PARK your wideload in the CITY.

Another one bites the dust.

To the point: we win some, we loose some....except I haven't been able to 'win some' (yet). So I was sitting on the balcony of our condo at Park City this weekend, sipping a delightful pink energy drink and nibbling on oatmeal, wishing myself to the top of a podium. That's all well and good. But then when the gun fired hours later, I didn't jump like I was springing to the top of that podium.

The coach and I talked strategy and I knew I couldn't win this race in the first lap. What I failed to realize was that I could loose it in lap one. I went into the first climb second to last. I passed one rider. That put me at 16th. The next climb I moved up 3 places. And then before the long descent I moved up 3 more. Still only setting at 10th place. By not getting a good “up front seat” early on I made it nearly impossible to be a podium contender. I see the folly in my thinking. Conservative is smart, but only to a point. This is a race. I must jump off the line like a hive of bees are chasing me and I have honey on my ass. I firmly believe that for me the intensity I start with is the intensity I maintain. When I have hard, fast starts I typically maintain a higher overall intensity vs. when I go out easier I have a hard time getting to those high numbers. I think my start was my biggest error this weekend. In a field that size and on a course with so much single track position is key.

Granted field size is relative. Iles was up against 80. Chambers was out there with 60 other guys. My 18 women doesn't seem so daunting now does it! **don't be hard on yourself, Musick, positive, positive, repeat, positive**

So I really think you “learn how to win races”. There is so much that goes into race finishes alone. I’m glad that I am becoming a consistent finisher. I’m doing a lot of things right, but I’ve yet to take all those rights and push them up to the top of my category. I don’t want to be a struggling Expert. But, I know that these experiences prepare me for the massive Pro level. I really want to learn what it feels like to win. I was really close in Angle Fire in both the XC and the STXC. I was clutching the XC win for a good part of that race.

"Head in the game, Sarah, head in the game. Crested Butte is days away!"

Over and out. Both.