BWR Montana

BWR Quad-Triple Crown Series 4th Place

Did I win BWR Montana? No. Did I get top 5? No. But I did get 6th.

In sport, there are lots of ups and downs - lots of hopes and dreams that you work hard to achieve. That means following my training, eating well, and showing up for myself on race day. Even with all these process goals, sometimes the outcome just isn’t what you hoped for.

This race, in particular, got me thinking, thinking about being in the middle. Somewhere stuck between winning and falling short. Partially questioning my choices, and partially rejoicing in how far I’ve come.

It’s a fine line in cycling, constantly trying to move the needle in a positive direction but that just isn’t always reality.

After Unbound, I’m not going to lie - I was cracked. I took a week off the bike, and even that felt like it fell short of the recovery I needed to reconnect my mind and body, to take on BWR Montana - or any race, for that matter.

The few weeks leading up to this event were anything but perfect. Failed workouts, lack of motivation, and an overall slump. After achieving my biggest goal, finishing Unbound, it was hard to mentally get back to work. But even without the motivation, I kept showing up. I found joy in small victories, stopped looking at power during workouts, and just rode the best I could.

Then it was BWR Montana week. I was excited. As the finals of the Quad-Triple Crown series, I wanted to hold my position - or even move up in the standings. I was sitting 4th overall going into the event, and with a stacked women’s field, I knew I’d have to bring my best.

Race morning, I felt more nervous than usual. I hadn’t been feeling my best in the weeks prior, but I really wanted a result here. So, I told myself: just give your best effort whatever that looks like today.

They called me up to the start line - front row. One part of me felt imposter syndrome, the other part believed: this is where I belong, and this is where I plan to finish.

The gun goes off. It’s a 2-mile neutral rollout, but still full of power spikes up repeated rollers. I stayed with the front group men and women until mile 19, when we hit a steep climb and the group shattered. In the chaos, I had no clue where I stood. Am I in 3rd or 10th? I thought.

At mile 23, I got a pack hand-up from my mom, little did we know it was at the bottom of a 900-foot climb. Not ideal for me already a heavier rider compared to some of the other women I didn’t want to carry extra weight up that climb.

I got dropped by two more riders on that climb and felt like I was crawling. The next 40 miles were more of the same fast descents followed by steep climbs. None as long as the first but sustained enough that I felt out of my comfort zone. I started to wonder how I’d ever compete with the top women at Leadville, knowing there will be even more sustained climbing.

Eventually, I made it to mile 67, aid station 2, and got caught by a male rider. We worked together for quite a while, and this turned out to be my favorite part of the course: fast, open fire roads with those picturesque Montana views.

Then came two more climbs to the finish. I struggled up both, just wishing I could float up them like I have on other days. But that just wasn’t the ride I was having.

After the final climbs, we hit the section I was most looking forward to: singletrack! This is where I felt the most confident. I was smiling ear to ear, descending through grassy fields lined with purple and yellow wildflowers.

I crossed the line in 6th with a #6 number plate.

Was this the result I wanted? No.
Did I make mistakes? Yes.

But I’m proud of how mentally strong I stayed, even when the day didn’t go to plan. I kept pushing forward. I never, ever gave up.

I finished the BWR Quad-Triple Crown series in 4th place overall. I'm proud of that and I can’t wait to give the series another crack next year and aim even higher.

Now it’s time to switch gears.
It’s mountain bike season.

It’s high-altitude training season.

Leadville is up next.