Summer Series

I'm riding the Summer Series.  Monday night MTB racing at Summerhill, throughout the summer.  I'm not too sure how this happened?  I thought it would be a good idea to push myself seeing as I'm naturally lazy and don't like to feel tired.  I thought it might make me ride a couple of those tricky corners that my lack of confidence lately has seen me doing the Nana walk on.  I thought I'd just turn up, see what they were doing, and maybe ride on a different trail instead.  Nek Minnit, I've paid my $5, got a race number and I'm sitting on the imaginary start line.  Me, three other women, a teenage girl, and fifty-something testosterone filled MTBers of varying ability, all gunning for the first single track.  Holy Shit. 

Four minutes later, I realise that I actually have jelly legs, from pure adrenaline, or possibly the shock of the mass start.  I've already ridden over a stile I normally dismount for, having to time perfectly my pedal or get it stuck in the slatted wood.  I've ridden that first horrendous corner, which is bricked (I guess for traction as it's so steep and about 150 degrees, but it just seems like a brain killer to me).  Normally I'm scared just walking that.  I'm near the back of the pack, but have managed to stick amongst the other women, and have not suffered the embarrassment of being outsprinted by a ten year old. 

I missed the first two races, but have been first woman in races 3-5.  Please remember I mentioned there were only three women the first week, and that was actually the best female turn out I've seen.  And now I am the official 'series leader'.  This is quite momentous, and I must pop over to the website for a screen shot to record this moment forever.  Here it is:




I AM working harder than I do in solo training, and I AM riding bits I don't really want to.  But I'm still not really sure I like it....