NZ Secondary Schools MTB National Champs

Training
Yes, well, about that. After Karapoti I had one week off, and then I had a whole week of school camp at OPC, where we went caving, kayaking, rock climbing, tramping, mountaineering and lots of other things. The day after I got back was the Wellington Champs, which I won, despite being so out of shape. Since that weekend I have been sick, and not able to train properly, only doing shorter rides than I would normally do. So as for the training, there isn’t really much to talk about.

Events along the way
After very little riding for nearly three weeks I wasn’t exactly in perfect shape for the PNP Club Champs. The course was short, fast and hard. The great ascent up Crazy Man and Rollercoaster put me in front of the other two girls in my category. I passed a lot of young guys as well, so I could see how much I have improved since the PNP race here last September – back then I had to get off and push the bike up the steeper sections! Then followed a great ride through beautiful native bush – the team from Wainui Trail Project have done a fantastic job here. The final downhill on Spoonhill was scary and very rooty but I managed to get down without any collisions with trees or the ground to take out a comfortable 1st place in both the PNP Club Champs and the College Sport Wellington Regional Champs (U19 Girls).

The Nationals
Racing two grades above my own turned out to be quite a challenge, but although I didn’t win it, I felt I held my own in the Under 19 Girls. I could have raced in the U14 grade but I thought the courses for that grade (only 2 laps of the 3.5km Cross-country circuit and a considerably shortened hill-climb) looked a lot less challenging than what I am accustomed to in Wellington. Also, because I race U19 in Wellington against very limited competition, I wanted to know what my successes really meant at a national level.

Cross Country
The cross country consisted of one lap of the short course (3.5km) and two laps of the long course (6.5km). In the short loop we went up the big hill that was very tiring and then back down and to the start/finish line. The long course was similar, still going up the hard hill but instead of coming back down we went down the other side of the ridge, round, up and then down. By the time I finished I was shaky with fatigue and as red as a beetroot. I ended up coming 6th out of the eight girls.

Hill climb
To put it simply, we rode up the hill. But this hill was very steep and when I got to the top I was dead, like actually at the point of collapse. On the way up I did end up passing a fair few people and that felt good. Just in front of me the whole time was somebody called Hannah. I know this because around every corner there were people shouting “Go Hannah!” and they weren’t talking to me. I got to the top (with another 6th place in U19 Girls) and prepared myself for the downhill.

Downhill
With a full face helmet, elbow pads and knee pads, a very low seat and a hard tail bike, I lined up to await my doom. Much to my personal delight I managed to ride the whole thing, and I had a great time. In my time of 5 minutes 53 seconds I earned myself my third 6th place, and giving me the overall placing of (surprise, surprise!) 6th.

At The end of the season
This event was pretty much the end of the cycling season. With winter well on its way there aren’t really any more events until August when the PNP MTB Series starts. This season has been a great success as my first season of serious competition:
 I have won the PNP MTB Series,
 I have come 1st in the Wellington PNP Club Champs,
 I have won Most Improved Junior at the Wellington Velodrome,
 I have been ranked 6th best Under 19 College Girl in New Zealand, and
 I have survived the Karapoti Classic.

I never could have achieved any of this without Bike Barn Wellington, who have been a great sponsor, and continually fixed my bikes, Gary Gibson has helped me so much, and my parents who have always been there on the sidelines cheering me on, who always drive me to my events.