I can't believe it's been over a month since I wrote here. Time flies when you're a busy little monkey! There was some fun thrown in for good measure, but mostly I've just been too busy to write. In my previous post I was debating whether or not I should race in the Air Downhill at Crankworx.
I debated this until the second of my supposed start time. Two days prior I had hired a private coach to help me gain a little more confidence on A Line. It worked. He was amazing and I felt good and I was hitting that wretched drop that almost killed me. I still hadn't hit the drop at the finish line, or put together a single top to bottom run, but I learned a few tricks about where I could make up some time and where I was able to relax a bit.
The day before the race was a big party at my favorite Whistler bar. Lots of people were there. The GLC is known for their buckets of booze. Buckets are just massive drinks on the cheap and they're fun to carry around. My friends and I started the evening with a bucket and one thing led to another and before we knew it we were getting pretty rowdy. I knew that going out the night before the only race I cared about may have been the worst idea ever, but I was nervous and needed something to take my mind off of the next day's events... if I decided to race.
Wednesday morning rolls around. My start time is around 11:45 am. I still can't decide if I should or can race. Our booth was severely understaffed and I didn't want to leave my coworkers alone in an unfamiliar place. The clouds were looming. I felt like death. That was it. There would be no way I would have time to race. It just wasn't in the cards. I was upset that I couldn't pull it off, but I was there to work first, ride second.
As 11:30 approached my friend Nathalie stopped by the booth. She asked if I was racing. I told her I didn't have time and at 11:30 there was no way I could even make it before my start. She told me that she was in charge of the start order and that she could give me until about 1pm. I laughed, still feeling like death from the night before but figured this would be my only shot. My coach would be so annoyed with me if he knew I'd partied the night before and missed my start time, but it is what it is. I was unable to get up the lift in time for a practice run so I had one shot to do this. My practice run was my race run.
I was petrified. I was so worried I would crash and so worried I would come in dead last. My 3 goals for the race were to stay upright, not get dead last, and try to beat 6:00 - an imaginary time I made up as important to beat. I lined up in front of the men's class that my new time placed me in. I had a bunch of friends racing in that class so we all gave each other high fives and off I went to the start gate. I don't know what it was, but I was incredibly relaxed once the beeping started for me to drop in. I just didn't care that much anymore. I knew I hadn't rested properly. I hadn't practiced enough. I wasn't going to win so I just cruised. I didn't pedal much. I tool it as an opportunity to ride A Line without someone breathing down my neck. That pretty much never happens when you're just riding the park.
I found lots of people along the way. No one cared I was a slow girl; they cheered for me anyways. I held all of my lines we practiced. I hit the rock drop with fear, but confidence and made it fine. The only thing left to do was the drop at the finish which I'd only done once before and not for a couple months. I figured I had the skills to do it. I just needed to go fast enough to clear it. So away I went, pedaling for a bind takeoff. I could hear people cheering as I sailed off of the lip. I landed perfectly clean and rode through the finish line. I looked up to find that I didn't get last! (I got second to last! haha). I didn't crash. I didn't get last. My time was 5:54. Goals achieved!
I was thrilled with how things went. I was shaking from adrenaline, when I realized I had to get back to work! My six minutes of glory were over, but dang they were awesome. Now I know that I can do this and I can fit in in the women's class. Next year I'll be a bit smarter about preperation. Next year I'll aim for 5:45. Next year I'll get a practice run in. All I know is I did it. I'm stoked, and ready for more.
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