Even though we had heavy rain in the early morning hours the race course for the Stony Marathon wasn't too muddy. I got the most mud on me from being behind people when we were on the two track and we were riding through puddles. I was actually hoping for more rain during the race because some of the mud in the singletrack started turning to the consistency of peanut butter. The rain would have made it easier to ride through.
I wasn't sure how I would be feeling since my legs and HR haven't seemed to be cooperating with any higher intensity riding. I figured I would just hang out in the back and see what happened.
From the start the pace was much less frantic than a normal XC race, probably because we knew we would be racing for close to five hours. I had no problem staying with my age group as we made our way around the course. We had one guy go off the front but no one made an attempt to chase him down.
Once the trail opened up onto the relatively flat two track I felt like I could probably open it up some since I knew I would have problems on the hills. I seemed to be able to ride fairly fast on the flats without a problem. I took the lead of our group and slowly stretched it out, eventually catching and passing the early break away.
I stayed in first for the end of the first lap but half way through the second lap the original front runner caught me on a hill but then I caught him back again on the flats. We traded positions through the rest of the lap and half of the next until i backed off, trying to at least salvage a finish. I was concerned that if I raced him instead of riding my own pace I wouldn't finish at all.
About half way through the race I started getting lots of cramps in various leg muscles as the legs seemed to stop working well. The cramps would come and go throughout the remaining three laps.
One time my rear wheel slid out on a root and I fell, causing both my legs to instantly cramp, much to the amusement of the rider I was passing as he was pushing his bike up the hill. I lay there for a few seconds trying to stretch the legs out. I managed to get back on and keep going but I could feel my legs wanting to stop at any second.
I managed to hang on for second place. With this race worth double points in the local USAC series it gave me a good chance for a top three overall position at the end of the season. Of course, there are a few more races that I have to do well at. Anything can still happen.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Here we go again
Tomorrow is a 60 mile race at Stony Creek Metropark and of course we will have rain and wet conditions to deal with. In fact, we have had quite a bit of rain already this week and the course has been altered to avoid some of the mud.
I rode parts of the course today and surprisingly much of it was dry or just damp. The soil is a sand and gravel mixture on the two track and more clay in the singletrack. Most of the 10 mile loop is on the two track which means mostly just puddles. But it also means picking up a lot of sandy grit to wear away your chain and drivetrain.
I an still having a few issues with having the power fade in a short time so I may not be racing tomorrow and end up taking some time off the bike to fully recover. But it will be hard to avoid the temptation to play in the mud (again).
Sunday, June 22, 2008
At least the grass is growing
The rain has been affecting the riding this year but at least the grass is growing. Of course that means cutting the grass more often. I actually have some grass in spots that hasn't had grass in years.
This weekend was spent working on a new trail connector at Addison Oaks as well as betting in a couple of training rides while trying to avoid the rain showers. Of course it rained before the trail work and the brush was wet, meaning we soon were also. The section of trail we are working on is like a jungle, very thick undergrowth that is difficult to clear.
Later in the afternoon I headed over to Stony Metropark to ride next week's marathon race course. It had been a while since I've ridden there plus I rode the bike with the power meter to get a feel for what kind of wattage a lap would have.
This morning I went out for a longer ride and hit up the high school trails as well as Bald Mountain north and south and Addison Oaks. It was a beautiful morning to be out. I flushed a large buck at the school; the deer had a nice rack growing.
Next Saturday is the marathon MTB race, 6 laps that should take somewhere around 5 hours to complete. True to form, they are calling for a chance of rain and thunderstorms almost every day through race day.
This weekend was spent working on a new trail connector at Addison Oaks as well as betting in a couple of training rides while trying to avoid the rain showers. Of course it rained before the trail work and the brush was wet, meaning we soon were also. The section of trail we are working on is like a jungle, very thick undergrowth that is difficult to clear.
Later in the afternoon I headed over to Stony Metropark to ride next week's marathon race course. It had been a while since I've ridden there plus I rode the bike with the power meter to get a feel for what kind of wattage a lap would have.
