So after my race I hung around and took pictures of the Cat 2 and Cat1/Pro races. I finally got them all labeled and posted... I'm honestly not super thrilled with them. I think I chose a decent spot, but I didn't frame them all that well (didn't get much the the actual trail in the shot). I mean, it's ok - I got the rider and that's the important part... but ideally I like to show the trail as well... so those not participating in the race have an idea of what was really going on in the picture.
Hey, I'm doing it for free - and I was sitting the in the rain!! So, if you participated in the race... have a look. If you are curious... well I guess that's ok too.
Winding Trails pictures.
Also, official results were posted. Nothing has changed, but it's in the books. 10th place (which still gets me points) and a finishing time of 1:03:26.
Next up, Massasoit. The LBS (second location) called to let me know my sealant is in, so I'll pick that up today and probably hit up Cutler (since it's right down the street from the shop) to try out the new and improved loop. I'll get my tires all set (new one on back and back to tubeless all around) tonight. And tomorrow afternoon hit up Massasoit for a pre-ride (now that I know to follow the yellow blazes).
It's almost May... that might not mean anything to you.... but for those of us in a school system - HOLY CRAP!! This year has FLOWN by!
We don't just bike you. We bike-bike you.
Showing posts with label Winding Trails. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Winding Trails. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
I won't make any
No excuses.
Winding Trails was Sunday. Conditions were perfect for the Cat 3 9 AM start. A little rain in the overnight really firmed up the sandy bits making the new start pretty much perfect. Not enough rain to create any mud on the course or to slick up the logs, roots, and bridges. So yes, perfect.
I was in a field of 12 racers. As we lined up I took a new approach this year and actually took a front position. I mainly did this because I wanted a good inside position off the start up the sandy incline and was hoping I could get into some singletrack first. As I looked around I recognized a coupe racers from one of the later races last year (Hodges Dam) and instantly knew there were some fast guys here today.
As we take off and were nearing the new start turn to the left I get squeezed and a couple guys jump in front. The pace slows in front of me as one rider dabs on the one sketchy turn in the new start, but not enough to really disrupt anyone else so all is good. As we cut out of the first TINY singletrack section I hammer it to gain back some spots before the singletrack. I'm able to grab two positions.
Throughout the race I end up yo-yoing with two other riders... never really sure where that puts me in the pack. The lead group seems to get away about 3/4 through the first lap never to be seen again. I felt really strong on the hills, always taking a rider or making up serious ground. I'm able to accelerate out of the singletrack, and for the most part, hold off any attacks. But I feel sluggish in the tight, twisty singletrack, and anytime a racer gets in ahead of me they seem to pull away... and it's back to making up ground on the fire roads or climbs.
Coming into the second lap (final lap) I'm able to take one of my yo-yoing buddies putting me in 1st of our group of three. As I'm getting up to the singletrack I hear some clicking behind me, something is wrong with the riders bike but it is unclear what. I suggest it sounds like their derailleur is clipping their spokes and they should really check it out as that could end up being a costly repair if ignored. He suggests everything seems to be shifting fine. In between two singletrack sections he drops the hammer and sneaks by right before entering the next section. I take the opportunity to examine his bike from behind and can see his derailleur is not in contact with anything... I shout to him that everything looks fine... maybe it's a spoke?? BAM!! As I'm leaned over a little to see his derailleur I clip a tree full speed with my shoulder and forearm coming to a complete and instant stop.
I don't think about pain, I don't think about lost ground, I quickly look behind to see if anyone is there not wanting to block the trail. No one.... so I hop back on and get to chasing. On the singletrack climb I'm able to half the distance I've lost but I hear another rider coming from behind... our other musketeer! Now I'm stuck between chasing and keeping in front... This far in the race he knows me strengths and I hear him pushing to enter the singletrack in front of me. I'm able to keep my speed up and get their first... this time. About halfway through the lap he gains the lead into some singletrack and he takes off. I'm pushing to keep up but can't seem to catch him...
All of a sudden I'm in no mans land and I've got nothing. I keep thinking... ok there are a couple more places to gain time and catch up... but with each passing second those opportunities are thinning. I need to push it in the singletrack. I need to go faster. I'm almost done, I can't finish with ANYTHING. It all gets left on the course. But without a wheel to chase I can't seem to keep things up. I've got to crank through everything, STOP coasting!!!
