I was not really anxious to race. Due to the trail making it very hard to pass people, I had already played the race out on my head multiple times. I thought I would start in general, since I did not have a call-up, and get to at most 15th place during the start of the race, and during the open trails, like the feed zone, I would pass more people to get to at least 10th place at best. I thought that that would be the whole race.
Immediately though, things went wrong. For some reason, both of my feet unclipped from the pedals and I fell farther back trying to clip in again. As soon as I clipped in again, I sprinted strait to the single track. Somehow, I caught up to Jake by the single track, and soon after the entrance on a tight turn, someone way ahead of us, but not near first, stopped or fell. A big line formed and we had to wait to move fast, but soon we took off again, and in doing so, I past a few people.
Up until the first open trail I passed a few more people, but right when I turned the sharp right turn to get to the open trail I sprinted like mad. I sprinted like I would have no energy after. I passed even more people doing this, and luckily I still had energy left. I had no idea what place I was in, but I had caught up to Dakoda and passed him near the end of the first lap.
Soon, I was halfway through the second lap, and I had passed a few more people. Then on the biggest rocky hill on the trail, I saw Finn. I was so surprised and happy that I had actually caught up to Finn. I had assumed he was in 5th or 4th place, and there was one person behind him and in front of me. I was determined to pass him and catch up to Finn.
I started to get closer and closer to him in the last parts of the race, but on one turn that took you to the last part of the track, I slid out and lost a lot of ground. When I got back on my bike and started to sprint I saw him again, but someone had caught up to me. They were close behind me and it was my new goal not to get passed.
On the very last part of the race, I was so worried that I would get passed. I could hear him right behind me and I was tired from sprinting to get ahead in the group. It was a new feeling to me, to try to ride as fast as possible while I was very tired and there was someone right behind me. It almost felt like I was trying to get away from a monster or killer in a horror movie.
I was not going incredibly fast on the very bumpy parts, and thought he would pass me. I was not very used to riding on very bumpy and winding downhills. However, on the last climb to the finish, I pushed incredibly hard. As a result, he did not pass me, and I speeded through the finish. I was very happy with that race, especially since I ended up getting 7th. I did not expect to get that good of a position. My first league race was super fun, and I hope I had gotten a good call-up for the next race.
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