Thunder!

My MTB skills need work.  I know it's something I should concentrate on yet I'd rather do intervals.  That is until I have a compassionate crew to ride with.  A crew willing to wait while I hesitate on the simplest obstacles.  Willing to offer advice in a friendly manner, and allow me to ask questions while they patiently wait for me to catch up.

Wait, they don't do that.  But they do graciously accompany me while I attempt what I call skills training and they call just riding.

Last weekend it was Red Bug in a direction I don't normally ride.  Because it has three climbs that have either roots or rocks.  I hadn't done the rock one since before THE CRASH so I was looking forward to getting that demon behind me.  On the approach W. B. starting singing AC/DC "thunder!".
I balked the first run but cleaned it the second time.  It felt like a weight had lifted off my shoulders.  I've been back since and was able to ride it with only one freeze up.  Unless you've struggled with this type of thing you don't understand.  I am pumped to be almost 62 and still able to do stuff that scares me.

Not Red Bug, but this is how it looks to me

The Holiday

Too much food and alcohol.  We did go to church.  We also saw family.  I like the time off.  I have a friend who once said "Christmas and Thanksgiving ruin the best part of the year".  I don't go that far buttttt. 

I didn't do my strength training on Christmas day, the first time I've missed since starting base.  I think I handled it pretty well.

The Kid will be home until January 7.  It's a pattern we should be getting used to.  We will be accustomed to having him around then he'll be gone again.  I guess we should be grateful, when he gets a job he sure won't have this much time off. 

Another Year

After New Years it will be a while till I take some time off.  This stretch used to go by slow but nowadays, not so much.  This is also the time I schedule all my annual checkups.  I try to be more consistent about this stuff since my doctor almost culled me from his patient list because I hadn't been to see him in 2 years.  Walking out of his office with a clean bill of health feels almost as good as getting over the rocks on Red Bug.

This is what the section looked like right after it was built

Winter's Coming

So I have to dress warm.  I know it looks a little odd, but not as odd as Silk's pose.  I actually thought I looked pro when I left the house.  Apebike just couldn't stop laughing though.  I did regret the jacket and booties later as we hit the single track.  Still had a great north side crew ride.  I wish we did more of these.  I ride so much alone lately I've almost forgotten what it's like to ride with others.

Training

I'm in week 6 of base.  Haven't had to skip much at all, just reschedule some workouts.  Been doing all the yoga and roller stretches the OMTP prescribes.  I am surprised how sore some of this makes me feel the next day, sorta sorry I'd been skipping them.  I've had some great rides along lake Jackson as the sun goes down.  If I hadn't been on a plan I probably wouldn't have even gone riding.  Look what I would have missed.

Winter and Christmas

Both cause me joy and some melancholy.   

 

 This old church is located in the small town of Waynesboro Tn.  My father's family had a hand in founding the church in the mid 1800's.  His family had their own pew and we spent many a Christmas eve here.  Of course for a kid from the suburbs of Jacksonville it was all kinda hokey.  We used to walk to church from my grandparents house on those cold nights.  All I wanted to do was to get back and open presents.

Now I look forward to The Kid coming home from school.  We have our traditional golf game on Christmas day.  He's really happy about it as you can tell from the photo above.  I guess for a big college guy it all seems kinda hokey.  Funny how things come back around.

Attacked

Yes we were riding where we were not supposed to.  No way to rationalize it.  We were in the wrong.  It's kinda of like having 12 items in the 10 or less checkout lane.  Or just riding in the left hand lane on the interstate at 5 mph below the speed limit.  How about not using a turn signal.  All of these are against the rules, if not against the law.  All of them make me angry.  I wonder what would happen if I decided to physically challenge the offender?

The Hiker

Dressed in a blue long sleeve shirt, blue shorts, a blue stocking cap, and carrying a water bottle, the gentlemen was coming toward us.  We were strung out, there were 4 of us.  As the first rider passed him The Hiker said "This is an orange trail, bikes aren't allowed".  I don't remember if Rider 1 made a reply or not.  When Rider 2 met The Hiker things got a little more interesting.

