Didn't plan on that!

So, as I mentioned in a previous post, my two goals for the AMBC race this past weekend at Chickasaw Trace TN, was to finish top ten with a faster time than last year.  Well here I am, number one on the podium!

We arrived at the trailhead on Saturday around 2pm and headed out for a pre-ride of the course.  It was obvious that it had been raining that morning, and half way through our lap it began to pour.  We finished up in the rain and headed over to the hotel.  Luckily, the hotel had a watering hose out front, so we washed the mud off our bikes while they were still loaded.  It was nice to sleep in as my class didn't start until 12:30pm and the hotel was about 5 minutes away. 

We headed over to the race around 10:15am, I wanted to get some pictures of our friend Andy Johnson, who was racing in the sport class.  Off the start there is a little bit of a pro log down a gravel/dirt road that leads to a paved road.  At the end of the paved road is a 30-40 foot downhill, slightly steep and now, due to the rain, greasy with plenty of ruts.  As the single speed and sport riders started their race, fans were waiting at the top, bottom and all along the sides of this downhill, just waiting to see a crash.  Here they came and there they went with about two dozen crashes on the hill.  One gentleman in particular had hit his head on a small sapling on his way down from the bike to the ground.  He laid there almost without movement for a few seconds, so I ducked under the course markings to help him.  He started to get up as I approached, so I picked up his bike and straightened it out while someone else looked for his glasses.  He got back on his bike with a cut on his forehead and a bloody nose, however, I did see him finish the race. 

Seeing all of these crashes made me a little nervous to go down it.  "I must be getting old", I thought to myself, since I never thought twice before about any downhills.  I guess it wasn't crashing that made me nervous, it was crashing at that speed.  Nevertheless, the race started and I made it down, no problems, all three laps.

I was in fourth position at the bottom of this downhill after we started, but made my way up to first by the fourth mile.  The last girl I passed to claim first position clung to my wheel for the next 3 miles or so, but when I crossed the finish line to head out on my second lap, I did not see her.  I wondered if I could make it stick.  Second lap was good, and again I didn't see anyone as I headed out on lap 3.  I felt like I had fallen apart on lap 3, my brain was telling my legs to keep pedaling hard, but my legs were telling my brain to come down here and do it yourself!  I managed to hang in there to finish 3:50 ahead of second.  Wow!  My first big win, how exciting! 

Comments

[Bridget Donovan]

That photo doesn't do that first downhill justice. It is much steeper. It must have been crazy in the mud.

Great job!

-bjet

[Bob]

Awesome win Amanda!! Congrats!

Bob

[Brad]

Swa-eeet! What a way to start the season, wish I had been there to see it! Great job Mander!

[bobi]

Told ya so.

[Michelle]

Congratulations Amanda! What a great start to the season! Doesnt give me much hope to see you other than the start line this season, but hopefully it'll be a lots of fun tryin! :)