If how muddy you are...

at the end of a day of riding is directly proportional to how much fun you have, then I had a lot of fun at the Raccoon Rally today.

Before


After


Actually, I did have a good bit of fun. It was pretty a grueling event as I decided to enter the sport class which rode a 25 mile course. I knew I could handle the 13 mile beginner course but wasn't sure about my ability to finish the sport class race. We started with a steady climb up a gradual slope on a fire road. This eventually lead to some rolling cross country ski trails that were mainly grass. The recent rain was not conducive to getting a good bite on the trail so there was a bit of spinning and eventually walking. I was told we wouldn't be riding this portion of the trail again, something I was thankful for due to the steepness and difficulty walking/riding it I was having. It took about an hour to go the first 6 miles... and I thought I was going to finish in about 2 hours!

Once back on the fire roads, things began to pick up pace again. I blasted through some sections pretty smoothly and quickly. Things were going great until I hit a downhill that was really slick. I started to loose it and I thought the dirt section to the right was double track - it was actually a ditch. Needless to say, I bought it kind of hard dislodging some fallen (but rotting, thankfully) logs in the process. I let two riders go by while collected my bearings and took it easy down the rest of the hill. At the bottom was another rider who did not fare as well as I - he had to be taken out on an ATV and backboard. Another rider, one of the ones who passed me while I was gathering myself, informed me there were a couple more dicey downhills coming - something I was appreciative of. There were a couple of spectators who asked me to give them a show as I wound my way down through some switchbacks but I politely declined.

Lap two began with a long grind back up the hill - this time minus the grass rollers section. I was feeling it at this point so I downed a gel and this helped to stoke the furnace and get me going again. I passed a guy pushing his bike up the hill who said he thought he went out too strong - I commended him for going back out for the second lap - I think I might have thrown the towel in if I was pushing the bike up the hill. At the top, I was very glad to see the water volunteers and used the water to cool myself down. It felt great to know I didn't have to go up the hill again. I was very careful not to overdo it on the downhill and saw an expert rider come out from a side trail and the quickly dust, or rather rooster tail, me. I made the turn for the finish line and crossed around 3 hours and 6 minutes, the second to last sport rider. Maggie was waiting, taking pictures and, as she put it, enjoying the hot men in spandex. If that'll get her to mountain bike races, that's fine. It was great to have her there at the end. We waited in line to wash off the bike, loaded the car, and then left to go to Carol's to meet up with the rest of the Hudsons. I am now really tired and imagine I will be sore tomorrow but it was worth it and definitely fun.

At the finish

Pump it up

Yesterday was a beautiful day - one of those torturous "I can't believe I am stuck in the office all day" kind of days. So I made arrangements to meet Kev after work and go for a ride at Dryer. We got a bit later of a start than I had hoped - still can't leave work when I want to no matter how hard I try - but it was an excellent ride. It started out on a great note when one of the GROC members came up and said hello, presenting a sticker and chatting about riding while we suited up. Once we rolled out, I could feel it was going to be one of those great rides. I had cleaned my bike really well last week when my brother was in town so it was super smooth.

We hit all of the usual trails, trading turns leading. It was a bit muddier than expected but not too trail damaging I don't think. Stuck to the usual trails although I really wanted to take Kev down one of the black diamonds that Michael and I had explored. We rode for about an hour - only one endo for Kev and a few close calls for me - and then tried our skills on the pump track. This time I did it in the counter clockwise direction and it seemed to be more manageable - I mad it around nearly 4 times pumping. Locking out the front fork seems to help and there is definitely a lot of body english involved it seems.

All in all, an excellent way to pass a Tuesday afternoon.

Roc to "rents

Yesterday I did what I've been talking half-heartedly about for a while now - rode from Rochester to the 'rent's house. It was just shy of 60 miles, my first 50+ ride since August of 2005. I set out with the mindset of taking it slow and easy so I could finish, calculating that it would take about 4 hours. Well, as soon as I got out of the city and started heading southeast, the wind at my back, the slow and steady went by the roadside. I was in the upper teens, low 20s from about mile 15 to mile 45 - raising my average mph to 17.7. I hoped to hold this pace to the end but the lactic acid buildup. threatening cramping sensations and the arrival of hills pushed this goal to the roadside as well. I ended at 3 hours, 24 min and av'd 17.4 mph, not too bad in my opinion. The parents were surprised to see my - "uh-oh, it looks like you rode your bike" (Mom) "what, gas is that expensive?" (Dad). The lactic acid buildup was really bad at the end but I anticipate if I do this often enough, I will raise the threshold so it won't burn so much. Aside from stopping to answer nature's call outside Victor and for a few stop lights, it was a continuous ride. There was quite a bit of "you're almost there, don't stop now" and "I will not cramp now, just keep spinning" toward the end... and unfortunately, no pictures. Overall, a beautiful experience on a beautiful day for such a ride.

