Ponytails and Racing Trails

This past weekend I raced the Canada Cup/Ontario Cup at Hardwood. After taking a lot of time off my bike last week because of my elbow, I wasn't sure how this weekend would go. I went into the race with hopes that I might be able to podium. Pre-riding was a lot of fun. I took the first lap slow to see how my elbow felt as it was still sore. Then I went out for a faster lap with my dad to ask for tips about what the best line was to ride on certain trails. The course was awesome! It was extremely difficult with a lot of steep downhills and drops. I figured out how to ride Boneshaker which is an extremely steep, rocky downhill that many racers struggle with and that many racers crash on. I also rode the Deena's Joyride drop for the first time this year which I was super proud of. Deena's Joyride is a rock drop that you have to get air off of so as not to crash. This drop is followed by a sharp corner with a wooden wall ride which is super fun! (Pictures below) Boneshake...

Today I raced the Canada Cup at Horseshoe, which has always been my favourite place to race since I love hills. I had been training hard in the weeks leading up to this race and have definitely gained both speed and skills. I was ready to go head-to-head with Nicole once again. Saturday morning my dad, younger sister and I headed up to pre-ride the course. While my dad went for a lap with my sister, I headed out by myself to do my typical three laps: one lap slow to learn the trails, one lap faster at race pace, and my last lap with my dad in case he had any wisdom to pass on to me. On my second lap I took a rock garden too fast and with too much confidence. I went over my bars and hit the ground hard. My bike cartwheeled over me—apparently it looked pretty epic... it didn’t feel epic, though. I landed mostly on my left shoulder with my face to the ground and my stomach on a big flat rock. I got up slowly and sat on the ground for a while—to catch my breath and evalu...