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As in a forest after a fire, felled trees lead to new growth, and Gudex has already drawn up a rough 2008 race schedule that will see her based out of her stateside home in Sun Valley, Idaho, where she will be from May through October to race in Idaho’s Wood River Cup series. And while the schedule seems dense with training sessions, sponsorship appearances, and races, including California’s daunting Downieville Classic, Gudex is not one to get overwhelmed by obligations. “I want a good quality of life, and I want to have a strong career,” she says. “That’s why biking is a good thing for me: It puts me in the moment like a meditation.”
Gudex experienced just this sort of meditative moment four years ago at a frigid cross-country race in Les Gets, France. After heavy sprinting in the cold air, she noticed the world around her was growing darker—a storm approaching, she thought. But on second reflection, she realized that she was on the verge of passing out on her bike. Gudex stopped on the course, slammed a pocketful of energy gels, and took a moment to regain her composure. Then she set off into the track’s treacherous downhill, where nearly every rider before her had either tossed her bike down or walked.
Gudex thrives in these moments; giving in to a challenge is not her style. “I don’t like getting off my bike , because it breaks my rhythm,” she says, remembering the experience. “You have to stay within your capabilities, but you should never be scared to push yourself.” At Les Gets, she clenched the handlebars and picked a line between the slippery boulders and a muddy wall that bordered that section of track. And despite the fact that she had nearly blacked out minutes earlier, Gudex nailed the descent, rode the section, and went on to finish the race. Mission accomplished and, as always, attitude intact.
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