I arrived in Fontana on Friday and after unpacking the truck I headed out for a pre-ride with some friends. Within 15 minutes I had a sinking feeling that I was in for a rough race. The course was extremely difficult, and in my opinion it did not fit me in any shape or form. I do not generally do well on courses with lots of climbing and in Fontana, there is a lot of climbing! On the other hand, I generally like to go downhill, but this course it not exactly my style either. It was steep, tight, and extremely sandy in the corners. As I continued through my pre-ride my confidence was going down by the minute. In my mind I was thinking, “Why did I come out here? This race could demoralize you for the rest of the season!”
Well, Sunday came and I decided I would go as hard as I could and just let the chips fall where they may. I didn’t have the best start and I decided to let the leaders go and conserve energy for the later laps. I was hoping the leaders would slow down as the race went on, so I could get back in contact, but it didn’t happen. I settled into my own groove and kept pushing as hard as I could. The surprising part to me was how strong I felt. Yes, I was slow on the climbs but I was shredding the down hills on my 29er Superfly and I felt like I had all the power in the world on the flats.
When it was all said and done, to my surprise, I was able to make it to the podium with a 5th place finish. I guess if you’re going to have the best finish of the season, a National is a great place to do it.
I think this race set a bench mark for the rest of my season. I know my fitness is coming around and the confidence I gained this last weekend will help me through the rest of the season.
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