Big M
One of my favorite trails!
Just saying the name
unravels me into down hills with thick sand, and spiraled roots.
With a hill that fells like miles! Plus
plenty of twisty- turn(y) sections that were so fun, it left me in stitches!
Anyway,
Big M is 6 miles long and is known as the momentum preserver trail.
I was
lined up at the start line and some trash talk was being unfolded...
“I’m
going to beat you guys you know!” bragged the littlest of us (Probably 7yrs
old)
“Ohhhh!
Some trash talk at the start line!!!” said my dad. I wanted to keep it…modest.
“We’ll
see about that,” I said.
“You’ll
see this when I’m in front of you!!” He said, as he pointed to his seat.
“You’ll
hear this when I’m in front of you,” I replied, pointing at my camel pak
containing my dad’s phone, playing music clearly loud enough for anyone to
hear.
When
the 7yr old boy turned around and looked ahead, the older boy (about my age),
looked at me and said: “Heh, heh, ‘We’ll see about that.’ ’” he said, repeating
what I had said,”Heh, nice one.”
“But
seriously you’re probably my only competition- maybe.”
“Probably,”
I replied “Is this a first time?”
“Yea.I
have a new bike and everything! Just got done in the shop, we’re talkin’ SUPER
expensive! “He said rubbing his thumb and pointing fingers together.
“This
is my 1st race too!” I said,”-With a new bike that is! I’ve been
biking since I was 7!”
We kept on talk for a while until it was
time to start. I was a bit rusty at first, for I had not raced in 4 weeks.
I was very fortunate to stay upright for
the whole race. The first race on my new bike was great with a time of 38
minutes (I hoped for 30 minutes but 38 is fine), and 1st- out of the
other boys (“Like I said, you’re my only competition!”)
Ore-2-Shore,
here I come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ore-2-Shore
Ore-to-Shore has finally come; the HUGE
48miler in Marquette has finally come!!!
Nervous?
Yes!
Ready?
Not so much…
My cousins, and aunt and uncle were there
too.
Wearing
T-shirts that said; ‘TEAM AVERY, O2S, ORE-2-SHORE’ so they looked like a giant
cheering squadron!
If I make it, I’ll be history!! If I don’t….
Let’s just think about making it!!!
I
thought deeply
My
stomach was squeezed together,
My
head was pounding,
And
my heart was throbbing!!!
It
was a matter before time when we start!
What
if I have to DNF (Did not finish)?????
Now
that really scared me!!!!
It was
30min before we start!!! I had to calm myself!!!
“Nervous?”
asked a voice. I turned around, it was dad, I almost forgot he was there!!! I
nodded vigorously and said, “Very,”
We did the ‘National Anthem’ with hands
across heart. After that, all eyes were on me-at least that’s what it felt
like!!! Then it started. My stomach hurt more than ever!
On the cement, while I drafted off of my dad’s
wheel, people were asking me TONS of questions; “Are you doing the full
Ore-to-Shore?”, “How old are you?”,” Is that your daughter?” Of course all of those questions
were answered.
When we
on the dirt, the hills-not so easy.
Turns
out that people were in packs so if
some don’t make it…
You
can do the math.
One
thing’s for sure, it adds up into a real traffic jam!
Wet
grass was a real problem in the beginning, but the sand was the worst of them
all!!!
At
one point, dad had a bike breakdown, so I went solo.
That
freaked me out…
Me…by
myself… in the Ore-to-Shore!!!
Little
did I know that just minutes later, my front wheel hit a loose rock, and WHACK!!!
Next
thing I knew, there was a lady in my face.
“Are
you okay?” she asked
“Huh?”
I said, I felt… dazed.
My
lip hurt, it felt numb and stingy…
My
lip! I took my glove and touched my lip…
Red
liquid…
That
could only means one thing…
“Blood…” I whispered.
“It
looks like your front fork broke!” She said, “It must’ve broken on your fall.”
I
looked at my bike.
Where’s my front wheel? I thought. I looked
down the hill.
There
it was, my poor wheel down near some weeds.
I felt
my head, it was pounding, and I almost forgot that she was there!
She
gasped and asked me what day it was,
“August
10th 2013, or it’s the ‘Ore-to-Shore’ day” I replied.
She
exhaled with great relief.
Wait!
The Ore-to-Shore, my fall, my front wheel! What if I have to DNF???
I could feel my heart tearing in half; and my
eyes were red and itchy.
Then… all of this work, all of this money put
into it… for nothing… all…wasted…
The/9+
woman saw me and ran down to the bottom, grabbed my wheel, and came running
back up and tweaked it back onto my bike as tight as it could go.
“Thanks
for EVERYTHING!” I said
Then
out of nowhere, my family came!
My dad
came-too.
“What
happened?” he asked.
To much to explain
“Let’s
go!!!” he said
So we
took off-again.
Down hills, up hills, washouts, killer MOUNTAINS.
We were
only 5miles away.
When
will it be done?
3 miles
I went
a bit faster
2 miles
I sped
up
1 mile,
one singular mile left, one, one mile.
I went
my MAX.
“Avery!
C’mon Avery!!!”
I heard
my cheering squad.
I went
my ULTIMATE MAXIMUM speed using all my energy.
And…..
I sped
past the finish line!!!
Done…
at last...
“Avery,
hey, Avery, you did a super job.”
said my
youngest cousin, Kayden.
“Aww.”
Said the adults in the family, “Thanks,” I said.
My new
record has been set.
Youngest
to finish the Ore-to-Shore!
In 5hrs
and 1 minute (one minute over my hopes!)
I have
made history- again!!!!
Maybury
At Maybury, we rode it backwards.
Yup, backwards.
They
also added an extra 3miles in from last year, so now its 9miles per lap.
My
legs hurt in the beginning, after the Ore-to-Shore, why WOULD’T they hurt?
It
started in the weeds, then, it twisted around. As the trail twisted around, we
saw 3 horses, standing, tied to a tree.
They
were pretty horses, anyway, back to the race.
At one
point, I felt SUPER drained, apparently Dad noticed, because he said;
“Hit
the gas!”
I had an idea.
“Hey,
Dad,”
“Yea?”
“Tell
me something that makes me mad,”
“WHAT???”
“SAY
SOMETHIN’ THAT MAKES ME MAD!!!”
Geez! Just having to repeat it makes me angry!
“Okay,”
he said.
It
took a few minutes for him to think, then finally;
“Your
sister has a faster sprint than you- on the down hills!!!”
Mad?
No!
Furious?
Heck
Yeah!
I went
fast.
“That
girl you beat in Canonsburg, is gonna beat us and think you’re so cute and say;
‘To
bad I had to beat that cute little girl!’”
I went
fastererer.
He kept on feeding me little ‘fake facts’ until I
went my practical max.
I kept it like that until-
2miles
Faster
1mile!
Fastererer
Almost
there…
And………….
FINISH!!!
1st
place, and a time of 1 hour and 1 minute!
Big M?
DONE
Ore-2-Shore?
DONE
Maybury?
CHECK PLEASE
Next
stop, Stony Creek!!!
Avery
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