Va Derailer Race #4 - Falling Creek Park, Bedford, VA

Sat, Setpember 23, 2006

This course was a 4.25 miler complete w/ grassy field sections & lots of singletrack, some of it freshly cut. I’m so glad we pre-rode this course the Sunday before the race so we knew what to expect. Last year’s course was a 50/50 mix of long doubletrack (aka grassy field) and single track sections. The folks out in Bedford have been putting in a lot of time in the off-season to change the look of this course. It’s still just over 4 miles but it’s probably 90% singletrack.

The sport chickies started at the same time as all the sport men & Clydesdales. Knowing the course, I suggested to the gals we start behind the guys and just sort of pace ourselves. The course starts w/ about a ½ mile prologue around a grassy field w/ a slight climb towards the end just before dumping into the singletrack. Since we had to do 4 laps, I decided I would not go out hard on this prologue. I thought that some of the other ladies would do the pace setting but everyone felt content at the pace being set so we cruised along together. I mentioned to the ladies that things were likely to get backed up as we entered the first section of trail. Just before entering the singletrack, I noticed one of the sport gals in the 18 – 35 category along side of me. I asked her if she wanted to go first & she said “no, no…I’m good right where I am”

Everyone negotiated the first right hand switchback, then we twisted & turned down the trail to the next switchback. This one was a bit tighter & turned left. I consistently bobbled on this one on the pre-ride & did the same in the race. We continued on to a section of newly cut trail…slick, uphill, rooty. I didn’t quite have my legs to climb this so I hopped off & ran it. Back on the bike to descend through a chute between 2 trees before turning left into a small open section before the next round of singletrack. Along the way I was already noticing riders on the side w/ chain issues. I kept telling myself, “please, no mechanicals, ride smooth”

The other sport ladies were not far behind. The next section of trail includes another steep, slick uphill section. Once again I was off my bike running up this. I noticed the other sport lady tried it..she almost made it until at the very top, lost momentum, then slid all the way back down. She was laughing because it looked like someone had hit the “rewind” button the way she slid down. I hopped back on the bike and prepared for the right hand turn on the slick root, and climbed up the rest of the way.

Next we dumped into more twisty singletrack. Here’s where you could start gaining time. This section of trail is not terribly technical so you can gas it a bit. It eventually turns right and parallels a pond before getting to a series of logs. At this point, some of the beginner men were starting to catch us. Just before the first big log I knew I two guys behind me. I could not do this log so I let the guys know I was getting off on the left & to pass me on the right. They shouted a big “thanks” and were well on their way. I continued through the rest of the logs, onto another section of trail which was smooth & fast. A couple more beginners got behind me just before a twisty, turny section. I shouted “just let me get through this twisty, turny part & I’ll let ya’ll go” They said no problem. This section dumps out to a fast, grassy downhill. I moved left & let the boys go.

Next came a left turn over a bridge into more singletrack. I was very confident entering this section. We paralleled a stream for a bit, then take a left hand turn up about 100’ more on the hill. We cruise back the way we came on this for a bit. Then come the woop de woos. Riders had a choice of doing the more moderate trail or the whoops. I inadvertently chose the woops but they were fun & manageable. One way was not quicker than the other. The last downhill of the whoops was a little tricky. Back up the hill, right hand turn, more climbing through some loose rock, then across the ridge. Here’s another place to make up more time. You could look below you to see the other riders. The other sport lady was traversing across but I knew she still had to climb so I gassed it a bit more. I negotiated more tricky dips and roots, crossed another bridge & made the right hand turn back into the field. Here’s another place to put the hammer down before entering the last stretch of singletrack that winds you back up to where you started.

Ok 1 lap down, 3 more to go. Lap 2 was pretty uneventful. I maintained a good distance between myself & the other ladies. Lap 3…was a little unnerving. I managed the first 2 switchbacks on the beginning part of the trail. I was preparing for the slick, greasy, off camber section when I heard an awful noise coming from my derailer. Uh oh..Off the bike & tried to run, except my back wheel was completely locked up.

I had thrown my chain on the back to the inside! I was freaking out on the inside knowing my competition could not be far behind. I flipped the bike over, got the back wheel off and freed the chain. Now comes the fun part..I was shaking so bad that I could barely get the wheel back on & lined up correctly. About that time, Todd Reighley (aka Speedracer) asked if I was good. I said yea..go ahead (when in all actuality I was freaking out!) Fortunately Ryan, a friend of Rev, one of the El Toreo crew came along & asked if I needed help. I told him I couldn’t get the wheel lined up. He checked it for me & helped me tighten it down. Thank goodness…..Ryan, you’re a lifesaver! Back on the bike…at this point I was so frazzled that I kept bobbling every few feet or so. I just needed to calm down a bit & I’d be ok.

I settled back into a groove & was careful on shifts to ensure I did not throw the chain again. Towards the end of lap 3 I realized all of my Hammer Gel had spilled out. Luckily another teammate had some extra Clif Shot for me which kept me going.

Lap 4 was clean & I finished strong. The 18 -35 sport lady finished just a few minutes back from me. I came in 1^st sport woman overall. One more race to go..the Poor Mountain Hill Climb!

Peaksview Park Race - Lynchburg, VA

The third Va Derailer Series race was held this past weekend in Lynchburg. This course is very twisty w/ tons of switchbacks & trails which double back on themselves. No huge climbs..but very challenging nonetheless.

We had a staggered start w/ the female sport riders starting behind the "big boyz" a.ka. Clydesdales. I was glad we got to start together. 6 sport ladies lined up. 3 of the ladies were in the younger sport class & 3 of us were in the "old lady" category. The first 3/4 of the course was on a paved road, then you go around a soccer field until dumping into the singletrack. I took off at the start knowing there were a couple strong ladies who could hammer the road. I kept the pace high, maybe a little too high, but I really wanted to get into the woods first. As I pedaled like crazy I thought someone would certainly take the lead, that's when I heard one of the ladies exclaim "I'm just gonna sit back and draft off of you" I glanced back & sure enough, the ladies were lined up single file w/ me setting an 18mph pace. Great, I thought, I'm gonna blow up on the first mile!

