MASS Fair Hill XC Recap
Once again, the MASS and H2H series overlap each other. I had to chose between racing the Chainstretcher (in Peekskill, NY) or Fair Hill (in Elkton, MD). Lance and I opted to head to Fair Hill. I raced Fair Hill two years ago and remembered the course being wicked fast and very flowy.
We arrived just in time to see the first lap of the Cat 1s come through. We chatted with some friends before getting ready for a warm up. The prologue included an uphill start on a gravel road. Both Lance and I wanted to get there early to ensure we had a good start position. I lined up with 33 women, the biggest field of women I've ever raced with in mountain biking. It was awesome - and a lot of the girls I knew from CX, so it was really relaxing to chat about random stuff before the start.
I was third row back when the whistle blew. I had a strong start and I made my way up the line of girls. I was fourth going down the fire road and into the woods.
I managed to catch onto the train of 2nd and 3rd place. The three of us stayed together through the first lap. Anytime we came up on someone, they practically jumped out of our way and let us pass.
Going into the 2nd lap, I moved into 2nd place, with the 3rd place girl on my wheel. We stayed together for a while...and she passed me. I was able to stay with her for a until a section that she cleared and I was blocked behind a few guys.
I finished 3rd - 12 seconds behind 2nd place. I was beyond excited about my finish. Not only did I finish 3rd in my class, but I finished 3rd overall. Both of my laps were consistent and I had an absolute blast out there. While we waited for results, we got to catch up with many of our CX friends that we haven't seen since the fall.
photos by Ben Tufford
We arrived just in time to see the first lap of the Cat 1s come through. We chatted with some friends before getting ready for a warm up. The prologue included an uphill start on a gravel road. Both Lance and I wanted to get there early to ensure we had a good start position. I lined up with 33 women, the biggest field of women I've ever raced with in mountain biking. It was awesome - and a lot of the girls I knew from CX, so it was really relaxing to chat about random stuff before the start.
I was third row back when the whistle blew. I had a strong start and I made my way up the line of girls. I was fourth going down the fire road and into the woods.
the field chasing me out of the start
I managed to catch onto the train of 2nd and 3rd place. The three of us stayed together through the first lap. Anytime we came up on someone, they practically jumped out of our way and let us pass.
Going into the 2nd lap, I moved into 2nd place, with the 3rd place girl on my wheel. We stayed together for a while...and she passed me. I was able to stay with her for a until a section that she cleared and I was blocked behind a few guys.
I finished 3rd - 12 seconds behind 2nd place. I was beyond excited about my finish. Not only did I finish 3rd in my class, but I finished 3rd overall. Both of my laps were consistent and I had an absolute blast out there. While we waited for results, we got to catch up with many of our CX friends that we haven't seen since the fall.
photos by Ben Tufford
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