Choosing to do back-to-back XCM (cross-country marathon) events on the weekend following Rockstar isn’t anyone’s idea of optimal, but I had committed to both the Wormhole 100k and the Middle Mountain Momma XXC events long before I had planned to have anything to do with Rockstar. In fact, they were part of my original objection to doing Rockstar in the first place, even as a four-day “stage race.”

But, just four (five?) short days after Rockstar, I lined up at the starting line of the Wormhole 100k+, a 68-mile, 10,000 ft race in the glorious Arcadia region. The trails in this event are some of my favorites in the area, so much so that I named a previous bike “Arcadia” in their honor. Naively, I also thought that my body felt pretty good, and that I might actually be recovered enough to put in a solid effort. I was so wrong.

I didn’t even make it to the start of the first climb before I was acutely aware that I was not, in fact, recovered. At all. As the group gained momentum on the paved road leading to the National Forest trails, I attempted to produce the power needed to stay with the group, but to no avail. There was nothing. Eventually, I fell into pace alongside a friend, and, probably about two miles in, I asked him if I could quit yet. I died a thousand deaths on that first ten mile climb, and when we finally reached the first trail descent (Cornelius Creek), I was excited–and immediately disappointed. As soon as I pointed my bike downhill, I also realized just how fatigued my arms and hands still were–and how impossible it would be for me to descend at my full capacity.

Despite riding trails I know and love, the rest of the race was a grueling sufferfest. My capabilities that day were a far cry from the performance expectations I had showed up with, and my inability to reconcile those only created frustration. Still, in the end, I finished second, (far) behind the lead rider (and friend & legend), Libbey Sheldon.

When I got home and pulled my bike off of the car, I realized that somewhere along the day, I had sheared off one of my spokes. My initial reaction was, “well, I guess I’ll just run it.” The fatigue of the week had settled in fully, and I was barely functioning in my attempts to shower and eat, much less consider the possibilities for getting a spoke replaced late on a Saturday evening. I did, however, have the forethought to think that if I didn’t already have a spare spoke, that I would need to order it first thing on Monday, so sent a text to Kyle, who had been working to replace a spoke in one of my enduro wheels… and immediately protested the idea of my racing on a broken spoke, and offered to help me change it that night.

Sunday morning, I showed up at Middle Mountain Momma with zero motivation to even try racing. I know my body well enough at this point to know that after the disappointment of Wormhole, that attempting to actually race the 40 miles and 8,000 ft of climbing on tap at Middle Mountain Momma would be frustrating and ineffective. So I chose to just settle into an easy pace for the day, confident that though I would be slow, that I could at least make it through.

My slow, steady pace brought me into contact with the second place rider as we neared the start of the first descent, a techy, narrow trail with steep switchbacks coming off of Middle Mountain. I passed going into the descent, then, similar to my disappointment on the previous day, realized that though my hands and arms felt less fatigued, that the general tiredness was getting to me and I felt sluggish and sloppy–enough so that I eased up and even walked a few sections of the descent rather than pushing it and potentially crashing.

As the day continued, I found myself having a great time riding my bike. It felt more like I was out for a big ride than racing, and I spent the day talking to myself, exclaiming at each new mountain vista, oohing and aaahng at the blooming mountain laurel, and hooting and hollering on the later descents, where I felt like I’d come back to myself a bit. Ironically, I finished the race in better form than I had the year prior (albeit slower), bagged another second place, and was able to fully enjoy hanging out with fellow riders post-race.

The other exciting part of Middle Mountain Momma was seeing several of the women involved in the Ride Fierce Women’s Race Scholarship (applicants and recipients) show up and do their first ever mountain bike race. It was really fun to meet them in person and be able to cheer their finishes!

With the conclusion of Middle Mountain Momma, since the prior Saturday morning, at the start of the Rockstar Trail, 8 days earlier, I accumulated 401.91 miles and 60,066 feet of elevation, almost entirely on singletrack.

Rockstar Trail: Overall & Women’s FKT
Nationals Short Track Preview: 6th Open Women
Wormhole 100k: Open Women
Middle Mountain Momma XXC: Open Women

If anyone asks, I’m spending this week recovering. Mostly sleeping. Some eating. And only riding my bike if I feel like it (which I currently don’t).