I fly up the wooded climb before the road section heading toward the STEEP of the course.... hit the pavement and slam the gears down and hammer.... I don't see anyone... climb the backside of the STEEP and I see some riders running the STEEP... none of which are the guys I'm trying to catch - so hopefully that means they haven't hit it yet and Ican might be able to catch them. Make it up 1/2-3/4 of the STEEP and jump off and run. HAMMER down to the fire road and take off. I can catch someone, I'll be able to reel them in on that last section of fire road before the climb to the finish.... as I hit the last patch of fire road I don't see anyone in front of me....
There will be no reeling. Through the trees I can see the third (or now second) musketeer climbing into the finish - there is too much ground to cover for me to overtake him now.... but I put it all out there and push it through the finish. At the finish I find the rider with the mystery click (the final musketeer - finish first in our group). His rear tire is completely flat. He picked up a metal wire entering the second lap. It was bent, puncturing his tire and then clipping his frame with each rotation. He was running tubeless, which probably let him make it through the lap with it in his tire, but it was never able to seal as the wire probably kept working the hole open and letting his sealant shoot out. He was wearing a go pro and said he endo-ed over a log toward the end which should make for an interesting shot! But he also commented that his footage would be heavy with myself and the other musketeer... I'll have to search around for it.
At the end I felt like I was middle of the pack. And I guess in reality I was in the middle of the pack, pack. But coming in third in my trio put me at 10th overall I found out when results were posted up. Not where I was hoping to be in any way, shape, or form. I really got lost whenever I found myself alone in the woods. I wasn't able to stay on it as much as I would have liked.
But I had fun. I was able to talk to some cool people - a couple guys from the pre-ride. That kid who had the mechanical during the pre-ride raced. Saw him as I was standing around at the finish. He came up and shook my hand. Said it was tougher than he thought to do the full 2 laps, but he did it and he had fun! Before leaving his mother came up to say hi as well. That was really great.
Caught a glimpse of Charlie and chatted with TJ before their race. Took pictures of the Cat 2/lap 2 and Cat1/Pro lap 2 races as well. So I'll have to get those pictures up for racers to grab if they like them.
I realized after my race I never set goals for myself this season... so I'll have to do that and get those in my head before the next race... Massasoit Lung Opener which is this Sunday. I've just got to keep on riding. Bottom line. No excuses.
Random... I've always appreciated the Niner slogan printed on the bike.
... and apparently you can get a sticker... from someone, somewhere...
Winding Trails was Sunday. Conditions were perfect for the Cat 3 9 AM start. A little rain in the overnight really firmed up the sandy bits making the new start pretty much perfect. Not enough rain to create any mud on the course or to slick up the logs, roots, and bridges. So yes, perfect.
I was in a field of 12 racers. As we lined up I took a new approach this year and actually took a front position. I mainly did this because I wanted a good inside position off the start up the sandy incline and was hoping I could get into some singletrack first. As I looked around I recognized a coupe racers from one of the later races last year (Hodges Dam) and instantly knew there were some fast guys here today.
As we take off and were nearing the new start turn to the left I get squeezed and a couple guys jump in front. The pace slows in front of me as one rider dabs on the one sketchy turn in the new start, but not enough to really disrupt anyone else so all is good. As we cut out of the first TINY singletrack section I hammer it to gain back some spots before the singletrack. I'm able to grab two positions.
Throughout the race I end up yo-yoing with two other riders... never really sure where that puts me in the pack. The lead group seems to get away about 3/4 through the first lap never to be seen again. I felt really strong on the hills, always taking a rider or making up serious ground. I'm able to accelerate out of the singletrack, and for the most part, hold off any attacks. But I feel sluggish in the tight, twisty singletrack, and anytime a racer gets in ahead of me they seem to pull away... and it's back to making up ground on the fire roads or climbs.
Coming into the second lap (final lap) I'm able to take one of my yo-yoing buddies putting me in 1st of our group of three. As I'm getting up to the singletrack I hear some clicking behind me, something is wrong with the riders bike but it is unclear what. I suggest it sounds like their derailleur is clipping their spokes and they should really check it out as that could end up being a costly repair if ignored. He suggests everything seems to be shifting fine. In between two singletrack sections he drops the hammer and sneaks by right before entering the next section. I take the opportunity to examine his bike from behind and can see his derailleur is not in contact with anything... I shout to him that everything looks fine... maybe it's a spoke?? BAM!! As I'm leaned over a little to see his derailleur I clip a tree full speed with my shoulder and forearm coming to a complete and instant stop.