We rounded the soccer field and then took the left hand turn into the first climb on the singletrack. I knew what was coming b/c I had pre-rode in the rain earlier that week. I geared down slightly and hammered on to the first climb. I heard the sound of chain suck behind be & was thankful I did not get tangled up behind the mechanical problem one of the ladies had.
As I climbed the rooty trail, I heard some of my fellow Tuesday night "chicky" riders cheering me on! I shouted back " Chicky's rock" and continued twisting and turning my bike through the trail. I knew the girls weren't far behind so I kept the pace high.

Midway through the first lap I let some of the beginner men go by me. They were hammering pretty good & I did not want to hold them up. Chris Clark, one of my Team El Toreo teammates was in this group. I jumped on his wheel & kept their pace for a little while. At one point, the trail leveled a bit. I shouted to the guys "come on, pick it up, let's go". They picked it up slightly but not to my liking. I thought I'd "motivate" them a little more. I then shouted..."come on guys...you don't want to get passed by a girl...do you?" That's all it took...they increased the pace and were soon out of sight. As they drifted out of sight, I encouraged Chris a little more to stay w/ them.

I was feeling great on the bike and tried to maintain a steady rhythm. I also made sure I stayed well hydrated, drinking every chance I could get. I did have a bobble on the Roller Coaster section falling on some slick rocks...Ouch. Towards the end of the 1st lap, I followed another sport male rider..His pace was somewhat slower than I wanted but it was good because it kept me in check. Then I heard a female rider shout "finally, another female" I realized it was Kelly, one of the younger sport women....Kelly's pretty strong & she had ridden this course before so I knew she would hang tough this second lap. I asked her where the other ladies were..she said one had a mechanical as we dumped in the trail, but was not far back. We descended down to the road. I passed the sport male and turned up the gas. Kelly was not far behind. As I made the turn at the soccer field, I could see her fast approaching..maybe 15 seconds.

I rode as hard as I could on the second lap. Continually looking at the trails and listening to see how far back the other chicky was on the course.. I caught a couple of glimpses on some of the trails which double back...I kept my pace high while still maintaining control of the bike. I had a few more bobbles as I started to tire but nothing too major. Just before entering the roller coaster for the 2nd time I caught up to another El Toreo Teammate, Frank. I asked him if he had any gel b/c I was starting to cramp & forgot mine Doh! Fortunately he did...what a lifesaver...problem was the next mile or so of trail was so twisty & turny I could not take my had off the bars so I rode on, gel packet dangling from my mouth. I looked like a cat w/ a fresh kill, it was quite the site!
Finally, a straightaway so I could get a swig of the gel...I reached for my water bottle to wash it down and ....aaaaaaaahh No liquid! Oh well, I swallowed as best as I could..Yuk!!

As I continued the second lap, I kept listening to see if any chicky's were coming. I couldn't tell so I just kept hammering. I crashed again on those stupid rocks on the Roller Coaster...I fell in the same spot & landed on the same hip..now I have a beautiful, multicolored bruise...pretty.
Out of the trail & onto the road. I put it in my big ring & pedaled as hard as I could. W/ the finish line in sight, lots of my teammates were already in. They were screaming & yelling. I get such a rush from folks cheering that I get an extra adrenaline boost. It's pretty cool. As I went by my hubby, he exclaimed "You're the first one in"! Woo Hoo I crossed the finish line & waited to see where Kelly was....Here she came..under 1 minute behind...I cheered for her as she neared the finish....Great Job Chicky!

Overall time was 2 hours 3 minutes & 8 seconds..not too shabby for an old lady.

Next up: Bedford....
Hopefully I'll get some pics up soon

DeRailed in Danville

Sat, Aug 26, 2006 Southside Scramble, Danville, VA

This was the 2nd in the Va Derailer series. The course is full of twisty turns, "whoop" sections, and short climbs. This is the type of course where you're on the gas from the minute you start...no real good sections to rest...or take time to take a swig from the water bottle which would have an awful effect on me later that day. Temps were in the mid to high 90's. Normally I do okay in the heat...it has some effect on me but generally I can stay pretty well hydrated. I felt good in the warm up but felt a little "off" once we got to the starting line. I seemed a little more on edge than normal. I just chalked it up to pre-race jitters.

I felt ok on the first lap. One of my comptetitors had gotten in front at the start but I figured I would just let her set the pace. Unfortunately she went down hard on one of those rollers. It was a tight left hand turn into a steep drop, followed by a steep, but short uphill. As I eased past her, I shouted "you okay?" she indicated she was..so I continued on. I was sure my competition would be back up on the bike so I pushed a little harder on this first lap. The key to this course is maintaining your momentum so that's what I tried to do. I even had a little help from the rider behind me. He had ridden the course many, many times so he knew every twist, log, turn, uphill, and even places to pause & take a sip fromt he water bottle. It was almost like having my own little coach in my head to let me know what was coming! We continued on..about 3/4 of the way through my first lap I had to clip out to dab through a short uphill section. As soon as my foot hit the ground, horrendous cramping started in my calf. I never cramp so I knew something was not right. The "coach" passed me but I soon caught back up. I thought..keep drinking wherever you can.

The second lap was a little slower than the first. Towards the middle of the second lap my buddy Todd Gilley caught & passed me. Todd races Clydesdale class. Somehow we always seem to end up riding together in the second half of the races. I followed Todd through the series of S-turns, then out into the open field. I asked him how far back the ladies were...He said he passed one on his first lap but was not sure of the rest. As we dumped into the downhill section, Todd was gone....so I plodded on but now the stomach cramps, nausea, and headache were beginning. Towards the last 2 miles or so, I caught up with one of the expert women..I asked her how she was feeling..her response was "not too good" I knew how she felt, except she had 1 more lap!

As I completed my second lap I felt extremely nauseated! After they took my number, I rolled over to the area where my teammates were. My hubby gave me a bottle of water & said "drink this,you'll feel better." Well I drank the water, then my recovery drink, then another bottle of water..still no better. Jannie put an icepack on my back..1/2 hour passed...Ok I think I feel a little better. I decided to stay under the tent while the rest of the team got some grub. That's when it hit me ....instead of feeling better, I felt worse. My breathing shortened and the nausea increased, although I never could puke (sorry, I know that's gross) One of my teammates ran to the food area to get my husband & a couple of EMTs...Seems I was in the begining stages of heat exhaustion and was dehydrated. They quickly put icepacks under my arms & on my neck to get my core temp down. They also gave me some extra oxygen to help w/ the shortness of breath. I put my legs up, continuted to drink lots of Gatorade & water. I forced down a piece of pizza to get my blood sugar back up. Finally after about an hour I was able to summons the strength to move to the air conditioned Jeep!