The Hiker stood blocking the trail, mind you he had plenty of sight distance.  Rider 2 and Rider 3 were close together.  When rider 2 slowed and moved off the trail to go around The Hiker, The Hiker shoved him, causing Rider 2 to fall over.  This is where I rolled up.

At this time there were 3 of us and one of him.  Rider 2 explained that what had just happened constituted assault and he would be calling law enforcement.  The Hiker walked past Rider 3 and then me yelling as he went.  I attempted to get my phone out and take a picture but wasn't quick enough.  I may have hurled a few expletives his way also.

The Aftermath

Nobody was hurt but the adrenaline was pumping.  We all continued the ride.  We went back by one of the parking lots to see if we could find the guy, no luck.  After we cooled down we went from anger to disbelief.  None of us are fighters, far from it.  But in the moment I was mad enough to pick up a stick and go to war.  If it had been me or a family member I might have crossed that line.  I can be just that stupid.

So when do we get to enforce the rules ourselves?  Should I push every dog walker whose dog isn't on a leash?  Maybe I should shove those butt heads with 12 items out of line?  I have mentally beat the idiots in the left lane many times (if you've ever ridden with me that doesn't come as a surprise).  Obviously we don't do that.

Rationalization

We weren't hurting anything.  We were in control of our speed.  I don't think what we were doing was against a law, just against a rule.  It's all public land, even though another user group maintains the trail.  The traffic is normally very light, the trails are underused.  They ran a zero turn mower over them which caused more damage than 50 bikes would.

Anyhoo, this is the first time this has ever happened to me.  I've had people block the trail but never actually touch me.  In today's world this type of thing could escalate into something really bad really quick.  So peace out!

Off The Back

In cycling "off the back" means you have been left behind or "dropped".  It happens to everyone at one point or another.  The older you get the more of a chance you have of it happening to you.  It can be good for you, it will make you work harder (sometimes).

A Different Kind of Dropped

Lately people I really enjoy riding with have stopped or drastically reduced their riding.  Mostly due to health issues; and not the kind that you just take an aspirin for.  Some due to the dreaded burnout.  I realize that as I get older this will become more commonplace.  Active people will tend to get hurt every now and then.  But recently it seems to be lumped together.  I feel bad for them but it makes me thankful I'm still out here.  I never take this life for granted.

I feel like there is a sweet spot when it comes to any active hobby.  That place where you are working but you still wake up the next day wanting to do it again.  Everybody has their own level.  I'm not talking about injuries here.  As long as you have the desire to come back, and can come back, if you haven't crossed that "over doing it" line, you'll be okay.

I speak from experience here.  THE CRASH certainly changed my life.  I ride by that spot on the multi use at Overstreet and think "how can that little clay hill have done so much damage".  My hip and knee still hurt.  Of course they may not hurt so bad if I didn't work them so hard at the gym two nights a week.  The pain has become the new normal.  I get paranoid if my leg doesn't hurt.  Psycho, I know.

Peaks of Training

Training Peaks, I love it.  It tells me what type of training I'm supposed to do every day.  I don't have to decide how I feel, I just look at my phone.  The best part is when I've done the prescribed workout it will light up green!  Yellow if I've done too much, and red if I did too little.  Then there's the graphs and data to geek out over!  I downloaded the OMTP to it and even though I've followed this plan for years it seems brand new on TP.

Oh No

It's taken me a few days to write this and I didn't mean for it to be prophetic.  Last night my training partner had a crash on his MTB.  An ambulance was called and he'll be out for a few months (at least).  It was a spot we've ridden hundreds of times, he wasnt' doing anything risky, just clipped a tree with his bars and took a header.  Unfortunately he landed on a large collection of roots.

This of course scares the piss out of me.  I know he'll be back, he's a tough old dude, but just how many rehabs do we have in us?  This cycling thing seems to be more dangerous than moto.  Is it just because we're getting older?  I don't want to take up golf (even though I do enjoy it) yet.  And I'd hate to give this sport up, but it sure has me thinking.

