This weekend in Elbert was a regular race weekend. Pre-ride in the afternoon on Saturday, dinner at 6:30 that night, and bed time at 10. But even though it was the same, it was completely new and different.
This weekend was the first time that the Varsity boys would race first, instead of last. A 9:30 race start at 7500' was gonna be cold! And the strangest thing about the weekend was the seemingly normal approach to such a big race. The 3rd race of the series was in Elbert, Colorado at the Peaceful Valley Boy Scout Ranch.
Since my 2011, and my Freshman year of the High School series, there has been a race at the Scout Ranch. In 2011, I had been 16th place, and the next year I was 10th. Going into the weekend, the previous years were always in the back of my mind; a course that should have been good for me, but ended up not being. So, as I woke up at 6:30 to pre-ride the course and warm up, my mind wandered to the previous years, where the haunting failure of the years came back to put my mind in a bad place before the race.
The gun went off and the Varsity boys were off for 4 laps of one of the most demanding courses all year. The course had it all, sustained climbs, short descents, windy double track, and a technical descent down to the final climb, where the race would be won or lost.
With my teammate, Zack Jensen, at the front we developed a front group, less than half a lap in. With Zack, Grant, Michael, Kyle, Chris, and Me, we slowly rode away from the field. Going into the final climb, Kyle rode away from the field and would slowly extend his gap out to 4 minutes, where he'd easily take the win throughout the 4 laps. I attached myself to Michael's wheel and we rode through towards the end of the first lap together.
On the descent before the finish, Michael went down, hard. He crashed so hard that he got a concussion and had to go to the hospital. Michael was down for the count, and I went on the ride most of the second lap by myself. Halfway through the lap, my teammate Zack bridged back up to me and we rode together for a while until Grant and Chris caught us, they then proceeded to ride right through us right as Zack blew up from his earlier efforts, and I was left chasing as yet another kid came past me.
All this had happened before the end of the second lap and I couldn't help but keep flashing back to previous years. I just remember slipping backwards through the field, and I definitely didn't want that to happen again. I tried to keep pace on the 3rd lap, until a group behind me caught me, and then towards the end of the third lap I knew it was time to go. Going up the last climb I went as hard, knowing that I had another lap to go. I caught the 4th place kid and blew right past him. I pushed hard through the rest of the course, and on the descent before the final climb, I caught Chris. 
I passed him right before the technical section and once I was around him, I gave it all that I had. I rode as smooth as I could, and then going up the final climb I just gunned it. I don't remember that climb, nothing about it can be recalled. Just that I went hard, so hard that I tunnel-visioned and lost feeling in my fingers. By the top of the climb I had a sizable gap, and I remember someone yelling at me that Grant was just ahead of me. I looked up and sure enough, there he was. I pushed even harder, but as we went on to the final descent I knew I wouldn't catch him. So I played it smart and came in for 3rd place on the day.
I gave it all I had and ended up placing well. But the icing on the cake was that I had ridden well enough to take the Overall Leaders jersey with only one race left. Standing on that podium as the first Junior ever to be the Overall Leader, I realized what opportunity I had in front of me. At the next, and final High School race, there are only two people that can take 1st place overall from me.
I'm looking forward to the State Championships in Eagle, Colorado. Even more than that I'm looking forward to the epic battle that I'll be having with Grant and Garrett. And even better than that, is that Me and Zack are 1st and 2nd overall. A fantastic achievement with someone that I love riding, and racing with more than anyone else. I can't wait until the next race and ending the High School season on a high note.
Congratulations to Kyle on winning the race, Grant for taking second place, Chris for taking 4th, and Christian on his breakout ride by placing 5th! Thanks to everyone who helped me this weekend, Jason Trujillo, Andy Clark, Matthew Fix, Mickey Ruff and the tons of other Ciclismo people. Also, thanks to Matthew and Michael Roberts for the photos!
I look forward to final MTB race of the season and racing everyone again soon.
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