4x Podium: Photo Credit Long NguyenWell, I'm not really sure how to start this post...I'm still trying to take it all in! When I started racing bikes in 2003 just as a fun thing to do on some of the summer weekends, I'm not sure that I dreamed that one day I would stand on the top of the podium as the Elite Women's 4x National Champion! As the years of racing went on and I got more and more serious about it, I did start to dream of one day standing on top of that podium box, and this past weekend, that dream became a reality!!!
Our MTB National Championships were held in Sol Vista, CO, and both the DH and 4x courses were super challenging! 4x has always been my favourite of the two events, and that's definitely where my heart and focus were this past weekend! We had several days and many hours to practice the course, and it changed a couple of times throughout the weekend due to some unsafe features in the course at the beginning.
Finishing straight...on my way to the victory!!Photo Credit: Long Nguyen
I crashed in my qualifying run after pulling my foot out of my pedal over the double on the 3rd straight, so I was a bit disappointed about that. I still managed to qualify 2nd behind Melissa, though, so that was good for gate selection at least. After what seemed like endless practice on Saturday, we finally started racing around 7:30 with the Pro Men whittling down their field of 32 to the finals. Since there were only 4 of us racing, we did a lot of standing around and watching a lot of passing, sliding out, and crashing ensue before we got to race!
2010 US Nationals 4x Course - Sol Vista >>
Helmet Cam View of the course
It was finally our turn to get in the gate, and our first round was the finals, so it was all or nothing!! Melissa took lane 2, me in 3, and Jackie in 1. Cathy hurt her arm at the end of practice, so she wasn't able to race the finals with us. Melissa got a great gate, and mine was okay. Jackie and I started battling in the first off-camber, loose-as-shit first corner, and I knew that I had to get ahead of her before the end of the 2nd straight otherwise the night was gonna end poorly for me! I charged hard and dove into the berm before her and then got great backside on the doubles in the 3rd straight. Melissa took the outside line down the 3rd straight which had a great berm that set you up with a lot more exit speed for the 4th straight. I opted for the inside line with a sketchy, loose flat turn, as it was my only hope at getting past Melissa. I made it around the flag at the same time that Melissa came rocketing out of the berm and we collided into each other. I was able to keep it upright and went on to ride a conservative rest of the race to the bottom and the top of the podium!!!!!!
On my way out of the Conundrum heading for the top of the box!Photo Credit: Eddie Clark
Me and Buhly after the racePhoto Credit: Jill Kintner
When I visualized how the race might play out in my head earlier in the day, a version of this scenario definitely came up, but I certainly didn't think it would happen like it did. I was so pleased to have accomplished such an amazing goal, and it felt so good to stand on top of that box in front of my "home town" crowd of Colorado folks!! Everyone else's excitement for me made it that much more special for me, too!!!
Maybe just a little bit excite about having won! ;)Photo Credit: Eddie Clark
More Mountain Biking Videos >>
No footage of our race, but me on the podium going a little nuts at the end!
There haven't been too many people through this whole bike racing adventure who have really believed in me and my riding, but 3 people really come to my mind as 3 who have always believed in me and encouraged, taught, and supported me for so long...Joanna Petterson, Cody Wilderman, and Lisa Myklak. To these 3 people, I owe a huge THANK YOU!! I wish all three of you could have been there to share this with me!! :)
2010 Gravity Champs: Jill Kintner for DH and me for 4xOn to World Champs in Mont Saint Anne with my automatic nomination!!! Wahooooo! Now I just need to find some financial support to get there!!!