So now he has to deal with the pain and inconvenience of a major injury.  Having to have others do for you.  The scary look into a future where you can't do whatever you want, go wherever you want.  Having to rely on others for simple things.  Then there's the loooong trip back to fitness with all the physical and mental pain that will entail.

In the end it's just another one of life's hard lessons.  We like to think we have control over what happens but that's just a mirage to help us get through the days.  We really just need to be prepared to accept and play with the cards we're dealt.  As they say it's not about what happens it's how you react to it.

Some Direction

I don't know why I feel the need to have a plan in place to train.  I resubscribed to Training Peaks then uploaded LW's 40+ Base XC Plan.  Now I'm feeling settled.  Finally someone (or something) is telling me what to do.  Is this weird?  The process of following a plan is enjoyable to me.  It gives me some direction which results in less stress. 

So I did the LT test last week.  HR number was down 7 BPM which was disconcerting.  But I reset my zones and zone 4 still feels hard so I guess it's okay.  I really hate that test.

I got a head cold the second week.  Fun stuff.  First one I've had since February.

Racing

The Kid and I raced the FSC XC race at San Felasco two weekends ago.  We both managed to win our respective classes.  He crashed and came from behind to nip the leader right before the finish.  I had to work hard to keep Ron behind me.  He was able to stay on my wheel until half way through the second lap.  I don't know why it hurt so bad, the times were slow for both Ron and me.

Practice

Of anything to do with riding, my skills need the most work.  Fortunately the OMTP has some type of skills work prescribed every week.  Is it my favorite?  No.

Anyhoo, last weekend the crew tried to teach me something.  I was not a good student.  Sections that every one else could clean I would automatically just unclip in.  Strange.  Dr. Sworks calls it mental self preservation.   Whatever.  I was the same way with double jumps in moto.  It just takes me a while to get my confidence level up.  But I'm working on it.

Random Stuff

The weather is amazing right now.  Best fall in years!

Why do so many assholes go to my Ufit gym?  Didn't their mom teach them to put their toys away when they were done playing with them.  And my gosh, if there wasn't a mirror close by we couldn't even work out.

Is there any way to stop the white hair that grows out of my nose?  This is something they don't tell you about getting older.

A quote from Rons' wife after the race; "you guys act like you're sixteen out there."  She's right, as soon as that whistle blows I'm 16 again, it's one of the reasons I keep coming back.  

 

A Little Off

The Lovely Wife loves the coast, me, not so much.  But she does spend all those hot days somewhere in the southeast waiting for me to finish racing my bicycle so I guess I owe her.  As they  say, happy wife happy life.

So I have a friend who owns a condo (see above) in San Destin on the bay side.  It's a short walk to all the restaurants and shops in Baytown plus there's a shuttle to take you down to the beach.  I like not having to drive once I get there so it suits me.  No bikes involved on this trip but we'll take some next time since the shuttle was not as prompt as they said it would be.

The views from the eating establishments were great, most of the food was excellent.  All of it was pricey but you kind of expect that at this type of resort.

I am amazed by how much money there is out there in the world.  Like one of my contractors tells me: "Hell, everybody ain't broke".  Lines of million dollar boats, high end cars, not to mention what a place here costs if you buy it.  

While it was mostly deserted (the way I like it) I understand it's full of people during the summer.  Just thinking about that much of humanity converging on those 20 story condos on the beach is enough to give me the willies.

The bay side is beautiful, I'd like to go again when its not 50 degrees with a 25 mph wind.  The beach ,while covered in condos, is hard to ignore.  I imagine I could stand it a couple of times a year, but not during the summer.

Anyhoo, it was fun.  I drank and ate too much.  It took us most of the day Saturday to figure out where everything was and how to get around.  Next time we'll bring more stuff to eat and limit the restaurant time.  

It's good to have a change of scenery once in a while, it kind of hits a reset button, even though I resist it.