I don't think about pain, I don't think about lost ground, I quickly look behind to see if anyone is there not wanting to block the trail. No one.... so I hop back on and get to chasing. On the singletrack climb I'm able to half the distance I've lost but I hear another rider coming from behind... our other musketeer! Now I'm stuck between chasing and keeping in front... This far in the race he knows me strengths and I hear him pushing to enter the singletrack in front of me. I'm able to keep my speed up and get their first... this time. About halfway through the lap he gains the lead into some singletrack and he takes off. I'm pushing to keep up but can't seem to catch him...
All of a sudden I'm in no mans land and I've got nothing. I keep thinking... ok there are a couple more places to gain time and catch up... but with each passing second those opportunities are thinning. I need to push it in the singletrack. I need to go faster. I'm almost done, I can't finish with ANYTHING. It all gets left on the course. But without a wheel to chase I can't seem to keep things up. I've got to crank through everything, STOP coasting!!!
I fly up the wooded climb before the road section heading toward the STEEP of the course.... hit the pavement and slam the gears down and hammer.... I don't see anyone... climb the backside of the STEEP and I see some riders running the STEEP... none of which are the guys I'm trying to catch - so hopefully that means they haven't hit it yet and I
There will be no reeling. Through the trees I can see the third (or now second) musketeer climbing into the finish - there is too much ground to cover for me to overtake him now.... but I put it all out there and push it through the finish. At the finish I find the rider with the mystery click (the final musketeer - finish first in our group). His rear tire is completely flat. He picked up a metal wire entering the second lap. It was bent, puncturing his tire and then clipping his frame with each rotation. He was running tubeless, which probably let him make it through the lap with it in his tire, but it was never able to seal as the wire probably kept working the hole open and letting his sealant shoot out. He was wearing a go pro and said he endo-ed over a log toward the end which should make for an interesting shot! But he also commented that his footage would be heavy with myself and the other musketeer... I'll have to search around for it.
At the end I felt like I was middle of the pack. And I guess in reality I was in the middle of the pack, pack. But coming in third in my trio put me at 10th overall I found out when results were posted up. Not where I was hoping to be in any way, shape, or form. I really got lost whenever I found myself alone in the woods. I wasn't able to stay on it as much as I would have liked.
But I had fun. I was able to talk to some cool people - a couple guys from the pre-ride. That kid who had the mechanical during the pre-ride raced. Saw him as I was standing around at the finish. He came up and shook my hand. Said it was tougher than he thought to do the full 2 laps, but he did it and he had fun! Before leaving his mother came up to say hi as well. That was really great.
Caught a glimpse of Charlie and chatted with TJ before their race. Took pictures of the Cat 2/lap 2 and Cat1/Pro lap 2 races as well. So I'll have to get those pictures up for racers to grab if they like them.
I realized after my race I never set goals for myself this season... so I'll have to do that and get those in my head before the next race... Massasoit Lung Opener which is this Sunday. I've just got to keep on riding. Bottom line. No excuses.
Random... I've always appreciated the Niner slogan printed on the bike.
But I always find my motivating statements to myself to be much more vulgar.... something along the lines of "Fuck You." Which kinda sucks in the sense that I sometimes find myself saying it out loud - and I certainly wouldn't want another rider to think I was swearing at them... It's more along the lines of "fuck you go faster!!"....
Best.... line... ever!!
Might have to get a little motivational "Maybe Fuck Yourself" on the HiFi.
Bottom line. Race on Sunday. Let's go faster!!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Winding Trails - First Look
This weekend I got down to Connecticut to pre-ride Winding Trails on Saturday morning. I was VERY surprised at how few people showed up for the pre-ride!! Perhaps more people are sneaking on and getting a taste for it themselves (I'm looking at you Charlie) as I hear it's been marked for a little while now. As our small group was about to start out Charlie showed up - always the schemer he was there to test out different gearing to really dial things in for the course. Charlie offered to take me around since he's ridden the course, but I decided to go with the group at the slower pace (for the first lap) and allow Charlie to get his test run down.
Of course things didn't go smoothly with the first lap ride. Not long into the course we lost a rider. He was a younger kid, this was to be his first race and no one knew what happened... was he lost? mechanical? I volunteered to head back and find him and get him back on track. Of course I run into Charlie head on as I'm back tracking... but he hadn't seen anyone heading back to the lot, so I guessed he missed a quick turn... so I run down various trails looking for our lost rider.
After a riding a couple "I missed the turn" options I headed back to the lot guessing he would eventually work his way back there having given up on finding the trail or catching the group. I did find him back at the lot. He has snapped his rear derailleur hanger... I utilized the intelligence of my phone and found a local shop for him to go to telling him if it was just the hanger (which it appeared to be) it should be a quick fix and I encouraged him to come back to get a full ride in. He never returned (at least while I was still there).
