The Ugly, The Good, and The Bad

So here it is, installment number 3.

As I mentioned yesterday, The Ugly comes in with a crash.

Sunday I was riding Sherman Branch, one of a few local trails actually open with all the rain we've been having.  My first lap was good, but littered with stops to continue the search for the creak.

After my first lap I removed the broken water bottle cage and decided that I would go out for more.  I hadn't ridden in a while and (aside from the noise) was loving the ride.  Bad choice.

I was on Roller Coaster and everything was fun.  I flew through the first section and was back into the field area where I was just cooking it.  My back wheel kicked up a stick/branch which SMACKED my left calf.  Brakes were applied with much force and I stopped right away.  OUCH!!  That hurt - but more concern was for my rear wheel.  All spokes seemed fine, but THAT will leave a bruise (it did).  I pick up speed and head into a banked right turn over a gravel path.  The turn was banked with wooden boards.  Again, I was pushing the limit with my speeds and my front wheel started to wander a little too high...

Before I knew it my front wheel was ON the top of the boards, hit a joint in the board wall and slipped to the far side of the boards... rider down.  As my wheel went off the backside of the turn I was ejected from the bike.  Arms outstretched I was superman for a minute.  I tried to clear my body from my bike and then it happened - the classic elbow vs. gravel battle.

Kinda fitting I was wearing my Blood Sweat and Gears kit... 2 out of 3 isn't bad...

The gravel won.  Even through the blood you can see the embedded debris.

Quick check of the Glow Worm and everything seems to be ok.

Blood is moving quick so I decide riding isn't the best decision.  It appears that blood is also streaming down my wrist, I lift my glove and see a nice gash on my palm as well - gripping and handlebar isn't so much fun.  I bushwhack briefly to access a "fireroad" of sorts that leads back towards the trailhead.  The Ugly rears it's head as I now know I picked up some poison ivy on my other arm... yay for me!

I spray off with my water bottle and attempt to remove my jersey without getting blood all over it - fail. A few people in the parking lot offer ice and water, but I politely decline as I just want to get out of there.  I get home and Annie isn't pleased with the sight of my arm.  She tells me to go shower and then she'll help clean it up.

AYE!  As soon as I step into the shower my thigh BURNS.  I BARELY have a raspberry on my right thigh (must have been the top tube or handlebars) but the water stings me.  I wash the blood away from my arm, the water and soap feel fine.

I call Annie in to help further clean and bandage my arm

All fresh wounds - that one on my elbow is full of gravel/dirt

My brother suggested that a "bobcat attack" would make for a better story

All bandaged up

 This morning I took a shot of my thigh.  Looks as thought I'll have two pretty good bruises there.  That red line... yeah, as I said before it was barely a raspberry initially, no broken skin (at least to the naked eye).  Sore like a motherF.

I woke up at 5:30 am Monday morning because the pain of my arm wouldn't let me sleep any longer.  Ibuprofen helps.  It seems to be doing ok, but the thought of riding and sweating into the wound didn't sound like the best plan so I skipped the weekly social ride - sorry guys.

Other than the swollenness around the wounds, I can tell that my elbow itself is swollen - hopefully just from impact.  My arm does feel a little weaker than normal (grip wise) but I don't feel any pain of anything more seriously damaged than just ripped flesh so fingers crossed everything heals up well.  I try to keep the bandage off during the day as the wound gets really gross when covered up - yuck!

I'll be back before we know it I'm sure.  I was able to bend back the front brake pretty well.  A small little clip of the corner of the pad with each rotation but that will work itself out I'm sure as it doesn't slow the wheel.  It's the best I could do.  If braking is compromised then a new rotor will be acquired.

only rain?

I raced on Sunday.

Saturday called for rain in the good old city of Charlotte... well, so does the rest of the damn week...  but what would that mean for Columbia SC, the site of my race on Sunday?  Utilizing the technologies I had at hand, or IN my hand, I surmised that rain would start a bit later there - starting in the overnight and pretty much raining throughout the race.  I've pre-registered, so I'm in.

