I so share your fear! This is the biggest thing I had to get over...
I'm better now, but there are times that I just freak- I get that flash of fear pain in my stomach- Oh God, I so hate that.

But- here's what I learned...from experience.

I was on my women's mtn biking skills clinic- the morning was great- we practised lots of basic skills- the repetion was really helpful.
Skills like, turning, running along side your bike and mounting, then dismounting and running again, proper braking- both brakes, not just the rear one. That kind of stuff.

Then later- the obstacle courses- riding through a pit of big rocks- freaked me out it did- I had to look at it and visualize a long time before I had the courage to do it-
But I set off, pedaled as fast as I could- and the bike took me through.
cool.
Then more obstacles, logs,2 logs, big logs, skids, bunny hops, manuals.etc etc.
I was doin' good!!
The we had to ride about a third of the way down the ski hill.
Ack!
I was worried that I was gonna endo which trying to get my ample butt into the saddle.
They taught me to ride across the hill until I got my seat- then gradually turn down the hill- make sure my butt was back on the saddle - even off the saddle ( behind it) if the descent was really steep...Those big rocks were frightening, but I soon realized that I could make it down the hill at a good clip, feathering the brake when the fear got too much for me, and I would make it okay.

But then- after lunch- and of course I had made it through all the skills, pretty well aceing everything, watching others fly off their bikes here and there, falling over- but not me.
and then- I got off my bike, parked it, walked over fieldstones on my way to lunch, hit an uneven one with my too loosely tied cycling shoes- and fell, opening up my elbow, bleeding profusely and having to get first aid- oh yes, I felt kind of foolish!

But anyway- the afternoon was all taken up with a ride through the woods.
Well, as it happened, 2 of us took the wrong fork and ended up in unfamiliar territory- the other rider was lost for 3 hours...but got back okay, suffering a flat and hiking out of the woods, and hitchhiking back to the ski lodge. I, just waited, knowing eventually somebody would come and find me - and sure enough, I was only waiting for 15 minutes.
BUt- Since I was now worried about my missing team mate- I was more concerned about finding her, and getting back, than worrying about the babyheads and the rocky descents.
I marvelled how I just pushed through the rocks- before I tried to ride around each one- now I just knew that the bike would go over them. So- I actually kept my momentum up and cruised through stuff that would have terrified me some 4 hours before...I was so afraid for somebody else- I wasn't afraid for myself. It was weird - but it worked.
It was like I just went "*#@! it" - and went down the mountain.
And the thing is- that was a GIANT step for me, having had that terrible endo from before, and being worried that it would happen again.

Now- I am riding a reclaimed land fill near my house - there is a BIG hill- BIG- but it is grassy and I feel if I wipe out it won't hurt as much. Soon I will be comfortable with the steepness, and I already know I can ride over the rocks...

But not for a while..

I cracked ribs while riding in a bog...
but that's another story.

Anyway- the point to this rather lengthy missive is-

momemtum will carry you over most rocks.
I saw so many women fall during my skills clinic because they stopped pedalling and their momentum just died off halfway through the rocks.
Keeping your weight back, balancing on neutral pedals will take care of your descents.
Keep goin' - it'll get better.

And listen to Irulan.

Kimba