Snowmass and the end of my MTB season

You could summerize my season in a few words… In with a Bang and out with a Put Put.

I arrive in Snowmass on Friday, the day before my race. My husband and I pre-rode the corse and loved it. The terrain was a lot like home and I felt smooth on my bike. I was ready to race and have my best placing of the year. The night before the race my husband is very sick. We had thought it was allergies all week but we realized he was deffinately sick. So he kept Noah and I up most the night.

I woke up early because we raced at 9am and still felt pretty good. I got my warm up in and was ready to hammer. At 9am I toe the line with 60 of the best women in the US. The gun goes off and I am pertty sure I took off but I felt like everyone was flying by me. I was thinking to myself “Come on legs GO!!!” They were just loaded so I decided to just race my own race. I got in a groove (unfortunately my grooove wasn’t very fast) and rode up the climb. I was too far back in the pack and when the downhill came and I was ready to rock and roll I just got stuck behind other girls. I got by 4 or 5 girls, but this deffinately set me back. There was another single track climb and I still couldn’t find my legs.

I was very frustrated I make it back to the start finish and head out on the next lap. Thinking I am a good climber I set out to pass some girls. I passed a few and then all of a sudden my hamstrings cramp. I did everything I could to keep my place until the downhill. It finally came and I couldn’t have been happier. I was all but 1/2 mile from the finish on a bumpy decent and all of a sudden I am not on the trail anymore but going head first over my handle bars into a ditch.

I bailed out of the crash so I didn’t hurt anything, but I got passed. So to the finish I go trying to chase down whomever passed me. Needless to say I didn’t pass her back and but I finished. I was pretty discouraged to know that I had given it my all and my all really wasn’t very good. So out with a Put Put. With that said, I have an even greater desire to train and do better next year. I have a few more local races I will do but besides that Sea Otter 2007 here I come!!!

The year may have not ended ideally for me but being my first year back after having Noah I am pretty excited for what is to come. As I recollect the year it was the best year of my life. Starting with the birth of my child., what could be more amazing, to racing on an awsome all womens Pro MTB team, to placing 22 at Nationals. I have proved to myself that you can work, raise a child, and race Pro MTB. I have hopefully helped others to realize they don’t have to give up their racing and life to have a child and hopefully made being a Pro more real for other women. Good luck to you all and see you in Cross.

Shannon

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