Somehow I turned off my alarm Sunday morning, randomly I woke up and thought to myself "it's a bit too light out to be too far before my alarm."  So I check my alarm/phone and I have about 10 minutes to spare before my planned departure.  10 minutes won't do, so I end up leaving about 15- 20 minutes late.  That ended up ok as I got into Harbison State Forest at around 9 (with a 10 am start).  Prior to departure I checked the local weather for Columbia... chance of thunderstorms at start time and throughout the race... so.... how will I find out if they cancel??  I pull up a few pages on the intelligent phone so that I can periodically check as I get closer to the race - it's decided, I'm going anyway.

When I arrive it's steady raining, but not super hard... I have a water proof jacket I could wear, but I know that I will overheat with it on... do I warm up with it on to stay warm before the start??  Nope, time was short as it was, so I finally get everything in order and get out on the bike in a short sleeve jersey and bibs.  Once I'm in the woods the falling rain isn't an issue... it's the trails.  Standing water down the middle of some parts, and it's just a sandy/muddy mess that is constantly thrown up by my front tire - not to mention the rear tire of anyone you are following.

Vision will be an issue, but I'm not about to battle the flying water/mud with just my eyes.

Finishing visibility

For probably the last 2-3 miles vision was pretty much shot.  There was no more picking lines, I was just riding and keeping my front wheel as light as possible.  On forest road climbs I pulled my glasses down to prevent fogging, and of course, to get a better view of what was going on.  By this point I was in no man's land anyway.  

Our group was a bit smaller than I anticipated, we had 9 at the start.  We got warnings about wet bridges, and to ride careful and slow (in a race) and then we were sent off.  Off the start is a gravel road climb, and we all stuck together so I didn't have to push too hard.  I was 4th going into the woods and I was right on the wheel of the rider in front of me when he missed a sharp left.  He went straight around a tree to renter the trail and I followed.  A branch popped up as he went over it and as it landed back down my front wheel caught it at a funny angle and I went down.  HARD.  It was in this instance that I was thankful that the ground was saturated as my left shoulder was driven into the ground.  The pine needles and softened earth provided for a nice crashing experience.  My bike, on the other hand, did not come out so coddled.

 My handlebars were spun backwards as I regained my feet.  I had to physically force them back straight as my shifter/brake gouged my frame.  I lost 2 or 3 spots - apparently the front had put in some space on the rear of the group.  I hopped back on and everything seemed to be fine so I took off and quickly re-passed one rider and followed another for a bit until I could pass him on a climb.  He stuck with my for a little bit but I was able to put some distance on him when another rider came up behind looking to get by.  We yo-yoed a bit before he left me as we came out of a grinding climb and I couldn't grab his wheel.

Luckily for me, a fast rider from the 40+ group came by a few seconds later and I was able to grab onto his wheel to get me back up into the singletrack.  He started pulling away and I was alone.  I kept looking ahead for riders, and looking back for challengers... but there was nothing.  I could feel my pace slowing as I no longer felt the urgency of the race.  I tried to focus on my tempo to keep my cadence up to push the speed and get myself back up into a respectable gear.

Then I saw it.  A jersey through the trees as the trail started into a quick switchback section up a short hill.  Instantly the energy returned to my legs.  From the color of his jersey I didn't suspect he was in my age group, but it didn't matter - it was someone to catch.  I lost sight of him and wondered if there had been a rider in front of me.  I exited the singletrack onto another forest road climb and I saw him again at the top of the climb.  I push it up the climb but have a feeling we are toward the end.  I keep looking back as I reach the top of the climb to make sure no one is trying to put a late push on me.  I'm in the clear.  The trail is now speckled with spectators, I MUST be near the end.  I push it hard where I can, but this section is tight and rooty.

Soon the trail open into the grass finish and I cross.  I got 5th.  Did the crash hurt my chances??  Probably not.

I was 2 minutes off 4th... so ultimately I probably would have finished closer to him, but I don't know if I would have had it to finish ahead of him as I know he is a strong rider.  So I'm pretty happy with the race - minus the crash.  I still need to work on the mental game of not losing it in no man's land, but overall I'm pretty pleased with where I am at this point in the season.  Do I need to continue working harder, sure!  But I'm getting there!!


I was one dirty MFer at the end of the race.

I found a nice scrape on my leg to match the gouge on my
frame when I rinsed off the grime.

I think that about sums up the grime I was facing all race.

Oh, you think that is the end?  I've got more to come tomorrow.

