Cholla Challenge ICUP #2

Jed and I got to leave the kids with his parents for a night for my second Intermountain Cup bike race in Hurricane Utah. It was such a great time and a very good learning experience for me. We drove down Friday morning and pre-road the race course. This was the beginning of the learning experience. Right off the bat I felt horrible riding. I am still inexperienced with my clipless pedals, and right as we started on the slickrock I fell over into a bush, and literally could not get back up. My shoe was still clipped in and was under the bike and I was laying in a prickly bush, and had it been the race, I would have had to just lay there until someone came to rescue me because I was in such a position that I was unable to move. It made me feel so lame, Jed came over and helped me. We continued on and I started to go up a hill on the slickrock and just fell right over again. This made me start to get teary eyed, and I told Jed I don't think I am cut out for this and what in the world am I thinking signing up for a race team??? I felt so foolish! And frustrated. Well, this started me off on a truly negative cycle of thinking, and I do this often, it is one of my big weaknesses with everything: Skiing, biking, climbing, you name it. The second I start thinking I can't do something I just fall apart. I know it must be frustrating for Jed. He just rode ahead and stayed out of my way. The whole course took us like 2 hours!!! It was so ridiculous. The whole way I was in tears. We finished and got in the car and headed into town. I told him I didn't want to sign up for the race. The whole drive we just didn't talk, until finally Jed gave me the pep talk I needed. He reminded me that I was new at this kind of terrain, and that I shouldn't worry about it, and just have fun and chalk it up for experience. I thanked him and decided this needed to be my attitude, and so I signed up at the bike shop with no expectations except to have fun. We went out to eat to some mexican restaurant that was decent, and then stayed at my Aunt Becky and Uncle Scott's house. The next morning we went to Bear Paw cafe for breakfast (not the best most healthy things to eat before a race but so yummy! I am sure I gained five pounds on this trip! :) Then we headed over to the race. There were five girls in the beginner women category, they were all so nice. We chatted at the start and then headed on our way! The beginning was a narrow downhill (not my strongpoint) so I hung in the back of the pack. When we hit the slickrock I felt a surge of adrenalin because I knew these were the sections I was worried about, but to my surprise I felt fine!! I did the sections with no problems and my fears just went away somehow. I slowly caught up and passed the first few girls and only had two more ahead of me, and I felt pretty good. Then I went over the handlebars on a downhill that dropped into a sandy section. I thought it was hilarious! From then on I just felt like whatever happened didn't matter, and I rode and slowly caught the other two girls, and then that was it!! I was in first!!! I prayed like crazy that I could hold my composure and keep the lead, and I did!! It was a blast. I would have been happy with just finishing the race, but I actually won!!! Big shocker to me!!! It was so much fun to see Jed as I was coming up on the finish, because he was totally excited for me. He is so awesome and supportive, I am so lucky to have such an amazing husband and best friend!!!! The only bummer thing about the trip was he didn't get to race because his bike was missing a part that he needed and didn't know about before we headed down. So SAD!!!! Definitely next time!!!

This is me in the beginning (I'm in red) at the back of the pack.

This is one of the parts I was nervous about and then during the race I realized it was no big deal! Hooray!!!

This was the last hill to climb and where Jed was waiting with a big smile!!!

So doesn't this look like so much fun??? Any girls want to join me?