So after I get him and his parents the info on the local shop I head back out to ride the course. Much of the course is the same as last year. Some changes are slight, due to blow down and whatnot. Some are a little bigger, due to more access as the whole dredging the pond operation is done. And one is HUGE. The huge change being the start. Still head up the sandy road, but instead of turning right - quick left into the woods we bang a left before the woods and ride the ridge line overlooking the fields. Sounds fun - until you realize that not only is it sandy there, but it is totally soft sand. It's going to be a mess out there as it's a narrow track and once one person fumbles it's a foot race.
So on my "first" lap I miss a couple quick turns. The fire road portions are still there, but they are brief, and sometimes VERY brief, with quick turns into singletrack. I catch up with the group before the final steep climb and finish the first lap with them. I have to say I LOVE this course. Is it designed for my strengths (what strengths?), I dunno. But it is FUN!! Great tight twisting singletrack. Great opportunities to open it up on the fire roads - although some are quite short so it will be more of an opportunity to utilize acceleration rather than all out speed. But it's just a track that allows you to use a bit of everything - technical skills (we got log crossing for days... some grouped together tightly), speed, acceleration, climbs (a couple grinders and one STEEP) and just overall bike handling skills.
We hang out at the end for a bit, I grab a little more water, and three of us head out for an "at speed" lap. I'm taking up the rear and as we take the left into the new start my rear wheel washes out in the sand on a right turn. There it is... the wrath of the sand. I'll have to try different lines to start after we are done here... acting as it's a race I run the bike to a spot where I wouldn't hang anyone up and jump back on and take off. I can still see the riders ahead of me through the trees so I keep on it. The start will be key really as once you hit the singletrack you will really be able to defend your position. No, not in a dick "I'm not going to let you pass" way, but just because it is tight and twisty there won't be much opportunity for someone to want to pass...
I never catch up - but always catching glimpses around turns and through trees... my last glimpse being as I'm coming up the back side of the STEEP they are climbing it, which does push me to try to catch them, but there isn't enough course left to make up the gap. I finish the lap feeling pretty good... but still wondering how I'm going to keep that pace for two laps. I do not think I need to/want to back off the pace I rode that first lap in, but it will be interesting to see if my lungs/legs can hold up for the second lap.
Finished the lap in 31:32 with an average speed of 9.9 mph, climbing 337 ft over 5.2 miles, and an average HR of 170. Everything looks good there. Might be able to get the speed up a bit, but again with all the quick transitions from fire road to singletrack I'm not overly worried about it. I'm feeling like (minus the spill off the start) I'd be happy with that performance come race day.
Of course I spent too much time bullshitting after the lap and forget to run the start a couple times.... ah well, one more thing to do the morning of the race.
So today start Spring Break!! Which means getting more jobs done around the house (Annie really knocked a couple out of the park this weekend!!) and, of course, get some riding in. I'm still concerned with the balance of my rides this week since I was not able to ride last week I don't want to go too hard this week and wear myself out for the race, but I also don't want to go too light.... The plan for today is to hit up Massasoit (which is the site of our next race) and see if I can figure out the course there since I didn't race it last year. I've only ridden the trails there once so if I can't find the course itself at least I'll get a better idea of the terrain there.
Of course things didn't go smoothly with the first lap ride. Not long into the course we lost a rider. He was a younger kid, this was to be his first race and no one knew what happened... was he lost? mechanical? I volunteered to head back and find him and get him back on track. Of course I run into Charlie head on as I'm back tracking... but he hadn't seen anyone heading back to the lot, so I guessed he missed a quick turn... so I run down various trails looking for our lost rider.
After a riding a couple "I missed the turn" options I headed back to the lot guessing he would eventually work his way back there having given up on finding the trail or catching the group. I did find him back at the lot. He has snapped his rear derailleur hanger... I utilized the intelligence of my phone and found a local shop for him to go to telling him if it was just the hanger (which it appeared to be) it should be a quick fix and I encouraged him to come back to get a full ride in. He never returned (at least while I was still there).
So after I get him and his parents the info on the local shop I head back out to ride the course. Much of the course is the same as last year. Some changes are slight, due to blow down and whatnot. Some are a little bigger, due to more access as the whole dredging the pond operation is done. And one is HUGE. The huge change being the start. Still head up the sandy road, but instead of turning right - quick left into the woods we bang a left before the woods and ride the ridge line overlooking the fields. Sounds fun - until you realize that not only is it sandy there, but it is totally soft sand. It's going to be a mess out there as it's a narrow track and once one person fumbles it's a foot race.