Just a Blip

Feeling guilty about not writing.  Almost 2 months since the last entry.  No real reason, just lazy.  No body does these things anymore, heck I don't even read the blogs on my list.  I have years of journal entries going back to the late 70's so it's something I've done for quite a while, just not in a shared format.

Anyhoo, FB did one of those "look at what you posted 2 years ago" things and it was a blog I posted right after I broke my hip.  Wow, I'd forgotten so much already about those first weeks.  Now I'm glad that I documented it, even if nobody else is.  I wonder where (if) I'll find this post in 10 years?  Where will it be?  Maybe I should print these?  And do what with them?  Sad, all this really interesting stuff lost to time.

Racing

Bike racing, I've done some.  First round of the FSC was at Hailes again.  I rode 60+ base and I'm proud of it.  Last year I was running third when second place crashed and gifted me the spot.  This year I got first and even managed to clean some sections I couldn't do last year.  So that's an improvement.

My home race contained some bad luck for me in the way of a flat front tire.  Only DNF I've had in years.  It was my fault, I was well in the lead going into a rock creek crossing when I saw a rider walking his bike backwards in the racing line.  I should have just slowed down but nooooo.  I moved over and hit a rock.   Pffffffffffttttttt went the tire.  I was bummed but not for long.  Only one more MTB race on my calendar this year, then I start training for the GSC/SERC again.  Damn, I'll be 62 when this next season starts.

Life

The Kid is still at UF, which in itself is a good thing.  We miss him after having him home all summer but it's not like when he first left.  As I was loading up at Forest Meadows last night I suddenly thought about all the times we rode there when he was younger.  It went by quick.

The Lovely Wife is still teaching.  She's been a awful good sport about going to all these races with me.  I should do some of the stuff she likes to do now that it's the off season.  Whoa, let's not get crazy here.

I am making a pledge to myself to stay regular with this.  It may come in handy someday.

Adrift

The summer drags on as it has always seemed to do.  The Kid went back to UF, leaving the house a little empty.  You'd think we'd be used to it by now.  Schools back in for the Lovely Wife which is always hard for us to adjust to.  Being an elementary school teacher would never be my pick of something to do.

A Plan

Or rather a lack of one.  It's too early to start training for GSC/SERC.  I am enjoying just riding the rides as they develop.  My riding associates can't believe when I shrug and say "no plans today".

I do have a couple of decisions to make.  First, should I train with nationals in mind?  Ignoring the GSC/SERC year end placing?  I am considering either riding 50+ base or 50+ sport.  Both would help me build fitness approaching nationals but would have less of a chance of success than defending my 60+ championships.  I struggled with this all season.  Let's see how I do in the FSC 60+ in the three races I plan on attending.

Second, I am thinking of hiring a coach.  CTS seems to have the most experience with gray headed athletes.  I have had great results with LW Coaching.  Not just placing but injury and general health.  But I really have the urge to try something more advanced.  

Which leads me back to my first decision.  It doesn't make sense to spend all that money and effort just to beat up on those same 60+ guys in GSC/SERC again.  First world problems huh?

Anyhoo, I miss riding with Jim, it looks like he'll never come back.  Dr. Sworks has been out for a while, he's been my steady Tuesday-Thursday training partner for the past 2 years.  We have had some good group rides but we seem to loose momentum pretty quick.  Maybe when the weather cools off?

Just a few more weeks till the Tallahassee race.  I am looking forward to participating.  See ya there!

Staying Calm

I put the last post on FB because a friend of mine doesn't know how to find this without FB.  He said he lives vicariously through my stories and was missing them.  I do have that going for me.

Speaking of FB, I understand all the mental crap that goes with "liking" and getting "likes" on posts.  It's weak to crave the attention of others, I get it.  Some (a very few) really care about the actual activity.  It's just that it's almost required to let your "friends" know how things went.  I like to look at race results and hear race stories, even if it's just in print.  Our sport (mountain biking) has such few participants that you can't talk about it around the water cooler at the office so I guess social media is the next best thing.

No Plan

So I'm off any kind of training plan for a few weeks.  It makes me nervous that I lack direction but it's good for me in the long run.  I have really enjoyed riding without any type of prescription.  I'll use this time in the gym to work on my weak leg and some other things I was afraid of doing for fear it would effect my races.

