Laura's story: Shenandoah Mountain 100
BaseCamp athlete Laura Felicetti shared her experience at the 2026 Shenandoah Mountain 100 bike race in Virginia.
Oof. This old lady was mentally and physically TIRED for this race. Honestly, I didn't want to do it. I just wanted to be done with the season, but I went. I did a ride the day before. It didn't go well. I was almost in tears with how terrible I felt and rode. Fortunately, Maia was there, and she quickly fed me and gave me a pep talk. The next day, I lined up and I rode. I rode better than I hoped but not as well as I know I can. The skies opened. There was lots of rain, lightning, and thunder. I kept riding. There were many times I didn't think I'd make it. There were many places I could've taken a different turn and called it a day. But I kept my mental mantras going and gave myself pep talks along the way and simply got it done. I finished first in my category. Sixth overall. Not terrible, but not what I wanted.
As I look back over the year, the first year I've ever been coached and the first year I've done these long mountain bike races, I'm happy with how the year went. I came into this as a learning season. My only goals were to have fun, not quit, not be afraid to fail, and to meet some cool people. I can honestly say I never quit. While I was afraid to "fail," I didn't let it stop me. I kept going. And while I might not have ridden the way I hope in some races (and not every minute was fun), I realize these are not failures. This is life. I kept going, and I will continue to ride, race, and grow. Not all races will go the way I want, and that's okay! There will be more races. I met a lot of cool people and made some new friends, which I'm so excited about. What I'm most proud of is my mental growth. The fear of failure has always held me back, but I'm not letting it anymore. I'm not only doing this on the bike, I'm doing this in other aspects of life. The mental coaching has been hugely helpful. And I know I'm only going to get stronger mentally and physcially next year. Looking forward to another year with Maia and BaseCamp!
Now I'm going to go listen the restoration podcast. :)
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