So on my "first" lap I miss a couple quick turns. The fire road portions are still there, but they are brief, and sometimes VERY brief, with quick turns into singletrack. I catch up with the group before the final steep climb and finish the first lap with them. I have to say I LOVE this course. Is it designed for my strengths (what strengths?), I dunno. But it is FUN!! Great tight twisting singletrack. Great opportunities to open it up on the fire roads - although some are quite short so it will be more of an opportunity to utilize acceleration rather than all out speed. But it's just a track that allows you to use a bit of everything - technical skills (we got log crossing for days... some grouped together tightly), speed, acceleration, climbs (a couple grinders and one STEEP) and just overall bike handling skills.
We hang out at the end for a bit, I grab a little more water, and three of us head out for an "at speed" lap. I'm taking up the rear and as we take the left into the new start my rear wheel washes out in the sand on a right turn. There it is... the wrath of the sand. I'll have to try different lines to start after we are done here... acting as it's a race I run the bike to a spot where I wouldn't hang anyone up and jump back on and take off. I can still see the riders ahead of me through the trees so I keep on it. The start will be key really as once you hit the singletrack you will really be able to defend your position. No, not in a dick "I'm not going to let you pass" way, but just because it is tight and twisty there won't be much opportunity for someone to want to pass...
I never catch up - but always catching glimpses around turns and through trees... my last glimpse being as I'm coming up the back side of the STEEP they are climbing it, which does push me to try to catch them, but there isn't enough course left to make up the gap. I finish the lap feeling pretty good... but still wondering how I'm going to keep that pace for two laps. I do not think I need to/want to back off the pace I rode that first lap in, but it will be interesting to see if my lungs/legs can hold up for the second lap.
Finished the lap in 31:32 with an average speed of 9.9 mph, climbing 337 ft over 5.2 miles, and an average HR of 170. Everything looks good there. Might be able to get the speed up a bit, but again with all the quick transitions from fire road to singletrack I'm not overly worried about it. I'm feeling like (minus the spill off the start) I'd be happy with that performance come race day.
Of course I spent too much time bullshitting after the lap and forget to run the start a couple times.... ah well, one more thing to do the morning of the race.
So today start Spring Break!! Which means getting more jobs done around the house (Annie really knocked a couple out of the park this weekend!!) and, of course, get some riding in. I'm still concerned with the balance of my rides this week since I was not able to ride last week I don't want to go too hard this week and wear myself out for the race, but I also don't want to go too light.... The plan for today is to hit up Massasoit (which is the site of our next race) and see if I can figure out the course there since I didn't race it last year. I've only ridden the trails there once so if I can't find the course itself at least I'll get a better idea of the terrain there.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
License to...
cause, it's from License to Ill and all....
I've been a ghost... I've been under the weather... I am .4 pounds from goal (number 1) weight... and this is the 200th post.
Assuming all goes according to plan, we'll be in Charlotte (area) by July. So the Race page has been "updated." I'm not sure if I will (be able to) jump into any races once we move down to Charlotte... but if I do it looks like I can/will do two out of three possible races. I'd skip the Fontana Village race only because it's ass far from Charlotte.
The other day I was snooping around Strava and came across something that reminded me that Winding Trails is coming up (April 22nd). Holy crap!! I need to pre-ride!! Winding Trails was my very first race (raced in the First Timers class, naturally) and I enjoyed it. At the time I was happy-ish that I only had to race one lap of it.... but I'm excited to get two laps in this year.
I jumped on the Root 66 boards and discovered there is a ride scheduled for this Saturday at 9am. Which is perfect as I have to head back down to CT anyway to drop the dogs off with the parents as we hit the final stretch in getting the place sale ready. I'm interested to see if there are any changes to the course this year (as I know they added in some new singletrack last year) if it's the same, I'll be happy. If it's changed any, I'm sure it's still as fast.
I got my ass over to BikeReg.com and signed up. Looks like I have to pay for the one day license when I register the day off... kinda annoying - I like getting it all done (payment wise) at once. I checked to see who else was racing and I found that there was no one else in my class yet.... well, not really anyone signed up in ANY class yet.... I'm sure there will be a late rush as it seemed to be a very well attended event last year. I just checked and there are more people registered for the race at Massasoit the following weekend already... whatever.
Dunno if I will be able to get in a ride before the pre-ride... but I have next week off for April break... so it will come down to not over riding next week in prep for the race. I hope the last two days doesn't throw me off too much. Ah, it's early in the season and I'm racing Cat 3 = it's all good.
