After a not so great first enduro at Fontana, this girl was ready to have a better Sea Otter but I wasn’t sure how it was going to go since I was in bed for a whole week after Fontana, which meant I was on my bike 3 times before racing Sea Otter! I always love Sea Otter as I get to see my friends from all over the country that come to this race!! It’s my time to catch up with my favorite people!! Plus I live across the street, so it’s super easy and convenient for us to get there!

Me with Maddie, Porsha and Ryan Leech!

I felt pretty good in line for the first stage, it was the DH course that I rode once, but I knew I didn’t need to worry too much about that stage as it was the shortest. I got to the bottom of the stage and saw my time was faster than last years, so I was pretty stoked about that. I ended up riding all of the stages faster than I did last year, so again, I was happy with that. I knew I wasn’t in tip top condition with the last few weeks of illness, antibiotics and infections so I had to set a realistic goal for myself, which was to STAY ON THE BIKE and to try and beat my times from last year.

Once results came up, I was 10th. At first I was a little bummed about that, but then when I looked at the times 6-10 were all VERY close together! With all things considered running up to the race, I was satisfied. 🙂

Essence rode herself to a solid 4th place!

Brian on the other hand rode SUPER STELLAR and landed himself up on the #1 step! I was so proud of him!! He had worked super hard and earned this podium!

Brian #1, with Micah in 3rd! Way to go guys!

Our little Bae probably had one of the best podiums of the weekend, he landed himself 5th in a VERY STACKED podium with some of the best racers in the world!

My weekend wouldn’t have been possible without the AMAZING AND TALENTED MARIN BIKES MECHANICS, Gravy and Tom! They had my bikes all tuned and ready to go the whole weekend!! I am so thankful for their support!!

Gravy and Tom!

And while Dillon got to share the podium with Yoann Barelli, I got to take a quick pick with him! 🙂 <3

The first CES round was held in Fontucky, I mean, Fontana.

We showed up ready to pre-ride the day before the race and it was warm. I wasn’t feeling great because I was on some heavy duty antibiotics for a bladder infection, but I thought I would be okay to race. I figured I was just struggling because of the heat, not because my body wasn’t feeling well.

Brian and Dillon were feeling super spunky and went out on there pre-ride while I did my own. The course is a super fun course with the terrain being very similar to the Battleborn enduro in Reno, loose dirt and rocks…totally my terrain! I pretty much felt like crap on every stage and just went through them all one time so that I could get out of the heat and back to the car. It’s always better to feel bad the day before the race, rather than race day I thought!

Race Day –

I climbed up to the first stage and felt okay, I was pretty calm which is usually a good sign for me. We waited for all of the men to go, and then it was time for us ladies! I was only about a minute into my stage and I went over the bars pretty good. I looked around and there wasn’t even anything there that I could have hit, it was so strange. I just saw my face going into a bunch of rocks really quick, I somehow managed to turn my head so I only hit my chin. I got back up and finished the stage, I knew from that point on it was going to be a really long day.

Luckily I was with a bunch of super fun ladies for the race!

       Liz, Megan, Me and Essence | Thanks Called to Creation for the photo!

For the rest of the day, my goal was to stay on my bike. I made it through the day S L O W L Y, but I made it. We were supposed to stay another night to do some riding, but I really didn’t feel good so I bummed a ride off of one of my highschoolers so the boys could keep riding. That ended up being a really good idea because I woke up super sick with the flu and was in bed for a week. 🙁

Brian ended up 4th place and Dillon with a 3rd, so two podiums for those boys!!

Next up: SEA SLOTTER CLASSIC

With Round 4 of the CCCX race series in the books, I think everyone that raced will probably agree that this was a tough event! Keith laid out a similarly high speed course to last week, but this week, a few diabolical hills were added into the mix to provide just enough additional pain to make things really interesting! The course, combined with conditions that gave way to a strong dose of sunshine…and dare I say “heat” made for a challenging event that tested the riders resolve, strategy and ability to manage all aspects of a cross country race. It was a tough cookie…good thing I really like cookies 🙂

The Salinas Cowboy’s were out in force and looking especially stylish in their newly designed 2016 race kits. I personally think they look pretty classy and appealing. Not only can she coach, but Bri knows her way around a graphics file too! Nice work honey!