I DID race

Before I get on with the show you MUST go check out TheMutts page today.  I died laughing when I saw his "action" shot of me!!

I don't always build a bike, but when I do, I do the Harlem Shake.

TheMutt was kind enough to send over some evidence to prove I did some work during the build.  Like when I was spinning the cranks...

Or that time I was tying down the brake line and working on a sunburn

And of course, when I was riding around the yard

So, it is pretty much official.  After 6 long miles, 3 of which were on pavement I'm loving the singlespeed lifestyle.  

Since yesterday I've added another possible name into the mix - Simple Green.  Yeah it's a cleaning solution, but my bike is green, and with one gear - pretty damn simple.  I'm gonna give it a few more days, accumulate some more names and figure out how to do a survey all official like.  Or I'll just pick one and tell you all about that.  We shall see.

Ok, I've got to stop talking about the One9 today, because I'll likely be talking about it again tomorrow after tonight's group ride.  

So, let's get into the race on Sunday.  I mean, I've got another one this weekend so I've got to wrap this recap up!!  I got up early to head for Croft State Park in Spartanburg SC for the Stump Jump.  I hit 85 south and passed some landmarks that reminded me of the long drive from CT to UGA.

It always confused me why the giant peach was in SC and not GA...

I was tired for the entire 1:30 drive it took to get to the course.  My stomach wasn't too happy for some reason, so after checking in I visited the facilities.  As I got ready I scarfed down a clif bar and hydrated.  I headed out on the course for a warm up.  The course started in the grass and onto a short gravel grind, crossed a road to some "fun" grass, then up a short dirt climb to a big dirt decent banging a hard right into the singletrack.  

The singletrack here was fun and fast.  Beautiful even.  I wanted to stop to take a picture but I had left my phone in the pterodactyl, cause I don't need a phone to race.  I rode for a bit and then turned around - scientific.  I was watching the time, and knew I wanted to get back before 9:30.  But, for some reason it didn't click that my start time was 9:30 - until I showed up at the staging area and the Cat3 19-29 guys were going off and we were lining up.  THAT was close!!

The start sucked.  I was towards the back when we hit the gravel and I decided to just hang.  I figured I'd start really working the group once we hit the singletrack.  Once in I was stuck behind two riders.  The leader was doing ok, but just a tad slower than where I wanted to be and the guy in the middle just wouldn't pass!!  With the tight track and the constant twists there wasn't an opportunity to jump two at once.  

Luckily from my preride I had come upon a section that had a log crossing option or an end-around and I hoped that the two in front would go around so I could clear the logs and cut them off.  As I hoped, they both opted to go around so I went straight over the logs and got in front.  Unfortunately my move was short lived as we came upon a short steep climb that had riders ahead of us fumbling.  I came up fast and the rider stuck on the climb couldn't get out of my way fast enough forcing me to dismount - allowing the rider behind me to climb past me.  I jumped back on his wheel and followed him for a bit and was able to pass not too long after.  

At this point the field was spread and I worried that my time stuck in the beginning had given the leaders too large of a gap.  For the rest of the race I worked to gain ground on those ahead, and put in time on those behind.  

On the first lap I had a carrot to follow on the long, washed out service road climb.  By the top I was on him and soon after we got back into the singletrack he pulled to the right to let me go by.

Coming back through the start/finish the grass slowed me - I HATE riding in grass.  Hit the gravel and knew I had a rider on me so I just climbed without pushing.  I wanted to see who he was and let him push the pace if he wanted.  He passed me at the top but it was a rider from the 40-49 field so I let him go and worked my way back to the downhill and into the singletrack.  In the singletrack I was able to stay motivated initially because I did have a rider behind, so I pushed the pace and caught another rider, passing him and putting in a gap on the two behind.  I hit the short steep up fast and cleared it solidifying the gap I had on my two followers.

Now I was in no man's land.  Luckily the water crossing was coming, meaning the course doubles back a bit - so I looked through the trees and could see riders coming back from the water.  The chase was back on.  I was hoping I'd again catch riders on the service road climb, but I wasn't so lucky.  This time I was the carrot.  I was climbing ok, but couldn't find it in me to get up and push the climb.  Halfway up a rider passed and I couldn't tell if he was in my class or not, but I couldn't grab his wheel.  Now, it was the home stretch.  On the side of the trail was a fast rider from my class with a flat... maybe the lead isn't too far off??  I pushed the pace where I could and then it happened.