* When I was looking for a video off of Licensed to Ill I came across this "wonder"
It's long.... so... feel free to skip it. I'm not sure where it came from... but just about EVERYONE in hollywood is in this.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Round 2
Sunday is my second race. And in preparation for it... it is going to rain all week, YES!
On Saturday I got up to Willowdale to attempt to ride the course. The course has not yet been marked for this year's race, but I found a gps track of the supposed course so I was going to Boy Scout my way around the course. Well, that didn't turn out so good but I put in some miles out there and will at least be a pro at half the course, in either direction. I felt good out there, and you know you did your job when stairs are no longer you friend when you get home.
I bumped the seat up a bit more before heading out and it felt good again... I want to make sure I get out and ride this week, even if it's just on the road, to make sure it's a good height. I have a feeling I want to take it back a smidgen, but no ill-effects or loss of power/mobility were felt out on the trail. I also have a slow leak after catching a thorn the other week riding along the Charles... figures doesn't it? I patched it on the ride, but I guess there were two punctures... it's still holding and didn't lose anything over the ride, so may just leave well enough alone.
Found out that this race (for Cat 3/Novice) will be 8 miles (according to the bikereg.com), not 10. The singletrack is pretty tight, so passing will be interesting... just means the start is more important I suppose. And I'll have to really push on any doubletrack to either pass or keep my place. Felt good on the trails, but I'm not excited at the prospect of a wet course. There is some off camber stuff covered with roots - add moisture and we are looking at a slick mess. Right now my class (Novice Vet I) only has 10 other riders in it... not sure if more will still register, or if they are waiting to register on site, but I had figured I'd be in a bigger field than I was for Winding Trails.
On Saturday I got up to Willowdale to attempt to ride the course. The course has not yet been marked for this year's race, but I found a gps track of the supposed course so I was going to Boy Scout my way around the course. Well, that didn't turn out so good but I put in some miles out there and will at least be a pro at half the course, in either direction. I felt good out there, and you know you did your job when stairs are no longer you friend when you get home.
I bumped the seat up a bit more before heading out and it felt good again... I want to make sure I get out and ride this week, even if it's just on the road, to make sure it's a good height. I have a feeling I want to take it back a smidgen, but no ill-effects or loss of power/mobility were felt out on the trail. I also have a slow leak after catching a thorn the other week riding along the Charles... figures doesn't it? I patched it on the ride, but I guess there were two punctures... it's still holding and didn't lose anything over the ride, so may just leave well enough alone.
Found out that this race (for Cat 3/Novice) will be 8 miles (according to the bikereg.com), not 10. The singletrack is pretty tight, so passing will be interesting... just means the start is more important I suppose. And I'll have to really push on any doubletrack to either pass or keep my place. Felt good on the trails, but I'm not excited at the prospect of a wet course. There is some off camber stuff covered with roots - add moisture and we are looking at a slick mess. Right now my class (Novice Vet I) only has 10 other riders in it... not sure if more will still register, or if they are waiting to register on site, but I had figured I'd be in a bigger field than I was for Winding Trails.
Monday, April 18, 2011
It's Monday damnit!
Living in Boston I totally forgot today was Monday (and thus necessitating an entry here). How does living in Boston in an way = forgetting that today is Monday??? Because it's Patriot's day. Because the Boston Marathon is today. And that, my friends, means that no one works in Boston today. So there you have it. No one is going to work makes it feel like it's a second Sunday here in Southie.
To add to that feeling Annie's best friend from Morgantown came in yesterday as her sister is running the marathon. So we all went out last night to Barlow's to eat and generally be merry. Oh yeah, and yesterday I completed my first race!! We are heading down to Charlotte Tuesday (via Morgantown WV - so arriving in Charlotte Wednesday) so entries probably will be non-existant until next week, and then there will be a flood of updates (perhaps).
To the main attraction - Winding Trails Fat Tire Classic.
I took two pieces of advice with me going into this race.
1st - (from CB2)just wear the camelbak, don't worry about trying to switch things up and just carry a bottle.
2nd - warm-up. Saturday I talked to my buddy Sean (from WV) regarding pre-race warmup. Not sure why it's important that he's from WV - but he is. So yeah, he gave me the low down on the warmup routine... which I followed and felt good going into the race.
My parents and my wife came to watch, which was really nice. I entered in the First Timers category and as we lined up I was surprisingly not nervous, which made me... (a little) nervous. Chatted with a couple guys as we stood waiting. This, I determined, was one of the best parts of racing. The people. Seriously, everyone was just laid back and friendly. Conversations were easy, people were helpful. Even out on the course people were looking out for each other, we were all racing but still friendly/courteous. LOVED IT!
