Just like that, the first UCI World Cup of the year is over! It seems like yesterday we were in China finishing up 2018, and now 2019 is well underway. This was my first event back, other than the small event the week prior in North Carolina. Injury-wise, the knee feels completely normal. It was a little tough not being able to progress as much as I wanted during the off-season, but I'm just happy to be back on the bike!
The trip to Japan was amazing. We stayed right in town this time, walking distance from the Peace Memorial Park and the event venue. I felt like I was becoming a local, creating my routine. I feel like I got to experience a lot more of the food this time around, since last year our hotel was pretty far from everything.
Event-wise, it was pretty hectic! With 38 girls, it was (I believe) our biggest women's class to date. We had practice Thursday, and then qualifying, semi-finals, and finals the following days the rest of the week. I felt pretty decent on the bike, and was able to apply some stuff I had been working on to the course, which felt rally good. Long story short, I made it through all the stages and wound up in finals for the big show. Unfortunately when it came down to it, I made some mistakes in my run and didn't put it all together as planned. I definitely got emotional about it, just being hard on myself about not accomplishing what I had set out, but the end of the day I walked away healthy and with a 7th placeand some valuable points for towards Olympic qualification.
Can't wait to go back to Japan, it was such a fun experience and never a dull moment roaming the streets and spending time with the amazing family that BMX has given me.
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