I had also fleeting ideas of riding back but Kev was at his parent's so he picked me up on his way back to Rochester.

I had originally wanted to explore Letchworth's FLT trail section (open to mountain biking) but saw a post on the WNYBA website that it wasn't suitable for riding after all of the rain we experienced recently. Didn't want to be the one ruining it for everyone else so I opted for the pavement. The ride is to serve as my training for the sport class Raccoon Rally mountain bike race next Sunday.

Recent Adventures

So the last week was a busy one. It started with the Dirty Duathlon Sunday morning. I haven't trained beyond an occasional mountain bike ride and my commuting. I think I ran about 15-20 minutes for three days before the event. Needless to say, when I found out the course would gain 600+ feet for the first 2 miles, I wasn't too confident in my ability to make it. I thought for sure Kev would have a good lead on me by the time we got to the bike portion and I wouldn't be able to catch him. So when the gun went off, I just kept to my own pace and plodded along. It burned a bit in sections and I backed off some but amazingly I had Kev in my sight most of the way up the mountain - until I passed him near the top! Whoa, what's going on here? The downhill was treacherous - wet roots, leaves, fresh trail with loose dirt. I made it into the transition at around 32 minutes - not bad for 4 miles and no training - and out of the transition just in time to hear them call Kev's name. I set out up the hill via a different route this time, passing a saddle along the way. Someone had an uncomfortable race... We were met with a killer climb I probably could have made if my granny gear was working. Oh well, hoofed it up (twice because it was a two lap deal). The downhills were interesting - muddy, twisty, steep in sections. On the second lap, my calves cramped up like I have never experienced before. Very painful, made me fall off the bike on two separate occasions, once surrendering a spot I had been battling for throughout the race. Oh well. I finished in 1 hour 42 minutes, 26th out of 40 total racers. I finished the run portion in 18th. It was fun, I am glad that I did it but would like to have been in slightly better shape...

Race pictures can be found here. My bib number was 76, Kev's was 77.

On the way back, we took the scenic route and checked out some wind turbines near Warsaw. Very cool - how can you not be in favor of wind power???







There is no rest for the weary (or crazy) as the next day Michael and I rode at Dryer - his first time there without snow. He kicked my butt but we pushed out skills limits, testing out the black diamond routes. There were a couple of good wrecks on my part and Michael nearly ran into a deer.We road for about an hour and a half and tried our hand at the pump track. I am not so sure how to pump my way through but maybe I will find someone to show me at some point. I was officially wasted by the time we finished. My legs felt like rubber bands and it has taken since Monday to fully recover. Tuesday was the DMB concert at Darien, a great show as usual. Glad to have the pavilion seats - out of the rain.

Due to all of the riding, my commute times were a little slow this week. I had wanted to get to Letchworth this weekend but the rain and work prevented this. Something local tomorrow might be on the list though.

Enjoy the videos - one should make you smile...

Disappointed Pleasure

Since I infrequently have a riding partner (today's bailed on me) I thought I would reminisce about the last time I rode at Harriet Hollister with someone other than myself. It was with Michael and he kicked my butt. We did stop long enough for the above picture. It was fun to have someone else to ride with and push me (something I always look forward too). When I ride solo, I tend to be reserved do to the fear of getting injured and stranded. Today, I kind of threw caution to the wind and rode some sketchy stuff on the edge of control. Pacifier handled everything well, even the rock that glanced off my foot and then the frame. Stung my big toe pretty well but no visible damage to either me or the bike. Do they make steel toed riding shoes?

I was conversing with a friend last week who was expressing her surprise over how much mental awareness mountain biking takes when compared with road riding. I guess I never really thought about it until today when I was mulling over the bailing of a riding partner and having to ride solo again. It was eating me up something fierce but once I got onto the single track, all that went away as I was concentrating on the next obstacle and best line. Even when I was grinding up the hills (or pushing...) my head was clear. Maybe that's why I like mountain biking so much - there isn't time for anything other than being in the moment, a place I seldom find myself. Even road riding, I kind of get there but not like mountain biking. As an added bonus, the endorphin high keeps me going for a while afterwards.

I am on pace to have a record breaking year for mileage. Not like what diehards do but still good for me. The commuting is helping and I hope to find time to do more mtbing as the summer progresses. I still need to find a little, cheep digital camera to document these adventures but at least for now there is one picture on this thing...