Race season is here, and some of the Ride Fierce Women’s Scholarship recipients have already completed their target events, and others are hard at work training for later-season races. Here’s a short update from each of them!
Wormhole
Tasha Roemer
Tasha raced the Wormhole 50k last weekend. She finished second in open women for the 50k distance! 
Her post-race report:
The race went great! My goal was under four hours which I was well within! I thought the training program was very effective, especially since it allowed me to train with limited time. I need to continue to improve my race nutrition but I’ve already seen a lot of improvement. I usually suffer from upper back pain while riding but the weight lifting really helped! Thanks for all your support! It was a good time!
The Black Bear Enduro
Jenna Burke
Jenna Burke (@jenn_uhh28) raced the @wvenduroseries Black Bear Enduro. She was the first place beginner racer! 
Her post-race report:
I had a blast at the Black Bear Enduro! Made some great connections and loved riding somewhere new. The trails were steeper and more technical than what I’m used to riding so it definitely got me out of my comfort zone. During the pre-ride I felt a little in over my head but glad I kept riding through the stages and stuck with it. I was pleasantly surprised with my energy levels during practice and the race itself. No doubt the training plan worked! Ultimately my goal was to push myself and ride the best that I could and felt like I accomplished that. Looking forward to entering more enduro races in the future!
Follow Jenna’s journey here.
Middle Mountain Momma
Brittany Nave
I finally fell off my bike for real! And then I did it a second time the following weekend. I am actually glad it happened and happy to have that mountain biking milestone out of the way. After experiencing a lot of falls off horses as a kid, the anxiety of more falls off a bike as an adult was a real feeling for me.
Both falls were at slower speeds practicing rocky sections and leaning the bike for turns. Both times I was lucky to be riding with other ladies and I popped right off the ground.
This spring my legs are covered in bike bruises in exchange for the larger volume I’ve had in previous years gravel riding but I am having fun trying to challenge myself and learn the technical side of mountain bike riding.
I got to preview Douthat last weekend and am excited for the backcountry style race experience. We did the big climb that is on the course and it is definitely similar to ultra type effort. I need to eat and drink a lot even for just a 21 mile race in a few weeks.
Follow Brittany’s journey here.
Mackenzie Faust
I got a new job early April and that stacked with three kids has taken most of my time and energy. I’ve been mostly working in strength sessions and bikes when I can.
Follow Mackenzie’s journey here.
Julie Harner
Training has been eye-opening! It is hard to stick to a training plan while juggling work, social rides, and general mtb skills practice. But I finally learned that rested legs are MAGICAL and make such a difference in performance. One week out from Middle Mountain Momma!
Follow Julie’s journey here.
Eva Van Hook
My race is eight days away. My stomach is in knots. I’ve put in the work, but life happened. I got covid, my trainer moved, and the never ending scheduling monster kept me from riding actual trails more than I liked. All of my insecurities are worming their way into my thoughts. The biggest being, can I do the climb? Will I blow up? Will I puke?
Abi has been amazing in her guidance in training and how to manage life with my personal goals. I could not have done this without her support. I know that for a fact.
I have a few big rides left before I step to that start line. I want to make these count. Today it’s raining, which means another trainer ride. Tomorrow I will go full gas on a local trail and soak up all the stoke and confidence I can.
Follow Eva’s journey here.
Brittany Hendricks
Spring training has been really enjoyable, and I can definitely feel myself getting stronger and more confident on the bike. I had a race in Franklin County where I felt strong the whole time—and I’ll admit, beating one of the teenagers I coach was a pretty great moment.
I’ve had to dial things back a bit recently because of a minor knee injury, but I’ve stayed consistent and focused on riding smart. I’m excited to carry that momentum into race week and see how it all comes together.
Follow Brittany’s journey here.
Monday Lick Enduro
Jesse King
With the Downhill Southeast race series in full swing, I’ve been on the go learning new courses and trying new things. Racing has forced me to do tons of things I would have otherwise avoided and I’ve met lots of new women on bikes! Absolutely loving it. Looking forward to a few weeks off of racing to get more training under my belt as we get into the weeks leading up to Monday Lick Enduro in June!