This morning I went out for a longer ride and hit up the high school trails as well as Bald Mountain north and south and Addison Oaks. It was a beautiful morning to be out. I flushed a large buck at the school; the deer had a nice rack growing.
Next Saturday is the marathon MTB race, 6 laps that should take somewhere around 5 hours to complete. True to form, they are calling for a chance of rain and thunderstorms almost every day through race day.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Lumberjack 100
Carrying on this year's trend of rain affecting my races, the area that the Lumberjack race was held at received over 11 inches of rain on Thrusday night. The city of Manistee was also hit by high winds, bringing down many big limbs and trees, some onto buildings. The city was also without power.
The motel we stayed at was about 15 miles east and not affected. The trail was also surprisingly dry, thanks in a large part to its sandy soil base. There were a few trees down on the portion we rode but nothing like the damage we saw in town.
Race morning was clear and cool. After a two mile start on the road I was in a pretty good place entering the trail and continued to work my way forward. Coming into the back part of the course, a little more than half way through the 25 mile loop, we encountered the water filled trenches we had heard about. There was no place to go but through them. The water in some spots was about two feet deep of balck water. You had no idea what was underneath. Other spots along this stretch were dry, teasing you into thinking that your were done with the water and then you hit another stretch.
I felt good until starting the second lap when my back started acting up. I had done something to it last week while working on the school race trails. I also was losing power. I had noticed that since the Mohican 100 race two weeks ago my heart rate didn't seem to be responding to hard efforts. I have not determined the cause yet.
I finally decided to abandon the race at the end of the second lap. Since I will probably not be able to do the minimum to qualify for the NUE series we decided not to do the Wilderness 101 in Pennsylvanial next month. Especially with the price of gas. This trip was only four hours each way and cost $140 in gas alone. The upside of stopping early is that we were able to get home last night instead of this afternoon.
I now need to figure out what to do to salvage the rest of the season. And think about racing in general and how I want to proceed.
The motel we stayed at was about 15 miles east and not affected. The trail was also surprisingly dry, thanks in a large part to its sandy soil base. There were a few trees down on the portion we rode but nothing like the damage we saw in town.
Race morning was clear and cool. After a two mile start on the road I was in a pretty good place entering the trail and continued to work my way forward. Coming into the back part of the course, a little more than half way through the 25 mile loop, we encountered the water filled trenches we had heard about. There was no place to go but through them. The water in some spots was about two feet deep of balck water. You had no idea what was underneath. Other spots along this stretch were dry, teasing you into thinking that your were done with the water and then you hit another stretch.
I felt good until starting the second lap when my back started acting up. I had done something to it last week while working on the school race trails. I also was losing power. I had noticed that since the Mohican 100 race two weeks ago my heart rate didn't seem to be responding to hard efforts. I have not determined the cause yet.
I finally decided to abandon the race at the end of the second lap. Since I will probably not be able to do the minimum to qualify for the NUE series we decided not to do the Wilderness 101 in Pennsylvanial next month. Especially with the price of gas. This trip was only four hours each way and cost $140 in gas alone. The upside of stopping early is that we were able to get home last night instead of this afternoon.
I now need to figure out what to do to salvage the rest of the season. And think about racing in general and how I want to proceed.
Lake Orion High School Results June 11
Results from the June 11, 2008 race. We may have more races later this year. Thanks to everyone for coming out and thanks to our sponsors Cycletherapy, Rochester Bike Shop and Peppy's Pizza.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
If I've got a race it must be raining
It seems to be the case this year, every race I've been involved with,except one, has had precipitation as a factor before or during the event. Starting with the Pontiac TT in April where it snowed the morning of the event to today's race at Brighton when we had early morning thunderstorms to make the trails slick. So far any Lake Orion High School race date has had rain as an attendance factor and it may be again this week. Even next week's Lumberjack 100 keeps having rain move in and out of the forecast.
