Today was the 3rd & final race of the Bedford Mountain Cross Series. It would be a muddy mess given the fact it rained all day Saturday & when I got up this morning, it was snowing & cold. We checked the web site & the race was still on. Unfortunately I would not be participating. I've been fighting this upper respiratory thing for about a week now & today it decided to move up into my head. Took an antibiotic the first 5 days of it,...but it did nothing. Now I've moved on to Dayquil, Niquil, and started Theraflu today. Nothing's working. Can't get in to see my doctor until Thursday (that's the first "sick visit" she has available) Yuk...coughing, hacking, sneezing, taking inhaler shots...repeat sequence. I wanted to race but like my hubby said...it's March...It's early...why risk getting sicker than I already am. I probably would have had the series wrapped up...although hubby insists he would have caught me today. Oh well...I guess I'll never know.
My buddy Laura called me on her way home wondering what happened to us. She said it was a very short course, but extremely muddy. Basically you'd climb, then descend, then climb, then descend. I think Scott Schleckman (sp?) ended up winning the whole thing......
I'm not happy about it....but what can I do? I've been pouting all day...just ask hubby. He's taken the brunt of my grouchiness..... Oh well...back to the couch...for a bit.
Congrats to the participants who braved today's weather. There's always next year's series...
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Bedford Mtn. Cross #2
What in the world is that? Yes, my friends, that is a bag of sand.
The second race in the Bedford mtn cross was Sunday...and I was a major sandbagger again. I ended up doing 5 laps on the 1.5 mile course. It was fun, fast & furious. I completed my first lap before many folks had gone off so I was a lap up on most of the expert boyz......got passed by hubby & some others but I was able to hold them off to take the checkered flag...or bag of sand....
Oh well...I guess that's what happens when you get a 20 minute head start. I felt much like a mechanical rabbit at a greyhound race. I didn't know where the riders were behind me...but I knew they were there....All I had to do was keep pedaling...or shoveling as the case may be!
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Sandbagger
Sunday was the first race of the Bedford Mountain Cross Series This isn't a really serious race..but more of a way to gauge how your fitness level is in January. I hadn't really even given the race much thought until Sunday morning. I didn't even decide what class to race until we got there. I chose to race in my age group this time...Vet Women I knew I wouldn't be fast enough to even attempt to race expert class. The race was a bit different...there was more of a handicap system in place where the slower riders started first. The more experienced/faster riders started at a time deficit. You had to do as many laps as you could in your allotted time limit. I had 53 minutes to do as many laps as possible. I think the expert women had something around 45 or 42 minutes, vet expert men..38.5 minutes, and so on.
There were a couple of run ups on course and a few barriers. The course was waaaaay muddy. When I rode my practice lap, I had trouble keeping the bike upright. When I came in from the practice lap, my bike was already caked in mud....Fun!.
As my group started, we had to ride past the other riders waiting to go. As I approached the singletrack, I was greeted with a chorus of "sandbagger, sandbagger!". Thanks hubby!
I rode w/ another younger rider (age 16) for the first & second laps. We would trade places back & forth, he'd get ahead, then I'd pass, then I'd fall or slide out & he'd go around.
I slipped & slid all over the course.....in some sections, I'd stand up to pedal & would remain in the same spot just spinning my back wheel. It was a little freaky.
The course was pretty fun..had it been dry it would have been extremely fast.
on my 3rd lap, Kenny (race promoter) let me know I still had enough time to do a fourth lap!..Woo Hoo....My goal was to not get caught by all the faster riders behind me...and I really didn't want to get caught by my hubby who started 15 minutes behind me.
As I was finishing up my last lap, I heard an all too familiar sound of someone's hub.....I turned around to see my hubby fast approaching. I tried to hold on for as long as I could, but he passed me on the last up hill section. I almost caught him on the very last climb...but just couldn't stay upright. Turns out he beat me by 14 seconds..and he turned the fastest lap time on the course. He was going all out to catch me...pretty darn good for starting w/ a 15 minute deficit.
I really didn't know how I placed at the end. I felt really good on the bike & my legs felt strong.
When they did the awards, it turns out I got second place!...not too shabby for a sandbagging old woman . Pictures & results are here.. in 2 more weeks I'll race again.
http://bedfordtrails.wordpress.com/upcoming-trail-events/
There were a couple of run ups on course and a few barriers. The course was waaaaay muddy. When I rode my practice lap, I had trouble keeping the bike upright. When I came in from the practice lap, my bike was already caked in mud....Fun!.
As my group started, we had to ride past the other riders waiting to go. As I approached the singletrack, I was greeted with a chorus of "sandbagger, sandbagger!". Thanks hubby!
I rode w/ another younger rider (age 16) for the first & second laps. We would trade places back & forth, he'd get ahead, then I'd pass, then I'd fall or slide out & he'd go around.
I slipped & slid all over the course.....in some sections, I'd stand up to pedal & would remain in the same spot just spinning my back wheel. It was a little freaky.
The course was pretty fun..had it been dry it would have been extremely fast.
on my 3rd lap, Kenny (race promoter) let me know I still had enough time to do a fourth lap!..Woo Hoo....My goal was to not get caught by all the faster riders behind me...and I really didn't want to get caught by my hubby who started 15 minutes behind me.
As I was finishing up my last lap, I heard an all too familiar sound of someone's hub.....I turned around to see my hubby fast approaching. I tried to hold on for as long as I could, but he passed me on the last up hill section. I almost caught him on the very last climb...but just couldn't stay upright. Turns out he beat me by 14 seconds..and he turned the fastest lap time on the course. He was going all out to catch me...pretty darn good for starting w/ a 15 minute deficit.
I really didn't know how I placed at the end. I felt really good on the bike & my legs felt strong.
When they did the awards, it turns out I got second place!...not too shabby for a sandbagging old woman . Pictures & results are here.. in 2 more weeks I'll race again.
http://bedfordtrails.wordpress.com/upcoming-trail-events/
Monday, January 26, 2009
Arcadia....
Hubby, Adam & I decided to head out to Arcadia for a ride on Saturday. Temps were in the low 40s and were predicted to drop throughout the day. As we traveled the road towards the parking area, we noticed many of the smaller trout streams still had a 3-4 inch layer of ice on them. It was quite scenic but we knew it was gonna be cold.