Follow Jesse’s journey here.
Emily Webster
Follow Emily’s journey here.
Kourtney Rusko
Spring has been challenging for me but I’ve been trying my best to stay intentional and find the balance I need to prepare for my race. Without having my bike with me during work trips, I’ve been supplementing bike rides with trail runs and strenuous summit hikes. As well as balancing strength training with bouldering and flat water kayaking. I prioritize yoga and mindfulness movements daily and have been mixing in visualization techniques that help me reconnect with my bike off the trails
I start road-tripping to my next few work projects the beginning of May which will allow me to prioritize more time spent on my bike, and enduro-focused rides leading up to my race. I’m feeling motivated and ready to build more time on the bike. Also! I will joining Kate at Woodstock for a 6 hour team race. I’m looking so forward to sharing this experience with her, connecting with the community and spending the next couple months having fun on my bike leading up to my race.
Follow Kourtney’s journey here.
Off-Road Assault on Mt. Mitchell (ORAMM)
Bridget Brown
Things are definitely underway now. Some of my work weeks require long hours and travel so sometimes it’s tough to get the exact week I want in terms of training but consistency is key.
One of the biggest things for me this month was getting to ride some of the ORAMM course. I’ve never ridden any of the trails in that area but have heard countless stories about how brutal the trails can be and had even been told I wouldn’t be able to ride them. I was kind of nervous and I wanted to see what I was getting into. To my surprise my ride went amazing. Yes there were some challenging spots but nothing out of my wheelhouse. My mindset went from being unsure of what I was getting into to excitement and confidence that “I got this.” I definitely hope to ride the course a few more times before my race in July.
Follow Bridget’s journey here.
Kate Crockett
Moving into spring means I’ve finally emerged from the rough emotional state that winter often brings me. Winter was incredibly limited with outdoor riding, and now (even though I still do trainer rides for my more structured plans) I can add in more sunlight and nature and things just feel better.
Most significantly, I feel like I’m seeing those big payoffs from the previous months of my training! It’s validating and exciting to see I’m grabbing some PRs on most rides I do on my local trails, which then keeps me motivated in the work. It’s definitely been more challenging to balance both training and life things as I’ve had some big family events arise, so I’ve learned a lot about when to push through versus when I should back off.
I also did one of my favorite races, Fried Clay, which is a mix of gravel roads, horse trails, and double track and it’s absolutely insane but so fun. Even though I settled for a DNF because of being in my head about solo riding in the dark, my body felt the best it ever has on that race and I think it’s because of both my training and the planning strategies I’ve learned through Skadi Sports Psychology. It’s been such a gift learning how to better plan for my races and rides, and the gear from HandUp plus my ESI grips accompanied me on my last ride. I’m so grateful for the ability to do this hard work through the scholarship!
Follow Kate’s journey here.
Madison West
Training is going great. I am getting comfortable spending more hours a week on the bike and I am really feeling my base fitness improving. I live in DC so I’m still mainly getting my training in on the road but I’ve gotten to do some gravel riding in VA the past few weekends and that’s been exciting. I find myself really enjoying the descents. It’s been tough for me to find time to get out on the mountain bike but I’m hoping the gravel training is doing some to keep my off road skills decent. I recently found a crack in my mountain bike downtube so I’m looking into options for repair and possibly getting a used XC bike in the meantime.
Follow Madison’s journey here.
Julita Sulinskaite
This period was way harder than the first couple of months. The weather didn’t spoil us here still and I am tired of the indoor bike, so I spent more time hiking, running around with my toddler in the woods, doing strength workouts, and focusing on things that made me feel good.
I am finally getting out on trails this week, working on some skills, and I noticed that I feel way stronger and more confident. My first race is May 17th, I can’t wait!
Follow Julita’s journey here.
The Shed Enduro
Heather Nowell
Despite an illness that sidelined me for almost a week and work keeping me pretty busy, I managed to spontaneously check out the Punch the Unicorn race in the RVARacing Underground Spring Series and the Rockwell Brewery Bikes & Beers ride in Frederick, MD. Both were challenging in their own way and I’m so grateful for my training and CarboRocket supplements because I’m absolutely positive that I wouldn’t have been successful without that support.
