July 16, 2016
We took off for Wisp to ride some DH and DS. Rented a hotel. Lined up a meeting time with Shack Attack and Pryde and his family. Amanda and Dre were down to enter the DS race, as was I. Had my Chameleon and my v10 thinking I might wanna do both races. Boy was I wrong and boy did my crew kill it this weekend. Had no idea what an amazing and emotional journey it would be until it started unfolding before my eyes. One of the best weekends riding and racing and I didn’t even enter a race or push a pedal.
Shuttles even stoke kids.
Strength is sexy.
We showed up and I registered Dre and Amanda and myself. It cost an arm and a leg and it was worth every penny. Amanda got suited up and as we were setting up for practice, I noticed that she had a chance to podium given how the brackets were shaking out. There were 4 ladies in her cat, giving her a solid chance to podium. Dre was the youngest rider out there. At 5 years old, the closest guy to him was 8. He was also one of three. Which meant that if he finished, he would podium. I’ve been working on driving home the “finishing what you start is important in life” message, and this was a perfect opportunity to show him how one is rewarded for seeing something through. It was at this point that I realized it was my job to support these two racers and get them on the podium. And I was super stoked to do it. Game on.
Pals.
Calm before the storm.
Practice went well for Amanda. She was on her 6″ Nomad, full pads. Took it nice and easy for a few runs to get used to gate starts and the flow of the course. I was helping her with bike checks, equipment checks, water and food. And keeping Dre plenty occupied. He was a real champ watching mom get some.
Lined up for the gate.
Riders ready? Watch the gate!
PEDAL!!!!!
Dre was so excited to see Amanda finish her first heat that he ran all the way to her from up the mountain to hug her. It was the coolest thing to see.
Love mom.
Summer shuttles.
Come her race heats, Amanda did really well. She got beaten by a young lady more than half her age but I think that is the only heat she lost. In the final heat, she was racing a first time rider. Her competitor was a tri-athlete. She was in great shape but not really dressed to mash pedals. The coolest part was that she was a really nice person and a worthy competitor. Made for a great final race. Amanda cleared the finish line two bike lengths ahead and that was a wrap. Third place podium after several practice runs and three or four heats. Dre was so happy again that he ran to her and tackled her to the ground hugging her. No podium can top that.
Amanda, on the gas!
Over the finish line by a couple bike lengths!
Love mom.
The photo below sums up my Saturday looking after this little guy, mentoring him, coaching him, and helping him push through invisible walls. I found peace and tranquility in helping my wife and son and seeing them both succeed. Bikes have given me so much and this weekend was more than I ever could have asked for or expected.
In practice, Dre was super nervous. He is used to riding the pump track back home, but that track is clean and buffed. The track at Wisp was rough. Loads of rocks and in need of much grooming. He was the only guy there on pedal brakes + 16″ wheels. So cool. I told him it would be just like home and that I would tow him in. We started out on the first practice run and he went down. Took a bar end to the belly and was pretty hurt. Crying. Asking to quit. This was a crossroads. Push him or let go? I decided to push a little. Told him there was a podium in it for him and that we probably only had to do one run. He asked for ice cream after and I said, “You Bet.” I carried him up the mountain with his bike in my hand for every run. Every single person in the crowd was cheering him on. When he was done with his run, so many of the riders were giving him high fives and props. Love our rider family so much. Much appreciated everyone!
For the next practice runs and into the race runs, I ran along side him pointing to the clean parts of the trail. We made it through the first heat and they told us he had one more. I helped him through that second heat and talked him up to get his confidence going. No crashes on the second heat. Then they told us there was one more. Oh boy. He was given the option to not do it but we decide to push through and make it happen. And he finished clean. Earned that podium. I couldn’t have been more proud. He was tired for sure. Long day and lots of work. You can see it in his podium shot.
Green grom.
Caterpillars between heats.
Ready to get some.
Finding the line.
A workout for everyone.
Hike-a-bike-and-Dre.
Final heat!
A worthy competitor.
Dre, third place!
Amanda, third place!
Time to go home.
As soon as the podiums finished, I turned to Amanda and I said “Wanna go home?” She looked at me and responded “No, let’s stay and let’s have you race the DH tomorrow.” My reply: “do you really wanna stay?” Her answer: “Let’s go home.” There was no other winning greater than what our family had already achieved this weekend. Any time I spent riding that course would only be time spent stealing their hard earned thunder. So many race weekends all about me and the team with these two lovelies in support. This was the least I could do. We promised Dre ice cream if he finished, and that’s what we did. We share ice cream over looking Deep Creek lake. And then we drove home. On the way home, a massive rainbow followed us for over 45 minutes. Then fireworks in the horizon over Havre de Grace, MD. Epic. Big congrats from me to you my loves. So proud of you both!
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