I went out to the Brighton XC race to use it as a fitness maintenance race, in preparation for next week's Lumberjack. The overnight thunderstorm and temperatures in the 90's did not really get me excited about racing but I figured I would at least get in a couple of hours of high intensity training in.
During my warmup the HR never really came up, similar to what I experienced yesterday in training. There were only 5 of us in our class and I had already decided I was not going to try and chase the leader. Once we started I saw that I couldn't even keep up right from the gun. I settled into 3rd for most of the 1st lap to get an idea from the person in front where the trail was going. I hadn't been on the trail in about 5 years.
My HR was still down from normal XC races but I felt fairly comfortable, just not quite as much power as I would expect. But I went past the 2nd place guy mid way through the first lap as I was climbing better and my tires seemed to hook up better in the slippery spots. I opened a small gap and increased it slightly by the end of lap one.
I was still feeling OK but sensing a power loss as the hills became a little tougher than the first lap even though the trail was drying out. I also saw that my HR seemed lower than before. I didn't think it made much sense to push and eventually the third place guy caught up and went by. I decided to end my misery early and pulled out after two laps. I was calculating that total race time would be around 2 hours and 45 minutes; I didn't want to push myself that hard in the heat.
I'll admit that I had zero motivation for this race but I can probably count on one hand all the races I DNF'd since I started racing. It's not something I normally do. But I figure maybe it was better to live to fight another day, or, lose the battle to wage a better fight next week
I went out to the Brighton XC race to use it as a fitness maintenance race, in preparation for next week's Lumberjack. The overnight thunderstorm and temperatures in the 90's did not really get me excited about racing but I figured I would at least get in a couple of hours of high intensity training in.
During my warmup the HR never really came up, similar to what I experienced yesterday in training. There were only 5 of us in our class and I had already decided I was not going to try and chase the leader. Once we started I saw that I couldn't even keep up right from the gun. I settled into 3rd for most of the 1st lap to get an idea from the person in front where the trail was going. I hadn't been on the trail in about 5 years.
My HR was still down from normal XC races but I felt fairly comfortable, just not quite as much power as I would expect. But I went past the 2nd place guy mid way through the first lap as I was climbing better and my tires seemed to hook up better in the slippery spots. I opened a small gap and increased it slightly by the end of lap one.
I was still feeling OK but sensing a power loss as the hills became a little tougher than the first lap even though the trail was drying out. I also saw that my HR seemed lower than before. I didn't think it made much sense to push and eventually the third place guy caught up and went by. I decided to end my misery early and pulled out after two laps. I was calculating that total race time would be around 2 hours and 45 minutes; I didn't want to push myself that hard in the heat.
I'll admit that I had zero motivation for this race but I can probably count on one hand all the races I DNF'd since I started racing. It's not something I normally do. But I figure maybe it was better to live to fight another day, or, lose the battle to wage a better fight next week
Friday, June 06, 2008
Lake Orion High School MTB Race June 4
The second race in the series was run this past Wednesday under the threat of rain. Rain the night before and heavy fog the morning of the race meant the ground was wet on top but relatively firm. Areas of drainage from the ball fields did get pretty squishy.
A brand new section of singletrack was used and was slick in numerous spots due to the clay surface. It changed the outcome of a few races since compared to the previous race, the course now took a little more in the way of bike handling skills.
Pictures can be found here http://kinley.smugmug.com/gallery/5098034_XKx5s#307440167_SKMtg
The results
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Swiftwick Socks = All Day Comfort
I am pleased to announce a new sponsor to my racing endeavours, Swiftwick Socks. I ran into this company last year when I did the inaugural Dirt, Sweat and Gears race down in Tennessee. We were given a pair of their socks in our goody bag. At the time they were a start-up company that I knew nothing about but once I put on their socks my feet were in heaven. I began to use that pair for all of my longer rides and races. The wool blend works in all weather conditions; hot, cold, wet, it didn't matter. I think I wore the same pair in 5 or 6 endurance events so far and they show no signs of wear.