I wasn't hurt, just happened to park next to the ambulance

I clipped a tree.  I couldn't hold on and was headed straight for another so I had to bail.  This gave another rider just enough time to get past me.  I hustled back up and the chase was on.  Right before the last short steep climb I clipped a pedal, popping me out - so I ran the climb and the racer who flatted passed me with another teammate (who I was hoping was from the 40-49 field).  Again I got to chasing.

I knew the end was near and all of a sudden I could see the flatted racer struggling ahead.  He had lost his teammate and he seemed to be slowing.  I got to his wheel before we popped out of the singletrack and it was on!  We hit the pavement, gears popping as we both stomped.  He had the lead going into the gravel decent back to the finish line.  I hit the big ring and stomped, passing him in the gravel.  I held the lead into the grass and cleared the line.

After the finish I found the rider who had passed me while I was down from my crash, thankfully he was from the 40-49 field.  I had no idea where I was in the standings, but my gut was telling me it was a mid pack finish.  The start was just too slow to have been able to gain ground over the two laps.

Looking at my data you wouldn't really know that it was a race.  It did, after all, just look like a fast group ride.  And that is a really great description.  When I was behind another rider looking for a time/place to pass it felt like I was just on a fast group ride.  Sure we were moving quick, but I didn't really feel the push of a race.

But I can say this, those trails were FUN!!  TheMutt is talking about a trip down there for a group ride and I am 100% on board with that!!

I ended up finishing 8th out of 15.  After racing 2 races in the first 4 of the series I'm in 7th overall for the series.  I've got to start pushing harder on "training rides" if I'm gonna get back towards the top.  And I have to, cause I'm not staying in Cat3 next year.

4th and goal

Sunday was my first race of the season in the Southern Classic Series, Bouldergeist III.  This course, held at San-Lee Park, had it all.  Tight switchbacks, fast trails, a jump line, nice berms, and of course rocks.  Rocks strewn throughout the trail, big boulders to roll, and even a nice climbing rock garden.  Oh yeah, there were roots too.  And I loved every minute of it.

This was such a departure from the winter short track series (just pounding as hard as you can go over smooth trail) and really reminded me of why I love XC racing.  Sure I was sore and tired by the end of it, wondering where the trail would pop out so I could climb back up the start hill to the finish line.  But that's the glory of it, to ride your hardest on a trail that is challenging.

I must say, for having never ridden the trail before I was very proud of my performance on the technical sections.  Pre-riding probably would have helped my speed through some of the faster sections, but over all I was happy with my performance.

Before the race I did ride the intro section of the course up to "bouldergeist."  There was a tight steep switchback leading up to the big rock roller and I knew that would be a place that either I or other riders would get hung up.  Then into the fun.  The roller wasn't bad, it was making sure you were in line for the sharp left that quickly followed was the key to riding this section.  There seemed to be two lines.  The quick hard left utilizing a nice "rock berm" that was in the middle of the trail, or go wide around it. I rolled up right at it to look at the lines.  The outside was clearly chewed up with dragging wheels as riders grabbed fistfuls of breaks... didn't look like the line I wanted.  If you went too wide you'd be down in the creek.  There was a guy setting up the sponsor banners and I commented that it looked like the inside was the way to go.  He concurred.  He also gave me a little hint as to where to come off the roller to be set up perfectly for it.  It was a great hint indeed.

When race time came around I took full advantage of my "insider" knowledge and cleaned the section flawlessly.  Well, THAT section at least.  Remember, I hadn't actually ridden the rock berm and down across the creek crossing.

The approach

Headed right for "dismount"

Off and clear

Lining up to utilize the rock berm

getting it

cleared

what's that guy over there on the left of the trail doing?

Yup, as I was headed to ride the rocks built over the creek bed I made the mistake of looking at the guy standing with his bike off to the side of the trail.  What happened next?  Over the bars I went as I crossed the rocks.  Luckily I rolled free and into the trail, my bike was fine, but launched my water bottle.  I got up quickly, grabbing my bottle and stuffing it back in it's cage, and I was back and riding.  Only problem was that now the rider in front had put in a gap.  And, of course, confidence was a bit shaken for a while...

