XC is Windy!

The Sea Otter Classic XC race is one of the longest courses and once again depending on weather can be a challenge. We do two laps around an 19+ mile course, which is long. Especially when there are gale force winds to be reconded with.

Due to the condition of my bike from the nasty short track race the day before, the mechanics had to take some time to fix it up and since I am unfortunately not the only one on the team and the tent that morning was in complete chaos, I ended up only getting about a 20 minute warm-up but warm-up shworm-up...who needs it especially on such a long course. Any ways, so we all gather for the call up, and they start calling up the usual front row ie, georgia, heather, wendy....i get settled in for the long wait when all the sudden I hear "NUMBER 224...Emily Van Meter" Holy crap! I am second row right behind Georgia and Heather Irmiger.



Not that a kick butt start position matters any for this course, which starts on the raceway for about the first quarter mile. By the way I know MTBer's are supposed to be better bike handlers...you would never guess when you have them all start like a road race start. They was bobbing and weaving and whoos and ahhhs. SCARY! So we wind on to the course and I am towards the front when Shonny Vanlandingham comes up my side. I decide to take this amazing opportunity to ride on one of the top women's in the countries wheel and jump on for the ride! She is definitley an amazing bike handler! In just those 15 minutes I pushed myself more that I ever have and don't regret any minute of it. I then proceeded to become one with a bush coming down the sand pit and Vanlandingham is gone. But I push and push and ride what I think is the best race ever...I spent the rest of the time riding with teammate Nina for a while and then my teammate Sue came up and coaxed me to keep going and not give up. This was on the second lap and I was definitley feeling the efforts from the first lap...so where a lot of others....I came across Shonny siting in the feed zone, passed Katie Compton(winner of the Short Track race) and then caught up to Chloe Forsman from the Luna Chix, but who then later proceeded to drop me and took off on the hill that consisted of one of the most nasty head winds ever. Between the cramping and the wind I just buried myself for the finish and wound up 21st!! which I am pretty happy about!