I had been in contact with them off and on over the winter to try and purchase some more pairs but their website and on-line store was still under construction. I did make email contact and ran into them again at the Cohutta this spring.
One thing led to another and they wanted to add me to their list of sponsored riders, or their "5% Faster Club". A package showed up this weekend with all sorts of pairs of socks in various styles. They have really branched out since last year. They even had their socks on the feet of some of the big time roadie pros in the tours.
I'm looking forward to trying out their other blends of socks as well as the wool ones I've come to love. If you get a chance check them out on-line or look for me at one of the races. Chances are I'll be sporting their socks and have samples you can look at. Hopefully you will be able to find them at a LBS near you in the future.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Mohican 100 Short Recap
I'll post something longer in the future, complete with pictures, but for now here's the short version of the Mohican 100.
We were lucky to escape the severe storms that were around but it did rain overnight, enough to cause the singletrack and wooded sections to be muddy and slick. Starting in town this year was fun but not too many in the sleepy town of Loudonville were awake to watch us roll through at 7:00 am.
Out of town up a steep paved climb and onto the dirt roads before hitting some wet two track and then across a creek to the first hike-a-bike section. Then the singletrack that went on forever. I was amazed at how many people had difficulties riding this stuff.
Finally out on to a little bit of road and then intermittent singletrack and road sections interspersed throughout the course. The sun came out and it got really warm, at least for those of us from the north. I think it was the warmest day I've ridden in this year. I thought my body and face were on fire. I really wanted to quit about 5 hours in.
I kept plugging, or maybe slogging is a better word as the hills seemed harder the longer I rode. I finally got to the base of the dam and actually rode farther up it this year than last. Of course, that's not saying much.
I ended up finishing almost to the second with the same time as last year. Given the wet trail conditions maybe I was actually faster than last year. But my efforts only netted me a 4th place this year; last year it was good for 2nd. The same guys that took the top three spots at Cohutta finished in the same order at Mohican. But I was a little closer to 2nd and 3rd. And I beat last year's winner again. But the guy who won our class once again spanked us, winning by over an hour and a half. He would have finished in the top 20 overall.
This year has a lot tougher competition than last year. So far it looks doubtful I will make the top three for the series.
Next up is the Brighton stage race and then Lumberjack. I'm keeping the intensity up to try and maintain a high readiness for the next 100 in two weeks.
We were lucky to escape the severe storms that were around but it did rain overnight, enough to cause the singletrack and wooded sections to be muddy and slick. Starting in town this year was fun but not too many in the sleepy town of Loudonville were awake to watch us roll through at 7:00 am.
Out of town up a steep paved climb and onto the dirt roads before hitting some wet two track and then across a creek to the first hike-a-bike section. Then the singletrack that went on forever. I was amazed at how many people had difficulties riding this stuff.
Finally out on to a little bit of road and then intermittent singletrack and road sections interspersed throughout the course. The sun came out and it got really warm, at least for those of us from the north. I think it was the warmest day I've ridden in this year. I thought my body and face were on fire. I really wanted to quit about 5 hours in.
I kept plugging, or maybe slogging is a better word as the hills seemed harder the longer I rode. I finally got to the base of the dam and actually rode farther up it this year than last. Of course, that's not saying much.
I ended up finishing almost to the second with the same time as last year. Given the wet trail conditions maybe I was actually faster than last year. But my efforts only netted me a 4th place this year; last year it was good for 2nd. The same guys that took the top three spots at Cohutta finished in the same order at Mohican. But I was a little closer to 2nd and 3rd. And I beat last year's winner again. But the guy who won our class once again spanked us, winning by over an hour and a half. He would have finished in the top 20 overall.
This year has a lot tougher competition than last year. So far it looks doubtful I will make the top three for the series.
Next up is the Brighton stage race and then Lumberjack. I'm keeping the intensity up to try and maintain a high readiness for the next 100 in two weeks.