Despite morning fog, I felt things warming up on my pre-ride and made a last minute decision to change race attire to my trusty Cupertino Bike Shop sleevless/womens jersey/gunshow look. Tan lines be dammed, I’m a function over style type of racer…except when it comes to my IBIS Tranny 29er – that bike has got it all going on – pure speed, comfort, style AND the option of SS for real men!

If you don’t know KC Fontes, then you should definitely learn about the incredible feats he is capable of. KC always has a great attitude, cheers loud for his friends, and puts in an amount of effort, fight and battle that I will always appreciate, yet could never comprehend. He is a true inspiration. He raced the morning race and stuck around to support the rest of the Cowboy’s all afternoon. Class act.

Another shot of some fast high schoolers – many of whom landed on the podium and are making their presence known as things get serious for the HS mountain bike season. Not only do the kids make the event WAY MORE FUN and competitive, they also bring some seriously DEEELICIOUS tacos to the race when Palma Chef extraordinaire, George Garibay pulls out all of the stops to raise money for the team by offering the best tacos you have ever had! YUMMY!

If you see Nick and he isn’t smiling then check his pulse because something is wrong! Another example of the great people involved in HS mountain bike racing. These kids are some of the best I have ever met. This is probably a reflection of the entire family’s involvement as Nick’s parents are always helpful and willing to lend a hand to anyone who needs it in the pits – as I have first hand experience with!

Dillon has logged a handful of races upon his trusty IBIS Tranny 29er, and while he is using the XC events to build some fitness, he is really just biding his time for the California Enduro Series (CES) where he will focus his talents on the more technically demanding terrain and conditions of Enduro Racing aboard his IBIS Ripley LS.

Without my partner in crime and CES teammate, Micah, to crack the whip, I had to self-motivate myself today and in doing so, I slipped pretty deep into the pain cave. A consistent CCCX fixture, Josh Walker kept my honest for several laps and then I spent a good bit of time riding with another popular NorCal racer in Kevin Smallman and had an absolute blast with him! We were riding through single track completely tapped out, taking corners way too fast and basically having fun racing bikes! In the end, a few lappers divided us up just a little bit and I figured I could simply soft pedal to the finish line. Well, when I came around the last corner there was another rider between myself and the checkered flag which only means one thing to a racer – “I must pass him”. The ensuing sprint for no fame, glamour or prize money took the last little bit of reserve I had in the tank. Finish empty. Racing bikes is RAD!

Trail Head Cyclery / Specialized Alex Wild, once again, proved his pedal bike prowess – this time leaving no doubt about his resolve and ability to dig deep…look closely and you can see the saddle is missing from his race winning machine! He rode most of the race without a saddle and still was able to hammer out another “W”. Wow. Talk about perseverance! Jett put in another solid ride and Quadzilla’s Alex Kramer made a return after take a few weeks off to land yet, another solid pro podium. Among a sea of young up-and-comers, Alex is proving age is just a number and his 40th birthday doesn’t seem to be slowing him down at all! What a stud!

Micah left the top step of the podium vacant today as he decided to hit up the CCCX road race this weekend for a change of pace. I figured it would be a shame to let it sit lonely when one of the “2 old men and a kid” teammates was in the field and ready to fill in. It hurt, but it was worth it.

A post race cool down ride with Dillon, Alex and the infamous Chris Burnham was just the thing I needed to remind me that riding bikes makes my legs tired and my body whine out in discomfort. Chris said “this is the best time to ride with you guys” having little sympathy…That’s why we love him!

Until the next adventure, keep having fun and loving what you do!