We descended this horse trail. It was pretty rough going because the ground had frozen, then thawed, then was frozen again. Plus there were a ton of leaves on the trail...in some places it was hub deep so you had no idea what was beneath. Big rocks were hidden in the leaves so you got a jolt each time you hit one. We approached an area where there was a big hole covered by leaves. Adam & Hubby rode it. As I got closer, Hubby exclaimed: "Get your weight back, there's a hole!".....I thought, I have a 29er, I can do this..there's no way I can endo!......I rolled up to it, put my weight back, and BAM!....my front wheel stopped dead....and......yup...you guessed it....I endoed! I was in a beautiful swan dive position, ultimately landing on my left shoulder, all splayed out!.....I thought...so you CAN endo on a 29er! Wow! Except what came out of my mouth was rather R rated....let's just say I wasn't very happy. I guess I didn't have my weight back far enough. Oh well....I jumped back on the bike, but was pretty tentative on the rest of the leaves, etc.
We got dressed & headed up the road towards the first climb of the day. As we approached some houses, we wondered if we would run into our golden retriever friend, Baden. A couple of years ago he came along with us on a ride. We thought he would turn around & head home.. but around 18 miles into the ride, we finally called his owner to come pick him up. Surely we wouldn't see him & if we did, he wouldn't remember us. As we approached his house, he came bounding down the driveway barking his head off. We called to him & his bark turned into a friendly greeting session...he seemed to act like "Where have you guys been?" "Are you ready to go? Huh? Huh? Huh? " We knew we didn't want him to come along today because we planned another epic ride. While we were stopped, I decided to change my jacket so I would not get overheated on the climb. I dropped my El Toreo vest on the ground & Baden picked it up and started to run away w/ it. Fortunately he brought it back & dropped it at my feet. It was all a big game to him. Baden's owner called for him....He seemed a little torn because he really, really wanted to go with us....Finally hubby rode up to the house & Baden followed. Hubby mentioned to Baden's owner the adventure from 2 years ago..His owner remembered us.
Once Baden was safe & sound & I had a lighter jacket on, we started to climb...and climb, and climb.....and climb some more. I think the overall elevation gain for the ride was around 4400'....That's a lot on a single speed. Upon reaching the top, I put my dog slobbered vest on over my camelback. I looked like the hunchback of Arcadia. It was quite funny....but I was warmer.
We descended this horse trail. It was pretty rough going because the ground had frozen, then thawed, then was frozen again. Plus there were a ton of leaves on the trail...in some places it was hub deep so you had no idea what was beneath. Big rocks were hidden in the leaves so you got a jolt each time you hit one. We approached an area where there was a big hole covered by leaves. Adam & Hubby rode it. As I got closer, Hubby exclaimed: "Get your weight back, there's a hole!".....I thought, I have a 29er, I can do this..there's no way I can endo!......I rolled up to it, put my weight back, and BAM!....my front wheel stopped dead....and......yup...you guessed it....I endoed! I was in a beautiful swan dive position, ultimately landing on my left shoulder, all splayed out!.....I thought...so you CAN endo on a 29er! Wow! Except what came out of my mouth was rather R rated....let's just say I wasn't very happy. I guess I didn't have my weight back far enough. Oh well....I jumped back on the bike, but was pretty tentative on the rest of the leaves, etc. As we continued riding, we noticed the temperature steadily dropping. My toes were getting colder as were my fingers. We started up another fireroad climb in the hopes of getting warm again...Unfortunately we got about 1/4 of the way up & were not any warmer. We decided to abandon that part of the ride & come back down. We headed back to our vehicles.....on the way back, we saw 2 coyotes. We had noticed lots of coyote poop on the way up so we knew they were in the area. Seeing them was a little spooky. I'm sure the farmers in the area are not too happy about the coyotes.
We ended the ride around 3 hours later...we ended up doing 20 miles. We stopped in Buchanan for some chili & grilled cheese sandwiches...mmmmm....It was a fun day but a little cold....hopefully we can go back in the early spring when the temperatures are a little warmer.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Brrrrrrr
It was Saturday...hubby had already done his "no excuses" ride. I had to get froo frooed up in the morning so I could not join him. I had the itch to ride...even though it was only 20 degrees or so. Quite a bit warmer than when hubby went out. Around 12:30 I called my buddy Laura & asked her if she had already ridden.....she said she was still in her pj's watching CSI dvds....I asked if she'd be up for an urban assault, local trail ride...she said sure..she could get motivated.....She had originally planned to ride the trainer...yuk!...I figured this would be more fun.
We met up at PH around 2...At this point the sun was out & I was thinking I was a bit overdressed...especially when we started the short climbs. We ran into a gentlemen walking his pooches....he bid us a good day & mentioned it was getting warm enough to start taking off the layers......almost... We continued over to Fishburn and explored the trails there...I was trying not to do too much climbing b/c I was really feeling tired from the previous nights P90X Core Synergistics workout. I didn't think it would affect me that much...but I was hurting on the climbs. We went through some of the more "technical" sections of the trail...lots of roots, a few rocks, . I mentioned to Laura this is a great place to work on technical skills.
We continued on and ran into our friend Wake from the bike shop. He had his adorable 9 week old little puppy with him....a Brittany named Kaya......very cute, very cuddly, all puppy. After we chatted with him for a bit, we decided to venture over to Mill Mountain. We cut through lots of alleys as we made our way to the Roanoke River Greenway. Once at the Greenway, I hopped up on a small median & rode alongside Laura...I did have to bail because I was headed for a trashcan.
As we continued on the greenway, the wind had picked up a bit & the cloudes rolled in. It was starting to get cold...Laura mentioned her fingers were getting a little cold because they had gotten too warm on the initial part of the ride and the inside of the gloves were now damp. I was having the same issue with my thumbs.
We cruised past River's Edge where there were a few folks out jogging & some others playing soccer. We rode through the tunnel under the railroad tracks to head over towards Chrystal Spring...There was actually ice in the tunnel.... When we emerged on the other side, we noticed our friends Chris & Angelia waiting in the parking lot. I noticed a Trane HVAC truck there as well..I asked Chris if he was on call..he said no, but his co-worker was..but ran into an issue. He had called Chris for a little backup & Chris was nice enough to oblige. We chatted w/ Angelia a bit...As we chatted, the winds increased & the temps felt like they were getting colder. We decided to forgoe Mill Mountain today for fear that once we climbed, we'd be chilled to bones trying to ride home & that wouldn't have been any fun.
We bid Angelia adieu & headed back through the Greenway, onto the alleys & finally parted ways near PH. It was fun just to get out & get a decent ride. I wanted to do 2+ hours, but the colde got the better of me. I ended up with 1:45 which I guess wasn't too bad considering the conditions.