Friday, May 30, 2008
On to Mohican
I'm leaving in a couple of hours to travel to Ohio for the Mohican 100 with Robin, Shari and Ryan, the same trio that went to the Cohutta 100 with me in April. It looks like we are going to have the same weather as we did back then. Is there a connection somewhere?
I just hope it's better conditions than two years ago when the picture below was taken the day before the race.
Friday Night, May 30
Low: 60 °F RealFeel®: 59 °F
Couple of severe t-storms; t-storms can bring downpours, large hail, damaging winds, and a tornado
Saturday, May 31
High: 75 °F RealFeel®: 72 °F
Considerable cloudiness with a couple of showers and a thunderstorm; breezy
I just hope it's better conditions than two years ago when the picture below was taken the day before the race.
Friday Night, May 30
Low: 60 °F RealFeel®: 59 °F
Couple of severe t-storms; t-storms can bring downpours, large hail, damaging winds, and a tornado
Saturday, May 31
High: 75 °F RealFeel®: 72 °F
Considerable cloudiness with a couple of showers and a thunderstorm; breezy
Friday, May 23, 2008
Finally, a Lake Orion High School MTB Race Completed
After being rained out two weeks ago we finally managed to hold our first race, the second one on the schedule, if that makes sense. Of course it was nice all week except on our race afternoon when the rain slowly moved in and was spitting on and off during the races. Fortunately the harder rain held off until after the races were over.
While we had a small student turnout, we had a decent adult group given the weather. The older Advanced Men class, which is mine, had the biggest group of the day with 8 racers.
At the start the front guys took off so fast the rest of us lasted about a minute before falling off the pace. I slowly worked my way back up to one rider and the my team mate Bernie, who was glued to my wheel, and I passed him 3/4 way through the first lap. Bernie stayed right behind me for 4.5 laps before falling in a singletrack section and I was finally able to put a gap on him. I ended up 3rd and Bernie was 4th. The races only lasted about an hour but it was at a very fast pace since it was short in comparison to weekend races. But that was the intent.
Everyone seemed to have a good time and the school was pleased as well. Hopefully the weather will be better for the next race and those who raced will spread the word. The next two races are June 4th and 11th. We have moved the student races back to a 5:45 start time to allow parents more time to get their kids to the races.
I want to thank Rochester Bike Shop for providing pre-race bike inspections and to Peppy's Pizza for their donation of pizzas for after the kids races.
Pictures from the race can be found here
Need to get caught up
I guess I've been slacking lately and not updating my blog. Both the people who read it are probably wondering where I've been.
Last weekend was the 6/12 hour race at Addison Oaks and I wasn't sure if I was going since I still had a cold. But since it's so close to my house it wouldn't be a total waste of time if I didn't race the whole thing. Besides it was being used as a training ride and not a priority race.
The turnout was the biggest ever for the Addison Oaks endurance races. That meant a lot of competition in most classes and a lot of the big guns came out to play. Probably because this race was close to them also. With the high gas prices the proximity of races will probably being playing a bigger factor in the decision to race or not.
I started off pretty fast for the first two laps and then dialed it back some. I was starting to feel the effects of the cold and ended up pulling in the pits after 6laps, thinking I was done. I stood around for a while and decided to go back out and did two more before really feeling lousy. But my laps were pretty consistent so I was happy about that. My ride time was 4.5 hours so it was good training for the Mohican 100 on the 31st.
Last weekend was the 6/12 hour race at Addison Oaks and I wasn't sure if I was going since I still had a cold. But since it's so close to my house it wouldn't be a total waste of time if I didn't race the whole thing. Besides it was being used as a training ride and not a priority race.
The turnout was the biggest ever for the Addison Oaks endurance races. That meant a lot of competition in most classes and a lot of the big guns came out to play. Probably because this race was close to them also. With the high gas prices the proximity of races will probably being playing a bigger factor in the decision to race or not.