To add to that feeling Annie's best friend from Morgantown came in yesterday as her sister is running the marathon. So we all went out last night to Barlow's to eat and generally be merry. Oh yeah, and yesterday I completed my first race!! We are heading down to Charlotte Tuesday (via Morgantown WV - so arriving in Charlotte Wednesday) so entries probably will be non-existant until next week, and then there will be a flood of updates (perhaps).
To the main attraction - Winding Trails Fat Tire Classic.
I took two pieces of advice with me going into this race.
1st - (from CB2)just wear the camelbak, don't worry about trying to switch things up and just carry a bottle.
2nd - warm-up. Saturday I talked to my buddy Sean (from WV) regarding pre-race warmup. Not sure why it's important that he's from WV - but he is. So yeah, he gave me the low down on the warmup routine... which I followed and felt good going into the race.
My parents and my wife came to watch, which was really nice. I entered in the First Timers category and as we lined up I was surprisingly not nervous, which made me... (a little) nervous. Chatted with a couple guys as we stood waiting. This, I determined, was one of the best parts of racing. The people. Seriously, everyone was just laid back and friendly. Conversations were easy, people were helpful. Even out on the course people were looking out for each other, we were all racing but still friendly/courteous. LOVED IT!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Media Fridays
We'll posts videos or photos that will hopefully inspire trail shredding weekends.
Here is a video from the race in 2008. Course is a bit different this year, but you get an idea for it.
And then some inspirational music... probably along the lines of what I might be playing in my head while racing.
What I like about it (for riding purposes) is that the music is driving forward, but the vocals are calming... hopefully a nice mix that will keep me going, but more importantly, keep me calm and within my zone.
PS. Thursday - feeling better.
Today - staff vs. student floor hockey game... keep my mind off the race.
I'm excited to see what happens - looks like maybe rain Saturday evening, but hopefully none on Sunday.
Here we go!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Battle Axe Warrior
Wow... things got busy real fast!!
Got a preride in on Sunday at Winding Trails. The course is looking NICE!! And it's a good thing I missed the first ride and attended this past weekend as a section was just completed and added on Wednesday. A lot more singletrack than I expected. And A LOT MORE climbs that I expected. It's a 5 mile loop and as a First Timer I'll just bang out one lap. I'm good with that.
During the preride I felt ok... didn't warm up. I have to start doing that!!! It was a good pace for the ride (I was with a pack of 6 or so). I defintely got a good sense of where I'll be able to pass (if I can pass that is) which is key. Technically it's not a difficult trail. Some roots, but those are hardly noticeable on the HiFi. There are a bunch of logs down across the trail, most are small but there are two that are big ring catchers... so I want to practice getting over larger logs smoother this week. The other BIG thing I need to practice is putting my damn bottle back while riding. On my first lap I took a drink on a fire road straight away and I couldn't seem to find the cage to get it back in before a quick turn onto singletrack came up... so on the brakes I was pulling. Hopefully I won't be dehydrated (like I was a bit on Sunday) for the race so drinking won't be such an issue for a 5 miler... but still, something I need to work on. Typically I ride with a camelback when hitting singletrack... but for a race (and such a short one at that) I'd rather go with less weight.
So I completed the race course (plus some as I missed the last turn and headed down a fire road for a bit before turning back around) and took a break as I talked to one of the guys who built up the course. He took off and I decided I should hit the course again. Riding for the second time was certainly much smoother. Being able to anticipate hills really helped. On the first lap there was a killer steep toward the end that comes at you from around a corner that I had to hike. Knowing it was coming the second time I kept my speed as much as I could and dropped the gears and was able to get up and over it. That felt great!! But we'll see how that goes with others on the course (didn't seem to be much room for two on that climb). And riding alone on my own pace (which actually ended up being pretty decent) was nice for the confidence. I didn't break any speed records, but I felt solid at the pace I rode around the second time - and with opportunities to turn it up on the fire roads (and not to mention even more comfort on the sinlgetrack and declines) I'm pretty content coming into the race. Oh yeah - and that spot I couldn't get the bottle back in the cage on the first lap - deja vu on lap 2. Seriously, I have to practice that!!
So last night I was feeling all light headed/dizzy and Annie wasn't feeling too hot either. Woke up and neither of us made it to work today. Great start...
Got a preride in on Sunday at Winding Trails. The course is looking NICE!! And it's a good thing I missed the first ride and attended this past weekend as a section was just completed and added on Wednesday. A lot more singletrack than I expected. And A LOT MORE climbs that I expected. It's a 5 mile loop and as a First Timer I'll just bang out one lap. I'm good with that.