Here's what WebMD lists as the symptoms of Heat Exhaustion: Fatigue, Nausea , Headaches , Excessive thirst , Muscle aches and cramps , Weakness, Confusion or anxiety , Drenching sweats, often accompanied by cold, clammy skin, slowed or weakened heartbeat, Dizziness, Fainting , Agitation. I didn't have all of these but I had the majority of them. I may have even been on the verge of heat stroke b/c my skin was hot & dry rather than cold & clammy. That's pretty serious. Thankfully there were EMT's there to help the riders. I know I wasn't the only one that felt awful...I think it just hit me harder than others. Next year for this race, I'm definitely wearing a camelback so I can drink more during the event.

I did come in first in my class..but it definitely was not worth the pain & suffering. Turns out the competitor in my class who went down early did not finish....I think lot of riders did not finish..The heat was too much! Team El Toreo did well again. My hubby took 3rd in Single Speed...only 30 seconds out of second place, Chris Clark took 2nd in the Beginner class, Ron Glowczynski took 1st Expert Male over 36 and 3rd overall in Male Expert, Jannie took 3rd in Female Beginner! Way to go Jannie...you rock girl! One of our other teammates had a tough time w/ the heat as well..that was Aaron..he placed 4th in Single Speed but was just happy to finish the race.

Lots of liquid & rest & I'll be back to my old self in no time.

Feel the Burn

Saturday, Aug 19

A group of us headed down to Danville to pre-ride the course for the Southside Scramble. As we entered the trailhead, I felt good, legs felt strong, I felt confident in my handling skills, etc. This course is full of rollers and some fun singletrack. As we entered the first rolling section, I felt a horrible burning sensation on my leg and my backside. I thought "man these horseflies are relentless" Only.they weren't horseflies. The burning/stinging worsened as did my screams of pain! It was then my hubby said "BEES! GO GO GO" I was sobbing at this point b/c the pain was unbearable. I took off on my bike....crying the entire way... Once we were away, I could calm down. Turns out the riders who were ahead of us stirred up a nest of yellow jackets..The bees thought I'd be a good target. I was stung at least 3 times...once in the leg and a couple on my backside. Moe was also a good target .she got stung 4 times! Later on the ride my hubby got stung on the back of his head!

Fortunately I did not have a serious reaction to the stings other than some pain, itching and large swelling at the sting sites. I've been doped up on Benadryl the past couple of days to help the itching subside. I hate Benadryl b/c I feel soo out of it..Hopefully the swelling will go down in the next day or so.

My hubby said he's never seen me ride so fast. After I was stung, he couldn't keep up w/ me through that first section of trail! I guess the adrenaline was pumping. Worst part is, I don't remember anything about that first section of trail in terms of the technical aspects or climbs.
I sure was exhausted afterwards!

Fortunately there were a couple of folks who work on the trails in Danville. They've been alerted to the bees..so hopefully Saturday, we'll have a bee free race!

Big turnout for Tues Chicky Ride

Tuesday Aug 15

We had our largest turnout so far for the Tuesday Chick Ride. 9 chickys came out to participate. We went out the outer loop to the road and back into the entrance. Everyone did great! I was a little worried w/ some of the roots, but the ladies rode awesome! Pretty soon we're gonna exceed the number of riders that come on the Thursday ride!...

We'll be out there again this Tuesday so come on out & join us ladies!

Mw windows race

Sunday, Aug 13, 2006 MW Windows Race, Franklin Co, 1st in the VA Derailer Series.

Approximately 125 riders turned out for the first in the Va Derailer series. Team El Toreo had 6 riders on the podium for this race! Rock on team Burrito! The course was a combination of wide double track, some single track, cornfields, gravel roads, a creek crossing, and a deep river crossing…oh yea..and one very slippery bridge which I would find out about 4 miles into the race! Racers started with a staggered start..meaning experts, first, then single speeders 2 min later, then sport folks 2 minutes after the single speeders, etc, Thank you to the race promoters for doing a staggered start. Things were much less chaotic and you could work your way through the group much easier. I raced in the Vet sport (35+) division. In early spring I had entertained the idea of moving up to expert class. I decided against it because most of the races last year, there were few if any other racers in my class. Also with injuring my knee at the start of the race season, I did not think I would be ready to tackle the expert level just yet. I hoped more women would race this year and I would not be disappointed for this first race. There were 2 other ladies in my class, and 2 younger female sports….Woo Hoo..someone of my gender to race with!

I decided to line up towards the middle/front of the sport pack. In previous races I’ve lined up behind the guys and always seem to lose time because I’m in the back of the pack. It was a little nerve wracking when we started b/c everyone was jockeying for position before getting into the singletrack. Fortunately I was able to hold my own and maintain a sustainable pace on the first grassy climb. The pack spread out as we entered the singletrack..until we got to Still Hill. I jumped on another guys wheel & climbed behind him all the way up. We had to holler at a few folks who were walking, but no worries..cleared the first hill.

As the race continued, I felt strong. It was really hard to get into a steady rhythm because of the creek crossings and a couple of steep, slippery hills where you either changed your cadence to make the climb, or got off & hiked. As I approached one of these slight uphills, there was a mossy, slippery wooden bridge just before the turn for the hill. I was in a groove, pedaling a steady pace, and getting ready to gear down one ring to spin the climb. As I geared down, leaned into my turn and took a pedal stroke BAM! I was off the bike in an instant. In fact, my bike was about 3 feel below me just on the other side of the bridge! OUCH…I felt a little pain shooting up my backside as I mounted the bike to continue…I remembered that for the next lap.

I continued on….crossed the river a lot better this year than last. I kept my bike on my hip this year & plodded through water waist deep in some parts. Coming through the transition area, there was a small but LOUD group of folks cheering the riders on. I was so amped from this that I almost missed my turn and just about took out the marshall directing the riders OOPS..sorry about that. As I raced my second lap, I could see one of my teammates just up the trail. I came close but couldn’t quite catch up to him. I think I finished 15 seconds behind him. My overall time was 1 hour, 9 minutes, beating last year’s time by close to 4 minutes! And coming in first in my class.