Learned

One of the things I am taking away from my Nats experience is that I can do more than I'm doing. That there is still some (quite a bit actually) room for improvement.  I may be limited on the mental side of the sport but I believe I can ramp up the physical side some more without getting hurt or worse, burned out.

Nats

Mountain Bike Nationals 2017, Snowshoe West Virginia.  We were there.  But I almost wasn't in the race.

The first section I walked

After we  arrived Monday evening Blake and I unloaded the bikes and headed out for a sight in lap.  Somehow we got separated and I ended up by myself.  He had ridden this exact same course in the snow back in October and had repeatedly assured me it was "not as hard as Red Bug".  And like a fool I believed him.

After a fun downhill and a steep short climb I hit the "Fingers" section (see above).  I was okay until it started going downhill and got slick.  Off the bike I came and started walking.

Some more steep climbs and a tricky off camber brought me to the uphill rock section.  This put me off the bike again and really knocked the wind out of my sails.  I was hungry, tired from the drive, and more than a little aggravated.  When I finally made it back to the condo I was convinced I had ruined my vacation.  There was no way I was gonna race that on Thursday.  Blake said we would do another lap tomorrow and he'd try to talk me off the ledge I'd crawled out on.

The second section I walked

Tuesday and Things Start to Look Better

Funny how roles reverse themselves.  Blake talked me through every section and I gained a big dose of confidence.  I didn't clean all of it but I realized I could manage it.  Then about 2 in the afternoon a thunderstorm hit the mountain and the small amount of confidence I had gained started to slip away.

The approach to the uphill rock section

Wednesday, the Day Before the Race

Fortunately amature practice was scheduled for late in the day so some of the water had time to run off.  Still, the Fingers section was like a greased downhill, I managed to ride it but it wasn't pretty.  The rock section was much more slippery and forced me off quicker than it had the day before.  I struggled to maintain a good attitude.

Race Day

I finally got my head right (or as right as my head can get) and decided to just have a good time.  After all, I was at nationals and riding in the mountains.  Even though I had a front row call up I lined up in the back of the 15 rider field and just rode to finish.

Not only was I out done skill wise, these guys were strong.  It did give me hope when 15 60-64 year olds can go that hard.  I got 13th and was glad to finish.  It was like nothing I had ever ridden.

You can't even tell this is a hill

I was able to hang with a small group until the last of 3 laps when I slipped down in the dreaded Fingers section.  I managed to follow that up with another small crash in the uphill rock garden. 

Anyhoo , I got beat pretty bad.  My season of racing base class distances didn't help prepare me for sport class times in this race.  We don't have anything that even remotely resembles this type of terrain around here, nor did we face something like this in either the SERC or GSC.  The longest off road climb I train on is not even 1/3 the length of one of the climbs on this track.  In the end I am glad I went and very glad I lined up to race.  Snowshoe is a neat resort and we all enjoyed the week there.  Blake ended up outside the top 10 in his class.  He did make the USAC highlight reel on Instagram with his rock garden endo.  Watching the pros race was a lesson in smooth.

After my race I said I wasn't coming back next year.  Just a couple of days later I was considering riding it again.  

THE CRASH is still in the back of my mind.  I unclip before I really need to in technical terrain.  In fact I do it without thinking about it, even though I'm telling myself not to.  I know I need to practice skills if I'm going to do these types of races.  On the upside there are a lot of guys (and girls) my age or older who are doing the work and are able to compete at this level, so there is room for improvement.

Whats Next?

So, the 2018 GSC/SERC schedule is out.  Should I enter the 50+ sport to build my skills or defend the 60+ championship?  I plan to race 3 rounds of the FSC starting with Tallahassee in September.  I'll enter the 60+ there since those guys schooled me last year.  

I haven't ridden the MTB since I got back.  Just can't get into it in this heat.  I'll give it another couple of days then start back on a base type plan.  I have a lot of work to do.

