Swift Summer Mountain Bike Series #1
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| Guess who made the cover of the Swift Mountain Bike Series Facebook page!! |
So my brother and I decided that we would check out a different mountain bike race series, one we haven't raced before. The Swift Summer Mountain Bike Series is held every summer in Gainesville, Florida and consists of 6 races. We figured it would be fun to try out a different venue, catch up with some of our friends, and meet some new racers. The race is held on Wednesday nights at 6:30pm with Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner, and Single Speed classes. I decided I would race the Advanced class which had three laps. Morgan wanted to do the Intermediate class which had two laps. We arrived at "The Rock" - the location of the race - early so that we could pre-ride. Wow, was it hot outside! The heat index was 103! We did a pre-ride with my dad and then relaxed until the start of the race, making sure we stayed well-hydrated.
As we all lined up at the start the Advanced class was going to be the first to go out. We had a total of 19 racers - pro and expert racers. I was excited to be racing against two juniors that I was proud to stand on the podium with throughout the FSC series: Troy Davis and Michael Mace. The three of us have been training hard and I knew that we would probably be wheel-to-wheel this race too! When the promoter yelled "GO" Michael was hot off the line racing super fast. As the three of us settled into our race pace we stayed on each other's wheels looking for the best opportunity get out in front. The course offered open meadows, lots of roots, a pump track type area, and a nice drop. The roots hammered me, but the heat and humidity was horrible. Despite the weather, I dug down deep to stay the course and Troy and I were in a comfortable 7th and 8th position going into the 3rd lap. Unfortunately, it was during that 3rd lap I was hit by a terrible pain in the middle of my back. I was on Troy's wheel and when it hit me I was forced to slow down and catch my breath. That small period of time when I was trying to work through the pain was all it took for other racers to pass me by. I made it through the finish line in 11th place. I'm really proud of how well I did and knowing what I could have done if my back had not started hurting. Very proud of my brother, Morgan, who placed 11th in a class of 45 racers! He did an awesome job and loved the course. It was a fun experience and in the end I got to do what I love doing....ride my bike!
Need to give some props to my sponsors: TwinSix - kept me as cool as possible and looking very sharp! People loved the kit and wanted to know where they could find such great looking apparel. You can find yours at TwinSix.com. SockGuy - wearing my favorite El Dia socks! You have to check out their selection of great looking, great feeling, and super funky socks! And Spy Optics - my "Screw" sunglasses - "Keep A Breast" not only helped keep the bright Florida sun out of my eyes, but they help breast cancer research. Doesn't get better than that!
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Michael, Troy, and me at the start line
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Me and Troy coming through the meadow
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Hurting as I passed through the finish line
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Morgan rockin' his TwinSix gear!
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