First race of the fall was a success!  The Big Rooster Cross Country is typically held every  labour day long weekend and always draws a steady crowd of dedicated racers and spectators alike.  This year the organizers decided it was time to cater a little more towards the spectators by including a permanent endurocross track!  To ensure the track would offer spectator friendly carnage giant logs were trucked up to the site and fashioned into anything from single log hops to pyramids to length wise balancing obstacles.  A rock pit and some boulders near the end finished it off nicely and before you knew iit bodies and bikes became misguided missiles flying in all directions!  It was a crowd pleaser no doubt, but to ensure that junior riders could still have a good time as well, they were offered with an easy out option before the track.  Despite the easy out option, quite a few junior riders still took on the endurocross track in a show of true determination!  For an intermediate rider, the track wasn’t overly challenging, but it was fun and gave everyone a chance to have their 15 seconds (or minutes) of fame.

At just after 12:00 noon I lined up with 13 other intermediate racers.  We were treated to a running engine start, and lucky me, I had attended the Shane Watts riding school just before my surgery.  Using Wattsy’s “acceleration drill” set me up with the holeshot into the first corner and beyond!  My goal for my first race back was to go easy on my hand and finish in the top 10.  I wasn’t too sure what to think after getting the holeshot.  Several questions ran through my mind: “do I hold it as long as I can and then pull off?” “Do I give it up now, fall back and relax?” “Do I push until I make a mistake and possibly crash?”  In the end I decided that I would ride within my limits and keep the lead until I felt like I was holding2nd place back.  The moment came just over half way through the first lap.  I could sense Mark Yaschuk creeping up closer and closer, and common sense took over my brain.  I told myself “He isn’t recovering from surgery, he’s been able to ride during the past 6 weeks,he’s obviously faster than me!”  So I pulled over and let him by, (who says racing can’t be civilized!) then I continued on my way happyto just try and keep up with Mark!  Fellow intermediate racers Glen Labby and Cody Palmer snuck by and the four of us rode together seconds apart for the entire first lap, and a good part of the second. 

The second lap I rode at a comfortable pace making sure to stay upright and go as fast as I could without making any mistakes.  Rounding out the end of each lap the “A” course brought two of the most anticipated trails on the mountain.  “The Happy Trail” is the brain child of Brian Jones.  He found it particularly entertaining one year to create a trail that wouldn’t go more than a few dozen feet or less without massive and awkward log hop’s, mud pits and other obstacles!  The trail also features big yellow happy face balloons to greet you at each obstacle!  Leading into the Happy trail was a trail designed and cut by my Dad, Rob Hett called “Ibuprofen”.   The goal in mind when he cut Ibuprofen to ensure that you would be in desperate need of the helpful drug after surviving the trail!  My goal through Ibuprofen and the Happy Trail was to keep my feet on the pegs 100% of the time and trials ride the entire thing as quickly and cleanly as possible.  I can’t say that I didn’t dab here or there, but I can honestly say I never fell, crashed, or made any detrimental mistakes and managed to pretty much clean everything.  After making it through the legendary trails clean, I had enoughenergy left to step it up a notch for the remainder of the second loop.  I never did catch up to Glenn, but my final sprint to the end still earned me 4th place, only 29 seconds behind 3rd.  Mark Yaschuk pulled a 3 minute lead to capture the win with Cody and Glenn rounding out the podium.  After a six week break I surprised myself by keeping up with the pack and despite being a little tired afterwards, my hand survived and I felt great.  This coming weekend my boyfriend Steve (Steve Shannon Photography) is working as media at the AMA Endurocross in Everett Washington so I’ll be along for the ride to help out and spectate.   I’ll be looking forward to seeing the usual gang in Hope B.C. for the next race in 2 weeks.  I also want to say THANK YOU toeveryone who has bought ISDE hoodies and shirts from me at this year’s races including last weekend’s Big Rooster!  See you in Hope!