Plus, I got a new bike! I’m excited to use it (with fancy pink ESI grips!) in May at the Rails to River EX2 race! Harder, better, faster, stronger!
Follow Heather’s journey here.
Slatyfork Enduro
Kate Schrock
Over the past six months, I’ve fallen into a solid groove with TrainingPeaks. It’s fun seeing what it has planned each day, especially the rest days. I feel stronger than I have in years, maybe even stronger than my bike messenger days, and having structure and coaching has made a huge difference.
A big highlight was support from the She Shreds Trail Fairy Fund. That led to two sessions with Hilary Marques of HillsMTBSkills. Turns out 20 years of riding comes with some habits… I’ve been unlearning and rebuilding, especially jumps, bunny hops, and carrying speed through flat turns.
I’ve also been leaning into “playful riding” (thanks, Abi). This mostly means I put big ol’ riser bars on my hardtail and now spend a lot of time messing around on roots and rocks, grinning like an idiot (sorry if you’re riding behind me).
Balancing training with work, two kids, and a weekend schedule is a work in progress. Sometimes workouts get skipped in favor of family time, and race days can be a tough sell when they land on my only day off. Still figuring that part out.
Also: races should absolutely bring back bounce houses and offer childcare if they want more women to race… just saying.
Follow Kate”s journey here.
Michaux GRVL
Katrina Lyddane
So far, the training through this scholarship has been incredible. The support and encouragement from the group and the training plan has truly boosted my confidence and pushed me to try new things. Because of that, I entered my first mountain bike race this year in the RVA Racing Underground Series—the Return to Leakes Mill Race on March 14th.
It was an unforgettable experience. The course was fast and challenging, and I learned a lot about both myself and racing. The community at the event was also amazing and so welcoming. I competed in the beginner women’s category and earned second place.
Since then, I’ve continued to gain more experience on the trails, and I’m really excited to race again soon. I can honestly say that without the training and support from the Women Ride Fierce Scholarship program, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to take on my first mountain bike race this year.
Thanks for the support to the other ladies in the scholarship, watching their training and success is super encouraging. And thanks to the sponsors for their support as well.
Follow Katrina’s journey here.
Tia Moore
I’ve been balancing training and post-surgery recovery, with recent progress including two group rides that have helped rebuild my confidence on the bike. I have also been dedicating time in the weight room to rebuild strength and mobility. I’m planning to ride the 40-mile route at the Loudoun 1725 in June as a gradual return to gravel events and a build-up to Michaux GRVL!
Follow Tia’s journey here.
Karen Good
Follow Karen’s journey here.
Stacey Libbert
Late spring training has been really good. I’ve gotten out on several new trails and completed my first gravel event, The Hairy Roubaix in Virginia. I was super excited about that event because I wanted it to just feel good, and it did! I enjoyed every minute and felt strong from beginning to end. Plus, I met some really cool people who were super friendly and encouraging.
I’ve also tried out a couple of new and fairly challenging gravel routes closer to home, and every time, I’m surprised by how much I’ve improved as an overall rider. I’ve even been able to complete sections of single track through rock gardens that I had previously avoided out of fear, and sections I have historically struggled with have become surprisingly “easy.” And I’ve managed to work riding my bike into my life in ways I hadn’t expected. My husband and I have a tugboat we like to spend time on, so I threw the bike on the boat and used it as transportation in different ports over Spring Break.
Aside from my growing confidence as an athlete and cyclist, the bike is taking me on a lot of new and pretty awesome adventures. This training plan has been tough but so rewarding, and I’m looking forward to a summer with even more time to ride (perks of being a teacher). Sometimes I still freak out when I think about my race this fall, but I am feeling stronger and more capable every month.
Follow Stacey’s journey here.
Again, thank you to the sponsors who have stepped up to help support these women, as well as the race directors who are a part of this scholarship:
Ride Fierce Racing 