When the Mind Must Win - MTB Race Report

[Aggie_Ama]

Most of you know last week we had a wreck on the way home from Comfort, we believe the truck was totaled and know my Gary Fisher mountain bike definitely was. Thanks to the amazing women on the Bicycle Sport Shop race team (specifically Tommie) I was able to borrow a bike and travel to the Solavaca Race in Glenrose.

On Saturday we went on a pre-ride and found due to the dry conditions the course was extremely loose and dusty. Many of the corners and drops were sketchy, it was a bit troublesome on a bike I wasn't completely used to but I didn't want the wreck to take my race away. The wreck had mentally taken a toll and with my bike totaled I didn't want it to take any more. I signed up and got ready to contest another race.

The start didn't suit me at all, it immediately dropped downhill so it was a super fast start. I am better at the uphill starts. It dropped down to a fire road and made a hard right. Somehow at the hard right I went down, not sure if I hit the rut in the road, a rock or simply skidded out. I hit the ground hard, probably the hardest hit of my life. I go up and quickly checked the bike and tried not to check me much, I hate seeing blood on me. I pushed to the start of the singletrack with bruises and swelling already apparent on my hip and right lower leg. I was also scraped on my right arm but trying to ignore the stinging it was giving off. I had lost a lot of contact with my field and just tried to stay smart and hope maybe I could make up some ground somehow.

In the first section I was pleased to be able to ride a few things I hadn't in the pre-ride. It may have been Margie rolling up behind me and giving me a little encouragement but it definitely shook some nerves out. Throughout the course of the first lap I tried to ignore the pain in my hip and leg every down pedal stroke and was able to push it out more than I thought I could. This course was really mentally draining being so loose, I was constantly on alert but continued putting out a good effort for the pain. The first lap I was not far off the pace I wanted and hoped I could continue to ride smart. The second lap was really hard, the leg pain was amplified and my back started to be tense. I think it was the bike wreck but it could have been the shock was too stiff, either way the second lap hurt! I felt like I was so sluggish but I was determined not to quit, I had gone too far. Early in the course I saw my teammate Donna and my friend Rachelle being highly energetic cheerleaders, it really made me feel like there was no way to DNF this race. The mile markers became my countdown to an ice pack and antiseptic for my arm but it kept me pushing on, it would have been so easy to tell a course marshall I was done.

I did get a little conservative and had to get off my bike on some things I had rode early. I think it was the intensifying pain and not wanting to add too it by wrecking again. I got to a drop called Ruidoso and knew I was home stretch, I wanted to pedal harder but my injured leg was fighting back. I saw a lot of people I knew and they were so loud cheering, I wanted to finish strong. In the end I just rode as hard as I could which wasn't setting any records and spun over to the medics. They cleaned me up, said the legs were just bruised, scratched and needed an ice pack for the swelling. Not my fastest effort but mentally a win! I hope I don't need to use what I feel like I learned for another race anytime soon.

I attached some photos of my "souvenirs". The hematoma is my hip and upper thigh. I have never had a bruise like that, two weeks later and LOTS of arnica it is almost healed. My Dad was not amused, I may be 30 but I am still his little girl. He was worried when I emailed my mom the hematoma photo. He called me asking if I was going to keep racing, of course I am!

[redrhodie]

Ye-ouch!

[OakLeaf]

Way to tough it out! Hope you feel better soon.

[limewave]

Wow! What a tough day. Way to hang in there and finish. It's so great you had cheerleader to help keep you going!

And I hope you are healing up quickly.

[indigoiis]

ooo. Dang!

I do NOT like the loose stuff. Makes me super-screechy!