We met up at PH around 2...At this point the sun was out & I was thinking I was a bit overdressed...especially when we started the short climbs. We ran into a gentlemen walking his pooches....he bid us a good day & mentioned it was getting warm enough to start taking off the layers......almost... We continued over to Fishburn and explored the trails there...I was trying not to do too much climbing b/c I was really feeling tired from the previous nights P90X Core Synergistics workout. I didn't think it would affect me that much...but I was hurting on the climbs. We went through some of the more "technical" sections of the trail...lots of roots, a few rocks, . I mentioned to Laura this is a great place to work on technical skills.
We continued on and ran into our friend Wake from the bike shop. He had his adorable 9 week old little puppy with him....a Brittany named Kaya......very cute, very cuddly, all puppy. After we chatted with him for a bit, we decided to venture over to Mill Mountain. We cut through lots of alleys as we made our way to the Roanoke River Greenway. Once at the Greenway, I hopped up on a small median & rode alongside Laura...I did have to bail because I was headed for a trashcan.
As we continued on the greenway, the wind had picked up a bit & the cloudes rolled in. It was starting to get cold...Laura mentioned her fingers were getting a little cold because they had gotten too warm on the initial part of the ride and the inside of the gloves were now damp. I was having the same issue with my thumbs.
We cruised past River's Edge where there were a few folks out jogging & some others playing soccer. We rode through the tunnel under the railroad tracks to head over towards Chrystal Spring...There was actually ice in the tunnel.... When we emerged on the other side, we noticed our friends Chris & Angelia waiting in the parking lot. I noticed a Trane HVAC truck there as well..I asked Chris if he was on call..he said no, but his co-worker was..but ran into an issue. He had called Chris for a little backup & Chris was nice enough to oblige. We chatted w/ Angelia a bit...As we chatted, the winds increased & the temps felt like they were getting colder. We decided to forgoe Mill Mountain today for fear that once we climbed, we'd be chilled to bones trying to ride home & that wouldn't have been any fun.
We bid Angelia adieu & headed back through the Greenway, onto the alleys & finally parted ways near PH. It was fun just to get out & get a decent ride. I wanted to do 2+ hours, but the colde got the better of me. I ended up with 1:45 which I guess wasn't too bad considering the conditions.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Ignorance
Went out this morning to start the car so I could warm it up in the 8 degree temps. I entered through the passenger side, stuck the key in the ignition, & started her up. As I shut the passenger door, I heard what sounded like ice sliding off of the roof.....I thought to myself..we didn't have any weather last night. I circle to the back of the car & the back window had completely shattered. Holy Crap! I shut off the car & ran back inside to tell hubby what had just happened. We forumlated a plan. I went back out front and noticed my neighbor's car had paint all over the driver's side window & their side mirror was busted out. Shooot!...some )@($* idiots decided to vandalize property over the frigid evening. Stupid, just plain stupid!
I ran back inside & told hubby we needed to call the cops in addition to the insurance company...
Here's a few pics...nice Huh?
When hubby was on the phone w/ the police, he noticed one of the neighbors driving up the street. They had paint on their car too. I don't know what possesses some people to do such destructive things. Funny thing is you'd think the car alarm would have gone off in the middle of the night. We didn't hear a thing...even the dog slept through the night.
Anwyay..she's in the shop right now getting some new glass. I'm home...I worked 1/2 day this morning, then met hubby at the glass shop so he could take me home and go to work for the other half of the day. It's just a car & it can be fixed. But it's just really stupid the mentality of some of the people in this world!
question: what do you do when it's 10 degrees outside
You have a "spin' party! Note the twinkling Christmas lights!
requirements: Some type of cycling training dvd, bike, trainer/rollers, good friends, good attitudes
I never enjoy riding the trainer...but had to get a workout in. We decided to host a "spin" session in lieu of the Thursday night ride. Our buddy Laura, aka "Michigan" joined us for this time trial workout. I thought I would die during the 2nd 5 minute high intensity phase. If it was just hubby & I, I don't think I would have pushed as hard.. It was nice having Laura join us...I felt like I had to be accountable for the workout I was doing. Thanks Laura...you totally motivated me w/out even knowing it
Friday, January 02, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Abs of.....not steel
This is the look of pain in the off-season...this particular exercise you lay on your side w/ your legs at a 30 degree angle, then push up to a straight arm. Do max reps on this puppy. OUCH!
Look at Clarence just taunting me!
I've put on a few extra pounds over the past couple of months...not riding for 5 weeks will do that. I've tried to watch what I eat...but sometimes it's hard.
We've been doing lots of core work, plyometrics, biceps, triceps, etc. Hopefully I can drop those extra pounds once I start base mile training in January.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Clarence's ride at the Cove
Christmas morning arrived & we stumbled down the stairs to see what Santa had brought. Hiding around the corner was a nice, shiny, root beer colored, single speed, 29er! Wow what a surprise! My initial reaction was "holy crap" That's about all I said for the first five minutes waiting for the moment to truly sink in. Hubby & I had talked about upgrading me to a 29er for the upcoming season. I thought we would just piece one together, get the frame & fork first, then ebay some stuff, then buy wheels, etc. So you can imagine my complete & utter shock when I saw this complete bike sitting by the tree. (it was a little large to go underneath!) Hubby did good. I had no idea.....he's good at surprising me...sneaky, but good.
Now that I had a new bike..I had to take him for a ride. Hubby changed out the rims & tires to lighten the load by 3 lbs or so. He also put my stem & handlebars from the Kona on this bike. A few more adjustments to the seat height & position & I was ready to go. I zoomed up & down the alley behind my house a few times on Saturday, just to get the feel. It felt good, very stable. Although it took a little getting used to how big the front wheel was. As I zoomed up & down, I decided my bike needed a name. Normally I don't name my bikes...but this one seemed like he wanted to be named. I first thought of "beer" because it's color was root beer. Then hubby said what about "Clarence"? I immediately thought of the guardian angel in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life". (which is one of my all time favorite movies)...so I thought..yea...Clarence...Kind of catchy & the bike was a Christmas gift.
I sent a message to my buddy Jen to see if she planned on riding on Sunday. Sure enough, the chickies were set to ride. We met at the Cove. when I arrived, Jen was on the trails making some adjustments to her fork. She cruised into the parking lot. I introduced Clarence to Ritchey. Just about that time, "Michigan" aka Surly Girl, aka Laura rolled up.
We ventured down the road chit chatting as us gals do, then onto the trails.
We did our usual loop Songbird to Arrowhead, to Schoolhouse, to LIttlebell, to Enchanted Forest, to Coment.
