So I raced this weekend - vicariously that is... First stop on the 2007 Intermountain Cup Race Series, the Desert Rampage came to St George this weekend. Last year I raced single-speed and had a fab time. This year I went down to the race wearing my mom and coach hat. My racer hat is on the shelf for a looooong time - 'til maybe June (ughh!).
I've been super cautious about having Wesley race 'cause it is my thing and I don't want to push him into it. When I mentioned to him on Thursday about doing the Kidz race endorphins immediately exploded out of his ears. This would be his first race! We trucked down to the race site on Friday to pre-ride the course. I wasn't looking forward to walking a lap with him as moving around still hurts. Friday was 7 days post surgery. As soon as we got down there he made friends with 7 year old Scott Abbott and dashed off for 4 practice laps - they raced 2 laps! I sat down in the Abbott's lawn chairs and pretty much moved in with them for the weekend - thanks Abbott's! You guys made the whole thing a million times less stressful and easier on me.
Wesley checked out Scott wearing a cycling jersey so needed one too. He was a bit unsure about wearing his moms jersey until I showed him a picture of Dave racing in the same jersey to prove it wasn't a girls jersey - LOL! It almost fits him too.
He entered into that Flow State where energy is limitless and pain absent about 5pm on Friday in preparation for his 10am Saturday race. Amping!!
Scott and Wesley staging.
9yr and under start.
Looking casual at the halfway point. Wesley had a smile on his face the whole way around. I think he got my VO2max but maybe missed out on the predator gene!
Finish. Yeah. He was so elated to do it!
16 finisher's in the 9 and under's. Wesley rode the 2 mile course in 20:59 for 7th place. 1:06 off first place - tight race!!
For lots and lots and lots more photos click on the below pic.
I was sad not being able to race with the SS boyz. Here they are lining up without me. Kenny Jones is wearing a skinsuit - ya gotta to be waaaaay on crack to be racing in a skinsuit :-) He looked like he was chomping on the bit on the start line. JMM's are looking invincible now.
It was nice to go to the race as a mom not a racer. I don't really have my own mountain bike peer group. I usually train alone and race with the guys when I do short races either with the expert men or lately SSers. Zero of my training partners are women let alone moms. I'm mostly too distracted to chat with the moms at races and they are too intimidated to talk to me normally. I don't race with the gals except at mass start endurance events. None of the other pro women or endurance mtbers are mom's that I know of. I've got a toe in a few different peer groups but don't feel a part of any of them. So it was nice for a few hours just to be a mom and hang with them. There are some real cool mom's herding kidz on the sidelines and passing up bottles to the big boyz racing.
That wiped me out tho' and I had to spend the afternoon lying in bed on narcotics. I'm still on the up and down rollercoaster. Yesterday was an up day but today I'm getting some feeling coming back into my skin and maybe deeper tissues. It is not pleasant to say the least but I've kept my hands off the narcotics today. They things do bad things to my body and I don't like it. I hope I'm done with them.