KELLI EMMETT - NMBS FINALS

Hard to believe the racing season is almost finished for the year. Cooler temps and the threat of snow definitely made me realize that it is time to put away the mountain bike and get ready for cross. But, there was still one weekend of mountain bike racing left, NMBS Finals, in Brian Head, UT. A true mountain bike course with one big loop at that tops out at 11,000 ft. and has some of the sickest trails in the area. At 11,000 ft., even the strongest riders feel as weak as a 3-day-old kitten. The racing schedule this past weekend was a bit different then most NMBS, since we had the short tack and the Super D first on Saturday and then the XC on Sunday. I decided to be a little conservative in the short track since there was lots of racing to be had and my usual tactic of blowing up in the first 5 minutes didn't seem to get me into the top 5 ever. The plan actually worked and I felt great. I was in a break of 4 for the majority of the race. Half way through the 2nd to last lap Katerina Nash attacked and Lea went with her and Georgia and I feel off the back of the group. As we went into the last lap, Georgia and I sprinted to the line and I was able to hold her off and finish 3rd! I was pretty psyched since it the first time I have ever made it to the at a high altitude short track. Maybe I am figuring a few things out???

The next event, Super D, was suppose to be that evening after the short track but terrible lightening storms caused the lifts to shut down and the event was moved to Sunday at 11:30 -- just a few hours before the XC. Doing a Super D before a long XC event isn't always the best prep but the course was so much fun that I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Race organizers prepared us for possible cancellations for both races since there were threats of rain mixed with snow storms for Sunday. It ended up being pretty cold and rainy Sunday morning but the skies started to clear when the racing began. On the chairlift to the start of the Super D, I did worry about poor Carl going hypothermic since he is a pretty skinny guy but we cuddled together and screamed every time we got hit with hail. But, it turned out to be worth it in the end. We both won the Super D and were nicely warmed up for our XC races. ((Editor’s note: Also Kelli was 3rd over all for the Super D series))

Finally, the longest race of the weekend. I decided to take what I learned from the “School of Carl Decker Starts” and ease my way into the race. I let some of the girls ride away at the start of the race with hopes to reel them back in towards the end of the race. I hit the top of the first climb in the top 10 and then halfway through the race I made contact with the top 5 but wasn't able to stay with them through the steep climbing bits. I did bring a few girls back and ended up finishing 7th. Oh, well… I gave it the ol' college try and had a blast ripping the some of the best single track in the country. The mountain bike season is now finished and it is time for cross!!!