As we rode up Songbird I mentioned to the girls I felt like I was in slow motion. Laura said it was because I had to turn the cranks less to move the bigger wheels. At one point I caught Jen's back wheel. Sorry...Clarence was being a little feisty!. Conditions were rather peanut buttery. I felt guilty for being on the trails in those types of conditions. It's not good for the trails...but we weren't the only ones out there.
Anywho, I zoomed through the fun part of Songbird and we met back up on the fireroad. Onto Arrowhead. I was feeling a little spunky so I tried to enter the steeper trailhead of Arrowhead. Couldn't do it. so I walked up this little section. The bike climbs well..It felt a little lighter than the Kona. I was picking bad lines just to see how the bike would do. It cruised over the little bumps & tracked quite well. I was getting tired on the climb though. I hadn't been on the bike in 4 1/2 weeks....and i was feeling it. My bike fitness was toast. We continued along Arrowhead. I cleared the first little creek crossing, the second one, I forgot to pedal through, the third I ended up sideways b/c I took a horrible line & the fourth had too much water & wet rocks so I decided to walk it. I noticed I was descending a little more recklessly than usual....I guess that's because I felt really stable on the bike.
Onto Schoolhouse. there's a small section on this trail where if you hit it just right, you can catch some air. Once again, I was feeling a little spunky so I gained some speed coming up to this section. I launched and actually caught some air. I felt very confident that the bike would track well after the jump...it was fun....I don't think I got that high...but I still was airborne.
We crossed some of the creeks & contined on. There are some log piles on this trail & on Little Bell trail. I thought about attempting a couple of them..but they were wet & slick...so I'll have to try those some other day.
I mentioned to the girls that the bike felt very nimble even though it was bigger than the Kona. We finished up on Comet. Jen started singing "Jingle Bells" ..just about that time a deer ran in front of me. I told Jen we needed a new song b/c Jingle Bells was stuck in my head. We both started singing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Laura must have thought we were nuts. The funny part was we were singing Rudolph while on the "Comet" trail....
Anyway..we had a great time. I think Clarence enjoyed his first day out. I had to take him home & give him a bath b/c he was filthy.
I'll post pics later.
Now that I had a new bike..I had to take him for a ride. Hubby changed out the rims & tires to lighten the load by 3 lbs or so. He also put my stem & handlebars from the Kona on this bike. A few more adjustments to the seat height & position & I was ready to go. I zoomed up & down the alley behind my house a few times on Saturday, just to get the feel. It felt good, very stable. Although it took a little getting used to how big the front wheel was. As I zoomed up & down, I decided my bike needed a name. Normally I don't name my bikes...but this one seemed like he wanted to be named. I first thought of "beer" because it's color was root beer. Then hubby said what about "Clarence"? I immediately thought of the guardian angel in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life". (which is one of my all time favorite movies)...so I thought..yea...Clarence...Kind of catchy & the bike was a Christmas gift.
I sent a message to my buddy Jen to see if she planned on riding on Sunday. Sure enough, the chickies were set to ride. We met at the Cove. when I arrived, Jen was on the trails making some adjustments to her fork. She cruised into the parking lot. I introduced Clarence to Ritchey. Just about that time, "Michigan" aka Surly Girl, aka Laura rolled up.
We ventured down the road chit chatting as us gals do, then onto the trails.
We did our usual loop Songbird to Arrowhead, to Schoolhouse, to LIttlebell, to Enchanted Forest, to Coment.
As we rode up Songbird I mentioned to the girls I felt like I was in slow motion. Laura said it was because I had to turn the cranks less to move the bigger wheels. At one point I caught Jen's back wheel. Sorry...Clarence was being a little feisty!. Conditions were rather peanut buttery. I felt guilty for being on the trails in those types of conditions. It's not good for the trails...but we weren't the only ones out there.
Anywho, I zoomed through the fun part of Songbird and we met back up on the fireroad. Onto Arrowhead. I was feeling a little spunky so I tried to enter the steeper trailhead of Arrowhead. Couldn't do it. so I walked up this little section. The bike climbs well..It felt a little lighter than the Kona. I was picking bad lines just to see how the bike would do. It cruised over the little bumps & tracked quite well. I was getting tired on the climb though. I hadn't been on the bike in 4 1/2 weeks....and i was feeling it. My bike fitness was toast. We continued along Arrowhead. I cleared the first little creek crossing, the second one, I forgot to pedal through, the third I ended up sideways b/c I took a horrible line & the fourth had too much water & wet rocks so I decided to walk it. I noticed I was descending a little more recklessly than usual....I guess that's because I felt really stable on the bike.
Onto Schoolhouse. there's a small section on this trail where if you hit it just right, you can catch some air. Once again, I was feeling a little spunky so I gained some speed coming up to this section. I launched and actually caught some air. I felt very confident that the bike would track well after the jump...it was fun....I don't think I got that high...but I still was airborne.
We crossed some of the creeks & contined on. There are some log piles on this trail & on Little Bell trail. I thought about attempting a couple of them..but they were wet & slick...so I'll have to try those some other day.
I mentioned to the girls that the bike felt very nimble even though it was bigger than the Kona. We finished up on Comet. Jen started singing "Jingle Bells" ..just about that time a deer ran in front of me. I told Jen we needed a new song b/c Jingle Bells was stuck in my head. We both started singing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Laura must have thought we were nuts. The funny part was we were singing Rudolph while on the "Comet" trail....
Anyway..we had a great time. I think Clarence enjoyed his first day out. I had to take him home & give him a bath b/c he was filthy.
I'll post pics later.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
They ride mountain bikes????
Yea, we rock bikes but we also clean up nicely.
Had a fun time at the BRBC (Blue Ridge Bicycle Club) Christmas Party. Got to meet some new chickies and are already talking about spring rides!
Got a few more weeks of "down" time off the bike. Been doing other core exercises & cross training, but very little riding. Hopefully all of this cross training will pay off next season.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Here Kitty Kitty
Our neighbor has 2 kittens..they're close to 7 months old now. The black one has no fear, is very inquisitive and personable. The grey one is a bit more timid but will follow the black one's lead. They come over to visit quite often. They came over a couple of weekends ago to taunt the dog. If I wasn't allergic & if we didn't have a Kitty Crazy dog, I'd adopt them in a heartbeat.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Deja Vu
Liberty Mountain Race Report
I was hoping to have a better race than last week's but it was not to be. The course was 18 miles w/ close to 5000 feet of climbing...most within the first half of the race. It was another mass start but the field spread quickly. Laura got out ahead of me from the start...but I was only a couple of riders back & figured we had a long way to go so I was content to hang there.