The race was long, but this post doesn't have to be... so I'll get the rest of the story and results to you tomorrow... unless, of course, you are a detective.  Then you likely already know the results.    

*Thanks go out to my teammate Sean for the pictures

Uwharrie

Impressions of Uwharrie:

When it's singletrack, it's SWEET!

When it's not... why can't there be more singletrack here??

Could certainly use (and easily provide) more miles.  Sure you can just do multiple laps, but that's the point of driving away from Charlotte, get to forests that will allow for longer rides without riding in circles again and again.

Funny/awesome thing is that a survey was just posted up (after my ride) on the local forums regarding Uwharrie's trail use.  It appears plans are in the works to add more mountain bike accessible trails there.  It's like someone read my mind!!  My vote?  Yes, of course!

Crazy thing about Uwharrie is the trails were so packed it was like riding on slick rock the whole time.

Break down of my ride/route.  I basically followed the suggested (via many intranet sites) that one should ride Keyauwee counterclockwise and Supertree clockwise.

So, from the parking area at the Wood Run trailhead I rode the forest road a short bit until you come up on the singletrack connector.  Great little intro to the area.  Some fast singletrack with the occassional rock groupings thrown in and an optional big rock section.  This is where the "fun" happened on the way back to the pterodactyl, but I'll get into that later.  The connector dumps out into the Wood Run Camp area, which consists of primitive sites and a glorified port-a-potty.  From here you can access Keyauwee, Supertree, or continue on Wood Run (which is a gravel fire road).

In order to ride Keyauwee counterclockwise and Supertree clockwise I had to first ride up Wood Run to start each trail at the "top."  So up Wood Run I went, and busted a left onto Keyauwee.  Apparently the tread here had recently been plowed (as in plowing a field, plowed) and you could tell.  It wasn't as bad as the complaints when it first happened, but there were certainly grooves in the trail.  But over time it was packed enough to not be soft or super annoying.  Once I got through that section the singletrack came around and boy was it fun!!  After the entire run I wasn't 100% sold that it was best to ride the trail in a counterclockwise fashion.  Sure, there may have been slightly more downhill in this way, it seemed to me like anything I had to climb would be just as fun in the opposite direction.  So, plan for next time is to ride Keyauwee clockwise from Wood Run Camp, take Supertree clockwise back to camp, and then up Wood Run to hit Keyauwee counterclockwise.  Basically, I'm thinking that whichever way you hit Keyauwee will be a blast.

So, back up Wood Run I rode to hit up Supertree clockwise.  Supertree was MUCH less exciting.  Very short stint of quality singletrack.  Mostly fire road that had been pared down to one visible trail, but in the clockwise direction it was fast and mostly pointing down.  In all reality, it may be part of the system out there that eventually gets ignored on future visits.

After both loops I wanted more miles and my sense of adventure was back.  I LOVE being able to "choose your own adventure" on mountain bike rides, something I get little of on the local trails here.  So it was time to continue the ride up Wood Run and see where it went.  Oh, I forgot to mention, I passed a section that was apparently set aside for Vampires.

If you watch True Blood, you'd know.

 
Well, anyway, Wood Run goes nowhere special really.  Eventually it peters out into old forest roads that had been reclaimed by the forest.  I did come across the oddest thing towards the end of the trail... plowed fields...

So, remember the "fun" I promised in the beginning?  Well, I was on the way back to the trailhead zipping along on the connector singletrack and I was coming up on the optional rock section, of course I was hitting it again.  I aptly tackled the first section but poor line selection had me running directly into the tallest, steepest section of the next rock... I didn't feel I was going to clear it cleanly so I stopped.  Here comes the fun!

What I MEANT to do was lean to my right, the uphill side of things.  Instead, gravity won and pulled me to the left, downhill... so my unclipped foot had nothing to do except hangout as my brain understood what was coming next.  I was falling over at a complete stop.  Next is a blur of trying to deny this was happening, stopping the inevitable fall, acceptance of the fall, and engagement of catlike reflexes in an attempt to diminish the injuries to follow.  In the thick cover of leaves it was hard to see exactly how rocky the ground would be, except on giant jutting rock headed towards my hip/thigh region.  

