I have just come back from the HSBC MTB National Championships in
Hadleigh Park near London, it's a one off race each year where the
competitors battle for the title and National jersey.

I fought for the place I had been hoping for and got third place and a
bronze medal. I am officially the third best U14 female at cross
country mountain biking in the UK. This course was also the 2012 Olympic MTB
course so it proved very tough as it was so hilly and really quite
technical with many rock gardens and tricky descents.

I started off the race not having a brilliant start and was in about
sixth / seventh place going round the first few corners so I knew I
had to step up my game and slowly pick off the girls in front of me,
so I moved up and got myself fighting for third and fourth
going through to do my second lap. As I came around for the next lap I
was in third and planning on keeping it for one more lap and edge
closer to second place. Unfortunately, as I was going through the last
few twists and turns and the last slope I ran out of time and second
finished not that far in front of me, I finished third.

Even though I was close to second, I'm still very happy with third
because that makes it my first ever National podium finish.

I will now start my training for the last National Series race in Builth Wells and my International race, European Youth Mountain Bike Championships in Pila, Italy.