During the preride I felt ok... didn't warm up. I have to start doing that!!! It was a good pace for the ride (I was with a pack of 6 or so). I defintely got a good sense of where I'll be able to pass (if I can pass that is) which is key. Technically it's not a difficult trail. Some roots, but those are hardly noticeable on the HiFi. There are a bunch of logs down across the trail, most are small but there are two that are big ring catchers... so I want to practice getting over larger logs smoother this week. The other BIG thing I need to practice is putting my damn bottle back while riding. On my first lap I took a drink on a fire road straight away and I couldn't seem to find the cage to get it back in before a quick turn onto singletrack came up... so on the brakes I was pulling. Hopefully I won't be dehydrated (like I was a bit on Sunday) for the race so drinking won't be such an issue for a 5 miler... but still, something I need to work on. Typically I ride with a camelback when hitting singletrack... but for a race (and such a short one at that) I'd rather go with less weight.
So I completed the race course (plus some as I missed the last turn and headed down a fire road for a bit before turning back around) and took a break as I talked to one of the guys who built up the course. He took off and I decided I should hit the course again. Riding for the second time was certainly much smoother. Being able to anticipate hills really helped. On the first lap there was a killer steep toward the end that comes at you from around a corner that I had to hike. Knowing it was coming the second time I kept my speed as much as I could and dropped the gears and was able to get up and over it. That felt great!! But we'll see how that goes with others on the course (didn't seem to be much room for two on that climb). And riding alone on my own pace (which actually ended up being pretty decent) was nice for the confidence. I didn't break any speed records, but I felt solid at the pace I rode around the second time - and with opportunities to turn it up on the fire roads (and not to mention even more comfort on the sinlgetrack and declines) I'm pretty content coming into the race. Oh yeah - and that spot I couldn't get the bottle back in the cage on the first lap - deja vu on lap 2. Seriously, I have to practice that!!
So last night I was feeling all light headed/dizzy and Annie wasn't feeling too hot either. Woke up and neither of us made it to work today. Great start...
Friday, April 8, 2011
We are cleared for launch
Went for an after work ride around the seaport with Annie. Leg looking feeling good, so I'm happy with that. I won't continue the photo log of the injury because honestly, it looks gross. The bruise on my thigh is an interesting mixture of purple and yellow and behind my knee is a rasberry/purple blend.
Another adventure I had wastaking attempting to take off the old cleats from my bike shoes. One bolt would not come out and of course I hadn't dug ALL the dirt out so I ended up stripping it. GREAT!! So I dropped it off a the LBS close to work and they drilled it out for me. It had to happen. On my last ride at Wompatuck my left cleat did come out at inopportune times during the ride... and although didn't cause a crash, caused some close calls. The ride today was easy, and with new cleats on new pedals (I got myself a pair of XT pedals as Annie will sooner than later be converting to clipless so I figured I'd give her the new pedals I had put on the HiFi originally) things were a bit "tight" unclipping. That's one of the things I love about the pedals I've been using - they adjust to your personal comfort level in terms of clip-ease.
So the leg is feeling good, the cleats are all set and the pedals will be tuned in for that perfect clipness... all things leading to the best news. Preride this Sunday at 10am. All the arrows are up on the course, which apparently has been modified from last year to include more singletrack with some short steep climbs thrown in there. The fact that it has changed from last year makes no difference to me as I'll be riding it for the first time, but I'm excited/anxious to get out there and see what I'll be facing in a week!!! Oh boy... the nerves haven't started but I know they will soon. I'm certainly not near the weight I'd like to be for race season, my legs are OK, and my lungs are no where near good. But it's only a 5 miler, so I should be able to push through it and get my ass in gear for the next one.
I'm ready for the eye-opener... hello race world (First Timer class anyway), here I come.
Another adventure I had was
So the leg is feeling good, the cleats are all set and the pedals will be tuned in for that perfect clipness... all things leading to the best news. Preride this Sunday at 10am. All the arrows are up on the course, which apparently has been modified from last year to include more singletrack with some short steep climbs thrown in there. The fact that it has changed from last year makes no difference to me as I'll be riding it for the first time, but I'm excited/anxious to get out there and see what I'll be facing in a week!!! Oh boy... the nerves haven't started but I know they will soon. I'm certainly not near the weight I'd like to be for race season, my legs are OK, and my lungs are no where near good. But it's only a 5 miler, so I should be able to push through it and get my ass in gear for the next one.
I'm ready for the eye-opener... hello race world (First Timer class anyway), here I come.
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