Vail Lake Race Report

Our first race is done! WOW! What an intense and exciting day. 12 of our 15 riders were able to make it to the race, and 9 of them experienced their first ever mountain bike race. Ready for the best news? All 12 finished!!! That must be some sort of record. Mountain bike races are hard to finish! One rider was suffering with the flu, a couple had crashes, and one flatted near the start/finish lap on their second lap. But, like the Knights that they are, they all persevered and worked their way through any adversity that they were faced with. I couldn't be more proud!

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For Lance and I, the day started at 5:00am. By 5:30 am we were on the road headed to Temecula. Arriving at Vail Lake, we were greeted with 30 degree weather. Ouch! By 7:30am, most of the families had arrived and in short order our pit area was setup. Team prayer, and then we were off for our pre-ride.


The racing came soon enough. The riders all had the pre-race jitters, but everyone made it off the starting line safely. The JV riders were off first, and headed out for 3 laps. 5 minutes later, the Frosh/Soph riders were off for 2 laps. Our podium award came from Russell Mays who finished 5th in the Frosh/Soph race.


All of the riders waited around the Finish line to cheer on their teammates. We all waited until the last rider was in. After everyone was off the course we gathered back at the team pit for more food! All of the families out-did themselves with the food and drink. What a sampling. It was also Joseph's birthday, so we were all treated to cupcakes!

At the awards ceremony, our team took pride in knowing that they all tried their hardest. It was fun to watch all of the riders receive their awards. Our greatest accomplishment was that our first race was now done, and we have 12 excited mountain bike racers. Our next race at Warner Springs is just two short weeks away. Look out competition!