Here’s the site for the overall results I'll create the link later so you'll need to copy & paste this to your browser for the time being. http://vaderailerseries.com/results/

18mph

Saturday my hubby & I did a 50 miler along Bradshaw, down to Shawsville, then back. Temps finally weren't scorching hot in fact it was quite nice w/ temps in the mid 70's, a slight breeze & not much sun. I decided to go hard on this ride....instead of sitting and spinning through the climbs, I decided to attack each one & sprint as hard as I could. Warren did all of the pulling so my goal was to hold his wheel as much as possible. I was able to hang with him for the most part. My legs were a little tight through some of the sustained, gradual climbs. I continued to check my average speed through the ride...16.5 mph, then 17.5, 17.8, 17.9...as it ended up I had an average of 18 mph!!!! That may not seem like much to all you hammer heads out there,but for me it was a new milestone. It was the fastest road ride I've ever done! Woo Hoo!

Scorcher

Tuesday, Aug 1, 2006
100 degrees

That's what the temperature read in Jen's vehicle as we prepared for our weekly "Chicky ride". Yup, we really rode in that heat! I think a lot of us were debating on riding. But as it turned out, our core group of 5 showed up ready to sweat. We headed out the outer loop to the road w/ lots of breaks in between. It was actually hotter when we stopped so we tried to keep moving. Once we hit the road back to the park, two gals stopped and the remaining 3 of us tried our hand at the endurance loop. We did pretty good..even got close to conquering the uphill switchbacks (way to go Jannie!). Back to the cars to load up the bikes & off to get something cold to drink.

Bizarre

POW! PSSSSSSSSST, KATHUNK, PSSSSSSSSST, KATHUNK, KATHUNK, KATHUNK...

What in the world? My hubby & I were cruising along doing an urban assault ride. (basically an ubran assault ride is anything goes....you ride trail, streets, alley ways, etc.)
I was riding the flaming green booger commuter, cruising down an alley following the same line Warren picked when all of the sudden, I started hearing the noises listed above.

I knew I flatted when I heard the "pow" and the "pssssssst" but what in the heck was causing the "kathunk"?

Then it appeared..a masonry nail of some sort. Not only did it puncture the tire and the tube..but it went clear through the rim. I've never seen anything like it and never had anything like that happen before on a ride. How it went through the rim, I'll never know. I'm not a very big person. I weigh less than 115 lbs...I guess the force and speed caused it to go right through. All you engineer types, see if you can figure that one out!

Here are some pics:

Trailwork - It does the body good

Sat, July 29, 2006

Decided to spend part of my Saturday volunteering some hours to assist w/ the ongoing work out at Carvin's Cove. This is the site of our weekly Thursday night ride, or as I call it, the "ride w/ the boyz".. We're working on the final phases of completing the >2 mile loop which Connects Hi Dee Hoe to the 1000' climb, thus eliminating the need to ride the road to get to the trails from the Bennett Springs Parking Lot.

We started work on a "rolling crown" switchback near the middle part of the trail. Thankfully we were able to drive in for part of the way and then hiked close to mile in to the work site. This is the only switchback on this trail. It was lots of hard work..mostly digging and clearing small rocks to create a level platform on the turn of the switchback. We made good progress on this section of the trail but there's still a little more to go.

I think trail work is harder than racing mountain bikes. You use muscles you never knew you had but you get a great workout. It's even better when you have a fun group of folks you are working with like the group on Saturday. If you've never built trail, I recommend you try it at least once. It's a good way to "give back" to the mtb, equestrian, and hiking communities. You also learn not to take for granted the trails you ride. At one point in time, people put in backbreaking hours to make the trails what they are today. We are fortunate to have such great trails so close to us here in the Roanoke Valley. Next time you're out there & you see a work crew, take a minute to stop & thank them for their hard work & effort!

For more on trail building or to get involved check out this website: http://www.blueridgebicycleclub.com/trailworkdb/index.asp

Coventry Commonwealth Games

Coventry Commonwealth Games, July 1 & July 8 & 9

So I've been slacking in the blog department. Sorry about that folks..haven't had much to write about..until now. I competed in some of the cycling events of the Coventry Commonwealth Games over the past 2 weekend.

July 1 - Mill Mountain road Time Trial
This was a 1.86 mile climb with nearly 800 feet of climbing in that distance with an average grade of close to 10% complete with switchbacks with a finish at the Roanoke Star. To your average person that translates to a really steep climb in a short period of time with lots of turns. I raced Cat 4 which means new to road racing. In the week leading up to this event, we had lots of rain in the Roanoke Valley. So much so that lots of places got really wet..both inside & out. This included my place of employment. On the same floor which I work, one of the departments was water logged. It was so bad they had to move the entire dept to a temporary work area and air out all of the computers. In an effort to get the carpet dry, I guess they used lots of shop vacs & fans. I don't think things were totally dried out before the mold got into the air system. Mold is not a good thing if you are prone to allergies & asthma....like me.. My chest burned the entire week leading up to and including race day.

I guess it was not all bad..I didn't finish w/ a podium place, but I also didn't finish last. My time was 14 minutes 16 seconds. I'll take it. I was hoping for 13 minutes but it was not in the cards this evening. I placed 6 out of 12 riders...which isn't too shabby considering I'm not a roadie. My buddy Skip tried to convince me to race the remaining races that weekend, but I'm not comfortable enough on the road bike to attempt to race. No biggie. I voluneered the rest of the weekend at the Road RAce& Crit & got to see some awesome riders. The ladies were fun to watch....just wish there were more of us out there. The Cat 1 - 3 guys were fun to watch too. Very fast.