As we came upon the first bridge crossing, I hollered to Laura.."go...you got it"....Unfortunately she thought otherwise. As she's pulling her bike out of the way I heard this tiny voice say "I can't".. She soon caught back up & then proceeded to blow by me on the first fireroad climb.
I wasn't worried..my goal was to just keep her in my sights through the race & we'd be fine.
About 6 1/2 miles in, we started a descent. As I bombed down the hill I noticed Laura off to the side of the trail wrapped around a tree facing the other direction. She was ok..just a bit twisted up. I continued bombing down until the intersection. I came to a complete stop...the course ribbons were down & I wasn't sure which way to go. My instinct told me to go left..which I did...I pedaled about 10 pedal strokes when some dude came flying the other direction. I figured I went the wrong way so I turned around & followed him..went back through the intersection and pedaled on. As I went..I had a feeling it was incorrect, so I turned back around & pedaled the other way...again. As I came to the intersection, the course markings were back up & I had to crawl under the course ribbon. Two guys were coming down the hill...I asked if I was going the right way & they said yes. I was pretty upset b/c I probably lost 4 minutes going back & forth. One of the guys told me...well just hope for a mechanical & you might catch your competition.
I thought..fat chance buddy...Laura never has mechanicals.......We rode on...at one point the trail parallels a fireroad climb...that's where I saw Laura climbing..I was going to yell to her to back off since I was behind her...but I didn't have time.
I thought..fat chance buddy...Laura never has mechanicals.......We rode on...at one point the trail parallels a fireroad climb...that's where I saw Laura climbing..I was going to yell to her to back off since I was behind her...but I didn't have time.
I plodded on..hoping to catch a glimpse of her..but it was not to be. Around 12 miles in, we crossed a ridge & I heard a strange humming sound...Power lines? No...swarming bees...they were about 20 feet off of the trail....I went as fast as I could to get away....I still have bad flashbacks to Danville & the bee incident.
Around 15 miles in, my legs were seizing up. I had to stop at one point to get a gu down & drink some fluids....the climbs were killing me..I was on the verge of cramping most of the race...towards the end, I walked every climb b/c I was so tired & I knew I wouldn't catch Laura.
At the end w/ less than a mile to go, the course tape was down again...I ended up going the wrong way again!!!!...Very Frustrating. I finally made it back in..I have no idea what my time was I know I lost close to 5 minutes, maybe more as a result of being misdirected again.
The cool part was I got to rub elbows w/ pro rider Jeremiah Bishop..Too Cool
Here's a pic of Laura, Jeremiah & me
Sunday, September 14, 2008
MW race...
Blech...today was the 4th installment in the Virginia Derailer Series. Weather was hot...90's and it's mid-September!..Geez.
I wasn't feeling it this race. I went for an easy spin yesterday on the road bike & my legs were killing me. I don't know if it was a result from my riding earlier this week..(Mill Mtn Tuesday..lots o' climbing, intervals on the trainer Wednesday, Cove ride on Thursday going a little harder than I wanted too.....a lot of time on my feet on Saturday (shopping & other errands.....I noticed my legs hurt then too).. or it could be I'm still getting over my case of "walking bronchitis" which started over Labor Day weekend...I coughed for 7 nights straight, finally saw my doctor, got some good anitbiotics..but my chest still isn't clear.
Anyway...you have good races & not so good races...this was to be a not so good race. Boo!
We started off and immediately climbed..and climbed...and climbed. I had forgotten how much climbing was at the start of this race. Then, myself and about 5 or 6 others were told to go the wrong way on course. We did not realize our error until we had ridden an extra mile & 1/2 or so and we were getting passed by experts pretty early on. This would affect the outcome of the entire sport women's race...as the majority sport women were with me when we were misdirected. 2 of the sport girls & I debated on what to do at the end of our 1st lap. the officials told us we had to finish but we explained to them at that point we had only done 1 official lap. We decided to be "official" we should do a second lap. At this point I mentally checked out of the race & went into "just ride" mode. plus I was overheated, and my legs had no power.
As the three of us rode, we chit chatted as girls do...we decided at the end of the race we would all finish together to get the same time...and to basically "protest" (I don't know if you can do that in our little series...but we let them know we were not happy)
Our total mileage was around 10.62 miles...where as the regular race was 8.85 miles..(that's according to the readings on my Garmin & my hubby's Garmin)..so we did a little extra..close to 2 miles extra...
Overall I got 2nd in Female SS.....Surly girl was riding waaaaaay strong...killing it on the 1st climb so she got a much deserved 1st place. I didn't get to see her the rest of the race once we got off course .
In hindsight I should have followed my instint & turned where I thought we should turn instead of listening to the race "officials"...I've done this race for a few years now...so I knew better. Oh well..hindsight is 20-20....no biggie....just gotta put this one behind me & prepare for Lynchburg next week.
I think I'll go have a beer now.
Cheers!
I wasn't feeling it this race. I went for an easy spin yesterday on the road bike & my legs were killing me. I don't know if it was a result from my riding earlier this week..(Mill Mtn Tuesday..lots o' climbing, intervals on the trainer Wednesday, Cove ride on Thursday going a little harder than I wanted too.....a lot of time on my feet on Saturday (shopping & other errands.....I noticed my legs hurt then too).. or it could be I'm still getting over my case of "walking bronchitis" which started over Labor Day weekend...I coughed for 7 nights straight, finally saw my doctor, got some good anitbiotics..but my chest still isn't clear.
Anyway...you have good races & not so good races...this was to be a not so good race. Boo!
We started off and immediately climbed..and climbed...and climbed. I had forgotten how much climbing was at the start of this race. Then, myself and about 5 or 6 others were told to go the wrong way on course. We did not realize our error until we had ridden an extra mile & 1/2 or so and we were getting passed by experts pretty early on. This would affect the outcome of the entire sport women's race...as the majority sport women were with me when we were misdirected. 2 of the sport girls & I debated on what to do at the end of our 1st lap. the officials told us we had to finish but we explained to them at that point we had only done 1 official lap. We decided to be "official" we should do a second lap. At this point I mentally checked out of the race & went into "just ride" mode. plus I was overheated, and my legs had no power.
As the three of us rode, we chit chatted as girls do...we decided at the end of the race we would all finish together to get the same time...and to basically "protest" (I don't know if you can do that in our little series...but we let them know we were not happy)
Our total mileage was around 10.62 miles...where as the regular race was 8.85 miles..(that's according to the readings on my Garmin & my hubby's Garmin)..so we did a little extra..close to 2 miles extra...