I started off pretty fast for the first two laps and then dialed it back some. I was starting to feel the effects of the cold and ended up pulling in the pits after 6laps, thinking I was done. I stood around for a while and decided to go back out and did two more before really feeling lousy. But my laps were pretty consistent so I was happy about that. My ride time was 4.5 hours so it was good training for the Mohican 100 on the 31st.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day
A big thank you to mothers everywhere on your day. And a special one to Emily as she celebrates her first Mother's Day with Oliver and Jason. Plus another one on the way.
The picture at the top is of Oliver and if you make it larger you can see that he looks full of mischief. I bet he will be just like his father so it should be interesting. It's funny but we were listening to a comic on the radio today talking about how parents enjoy watching their grandchildren putting the parents through the same things they went through.
Oliver is growing so fast but at least in today's digital age we can see him in pictures and video posted on the Internet. Jason has posted updates on his blog. It's not the same as seeing him in person but it helps. They will all be back in August to visit before their move to Spokane.
On the bike I've been putting in some bigger efforts leading up to the Mohican 100 at the end of the month. This Saturday I'll be doing the Addison Oaks 6 hour race as part of the training build. Then the next day is another long effort as well. The idea is to continue to build in time and effort up until a week or two before an important event and then taper.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Rotten timing
We had to postpone our first race today at Lake Orion High School. All week it has been nice, or at least not raining, including this morning. And tomorrow it is supposed to be nice as well. But a storm was building that finally moved in about 2:00 PM and we made the decision to not hold the race. But here it is 5:30 and it's not raining any more.
One of the reasons for the race was to get people out to try it and have fun. We didn't want their first experience to be in the rain or have the trail conditions be a problem. The ground is hard enough that it wouldn't be very muddy but it would be wet and we might damage some of the school's grass. Plus we didn't think too many people would show up with the threat of rain.
We will make up the race on June 11 but the next race will be May 21. In the meantime we may be able to find some more trail to add.
One of the reasons for the race was to get people out to try it and have fun. We didn't want their first experience to be in the rain or have the trail conditions be a problem. The ground is hard enough that it wouldn't be very muddy but it would be wet and we might damage some of the school's grass. Plus we didn't think too many people would show up with the threat of rain.
We will make up the race on June 11 but the next race will be May 21. In the meantime we may be able to find some more trail to add.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Ft. Custer Race Recap
It turned into a gorgeous day for racing at Ft. Custer. This is probably one of my favorite trails to race as it has lots of fun singletrack, moderate climbs, and a relatively shallow creek crossing on each lap. Many others think so too as the turnout is usually high for this race.
My race can best be summed up as I'm glad there were only three laps since each lap I lost a place, finishing third. I started out OK, cruising comfortably on the wheel of the eventual winner. I went around him just before a long section of singletrack so I could go my own pace but he later passed me back after we got to an open section and motored away. I didn't feel I could keep his pace so I let him go.
I had the second lap to myself but had caught site of the third place guy near the end of the first lap. I never saw him again until shortly after the start of the third lap. He caught up to me as I started to sense my power drop and he went around me and also rode off. I managed to finish a few minutes in front of the fourth place guy but in another lap he probably would have passed me also.
I think I may still have some residual fatigue from the Cohutta race which caused me to slow slightly by the time the race was over. But I felt like I was riding pretty well so I am not going to complain too much. But it definitely reminded me of why I prefer the longer races. I prefer to spread out the pain instead of feeling in all in just two hours.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Big and bigger news
First the biggest news. I am going to be a grandpa again! Jason and Emily decided that one child was so much fun that they wanted another to keep Oliver company. Actually they are planning for a large family so they are well on their way. From what we have seen so far they are great parents and really enjoying the family life. Anyone who has seen the pictures on Jason's blog can see how happy they are. We wish we could be closer to see them more often.
And in related news, Jason and Emily have decided to follow their hearts and faith and will be moving to Spokane to take positions at Mount St. Michael's Academy. Jason taught there a few years ago and he and Emily were married there last year. Jason will be teaching physical education and another subject TBD, while Emily will be starting a preschool at the Mount.