The following weekend was the Roanoke Mountain Bike Omnium. These were the races I was most excited about. 2 races in two days..I was not sure how my body would recover. The first race was a time trial back up Mill Mountain..this time on the trails. The course was close to a 3 mile climb..again an average grade of 10% with a climb elevation of 1145.3 ft. It was steep but didn't seem quite as bad as the road hill climb. We started up an alley then pavement, then the singletrack. Most of the elevation gain was on the 1st half of the course. then you could fly down the Monument trail, across the road, back into the woods. I felt strong through the race but didn't want to push too hard. As I came out of the trail head near the zoo, I sprinted. That was a mistake...I still had another 100 yards, straight up to go. That last part to the finish just about did me in. but I made it in under 30 minutes. I think my overall time was 25 minutes. The whole time I wondered if Oops the monkey would be seen on the course (Oops is a monkey that escaped from the Mill Mtn Zoo about a week prior to the race and had been spotted in the area) Fortunately no Monkey

Day 2 Carvins Cove Cross Country Race
This was the first cross country race ever held at Carvin's Cove. The sport course was close to 13 miles in length, complete with long climbs and narly descents. We had a mass start out the road. My legs were a little sore from the previous day but I decided to hang as best as I could with the sport guys (I was on the only sport female) so once we dumped into the first single track climb, Iwould not get caught in a bottlenect at the beginning of the climb. I was able to hang pretty good, cleared the first trail,no problems. Cruised along to the 1000' climb. Here's where I knew I could pick off more riders. I passed a couple of the sport dudes and pedaled hard to the Clownhead trail. The Clownhead trail is scary...steep, loose shale stuff w/ a few switchbacks thrown in for good measure. I have only been able to do this trail once this season & not at all last year so I was a little aprehensive going into it. I was able to relax, stay way off the back of my saddle & maintained a good line as I descended. I was even able to do all but one of the switchbacks.! WOO HOO. I got a little worried when I came upon a sport guy who was having a rough time. Fortunately he let me through. Down to the bottom I went...clean! No Bobbles. I was phsyched! As I pedaled along, a couple of the guys I passed on the climb caught me. We exchanged places for the next 10 minutes or so as we cruised along. Then my tire did not feel quite right..It felt soft...too soft. Shoot! I think I'm going flat...As I continued to ride, it got worse until it was completely flat.

Ok I am not an expert on changing tires...but I did ok until I had to get the tire back on over the tube. I had the worst time. Guys were passing me shouting "You ok?" I said Yes but in reality was thinking I'm cooked. I'm losing tons of time dealing w/ this stupid tire. As I was getting ready to pump it up, one of my teammates approached. He had just gotten finished fixing his flat. As we pulled the pump from the valve, the whole stem fell off! NOOOOOOO! I did not have another tube!..Fortunately a good samaritan tossed one my way. 40 minutes later, the tire was full again & I was on my way. I was probably 5 miles from the finish so it was too far to run w/ the flat. If I had been closer, I would have run in w/ the flat. At this point I was pretty dejected. I think I was the last sport rider out there. All I had to do was finish. I did not ride hard to the finish because my body had completely cooled down. I did not want to push too hard and I was not confident in my fix a flat job. I was happy when I came upon 2 of the sport guys who passed me. I passed them and continued on the connector trail.
Finally I got on to Hi Dee Ho trail. I flew down this descent & cruised into the finish. I was not happy but I finished...and podiumed.

I ended up overall Omnium winner for my class so I was pleased with the result for such a disastrous race. My hubby raced single speed & was got the best time overall in the sport field!..Way to go! Team El Toreo did really well as a whole with lots of folks on the podium. For pics check out my hubby's blog. http://bicyclesoup.blogspot.com/ My pics aren't pulling in again.


I'm looking forward to a light week on the bike & a weekend off next weekend.

SOME PICS FROM SUGAR MOUNTAIN

Yea! I can post pictures again. Here are some pics from Sugar. Pic 1 is one of the pro ladies descending, Aaron is climbing on his single speed, the pro women's podium & a pic of my brothers Ski Castle.

SHOWDOWN AT SUGAR MOUNTAIN

Destination Sugar Mountain Boone, NC for the NORBA National Mountain Bike Series Race #2

We spent the weekend at my brother's house on Sugar Mountain. The plan was to go down on Friday, pre-ride the course, register, then race in the sport class on Saturday. On the way down we talked to our team mate Skippy. He used one word to describe the course: "brutal" . Uh Oh....Skippy used to race downhill...for him to say something was brutal, it had to be bad.

We arrived Friday afternoon. After hearing the descriptions of the course provided by Skip & our other teammate, Aaron, I decided not to race. Plus the registration deadline had passed so NORBA was tacking on a $10.00 late fee and an additional $5 to purchase a one-day NORBA license....so let's do the math. $48 registration + $10.00 late fee +$5 license = $63..hmmm. I could race two West VA races or 2 derailer races for that money...and not have the fear of dying on the course!

Now that the pressure of racing was off my back, I could relax & just have fun watching the races all weekend. We watched the semi-pros race on Friday, then got to see the pros on Saturday. Skippy & Aaron raced on Sunday.

The course was a 6.6 mile loop. The racers started out by climbing all the way up to the top of the mountain. I don't remember the exact amount of vertical feet climbed..but it was a bunch. Just when you thought the climbing was over, you were faced w/ another steep section. Once the climbing was over, you got go descend. Some of these descents were treacherous, lots of roots, rocks, steep grades, 2 foot drops...gnarly!

We watched the pros on Saturday...these guys & girls were awesome. They made the tough sections look like the Virginia Creeper trail. They rode very smooth through the most treacherous sections. I guess that's why they get paid to ride! Two Virginia racers podiumed. Sue Haywood from Harrisonburg took 5th in the pro women's cross country race & took 1st in the Super D (they race the downhill section of the Cross country course) Jeremiah Bishop, also from Harrisionburg took 3rd in the men's cross country.

Team El Toreo also had a podium finish thanks to Skip Huffman who raced single speed. He placed 4th. Way to go Skippy! Aaron also competed in the Single Speed division. He got a 6th place finish...Not too shabby for having not raced in 7 years! Anyway..we had a great time. Thanks to my bro for hooking us up w/ the house. I've got pics but have tried for 3 days to get them pulled in but have not had any luck. Once I figure that out, I'll edit them in.

Snake, Rattle & Roll

Thursday, May 25, 2006
I gathered with the boyz for our weekly "get dirty at the cove" ride. We had a HUGE group this evening...16 people! Wow! We were so big we decided to split up. One group of 6 decided to climb the 1000' climb to Clownhead, and some of the upper trails. The remaining 10 of us decided to stay on the lower stuff.

The ride was filled with lots of excitement. If we had brought the camera, I don't think we would have had the opportunity to play Jeff Corwin. (he's the other wildlife dude on Animal Planet who loves to play w/ snakes and other assorted slithery creatures) Anywho...As we rode through the Enchanted Forest, thoughts of big black bears kept running though my brain. We saw one last week along the same trail & my hubby ran into one on the 1000' climb the other night. (in case you did not know, I'm not too fond of bears...I think it's from watching too much drama on tv) As we cruised on the trail, Warren was frantically waving us along, shouting, Don't Stop, Don't Stop, Keep Moving. I thought to myself...Mama bear is near & he is making us ride away from her. No problem. After most of the group rode past Warren, a few of us stopped to see what all of the commotion was about. Bear? No..worse....Snake...not just any snake...Rattlesnake!!!!!!! What is it w/ snakes this year? First at the WV race, now the Cove!...Oh did I mention I'm not too fond of snakes ?


