On Saturday morning at 4:30 am my hand reached for my phone and opened the weather app before even silencing the alarm. The day before the rumor mills had been working overtime building up the coming weather. Some people claimed that severe thunderstorms, hail, and tornados were making their way to Bentonville, Arkansas while others said that it was all an over-reaction and we’d be lucky to see any rain at all. The race organizers responded accordingly and produced a contingency plan with several options to deploy depending on the weather and they said they would make a final decision before 6:30 am. With still 2 hours to that decision time, there was no new news so I got out of bed and proceeded as normal. 

It felt somewhat strange to prepare for a race without knowing exactly what would happen. I didn’t know the distance we would cover, the course conditions, or if we would race at all. But I did know one thing for certain: I could tolerate the uncertainty. Enso Mental Performance has said that sentence to me so many times over the last 2 years and things were starting to click. I had built up that tolerance like a muscle and now was the perfect time to let it go to work.

As I warmed up for the race there was still no news, but with about 20 minutes until the start they announced that they needed to shorten the 100 mile race to 50 miles to try to beat the storm. Now, we would all race for the finale of the Grand Prix, on a shortened course than none of us had pre-ridden. The stakes were high, but the pace would be higher. 

The chaos began from the moment the neutral start ended. Attacks started flying and pretty much never stopped. With a shortened course, nearly every move was worth following and the field reacted accordingly. Described by many as a “gravel crit” the pace was hot, the field was tight, and no move was going to stick. 

The field would stretch out through the difficult terrain or if someone made a mistake splitting the group, but it would always eventually come together. We dropped people just a few at a time thinning out the group bit by bit as the limited time wore on. 

I thought my day might be over when I got pushed into a ditch on one of the most decisive climbs forcing me to waddle along on my bit pulling myself out of the clutter and then riding along with a huge stick in my spokes making noises like a kid rocking a baseball card. A few racers kindly told me it was there, to which I responded with a laugh and a “I know.” There was no time to stop for adjustments. Every time it felt like I made a mistake that might cost me the race, I found a way to claw my way back into the mix and sitting with 3 miles to go in the main group feeling relatively good, I thought I had as good of a shot as any to win the thing and I think I did, but only one person can. 

With 3 miles to go there was a small singletrack trail on the inside of a corner that we were supposed to take as opposed to the longer, but smoother and faster outside line on the road. The group panicked when hitting this juncture, unsure of which way to go. The slowing reverberated through the field impacting those further back the most. By the time I ended the singletrack I was at a near halt, while those who had mistakenly take the road were now accelerating around the corner. It was my nail in the coffin on the day. With just 3 miles to go, the group got away, but my race wasn’t over yet. 

As I looked up the road watching the dynamics in the group, toiling to bring them back one more time, I noticed that one rider was falling off the back and it was exactly who I needed to beat in the Grand Prix Overall to hold my position. Now a new race was a foot. When we connected with just 2 miles to go, I attacked twice but she was determined to hold my wheel. We came into the finish chute together in the most painful game of cat and mouse I’ve ever been in, but I actually breathed deep, metaphorically closed my eyes and listened to my instincts.  When they said go, I didn’t hesitate and I raced to the line like it was for the win. I came out on top and thus held onto my position in the overall in the Lifetime Grand Prix (8^th). 

That concludes 4 for 4 seasons in the Lifetime Grand Prix making it in the Top-10 Overall. There are only 2 other women and 2 other men with that record a testament to how grueling this series is and how hard it is to put it together despite all hurdles over and over again. 

Thank you all for an amazing 2025 season, I really believe that 2026 will be the best yet.