The shortened VAHS racing season was scheduled to be three consecutive Saturdays. But with rain forecasted for Race 1, they decided to postpone the first race and move Race 2 and Race 3 to the same weekend. Race 1 was a long day leaving by 8 am and returning after 7 pm. And then for the second weekend, with a two-hour drive towards Stokesville, RCC decided to try out another first — camping.
We took seven kids with us and brought tents, sleeping bags, cooking supplies, and spent the night underneath the stars at Stokesville Campground. It was the first time six of our seven kids had ever camped.
While VAHS asked riders to come and stay only for their own races, we did not have that option. The RCC van left early and returned late.
Saturday, May 1st: Race 1 at Miller School
7:45 AM. Van pulls into Cool Lane and starts loading up bikes and kids.
8:00 AM. Depart Richmond on way towards Charlottesville. Actually made it out on time!
8:05 AM. Pick up breakfast.
8:30 AM. Everyone is back asleep in the van.
9:55 AM. Arrive at Miller School and everyone has to wake up again.
10:15 AM. With less than an hour before the first race, everyone goes to check-in and get their race numbers.
10:25 AM. First race of the day is for the Middle School Boys. Over 110 kids head down to the start for staging as Khnaz heads down for his first-ever race.
10:30 AM. The rest of RCC stays at the top of the hill and looks down to see what a climb Khnaz has at the start. They also each get a little nervous knowing that they are going to have that same climb. We all walk around to get a better look at the gravel climb.
10:45 AM. And they are off in the Middle School Boys Race! Khnaz holds his own out of the gate and is in the middle of the pack as he passes us at the top of the hill a couple of minutes later.
10:55 AM. With only another 35 minutes until her race, Kamari rides back to the van and gets ready for her race.
11:10 AM. Khnaz emerges from the 3-mile trail and sees the finish line. He comes out smiling and with enough energy to race to the finish.
11:10 AM. Due to social distancing restrictions, racing times and results are not available until being posted online in the evening.
11:30 AM. Over 35 competitors get moving in the Middle School Girls Race. Kamari starts near the back and is able to pass by other riders on her way up the hill. In a couple of minutes, she is into the mountains and into the bulk of the race.
12:05 AM. Kamari emerges from the trail and sprints through to the finish line. She is proud of herself for finishing and carries the smile through the rest of the day. More on Kamari’s first race.
12:15 PM. With three racers still waiting for their race, they are able to go on an afternoon pre-ride to scout out the course.
12:30 PM. Pizza lunch picked up. And relaxing at our picnic spot under the RCC Tent.
3:10 PM. Over 20 competitors for the JV Girls Race. Zirriah gets going on her first race and she fights and battles her way to complete the trail. Want more about Zirrah’s perseverance, start to finish? Read here.
4:10 PM. JV Boys Race is the largest of the day with 140 competitors. RCC’s Legacy racing team has two in the field. Cousins Korey and Joe race in this massive field.
4:25 PM. As our only veteran rider, Korey not only feels confident in this setting, but he has expectations on the results. As he finishes the first of his two laps hanging in at 6th place.
4:34 PM. Joe comes through and heads back out for lap number two.
4:42 PM. Korey is having some trouble holding on to the feverish pace of the first lap, falls back at the top of the last climb and ends up finishing in 12th place.
4:58 PM: Joe comes through to the finish and wraps up our day of racing. Joe is disappointed in the results, but he knows this is only the start of his racing career.
5:15 PM. Pack everything back up
5:35 PM. Van leaves the Miller School on way home.
6:00 PM. Stop for dinner.
7:00 PM. Drop off in Richmond.
Saturday May 8th: Race 2 at Stokesville
With multiple pickups and breakfast ordered RCC gets on the road by 8 am on our way west towards the race. A stop for gas on the way and we pull into the parking lot by 10:15 am.
Morning Races
10:45 AM. Khnaz takes off and attacks the 3.5+ mile course. Last week Khnaz only had to do one lap of the Millers School’s three-mile course. But this week he has two laps, so over double the distance.
11:30 AM. Kamari takes off in the Middle School Girls race also with two laps ahead.
11:40 AM. Khnaz finishes his race. After being 92nd the previous weekend, this result moves him up 15 spots to 77th.