Overall I got 2nd in Female SS.....Surly girl was riding waaaaaay strong...killing it on the 1st climb so she got a much deserved 1st place. I didn't get to see her the rest of the race once we got off course .
In hindsight I should have followed my instint & turned where I thought we should turn instead of listening to the race "officials"...I've done this race for a few years now...so I knew better. Oh well..hindsight is 20-20....no biggie....just gotta put this one behind me & prepare for Lynchburg next week.
I think I'll go have a beer now.
Cheers!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
18 hours race report
18 hours of racing seems like a long time but honestly, it’s more fun than racing a regular event. After weeks of preparation we were finally ready to do the Scout’s Honor race held in Goochlands, VA (just outside of Richmond)…
The week leading up to the race I got a message from one of my fellow chicky teammates. Her poor doggie was very ill and she was going to have to drop out of the race. We asked everyone we knew if they’d be interested in racing & no bites until our friend Moe stepped up. Moe rides some but has never raced…ever! Woo Hoo..back to 4 Chickies!...
We caravanned out to the venue, Hubby, Chas & me in the Outback. …about halfway there, hubby’s phone rings…”dude..you may want to pull over, your wheel is working itself loose from the wheel fork on the roof of your car”…No sooner had we hung up the phone when we see the wheel bouncing from the roof onto the side of the road!..Thank God we had exited the highway already. Chas opened the car door, grabbed the wheel & held it in his lap until we got to the gas station. It was pretty comical..but could have been a more dire situation. We were truly lucky…
We arrived at the venue & checked on the status of rooms. There were 2 more cabins available near the girls cabin..with showers, running water, etc!..we decided it would be better for all 3 teams to stay nearby….
We unpacked, got the bikes ready to go & headed over to the racers meeting. The organizers said to watch for surprises through the night & the usual race stuff..stop to help others in trouble, yield the trail when the opportunity presents itself, watch out for trail tramps (more on this later).blah, blah, blah.
I was the first in our rotation. The first lap was good..not the blistering pace I expected..probably because we were led out by a guy on a unicycle…yes I said unicycle. We circled a gravel road, then dumped into the singletrack, rode through the transition area & then we were on our own. I paced with 5 or 6 guys for the first 3 miles or so…The course was fast, and dusty…As I continued w/ my lap I wished I had a harder gear. It was ok on the up hills but I just spun myself silly on the flats. It was frustrating to get passed by other females on other teams simply because they had gears. Oh well..that comes with riding a single speed. I finished the 9.5 loop in about an hour. Handed off our “baton” to Mackenzie & headed back in to recover. Mackenzie finished her lap, then Moe headed out followed by Kristin.
Our team stayed strong through the evening. From 10 pm on, we had Moe take a break…so the remaining 3 of us raced through the wee hours of the night.
During my midnight lap, I noticed the first “surprise”..there were lots and lots of rubber chickens with glowsticks in their beaks dangling from the trees. Weird…I said something to the race people & they were using those for prizes on the upcoming laps. Apparently if you brought in a chicken, you got a prize.
During my 3 a.m. lap I encountered the trail tramp. She was this short little blonde, dressed in …well, I don’t know how to describe what she was dressed in. She was standing by the side of the trail just inside of 2 miles to go. I could see a glow in the distance as I approached but I didn’t know what it was. As I zoomed past, I noticed 2 guys with her. They yelled at me to stop and to sign her. Huh? I stopped, grabbed a pen, and wrote my name on her shoulder. As I was leaving, 2 more guys pulled up behind me. I told them to stop & say hello.
After my 4th lap around 4:30 -5 a.m...things started to fall apart for our team of chickies. I felt ok when I came in but I must have chosen the wrong type of food to refuel with. Within 20 minutes of refueling, I was close to puking it all out. I would need to rest. Kristin was also a little woozy. We decided to take a break and rest…..Mackenzie came in & I don’t remember anything until around 7 a.m. when Mackenzie woke me up. She asked how I felt…I wasn’t sure but I wasn’t nauseated. She said Moe had gone back out on course & was completing her lap. She had checked on our place in the standings…we were currently 3rd!..even with taking a 2 hour break….The only problem…It was close to 7:30..the 4th place team had a girl on course before Moe & had 2 waiting in the wings. We only had until 10 a.m. to complete our laps. We calculated & recalculated to see if we could retain third….unfortunately it was not going to happen. Even if we got Mackenzie & I back on course, we would still be a lap down. Bummer!!! We decided to forgoe the laps. I went over to the 4th place team to let them know we were stopping. They decided to continue racing to make it interesting for the 2nd place team.
All in all it was a great time, hanging out w/ good friends & making some new ones.
Here are some quick thoughts/ thanks/kudos
Mackenzie & Barry – thanks for racing w/ us. You both did awesome for being so new to the sport
Moe – you totally rock. When you were not racing, you kept all three teams in their rotations throughout the wee hours of the morning. You go girl!!!
Kristin – Watch out for those trail tramps!..thanks for racing on my team…
Team 4 brothers from different mothers – you guys rocked the house..taking 1st overall…way to go
Team Sasquatch – thanks for the laughs…& congrats on your 7th place finish.
Dave & Gordon – thanks for checking the “clunking” noise on my bike
The chiropractic/massage dudes: THANK YOU…you were my saving grace…coming in getting my neck/shoulder/back worked on after laps was wonderful!...It kept me pain free during my laps.
The week leading up to the race I got a message from one of my fellow chicky teammates. Her poor doggie was very ill and she was going to have to drop out of the race. We asked everyone we knew if they’d be interested in racing & no bites until our friend Moe stepped up. Moe rides some but has never raced…ever! Woo Hoo..back to 4 Chickies!...
We caravanned out to the venue, Hubby, Chas & me in the Outback. …about halfway there, hubby’s phone rings…”dude..you may want to pull over, your wheel is working itself loose from the wheel fork on the roof of your car”…No sooner had we hung up the phone when we see the wheel bouncing from the roof onto the side of the road!..Thank God we had exited the highway already. Chas opened the car door, grabbed the wheel & held it in his lap until we got to the gas station. It was pretty comical..but could have been a more dire situation. We were truly lucky…
We arrived at the venue & checked on the status of rooms. There were 2 more cabins available near the girls cabin..with showers, running water, etc!..we decided it would be better for all 3 teams to stay nearby….