Well they scared him far away from the trail...Warren even tossed a rock at him which hit him on the head.. He was not a happy snake. He rattled the whole time. As Mark & Curt rode up I was screaming Stop!...Halt!....(I don't know if it was some deep rooted maternal instinct to protect or what...but I didn't want anyone getting near this thing)

I can honestly say that's the first time I've ever seen a rattlesnake in the wild..and hopefully the last. What's in store next week? Bobcat? Stay tuned

Thc chicky's rocked

As the chickys have been doing their weekly ride at Explore Park, I've observed some tremendous improvement in everyone's riding. From handling the technical switchbacks, to barrelling downhill, to grunting up the climbs everyone is doing great!...this week we decided to go straight to the intermediate stuff and test our skills.

Prior to the ride, I thought I'd sneak in a quick lap just to get the legs going and the heart pumping. Skippy arrived just as I was about to depart. I told him I was going to do a quick spin so he joined me. We took off for the intermediate trail and did the first downhill loop section before going back to the parking lot. Man he's fast. I hope/pray one day I can get that fast on the bike. I was able to hang w/ him on some parts, but others, he kicked my butt. No worries though. I was able to do a couple of the uphill switchbacks which gave me constant trouble on the night rides in the winter...so I know I'm improving. After getting back to the parking lot, I felt kicked....I guess that's why I normally warm up first before riding that hard...this o' gal can't get going that quickly anymore.

Oh well, I met up w/ the other gals and the 6 of us ventured out. I thought for a change of pace, we'd try the outer loop. Parts of the outer loop are a little tricky but nothing too overwhelming. Everyone did fantastic, especially the downhill sections. Angelia was flying through the downhills ! We cleared logs, rocky sections & some of the gals even attempted the "technical" rooty section. Woo Hoo! Once we got to the road, we rode back up to the back entrance of the park. We are not quite ready to tackly the steep, rooty downhill on the other side of the road..maybe later this year. I think Jennifer was feeling quite energetic as she sped up the hill to the entrance. I did a couple of sprints just to get the blood flowing, then went back to check on everyone. Everyone was doing great.

As we got back to the park, we decided to do the inner loop. We went back down the steep downhill, and started to climb. I think everyone cleared the climb where the large wooden bridge is. Awesome job ladies! As we continued, we had a couple of bobbles here & there but that's proably due to the fact we were a little tired. We continued on the inner loop w/ the ladies looking like they had been doing this all their lives. We all cleared the next log in the trail & continued on. Man We Rock! Maggie had a couple of bobbles one of the uphill switchbacks. I encouraged her to try it again...the third time she aced it all the way up the climb to the main intersection of the inner/outer loop!.. She even did better than the guy that passed us..he had to get off & walk!

We made our way back to the road, then did the beginner loop in reverse. As we made our way down, Jennifer had to once again eradicate the stick of death. It has a way of sneaking back onto the trail when you least expect it. Maggie & I stopped near the stick of death to work on the downhill switchback. After a few attempts, she cleared it again! Way to go girl.

Upon return to the parking lot, everyone was in great spirits. I kept hearing "man this is soo fun" ! That's what it's all about! Nex week....inner loop, then outer loop. Who's up for it? :)

Let's go Racing!

Sunday, May 14, 2006
The Hancock 100..formerly known as the Tour De Tomlinson. was held at Tomlinson Run State Park in West (by God) Virginia. This was my first race of the year & a good test to see how the rehab has gone for my knee. In a previous post I talked about how I sprained my knee so I’ve been on hiatus doing rehab & getting back into the riding.

Anywho. This course was to be a good one for the first race of the year. Not too technical, fast in some spots, huge hike a bikes sections, some fun downhills, and even a snake!...Yes ladies & gentleman, a snake. I’ll get to that in a little bit.

The race was timed. Expert class rides for 100 minutes, Sports/Vet Women race for 75 minutes & Beginners/Jrs race for an hour. (In West Virginia, the Vet women (35+) are all lumped together in one category..sports & experts alike. (I knew one of the girls was a expert so it would be some tough competition). The timing was sort of screwed up…if you came in past the checkpoint under your allotted time, you got to do another lap. So in actuality you race for longer than the allotted time. If you came in over your allotted time, you were done.

Expert Class started first, then there was a 1 minute delay before the sport class, then another minute, beginners/juniors. They do mass starts in these West Virginia races which basically means the women and men start together. What a mess! The sport class is the biggest class of all so imagine if you will, 60 -75 people all vying for position to get into the singletrack. We have about 100 yards of road before the singletrack section. There were bikes & people everywhere. We had to hike into the singletrack b/c everyone was soo bunched up. There were about 6 of us in the Vet Women’s class. I was going to have my work cut out for me. I kept most of my competition in sight at the start but then got bogged down once in the single track section & did not have a clue where I stood. As the first lap went on, I found places to pass some of the sport men and work my way up. Then came the snake…..there was this steep, winding downhill section towards the end of the lap. Along the first curve, there was this black snake…he was in what looked like a defensive/strike position. Oh Crap…he’s eyeing my leg! We’re all shouting snake, snake! As I went by him, I prayed he would not bite me. Yikes! Although we had that bit of excitement, it still seemed as though the first lap took forever.

Into the second lap, I was able to get into a groove. I soon caught up with 3 of my competitors. We traded places back & forth through most of the the second lap. We were riding together when one of the girls in front of me went down on a steep descent. I checked to make sure she was ok then put the hammer down. I soon got to another steep uphill when I say another girl hiking. As I got closer to her, I realized she was in my class. She wasn’t moving real fast so I could either keep her pace hiking up this thing, or hustle up the hill and get going. I chose to hustle. I wondered where the other ladies were & what position I was in. As I continued I noticed another person on the side of the trail…It was Ruthie..(the really really strong fast one!) She had flatted. She was bummed but shouted a word of encouragement as I zoomed by.