There was nothing I could do except shift focus to ensure no head injuries would follow... so BLAM I took a rock to my meaty ass.  Pain coursed through but all I could do was to thank my lucky stars that it wasn't my hip making contact with the rock (and appreciating the fact that I do have one meaty ass to absorb such a blow).  I forgot to mention that it was colder than I had expected on my ride (and little creek crossings and puddle hopping left me a bit colder than I would have liked....  the cold also left me wondering if I had torn my sack on the spill.  I know, crude and odd, but I swear it felt like I had torn my sack.  I was too scared to check on the trail - what would I do at that point anyway??  I figured my bibs were holding (fingers crossed) everything together.  So I waited until I got to the trailhead to peek.  SIGH - the boys were fine.

In the long run, I came out pretty good; just one, very large, very nasty, bruise in a place I will not share here.  Although, as I was loading up my gear I noticed I was missing my trail pump.  I walked/ran back up the connector to the site of the "crash" but couldn't find my pump anywhere.  No idea where I lost it, and I'm kinda bummed because it was a good little pump (although I never had to use it out on the trail, so who knows, maybe it sucked?)

CX

Sunday I wasn't racing, but spectating a CX race.  My buddy Sean started racing CX this year and low and behold he had a race less than a mile from my house, so of course I'd be there!!

Whenever I'm at a race and not racing (or my race for the day is done) I like to get out there and take photos.  It's really fun!! Finding the cool places on the course to get good action shots.

Be forewarned, Sean makes the most amazing race faces.

Barriers:

Crushing it through the start/finish straightaway:

Sandpit grinding:

Look how excited the spectators are... one is even stripping!!

Run up, from two perspectives (that thing was STEEP):

If only I could make a living taking race photos...

At this race I only really took photos of Sean and his teammates, with the exception of one large cowboy hat wearin racer - you put THAT much effort in you deserve your picture taken, right?

The added bonus of taking pictures of a CX race is that you can easily get shots at various sections of the course, since it's so compact.  And then there is the reason so many people like to watch a cx race... well, other than you get to see your friends pretty much throughout the whole course... the crashes.

Luckily, well maybe not for him, there was a crash in front of Sean's teammates (739) as he was coming through the sandpit which resulted in a big pile up.  The luck comes in there because I was taking pictures of the whole thing.  I think the most insane thing was how quickly he got up and out of the situation - really kept his head and drive going the whole time.

mid air

handlebar in the...

ouch, looks like he's stepping on some guy's wheel!

and he's off!

unfortunately he had to stop in the next sandpit to fix his chain...
but it could have been a lot worse!!

Overall it was a pretty fun spectating experience (not a race that I would be interested in getting involved in myself).  Not as wild as I hear cx races can get with all sorts of sideline shenanigans.  It was pretty tame, but still enjoyable... and you can't beat the proximity!

VOTE

I'm really afraid I won't remember to vote, or be able to find the way to my designated voting place... maybe the kind annoying campaign people who have either stopped by the house or blew up my cell everyday for the past couple days can come by and walk me to the polls?

If I wait until like 6:30-7pm, you think they will come knocking on my door?

Of course I'll be voting today.  But that's it.  This isn't a political blog so that nonsense stops here.  Well first - make sure you get out and vote!!  Ok, that's it.  Well... here's a message and then I swear it's on to more interesting topics.

(old(er) people should vote too!)

Yesterday my first day of diet/training went... well.  I got a ride in and I'm back to looking at healthier meals and more appropriate portions. Of course the day I decide to start back on a health kick Annie comes home with some Bojangles'.  Cajun Chicken n' Biscuit - insanely awesome.  I'm not one for fast food, but I can't say no to this.  And their sweet tea is freakin phenomenal!!

So, with the unhealthy challenge facing me on my first day "back," it was time to hit the trail and earn the unhealthy goodness I was about to consume.  

For a while I'd wanted to hit up a trail I had been hearing about.  From the sounds of things it was a more natural, rugged trail with some decent climbs.  Perfect, I like a trail that makes me work.  So I hit up Steve's/Rocky River Trail.  It has only recently been dubbed Rocky River Trail, as the trail is on private land and the work of... well.... Steve.  Definitely a labor of love, and the trail was SWEET!!

It is a trail that begs you to go faster, and if you aren't careful you'll find yourself in over your head - or in my case, tumbling over your head.  I guess I was having a little too much fun enjoying some speed on the trail when I came over a little hump and my inner monologue kicked right in, "I REALLY hope my handlebar doesn't catch on that sapling!"  

