Finally! MX Season is Here!!!
With that, our first race of the seaon was on Mother's Day. For anyone living in the WI/IL/MI area, you know what kind of weather we had....it stunk, to say the least. I was very upset. I have been so excited for this race I have not been able to sleep for a week! I went to bed last night to the sound of rain and woke up to the sound of drenching rain. Heavy and consistant. The kind that really soaks the ground.....
So we get to the track. My daughter, Sierra, and I decided to forgo practice and just go for it at race time. We had 12 riders on the gate. With the sloppy conditions, it wasn't the fastest start in history. I think I was about 3rd/4th through the turn. I was actually pretty happy with my start.
The track was crap. Slippery, creamy, sloppy mud. I not only stayed up on two wheels, I managed to secure 4th position. I rode a "comfortable" pace and really didn't feel pressure from behind. There is a sweeping sand turn that goes into a step down. Well on, I think, my second lap I got all messed up. I cased it pretty hard (not sure how, I wasn't going that fast) and almost bounced into the trees. I never thought I could bounce a bike sideways and come out of it on two facing the right direction. I did. 
On the other side of the track there is another sweeping turn that goes into a double. I turned to the left, towards the double. My rear swung out hard to the right. I don't know what I did...I started a mantra of "don't go down don't go down, oh god don't go down". Somehow I managed to fishtail completely to the left and slide up the face of the jump SIDEWAYS. Fortunately I stopped at the peak of the jump. Dead center of the track, facing the outside of the track. Thrilled to still be on two, how the heck was I going to get the bike turned the right way and moving forward again? Somehow I managed to stay on track, on two and jumped over the next jump. It's amazing how you can go from control to "oh dear" to control in a matter of seconds. Good times. 
I quickly realized my problem was me going too slow. My tires were packing up with mud. As soon as I figured out my issue, I tried to go faster in straights just to clear out my tires. It worked!
Last lap. I am still working my behind off. Get to the barn hill. It's nasty snotty gross. I messed up my line going up the hill and was a complete mess. I got around the left turn and hit the sand. I lost the front bad and dove into the snow fence. Crap. Again. I am 4 turns away from the finish and I crash. The bike is PACKED with mud. I try to lift it. I can't budge it. I am tired from fighting the mud for almost four laps and the throttle grip is stuck in the snowfence. I shook my head. All of a sudden, Kirsten comes up. She stops. "Pick UP YOUR bike." I tried. "Take your time.....PICK UP YOUR BIKE!!!!" Yes, she was yelling at me. I had to go into "weight lifter" mode. I squated, grabbed hold "AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!" The bike came back up on two. "Now start your bike." I kicked. No go. "START YOUR BIKE!" Kicked twice and she fired over. With a nod she took off. I finished my first mud race today. Even more astonishing, I finished 5th. I would have finished 4th had I not crashed. My objective was to finish. I left the track hooting like a cheerleader on crack. As I got to the van I saw Sierra.
She was parking her bike. She finished her race and came off under her own power!!!! YAY SIERRA!!!!!! She did three horrific laps in that horrid mud on the 85 she has issues with!!! I'd say they bonded today!!!! I am so proud of her. She made it through the whole race and finished 10th!!!!!!
The rain stopped around 10:00. The track workers tilled the track and found some dry soil. With a pretty stout wind, conditions immediately improved.
Second moto. At the gate. Just like all of my visualization all week. Card turns. Motors rev. Gate drops. I am about 5th off the gate again. Clicked into third before I got to the first turn. Tapped the rear brake. Took the inner most line and doubled into second position. I passed three riders on the inside and it was freaking cool!!! Even cooler yet was that I doubled the triple after a turn!!! One of the more experienced girls did get by me and ended up checking out. Which was fine. I carried ok speed and finished third. I got my first Azzie podium today. The trophy is huge!!!! Third overall...first race of the season. I am so freaking geeked!!! Of course Kirsten didn't race the second moto....I don't care. I earned that trophy today.
And here is the best of all. Sierra won her first trophy today!!! She finished 8th overall!!!!! She and the 85 have bonded. I did not see her until the last lap. She was rocking the entire track. No crashes in the second moto and earned her very first trophy.
It started out crappy but ended up being an awesome day. Sierra and I both finished our first mud race ever and she got her first, for real, trophy!!!