Closing out the season

As December approached, I had to take a big look at what my season goals were, and how they lined up with the end of my school/work schedule. I was looking forward to the break, but knew that I had a few key events coming up that I really wanted to crush.

One of those big events that I had circled was the Hendersonville UCI weekend. It was the closest UCI race of the year, and my last chance to line up for a ProCX race. It was also the weekend before my final exams, and easily the most stressful time of the year for me. If not for Hurricane Matthew, I would have been completely free this weekend and the week following. Mother nature had different ideas.

I was coming to the end of my financial aid stipend that I got from my graduate assistant position and traveling for a full weekend wasn't looking great financially, either. Unfortunately, the time came and I had to pull the plug on Hendersonville, sending my teammate Gregg to compete by himself in the cold. In the end, I knew it was the right call. I won't be able to say that I did a national-level pro race this year, but I got some decent experience and fitness out of it. There's always next year.

Hendersonville wasn't the only big race in December, though. The state championship race was the first race back after our week off, and it was a big one for me. I decided a month or two before to line up for the single speed race, as I knew I could be competitive there, and I hoped for some success. I didn't expect it to be a given, but I knew I would at least be near the front end.

The conditions that day were great. Sloppy, slimy mud covered the course, forcing us to make quick decisions regarding running or riding, and turning the first wooded section into a foot race between the top four racers. Three or four of us established a gap at the start, and I was sitting fourth. I dismounted and ran earlier than the rest of the guys around me, but managed to maintain my momentum, instead of getting bogged down and stopping as I hopped off.

I rode the first bit of the race in second place, with first place rider Murphy Davis still in sight and third place close behind. Coming into the last lap, Murphy still had a gap going into the wooded section, but I caught and passed him running. I worked to establish a gap, pedaling when I could, making the decision to dismount and run before I got into trouble, and trusting my Tufo Cubus tires to hold me down in the turns. I ran into a bit of trouble on one switch back turn and hit the ground, but managed to maintain a gap for the creek crossing and run up that followed.

I came to the line alone, and still managed to keep my hands on the bar so John Patterson wouldn't penalize me for not being able to read my number. It was pretty emotional, and strange. I hadn't won a race in almost exactly two years, and wasn't really sure how to act afterward. It was great to be able to set a goal and achieve it, and a rare experience I'll always appreciate.

Then I got sick.