The last weekend in April was the Whiskey 50 mtn bike race in Prescott AZ. My friend and teammate Tricia and I were both racing the 50-proof which included over 6,000 feet of climbing. Looking back on the race, I was happy to have pre-ridden part of the course the previous weekend.

Aaron was working so I went up to Prescott solo. I had planned on just camping in the car for the night, but Tricia and Chad were kind to let me crash on the couch in their hotel room. It was just a few blocks from the start line so made the morning much easier.

Being that there were thousands of people there, Tricia and I wanted to get a good start at the start line. It was a free for all for staging and rumor had it that once people got to the single track (after a 20 minute climb up the road), it backlogged and you’d have to stand around waiting. We staged 45 minutes before the start and were still about 100 people or so back! It didn’t take long for the staging to fill with masses of people and mountain bikes! Finally with 10 minutes to start, Tricia and I stripped off our leggings and jackets and handed them over to Chad (Chad was racing the next day in the pro category).

In mountain bike racing, it’s very similar to crit or cyclocross racing in that the positioning at the start is vitally important to how your race will go. Once you hit single track, it becomes very challenging to pass people and your competition could get away from you without you even knowing it! When the gun went off and we funneled through the barriers and onto the open road, I took off as hard as I could go up the long paved climb. I tried to grab wheels and roll along with the fast guys. One women stayed on my wheel and we went back and forth passing each other as we raced up the hill. I knew she would be my nemesis for the day. As we got closer to the top, another woman passed me and she was going very strong so I couldn’t hold her wheel and let her go. I felt like vomiting as we kept climbing but I knew I had to keep pushing to get that spot on the trail. As we moved to the trail, the women in green got around me and ended up a few places ahead. I was sitting 3rd woman overall as we got on the single track. I was in a great position since we did not have any back-logging going into the trail. The pace eased up as we were now riding at everyone’s pace.

There were some opportunities to pass riders but many of the cyclists in front of me were very skilled so I did not have to worry too much about them slowing me down. We went through trees, over big logs (waterboards) rocks, and through streams. On one of the loose 180 degree turns, I had to unclip to make the turn. Another woman passed me at that moment (shoot!). I kept her in my sight and stayed behind her for several miles. It was when we came to the technical descending that I was caught behind a guy who was an extremely strong climber but was very timid going downhill as he rode his brakes the whole way down. Thinking back, I should have been more aggressive at trying to get around him but I was stuck for awhile and that lady ended up gaining a lot of time on me. I was sitting 4th overall.

I climbed another long hill and focused on fueling with my bag of dates and my electrolytes in my camelback. I found dates are a great riding fuel as they have lots of potassium and sugar! I reached for my flask of honey but realized it had fallen out of my pocket.

The descent into Skull Valley was a relief for my legs. When I reached the bottom for the turn-around, there was a table for food and water. I grabbed a piece of banana and stuffed it in my mouth as I handed a volunteer my water bottle. She quickly got my water topped off and I was on my way! As I headed up the hill, I saw another woman not too far behind me. I realized I needed to get a good gap on her or she would catch me.

The climb was long and grinding. I was in almost my easiest gear and grinding to the top for an hour and a half! It was a hill like none other and near the top I had to constantly feed myself with positive thoughts, "you can do this!!" I felt the onset of cramping. "Relax, relax!" Once I reached the top, there was a short uphill burst onto singletrack where you have to stand to get over it. It was then that my legs really stated to cramp. I pushed through it but eventually had to stop off my bike as my legs had seized up going down hill. There were a couple of guys behind me, "Sorry!" I said as I knew I was holding them up a little. I tried my best to be courteous to faster riders and let them around me at opportune times. I quickly shook out my legs and got back on my bike. My downhill back into Prescott had really slowed down as I was fatigued and cramping. Another woman passed me. Now I was sitting 5th overall. Finally though, I got a second wind and started to pick up the pace. I was just wanting to finish and get off the bike. The last section of single track involved a little rocky stream crossing. The previous week I did not clear it, but this time I knew the line I needed to take. "Pedal, pedal pedal!!" they yelled with their bells as I pushed over the slippery rocks. I smiled as I crossed over.

Finally, the trail ended and it was all downhill on the road into the downtown of Prescott and finishing on Whiskey Row. I crossed the line completely exhausted and was immediately handed a pint glass to fill with water. I walked to the SCOTT tent to wait for Tricia and talk to Chad. None other than Leslie Patterson (who won the pro women's race the following day) was sitting in the tent. "How was your race?" she asked. I told her how challenging the climb was and that I had so much fun but was completely wiped out. She said she had never ridden the course before. I was thinking that would be challenging for her not knowing the course, but turns out - she's pretty fast!

I hadn't realized until an hour before the awards that their were other categories (open women, masters, and singlespeed). Two of the women in front of me were in the other categories, so I ended up taking third and getting my official Whiskey Flask!! Another bonus: I had good enough results to get my pro upgrade!!

This week, it's Mesa Verde in Cortez Colorado!