I think even before the crash happened I was already planning the impending fall and scanning for where to angle my body.  Sure enough the left grip was slammed back at me and I went over the front. My arms over my head I aimed for a mid trail crash.  I was probably mid-air and horizontal with the bike before I got unclipped, my right shin smashing the frame.  I got separated from my bike and braced for impact.  I tucked and rolled and as my helmet hit the ground I had another thought, "I'm not going to tumble into that tree over there, am I?  It would really not feel good to smack my back on that thing!"

Somehow I pulled out some sort of breakdance move and paused as I was on my head (that, or I just didn't have enough momentum to complete the tumble).  I paused there (in reality I'm sure there wasn't much of a pause, but in my brain I was definitely aware of the pause and had time to think how uncomfortable it was) and then pushed myself all the way over.  

I sat up and took stock of everything for a second.  I pulled my helmet off - it was fine.  My right shin throbbed and my left foot hurt (must have struck the top tube on separation).  No real blood.  I stood up and dusted some of the leaves off of me - spotted a Gu that had been ejected from my jersey pocket so I gathered that up and checked to make sure I didn't lose anything else.  Picked up my bike - everything seemed to be in order, wheels spun fine, no dents/scratches that I could see.

So onward I pedaled.  Of course the crash was now in my head and I was scrubbing speed left and right.  Probably a good thing as there were a lot of twists and turns out there, and having never ridden the trail it was probably wiser to take a slower approach to get a sense for the terrain.  

The trail used the terrain very well.  And although the place was twisting, it didn't seem super tight or annoying.  I thought it was a very well planned out trail.  There was a bit of off camber stuff out there, which I can only imagine is a nightmare with any wetness on the trail.  There were three climbs out there, the first one caught me off guard and as I tried to shift down the chain dropped.  I got it back on and continued climbing... it kicked my ass.  I stopped and took a seat at the top to catch my breathe.  

For a second I wondered if the crash really took it out of me that bad.  It may have played a minor roll in my fatigue, but I think the real culprit was dehydration.  In the "colder" weather I've been drinking less water.  A LOT less water.  I haven't been drinking throughout the day like I typically do - so I think my body was ill prepared.  Anytime I did take a drink (it was gatorade) on the trail I instantly felt a burst of energy.  Note to self: get on top of staying hydrated!

Bottom line: loved the trail.  Definitely a place I'll be hitting up again and again.  

You fickle...

70-80s last week just dripping with sweat to frozen feet yesterday...

In all honesty, high 40-low 50 is a nice range (typically) for this time of year and I would have no complaints.  BUT, with the unseasonably warm weather we've been having I forgot the proper ride attire for the conditions and my feet were absolutely FROZEN during my ride yesterday.

Still had a fun ride - explored some more of Upton State Forest - took a nice ride out and around a lake in Whitehall State Park.  I stumbled upon the lake and there was a sweet little singletrack shooting around the shoreline so I followed... what I didn't realize was just how big this body of water was!!  A longer side track than I had planned, and with a late start I did get a little nervous I'd be fumbling in the dark to get back to the pterodactyl.  Never fear, I made it back in time. 

After two rides, I'm diggin Upton.  It offers a nice mix of terrain, some decent climbs, plenty of fire roads to bomb, and some nice tight twisty singletrack.  I've also realized that there is much more area to explore, both in and around the forest, and it looks like this place has the potential for some serious miles.

Oh, and the bruises are coming in nicely from the crash at Wompatuck over the weekend...  it sure is mountain biking season!!

when a biker crashes...

and no one is around to see it... is there a reason?

Saturday I hit up Wompatuck with no real route in mind.  I had thought about going down to check out Burlingame (even though I wasn't racing on Sunday) but when I realized it was an hour and 3/4 drive I decided against it.  I had also thought about going to the race to take pictures... but again, the distance and the 9am start kind of made that an unlikely event.

So, Saturday I rode around Wompatuck.  My general idea was to get 20+ miles.  With no pre-set route I was free to just ride.  Wompatuck is big, but it is hard to get lost (or at least lost for long) as there are a plethora of old paved paths that will lead back to the road and major trail intersections are well marked (assuming you have a map - or knowledge of the area).  My ride started well.  My legs were feeling pretty good - definitely stronger.  The weather was great for riding - low 50s, and the trails were in fantastic condition (some blow down here and there, but overall things were great).