As I neared the checkpoint, I checked my clock….cool 3 minutes under..I can do another lap. I know the other girls were not far behind so I had to keep the hammer down (or so I thought) I slowed somewhat in the third lap…the pack of riders had stretched out so I could maintain an even pace but I could tell I was getting tired. As I continued, some of the expert men started passing me. I made sure I gave each of them enough room to negotiate around the “old lady” shouting words of encouragement as they went by. Boy those guys are fast..how do they do it? After the climbs, descents & climbs again, I neared the location of the feared snake. I did not see him the second lap but he was back on lap #3, although he was not looking too good. He was on the ground, writhing. He still had his mouth open but he was hurting. I alerted one of the course marshals as I completed my descent. Finally the finish line was in sight. As I crossed, I checked my time. 1 hr 47 min. I noticed one of the other ladies whom I had passed was already at the finish..I was a little confused. I thought she was only 30 seconds behind….When she came through the checkpoint at the end of her second lap, she was over the time limit..so she could not continue. I still did not have any idea if I even placed. We stuck around for the awards. My nephew TJ Platt won the Expert category… He’s crazy fast. I actually ended up with a second place finish in the Vet Women category. Woo Hoo! Did not see that coming but I’ll take it! Oh..the knee held up well for the most part. A little stiff afterwards but nothing that some ice & a beer won't fix!

Ridin w/ the boyz

Thursday, May 4, 2006
Tonight was our first night back at Carvin's Cove. It's been a loong winter riding most Thursdays at Explore Park. I think we were all ready for the change of pace. Here are some pics from the evening. We had some mud & some blood but it was a blast! For a complete story check out: http://bicyclesoup.blogspot.com/














Pookie & the boyz

Traversing the gorge

Ewwwww Blood! Yuk

RAINBOWS & STICKS OF DEATH

Tuesday, May 2, 2006

Aaaah. Another beautiful night for a ride. Temps in the 70's, partly cloudy, chance of rain but that's ok..we won't melt! 6 riders joined this past weeks "Chicky" ride. We had the 4 regulars ....Angelia, Jennifer, Moe, and myself & two "newbies" who joined us halfway into the ride: Jannie (who rode w/ us last week, too. sorry if I mis spelled your name) and Meggan. (who was sporting a very chic skort made by Terry www.terrybicycles.com ) Skippy & Aaron from the Thursday night ride also came but they were doing their own ride. Skippy's Rig was sporting a new magenta/purple color chain. It was actually a BMX chain but he was trying it out on the single speed. I wanted one..it was really cool.

Angelia, Jennifer, Moe and myself ventured out. We started out the beginner loop. I pushed the pace a little harder than normal just to see where everyone was on their skill/confidence levels. As we made it to the first clearing, everyone was together. No spills, tumbles, maybe one mechanical, but other that we were in good shape. We proceded on to the end of the beginner loop. As we completed the loop, I wanted to make it a little more challenging. I suggested riding the first part of the intermediate loop again. It's all downhill for the first part until the wooden bridge..then we start climbing. I wanted to do it early in the ride while everyone was fresh..plus, everyone is getting faster each week so I felt it was time to kick it up a notch and offer a bit more of a challenge.

Down we went, through the right hand turn..down to the tight, left hand switchback. As I went through I noticed Moe heading straight. Where ya going???? Moe said as she came up on the turn she decicded to take the scenic route instead. It was a little too hairy to negotiate. No worries though. We continued down , over the two small bridges & on to the longer bridge. We crossed the bridge & started up the hill. negotiating the roots as we went. I rode up to the first left hand switchback after the bridge & took a break. Everyone did great getting up that first hill. I decided..ok..far enough..let's go back & see if anyone else is in the parking lot. We turned back around & headed back up the hill....ugh. As we got back to the road...I mentioned to a couple of the girls..."I'm not trying to kill you...I just want you to get better & I think you are ready for it based on your skills"
I figured the only way we are going to improve is to try more things.

After a quick check of the parking area, we rode the beginner loop backwards....just for a change of pace. It's much different going that direction. As we came through I noticed I kept getting too close to some of the trees. At one point, I clipped my handlebar on a tree but was able to stay upright. About the same place I clipped the tree, Jennifer mentioned there was a "stick of death" on that part of the trail! It almost took her down as well...Yikes!

We met up with Jannie & Meggan & started back up the beginner loop. Both ladies were still getting used to their clipless pedals . Meggan was a little scared but she would do just fine. I stayed towards the middle of the pack as we rode just to be sure everyone was ok. Everyone sailed through. We decided to go backwards again on our return to the parking lot. Before we got started, Jennifer rode ahead to eradicate the "stick of death". We started back down. the eradication must have worked b/c this time through, I did not come close to clipping that tree near the area of the dreaded stick.

As we completed the lap, it started raining. the brief shower felt good. The temps seemed a little warm as we rode throughout the evening. When we got to the parking lot we noticed a beautiful rainbow. then it turned into a double rainbow. (man I wish I had brought that camera) What a great way to cap off a great ride. Thanks ladies..As usual you all rocked!!! Off to ride w/ the boyz at the Cove on Thursday.

The boyz ride in Poor Farm Cup race

Ashland, VA April 2006

After what seemed like an eternity of winter and many months of winter rides, the first big race of the season was finally upon us. The Poor Farm Cup hosted by Richmond Multisports. The weather forcast was not looking too promising for Saturday...rain, heavy at times w/the threat of severe storms, hail, etc, etc. Great...perfect weather for driving!... We awoke Sat morning to a thunderstorm. Things subsided by 9:30 a.m. or so. After dropping off the spoiled pooch, we met Skip & Moe, piled into the Jeep and headed for Ashland. As we drew closer to our destination, the rain got heavier. We thought it may stop once we arrived so we could pre-ride. Mother Nature had other things in mind.

We arrived in Ashland approxl 4 hours later. Still raining hard so the pre-ride was not going to happen. Plan B. - Find a bike shop. We dropped in on a local bike shop by the name of Agee's. Skip wanted to get a fender and some 29r tubes. Warren & I needed some tubes as well. I had a flat on my bike from the Thursday night ride w/ the boyz at Explore Park so I decided to get a tube to fix the flat just in case I decided to pre-ride. Back to the hotel we went to start fashioning fenders and fixing flats. After the bikes were ready to roll, we wandered over to Applebee's so the guys could load up on their pre-race meal.