We unpacked, got the bikes ready to go & headed over to the racers meeting. The organizers said to watch for surprises through the night & the usual race stuff..stop to help others in trouble, yield the trail when the opportunity presents itself, watch out for trail tramps (more on this later).blah, blah, blah.
I was the first in our rotation. The first lap was good..not the blistering pace I expected..probably because we were led out by a guy on a unicycle…yes I said unicycle. We circled a gravel road, then dumped into the singletrack, rode through the transition area & then we were on our own. I paced with 5 or 6 guys for the first 3 miles or so…The course was fast, and dusty…As I continued w/ my lap I wished I had a harder gear. It was ok on the up hills but I just spun myself silly on the flats. It was frustrating to get passed by other females on other teams simply because they had gears. Oh well..that comes with riding a single speed. I finished the 9.5 loop in about an hour. Handed off our “baton” to Mackenzie & headed back in to recover. Mackenzie finished her lap, then Moe headed out followed by Kristin.
Our team stayed strong through the evening. From 10 pm on, we had Moe take a break…so the remaining 3 of us raced through the wee hours of the night.
During my midnight lap, I noticed the first “surprise”..there were lots and lots of rubber chickens with glowsticks in their beaks dangling from the trees. Weird…I said something to the race people & they were using those for prizes on the upcoming laps. Apparently if you brought in a chicken, you got a prize.
During my 3 a.m. lap I encountered the trail tramp. She was this short little blonde, dressed in …well, I don’t know how to describe what she was dressed in. She was standing by the side of the trail just inside of 2 miles to go. I could see a glow in the distance as I approached but I didn’t know what it was. As I zoomed past, I noticed 2 guys with her. They yelled at me to stop and to sign her. Huh? I stopped, grabbed a pen, and wrote my name on her shoulder. As I was leaving, 2 more guys pulled up behind me. I told them to stop & say hello.
After my 4th lap around 4:30 -5 a.m...things started to fall apart for our team of chickies. I felt ok when I came in but I must have chosen the wrong type of food to refuel with. Within 20 minutes of refueling, I was close to puking it all out. I would need to rest. Kristin was also a little woozy. We decided to take a break and rest…..Mackenzie came in & I don’t remember anything until around 7 a.m. when Mackenzie woke me up. She asked how I felt…I wasn’t sure but I wasn’t nauseated. She said Moe had gone back out on course & was completing her lap. She had checked on our place in the standings…we were currently 3rd!..even with taking a 2 hour break….The only problem…It was close to 7:30..the 4th place team had a girl on course before Moe & had 2 waiting in the wings. We only had until 10 a.m. to complete our laps. We calculated & recalculated to see if we could retain third….unfortunately it was not going to happen. Even if we got Mackenzie & I back on course, we would still be a lap down. Bummer!!! We decided to forgoe the laps. I went over to the 4th place team to let them know we were stopping. They decided to continue racing to make it interesting for the 2nd place team.All in all it was a great time, hanging out w/ good friends & making some new ones.
Here are some quick thoughts/ thanks/kudos
Mackenzie & Barry – thanks for racing w/ us. You both did awesome for being so new to the sport
Moe – you totally rock. When you were not racing, you kept all three teams in their rotations throughout the wee hours of the morning. You go girl!!!
Kristin – Watch out for those trail tramps!..thanks for racing on my team…
Team 4 brothers from different mothers – you guys rocked the house..taking 1st overall…way to go
Team Sasquatch – thanks for the laughs…& congrats on your 7th place finish.
Dave & Gordon – thanks for checking the “clunking” noise on my bike
The chiropractic/massage dudes: THANK YOU…you were my saving grace…coming in getting my neck/shoulder/back worked on after laps was wonderful!...It kept me pain free during my laps.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
55 miler….
Got up early on Sunday to get a long roadie ride in before it got too hot. Hubby & I ventured out towards Troutville & beyond. We started from the house, cruised through downtown, then out Hollins Road, Plantation Road & eventually ended up on Read Mountain Rd. From there we turned on to Rt 11, stopped in Troutville for a potty break, then made our way out towards Nace & Lithia. This is such a pretty ride out through here. Lots of field/pastures…the ride is relatively flat, there are a few rollers but not like Bradshaw Road. We kept a good average pace heading out Nace Rd…probably around 22 mph. We passed quite a few people out on their road bikes today too.
As we approached the end of the road, we encountered two riders taking a quick break. We said hello…turns out they know one of our sponsors from Mail It Plus. As we chatted a bit, we learned they had a flat at the start of their ride. It took them 50 minutes to change it! Ow!
We took a quick snack break then headed back the way we came. It was a bit tougher heading back b/c we had a head wind...Yuk!...we still averaged close to 17/18 mph heading back. There were a couple of points I stared to fade so we slowed the pace down a bit. All in all it was a good ride.. I think we ended up doing 55 miles in a little over 3 hours.
Got back, had a smoothie (YUM), grabbed lunch, then snoozed on the couch off and on while watching the Olympics. I saw bits and pieces of the women’s road race. They raced in horrid conditions….hard rain most of the race. There was this rider from Korea who crashed & took out a couple of riders w/ her. She ended up in this ditch…pretty scary to watch. The finish was exciting w/ a gal from Great Britain taking gold. There was also a 49 year old from France racing!!! I hope I’m still racing at 49!
As we approached the end of the road, we encountered two riders taking a quick break. We said hello…turns out they know one of our sponsors from Mail It Plus. As we chatted a bit, we learned they had a flat at the start of their ride. It took them 50 minutes to change it! Ow!
We took a quick snack break then headed back the way we came. It was a bit tougher heading back b/c we had a head wind...Yuk!...we still averaged close to 17/18 mph heading back. There were a couple of points I stared to fade so we slowed the pace down a bit. All in all it was a good ride.. I think we ended up doing 55 miles in a little over 3 hours.
Got back, had a smoothie (YUM), grabbed lunch, then snoozed on the couch off and on while watching the Olympics. I saw bits and pieces of the women’s road race. They raced in horrid conditions….hard rain most of the race. There was this rider from Korea who crashed & took out a couple of riders w/ her. She ended up in this ditch…pretty scary to watch. The finish was exciting w/ a gal from Great Britain taking gold. There was also a 49 year old from France racing!!! I hope I’m still racing at 49!
Friday, August 01, 2008
Girlz night out…
Went out to the Cove Thursday night for the regular group ride. Got there a little late b/c I had to let the spoiled pooch out…she had been home all day & I didn’t want to come home to any little “gifts” . I also tried to locate the bottom bracket puller for Chris’ new fancy Rig…but could not locate it quickly amongst the unpacked boxes which remain in our basement.