I wore my new long sleeve merino jersey and that thing is sweet ass!!  It's made by Icebreaker.

I got a large, and all I can say is that I'm glad I've shed some pounds (and continue to do so) because it was tight.  Not so tight that it was uncomfortable or restricted movement, etc... but it is tight.  I've never worn merino wool before and wasn't sure what to expect.  When I tried it on I wasn't sure how warm it would actually be as it felt super light weight.  I decided to try it out on Saturday with temps in the low 50s because I figured my jacket would be too much and a ss jersey alone wouldn't be enough.  Well, it was PERFECT!!  It somehow managed to keep in body heat while also keeping me cool... as I flew down trails I could feel the cool air - but it felt good.... never got a chill from it (even when I soaked my back with an exploding water bottle... more about that later).



I ended up my ride with 25.8 miles and something to explore on my next (non-ride) visit.  I came across a whole section (so I guess there are areas I haven't ridden) of old abandoned buildings along an old railroad line.  Just a lot of opportunities for some great shots so I MUST go back with the camera and see what I can get.  But, let's get to exploding water bottle....

So I was following a bit of the race course and at one point I wasn't exactly sure which trail to take (turn or continue straight).  I stayed straight and as I was flying down the trail I saw ahead a slight bend with the outside having a slight berm to boulder.  Somehow, someway, something got caught up and I took a spill.  It felt as though something had grabbed my derailleur and flipped my rear in the air... I tried to keep my balance but soon felt like a spill was inevitable so I tried to separate from my bike.  I landed on my left elbow/side with my bike away from my body - but of course still tangled in my legs.  As the dust settled I saw a water bottle top laying in the trail in front of my face.  I look to the bottle on my bike and it's in tact, so I quickly reach back to my jersey and pull the open bottle from my pocket.  At this point I was more concerned with my bike than anything else so I methodically look it over and everything was fine!  My shins on the other hand were beat to hell, but overall ok.

I could not for the life of me figure out how the crash happened.  There wasn't anything there that snagged my bike... it was a mystery.  I continued my ride and soon forgot the crash... except for the wet jersey.  But even though I was wet - I didn't feel wet... if that makes any sense?  The jersey did not retain a chill from the spill, so I probably just looked a mess to other trail users after that point.  I didn't take any pictures before continuing my ride, but before the day was done I decided to find my way back to investigate the scene further.

approach to the scene... looks like a nice turn, right?

ride the outside... that's the plan

ground disturbance....

So, there was a nice divot in the area where the "accident" occurred... but what caused it?  Like I said, it felt like something had grabbed from behind... like a derailleur pull or something.  But there was nothing around that could have grabbed it, and of course no damage to my derailleur....

So I set my bike up to check if I could have hit the ground with a pedal.  I thought I had my pedals parallel to the ground, but maybe not??  

Nope, inside pedal doesn't reach... 

outside doesn't reach either...

Maybe I had the inside pedal down by mistake?















Maybe I wasn't as far to the outside as I thought and I had my outside foot down??

It's a freakin mystery!  Now that I'm back home thinking about it the only thing I can imagine is that I dislodged a rock (my rear wheel bouncing over it - thus giving my that feeling of my rear wheel lifting??) and that divot is where it had been resting?

As I worked my way down the trail there were a number of impact areas on the trail before I came to my final resting spot... the whole spill must have been a sight to see!!

Initial impact zone

circles in the upper right are from the picture above.  bottom circles were about where my feet/bike came to rest - body further down the trail.

Top circle is accident spot, lower circles are from the first impact zone - picture taken from where my bike came to rest. 

It's one of those crashes that will go down in the books as a head scratcher.  Bike wasn't hurt, I have no major injuries, so we just keep rolling forward.  

Back to the original question: When a biker crashes and no one is around to see it, is there a reason?  My answer is: NO

BUT

If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around, does it make a sound?  That one is not so clear... what I can tell you is that the trees in Wompatuck are a little scary...

ok, relax!! I won't...

"Death is Coming" "He is Very Close"... ok then, I'll just keep on riding, maybe a little faster now!!