Upon returning to the hotel, the skies opened up again. Yuk more rain! Sunday was looking more more like it would be a soupy, sloppy mess! Boy am I glad I'm not racing this one. (previous post..Stupid Knee, yada, yada, yada...can't race the first race) We settled in for the evening. We flipped between the NASCAR race and the NHL playoffs to pass the time. The hotel was hooked up w/ internet access, so Skip kept us informed on the race status. Lights out. I don't think anyone slept great that evening. Around 3:00 a.m we were awakened by the loud people in the room next door! Great..don't you people understand that these guys have to race in a few hours? They need their rest! Geez.......

The alarm went off way too soon Sunday morning. We awoke to foggy skies, temps in the 50's and mist. Skip went downstairs & ran into some folks organizing the race. They needed people to preride & check the course conditions. Skip volunteered himself & Warren. After breakfast, we loaded up and headed to the race course. Skippy & Warren pre-rode while Moe & I hung out in the Jeepster. We did some reconiscance to locate a hose but that was about the only time we left the vehicle. It was pretty nasty out. Skippy & Warren came back with a full report. Surprisingly the conditions were not too bad. The race should be pretty fun. Skippy even said I might be able to race! Nah..not this day...I know I'm not quite ready to race & did not want to risk another injury. Instead Moe & I headed back to the hotel to check out and returned to meet back up w/ the boyz.

Ron & Todd met up with us. The boyz went on to warm up while Moe & I staked out our viewing spot among the other wives & girlfriends. I told the guys I'd play water girl. Moe was their timer. I had pre-race jitters waiting for the start & I wasn't even racing. I can't imagine what the boys were feeling. Although they all seemed pretty relaxed & ready to go. My advice to them was "Go get em!"

Expert class went off first. They did a LeMans start. This is when everyone lays down their bike on the ground & then they line up approx 20 feet or so behind their bike. They count down, tell the racers "Go" and everyone runs to their bike, hops on & gets going. Ron & Todd looked very strong at the start. Ron got tucked into the 1st half of the pack but he would work his way up.
The Single Speeds were next. "Go" Skippy got a great start running but once everyone was up and running, it was clear he would have his work cut out for him. Warren also had a strong start.
Following the Single Speeds were the Expert Women. I knew a couple of the girls racing. Celeste from Conte's & Dilcia from Innova Sports (not sure of the team name) I had raced with these girls in the Virginia State Championship Series in 2004 and at Douthat in 2005. I hoped they would place well in the field of 8 or so women. They had some stiff competion so they would have a tough day ahead of them.

Approximately 35 minutes into the race, the announcer started rattling off numbers of some of the experts coming through. We kept our eyes peeled for Todd. Sure enough, up he came. looking very strong. I handed off a bottle to him & Moe shouted his time check. He was looking good. Ron was along shortly after. He was looking very focused. He did not take water & I'm not even sure he heard the time check b/c he had his headphones on. We waited a little while longer and up came the single speeders. Skippy was in second and looking very strong. After Skippy went through, we thought Warren would be along shortly. 2minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes...where is he? Finally he came along. As I handed off the bottle, Warren informs me he had a crash. I look down to see his knee bleeding. Ewwww...Just hang on honey..keep moving! On came some of the women. The first few looked strong & fast. One was even riding a Single Speed. You go girl! When Celeste & Dilcia came through, they looked spent. Maybe the course was tougher than anticipated. EEEK

After a couple more laps, time checks & fresh bottles, the leaders start coming in. At the last time check, Todd was in 3rd but we were not sure how far back. As the leaders came in, it turns out Todd was able to get into 2nd position which is where he finished. Rock on! Ron came in around 6th. Skip came in 2nd for the Single Speed dudes & Warren placed somewhere around 14 for the Single Speeders. Not a bad day for our first major race of the season. 2 on the podium. Woo hoo. Great job Boyz! Next up for some of the guys...Greenbriar, MD. Warren & myself are working towards the Tour de Tomlinson to be held in West Virginia in May. I've got lots of base miles to go to get back into shape from the knee injury but so far so good. I think I'm right on track.

Tape sabotage

Well, another beautiful evening for a mountain bike ride. We assembled in the parking lot & started on our 2nd chicky mtb ride. We had 4 ladies in attendance. Sorry I forgot the camera so no pictures here.

Before we started to ride, we noticed Angelia's bike looked a little different. " Hey, what happened to your bar ends & your kick stand?" Apparently Skippy gave her too much grief about the bar ends, so off they came along w/ the kick stand.

Upon closer examination, I noticed an excessive amount of electrical tape wrapped around her grip shift on the left hand side. What in the world? Apparently Angelia's husband didn't want her to have to focus on shifting gears..so he affixed the gearing so it remained in the "granny" gear all evening.

Anywho..after a good laugh about the electrical tape, off we rode. We did two laps around the beginner loop. Very smooth. Everyone cleared all obstacles, switchbacks & hills w/out a hitch! All shifting was working smooth,...well except for Angelia's b/c HER BIKE WAS TAMPERED WITH SO SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO SHIFT!!!!!!

We checked back in the parking lot for late arrivals, but it was to be just the 4 of us. Since the beginner loop gets old..I asked.."who wants to try part of the intermediate loop?" Is it hard? Is it scary? Nah..we'll be fine. So off we started down the first part of the intermediate loop. We rode the first downhill which was mostly smooth..a few bumps here & there. The left hand switchback gave a couple of the girls a bit of a fit...it was quite a sharp turn at a funky angle. A little scary but not bad. On we rode until we got to the large bridge before the first climb. Uh OH..are we gonna climb THAT? I started up it just to test my knee. I decided we would save this for a future ride. So we turned around and headed back up the climb. Once again everyone did an awesome job negotiating the roots, rocks & turns. We ALL DID THE RIGHT HAND SWITCHBACK ON THE WAY UP! WE TOTALLY ROCKED!!

Up we climbed. Jen led the way follwed by Moe, Angelia & myself. Angelia started to tire about 3/4ths of the way up. She dismounted only once, pushing a mere 50 feet before getting back on and cruising up the to road. Way to go! We rode back to the parking lot. Angelia was kicked..but a real trooper. Jen, Moe & myself decided to do the beginner loop backwards for our final lap. What a trip. Things are waay different going that direction. Once again, everyone negotiated the trails like pros. Another fun evening was had by all. Maybe we'll try the int loop again. See ya next week!