Upon arrival Laura (aka “Michigan”) greeted me in the parking lot. She said the boyz had already gone on their way. She had already ridden for an hour & came back to wait for Jen & I. Plus the boyz were climbing up Hi Dee Hoe or Buck..whatever it was, it didn’t sound like fun.
Jen arrived & we got ready to go. There was another group out there & we checked to see what route they were taking…they had not decided yet, so we decided to go on our way. We did the usual low lander meander route. Songbird to Arrowhead to Little Bell to Schoolhouse, to EF, to Comet, to Connector.
I was still riding pretty conservatively b/c the neck is still stiff. I have more range of motion but still can’t turn completely to the left to look over my shoulder. I tried not to push it too hard on the climbs..and some stuff I walked which I can normally ride…..I guess I’m still hesitant b/c I don’t want to risk further injury. Other than that my legs felt good. I could definitely feel the effects of being off the bike for 2 ½ weeks.
Jen led most of the ride As we got to Arrowhead trail, I tried some of the creek crossings ..I think I got through the first one & that was it. The others I footed out..and I didn’t try the last one b/c the rocks in the middle were wet & I didn’t feel like crashing.
We continued on to Schoolhouse & Little Bell. When I got to these trails I felt as though I needed a steeper gear b/c I was spinning myself silly. However, when I got on the climbs, my gearing was just right. I think I’ve gotten stronger from riding the single speed but I don’t know if I’m ready to go into a higher gear….. Laura rides a SS too….I asked what gear she runs b/c she is really strong, yet stays seated on everything & makes things look effortless…she runs a 36-20…equivalent to a 32-18…..I think that’s too steep for me right now..but maybe one day.
We dumped down to EF….saw a bunch of deer hanging out where the water used to be. There was a large buck among the deer. I think we saw him the last time we rode through there. He’s probably around an 8 pointer. As we approached the creek crossing, we heard lots of voices. We stopped for a bit to see which way the riders were heading. While we waited, I noticed a large spider web on one of the trail signs. I grabbed a stick to do some further investigation. When I saw the legs, I knew it was a Black Widow….I looked a little closer & saw the red hourglass on her belly. Yuk!! Fortunately this one was smaller than the one my hubby & I killed a few weeks back…but it was still scary.
Once we got started, we ran into the boyz. We heard one of them remark..oh, they’re not riders..it’s just the girlz….or something to that effect. We jeered as they past by us….saying “we don’t need no stinkin boyz” They just laughed at us.
We finished Comet and dumped back out on the fire road. We contemplated whether to go up the climb to Connector or head out the paved road. We opted to climb. I took it really easy up the climb. Laura took off…seated the entire way..it was awesome. We met back up w/ her at the entrance to Four Gorge…and proceeded down the trail. Laura & Jen took off…I just paced myself b/c my back was stiffening up. At one point Jen waited for me…I told her not to worry about it.but she said “I never drop riders”….We descended down Hi Dee Hoe, back to the parking lot.
It was a fun ride..w/ great company. I’m looking forward to the next ride w/ the girls..we might to a roadie ride to mix it up a bit. Plus Jen & I need to get ready for the next derailer race to be held at Candler’s Mountain in Lynchburg. I told Jen lots of road riding will get us ready. Woo Hoo!
Upon arrival Laura (aka “Michigan”) greeted me in the parking lot. She said the boyz had already gone on their way. She had already ridden for an hour & came back to wait for Jen & I. Plus the boyz were climbing up Hi Dee Hoe or Buck..whatever it was, it didn’t sound like fun.
Jen arrived & we got ready to go. There was another group out there & we checked to see what route they were taking…they had not decided yet, so we decided to go on our way. We did the usual low lander meander route. Songbird to Arrowhead to Little Bell to Schoolhouse, to EF, to Comet, to Connector.
I was still riding pretty conservatively b/c the neck is still stiff. I have more range of motion but still can’t turn completely to the left to look over my shoulder. I tried not to push it too hard on the climbs..and some stuff I walked which I can normally ride…..I guess I’m still hesitant b/c I don’t want to risk further injury. Other than that my legs felt good. I could definitely feel the effects of being off the bike for 2 ½ weeks.
Jen led most of the ride As we got to Arrowhead trail, I tried some of the creek crossings ..I think I got through the first one & that was it. The others I footed out..and I didn’t try the last one b/c the rocks in the middle were wet & I didn’t feel like crashing.
We continued on to Schoolhouse & Little Bell. When I got to these trails I felt as though I needed a steeper gear b/c I was spinning myself silly. However, when I got on the climbs, my gearing was just right. I think I’ve gotten stronger from riding the single speed but I don’t know if I’m ready to go into a higher gear….. Laura rides a SS too….I asked what gear she runs b/c she is really strong, yet stays seated on everything & makes things look effortless…she runs a 36-20…equivalent to a 32-18…..I think that’s too steep for me right now..but maybe one day.
We dumped down to EF….saw a bunch of deer hanging out where the water used to be. There was a large buck among the deer. I think we saw him the last time we rode through there. He’s probably around an 8 pointer. As we approached the creek crossing, we heard lots of voices. We stopped for a bit to see which way the riders were heading. While we waited, I noticed a large spider web on one of the trail signs. I grabbed a stick to do some further investigation. When I saw the legs, I knew it was a Black Widow….I looked a little closer & saw the red hourglass on her belly. Yuk!! Fortunately this one was smaller than the one my hubby & I killed a few weeks back…but it was still scary.
Once we got started, we ran into the boyz. We heard one of them remark..oh, they’re not riders..it’s just the girlz….or something to that effect. We jeered as they past by us….saying “we don’t need no stinkin boyz” They just laughed at us.
We finished Comet and dumped back out on the fire road. We contemplated whether to go up the climb to Connector or head out the paved road. We opted to climb. I took it really easy up the climb. Laura took off…seated the entire way..it was awesome. We met back up w/ her at the entrance to Four Gorge…and proceeded down the trail. Laura & Jen took off…I just paced myself b/c my back was stiffening up. At one point Jen waited for me…I told her not to worry about it.but she said “I never drop riders”….We descended down Hi Dee Hoe, back to the parking lot.
It was a fun ride..w/ great company. I’m looking forward to the next ride w/ the girls..we might to a roadie ride to mix it up a bit. Plus Jen & I need to get ready for the next derailer race to be held at Candler’s Mountain in Lynchburg. I told Jen lots of road riding will get us ready. Woo Hoo!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
