In 2017 I started following the Amy D. Foundation and kept thinking, “Wow, I wish I could be a part of this program.” Fast forward to this year and I found out I had been selected for the 3 single day races in Boise the second week in July, so of course I said yes immediately!! I could not wait for this weekend and was training with this race in mind with more motivation than ever. I opted out of the Chrono Kristin Armstrong time trial, I did not think I could prepare as needed for this race. That left me with the Boise Twilight Criterium race and Chicken Dinner Road Race. As Saturday approached I got to know my teammates and get some good coffee rides in with them. By Saturday night, I knew these girls had my back and had so much faith in my abilities. Knowing I had my teammates behind me meant the world and I truly think it helped me push further than I ever had in the race.
The 60 minute crit started out hot and fast, I knew if I made it through the first 15-20 minutes the race would calm down a little bit. After we past the 20 minute mark, I took a deep breath and was still feeling the heat, my throat became super dry and I spent a few laps towards the back. I would find Anna or Manuela back there and we would work our way back to the front together. At this point in the race, a good sized break was up the road and the team was trying to get some time back, but being one of the few teams that missed the break not many people were willing to help us out. As the race went on the announcers kept calling primes for the chase group and we scooped up most of them! It was so great to keep hearing the announcers say “Amy D. Foundation,” again and again. Ryan was able to grab most of them with the help of some of the girls and I grabbed the last one with Ryan’s help. Though my placing was not as high as I had hoped, I consider this my best race of the year. I was able to stay towards the front of the race, get my nose out in the wind once or twice, and even grab a $200 prime, which is more than I could have ever wanted! I went into the race with the goal of racing as a team and doing more than just “finish” the race, and I think I met my goal!! After the race it was great to talk with the team about what went on and just celebrate with eachother. Everyone was so happy and it was so great to feel success, even though we did not win.
The next afternoon was the 63 mile Chicken Dinner road race. We could not find anything about this race at all, we just knew the length and that it was going to be hot!! The first of five laps started out very calm, no one was really attacking, just a steady pace at the front. As we were approaching the start/finish we hit the one climb on the course and the field shattered. Not feeling quite like myself I fell into one of the groups off the back with Marta and a few other girls. We rode a steady paceline and picked up a few other girls on the way. As we raced around the 13 mile course I began to feel dizzy and tingly, which I knew was not a good sign. At the end of this lap I ended up pulling out of the race. The heat had gotten to me and I spent a good hour trying to recover. The staff and my teammates were not upset at all, just concerned with my well being and they knew I gave it my all. Of course, I was gutted to not been able to finish the race with and for my teammates but sometimes you have to take your safety in mind. Anna and Manuela killed it finishing in the top 10, Ryan, Jane and Marta pushed through the heat and finished well too! I was so happy to see them all finish well!!
Now that this experience is over there are a few things I am taking with me. New love for teammates/teamwork, bigger faith in what I can do and a little more motivation to push through races and give my all in everything I do. Knowing what I was racing for at these few races in Boise was so amazing, it helped me remember that I do this for reasons bigger than myself. I will never forget this opportunity given to me and all the love and support I got from the staff. Another thing that I have taken away from this race is using the Carborocket Hydration mix, it was light and easy on my stomach, while keeping me hydrated with electrolytes and to top it all of, a yummy taste! All of our sponsors were amazing and more than I could have expected. I am still so honored to have been able to represent this Foundation and