They have been offered living quarters in the school and in fact have the entire floor of one of the wings that was originally for housing the girls that lived on campus. They will have about 2500 square feet of space complete with kitchen, living areas, and several bedrooms. Plenty of space for two kids to run around and hide in. And they will also have space for guests.
While we certainly enjoyed visiting in Montana and the beauty of the outdoors, Spokane will provide them with quite a few options they couldn't really get in the relatively rural setting they are in now. And there are more flights into Spokane should we get the chance to visit.
We wish them all the best as they prepare to take on new challenges, both as a family and in their careers.
An aerial view of the academy, I think their new home will be the lower floor of the wing to the left.
And in related news, Jason and Emily have decided to follow their hearts and faith and will be moving to Spokane to take positions at Mount St. Michael's Academy. Jason taught there a few years ago and he and Emily were married there last year. Jason will be teaching physical education and another subject TBD, while Emily will be starting a preschool at the Mount.
They have been offered living quarters in the school and in fact have the entire floor of one of the wings that was originally for housing the girls that lived on campus. They will have about 2500 square feet of space complete with kitchen, living areas, and several bedrooms. Plenty of space for two kids to run around and hide in. And they will also have space for guests.
While we certainly enjoyed visiting in Montana and the beauty of the outdoors, Spokane will provide them with quite a few options they couldn't really get in the relatively rural setting they are in now. And there are more flights into Spokane should we get the chance to visit.
We wish them all the best as they prepare to take on new challenges, both as a family and in their careers.
An aerial view of the academy, I think their new home will be the lower floor of the wing to the left.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Keeping it local
The team for the bike shop I work at part time, Cycletherapy, put on a MTB skills and race clinic as part of the effort to get the community interested in mountain biking and at the same time promoting the weeknight race series. Various topics were covered on bike preparation, what to do at a race, and how to handle various situations on the trail.
After the talk, conducted by THE Jay Jones, the attendees were split into groups by skill levels and taken out to practice what they had just learned. All the groups got a chance to ride the race course at least once, with some opting for several laps.
The mix of riders included quite a few students from all grade levels as well as adults. Hopefully they will go back and tell their friends how much fun they had and we can get even more next time. I think the instructors had just as much fun as the kids.
Next week is the first race in the 3 race series and we already have a good number of pre-entries. I think the course will be a good one for beginner and experienced riders alike. Race information can be found here.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Active Recovery
The week was spent in recovery mode as far as any hard efforts on the bike. I did get a couple of days on the local trails to just ride how I felt. It seemed like the legs were getting better but not ready to win any races. Too bad though as I rode down to watch the start of the Bloomer race and there were only four guys in my class this week. I doubt I would have beat anybody but it would have been some easy points for fifth.
Saturday there were nine of us, including four kids, that spent the morning raking the Addison Oaks trails and making sure all the trees were cleared. After we were done the trail was in excellent shape. In fact, I did three laps after the trail work. I am more tired today from hiking with the leaf blower than I am from riding.
It was strange today on my ride back from the Bloomer race; I passed three different guys jogging toward me that were each wearing the same marathon race t-shirt and also wearing earphones. It reminded me of the Groundhog Day movie where the same thing happens over and over.
The rest of the day is reserved for yard work and around the house chores. Maybe this will be the year I can get some grass to grow in our front yard.
Saturday there were nine of us, including four kids, that spent the morning raking the Addison Oaks trails and making sure all the trees were cleared. After we were done the trail was in excellent shape. In fact, I did three laps after the trail work. I am more tired today from hiking with the leaf blower than I am from riding.
It was strange today on my ride back from the Bloomer race; I passed three different guys jogging toward me that were each wearing the same marathon race t-shirt and also wearing earphones. It reminded me of the Groundhog Day movie where the same thing happens over and over.
The rest of the day is reserved for yard work and around the house chores. Maybe this will be the year I can get some grass to grow in our front yard.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
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