12:30 AM. RCC’s tent hasn’t been up for 10 minutes before the wind takes it and breaks two of the legs. It is able to stay in use for the weekend, but will have to be tossed as it cannot be collapsed without breaking completely.
12:40 PM. Kamari crosses the finish line and is very happy for it to be over. It was a long race but she pushed all the way through the finish line.
Middle of Day
1:00 PM. Our three afternoon racers go out for a pre ride to check out the Stokesville course.
1:30 PM. With over three more hours until the next race for RCC, Matt gets the kids a brainteaser to make them feel silly. Nobody is able to figure it out.
2:35 PM. “I’m not sitting on any toilet seat anyone else has, that is trifling,” says CJ as he brings a stack of baby wipes to the toilet.
3:00 PM. Everyone goes down to a small creek and has a lot of fun skipping or trying to skip rocks. Everyone agrees we will be getting in later today, even with temperatures expected to drop below 50 degrees.
Afternoon Race
4:15 PM. C.J., Joe, and Korey gear up and get ready for the JV Boys race.
4:55 PM. And they are off, over 110 boys race through the course.
5:30 PM. After holding on to 7th place for the first lap, Korey loses the top pace and finishes in 17th place.
5:44 PM. C.J. comes through to finish his first ever race.
5:50 PM. Joe finishes off our day of racing.
Camping
By 6:15 everyone is back in high spirits. People are ready to head back down to the creek. Despite the cold temperature, everyone seems excited to either get their feet wet or go for a full swim. More skipping rocks, more laughs, and about an hour before back to the van to set up a campsite.
Everyone participates as it is build-your-own-tent time. The team follows along as we put together our campsite under a beautiful setting of the blue ridge mountains. “Who is helping with dinner?” asks Matt. And to the surprise of the two adults, just about every kid says “me!” So C.J. gets put in charge of the ground beef and Khnaz takes on the spaghetti. As everyone is very intrigued with the cooking of dinner we get questions like:
“Are we making the spaghetti sauce from scratch?”
“Where are the seasonings?”
And by the time everything is done, it is dark and everyone is hungry. With Chef C.J. in charge by now, our hungriest racer is ready to eat. Before digging in though, everyone starts questioning the results, and before he can eat Joe says ”I’m scared bro,” before taking the first bite.
Not much later and everyone is happy, full, and passed out.
Sunday, May 9: Race 3 at Stokesville
By 7:30 the next morning the adults are up and Matt shakes up the tents and wishes everyone a good morning under the beautiful sunrise. Korey exits his tent with a “I am doing this again." And C.J. isn’t far behind with “we definitely gotta do this again.” Everyone seems to be in high spirits for how early it is and how cold it was last night - low 40s. Oatmeal, muffins, pop tarts, hot chocolate, and orange juice for breakfast.
Then everyone goes on a joyful morning ride. 25 minutes slightly uphill and then a fun downhill back towards the campsite. Everyone breaks down the tents and we are getting close to starting another day of racing.
Morning Races
10:45 AM. Khnaz gets going and is really starting to get comfortable with the idea of racing. He is much more focused as he starts to turn the switch from riding to racing. Despite starting in the 77th position he is up around 55th as he finishes the first lap.
11:37 AM. Khnaz cuts over 4.5 minutes off his total race time, he has two lap times faster than the previous day, and finishes the race in 63rd and feeling good about getting back to training.
11:40 AM. Feeling the nerves, Kamari starts her Middle School Girls race.
12:53 PM. Kamari comes through the finish line after grinding out the 7+ miles of trails. She is happy to have completed her now third ever race.
Late Race
4:55 PM JV boys are finally ready for the last race of the day. Korey, C.J., and Joe all get started with another large field of competitors. There is a small crash right at the start that holds up CJ, Joe, and a few others, but they get back on their bikes and out on course in no time.
5:23 PM Korey finishes in 11th place and is excited about his rebound from yesterday’s race. He shaved off nearly two minutes from his second lap time. He feels good at the end and says he is excited to get to more training in preparation for the fall NICA races.
5:41 PM. Despite another crash out on course, C.J. grinds through the finish line, tired and excited to have completed his first season of races.
5:43 PM. Joe finishes up and actually had shaved two minutes off his overall time from the previous day.
6:15 PM. Packed up and all tired, we leave Stokesville.
7:05 PM. Stop to pick up dinner.
9:15 PM. Van pulls back home in Richmond.
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop.