then broke away from the group and then it was Mady and I for the rest of the first lap.

The second and third lap I would fall behind Mady, then catch back up, and on the last fire road climb of the race we decided to work together to make an effort to regain time. The rest of the third lap I was by myself and finished in fifth place. I was happy to get on the podium, but not satisfied with my results. I can't wait for another shot at next Vail in just a couple weeks! A huge thank to my coaches, family, and all the sponsors for making this race weekend possible!