Almost There

SERC and GSC are in the books.  I never thought I'd be able to finish the GSC yet alone the SERC when it all started on that rainy cold March weekend.  My leg power was still down as was my confidence from THE CRASH.  Even though it had been 18 months earlier it was still in my head.


Still is, just not as often.

My decision to enter the 60+ base class has been thoroughly mulled over.  Yes I won both series, even overcoming a 15 point deficit in SERC due to missing the second round (I won't make that mistake again).  I did enjoy the shortened race time and it was better for rehabbing my leg.  I would have had better races in the 50+ base but I didn't know that back in March.  I hope to do the series again in 2018.   Which class will I contest?  Lets see what life looks like at 62 and then decide.

I enjoyed almost all of the courses.  The Bergers put on a professional event.  I met good people and we had a good group from Tally going.  It didn't hurt that we had good weather at almost all the races.
The Kid got into it so it was a real treat to spend time as a family again.  I realize the times we will get to do this kind of stuff are coming to an end so I enjoy it even more.  The fact that Lovely Wife likes to go is like icing on a cake.  It's beyond me why she likes it so.

Forward

My leg hurts now more than it has in months.  I guess Utah followed by the short track and then the XC race (with all the climbing) may have put me in pain.  I hope it gets better before:

Nationals

A week from this Thursday I will line up for my first MTB XC national (unless it's flooding then I may chicken out).  I've done the work so I'm as ready as I'll ever be.  My leg is has me concerned but there's not much I can do about it at this point.  I will admit to not being very pumped about the race.  I got up for the GSC/SERC and that was my "A" race for the year.  Maybe I'll get my head right once I ride the track.  One things for sure it will be an experience.

Utah

A spur of the moment decision.  Very unlike me.  The Bergs had planned to go and invited me along, not sure CB actually meant for me to go though.  So I booked last minute plane tickets and got a hotel in Park City.  CB very  generously lent me a bag to fly my bike out there.  This caused me quite a bit of angst as renting was more expensive but flying my race bike halfway across the country had me nervous.  In the end I bagged it up.

On My Own

I wanted (needed) a me-only trip.  It had been 11 years since I'd been somewhere by myself.  So I left The Kid (much sadness on his part) and Lovely Wife at home.  Just having to only look after yourself after being responsible for others is like a trip back in time.  Just get myself around, eat, and ride my bike.  Simple.

Leaving Thursday

CB's son, Captain Jack (CJ) accompanied us as we loaded the bikes and bags onto the Delta baggage platform in the muggy Florida morning.  I was bouncing off the walls but the Bergs were more reserved.  They (of course) had first class tickets all the way out and back while I sat in the back with the common folk.  CB handed out hand wipes to ward off the germs we were sure to collect on the plane or in the airport, this would become important later.  Both flights were uneventful.  After landing in SLC we drug our bike bags and luggage to the rental truck and headed to PC.  We rode by my hotel in search of the condo the Bergs had rented.  Then we did it again, then again, then again.  Finally finding the rental agency and locating the keys we returned to the condo.  Their room was on the 3rd of 3 floors, no elevator, and no air conditioning.  Said CB "this is less than optimal".  My hotel room was perfect (when I finally got there) and I settled in to unpack my bike.

Ride Thursday Evening

CB wasn't feeling well so I rolled out alone and lost.  Not having a map or having any idea where to go I meandered around till I found a trail on the mountain and headed up.  I bumped into a group ride of what must have been 50 people.  I regret I didn't tag along but I was very unsure of where it might end up so I just went back to the hotel.  I hit the local grocery store which was, conveniently, located next to me for chips and beer, then to the state liquor store for some whiskey, I was ready.

The Only Day All Three of Us Would Ride, Friday

I located Wasatch Bagel just a couple of blocks from me.  This would be my favorite way to start the morning.  Food was great as was the atmosphere.  The owners were mad Mexicans and reminded me of the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld but it was worth it.  47 degrees and 20% humidity, I put on arm warmers and headed to the condo.

CJ had down loaded Trailforks and was prepared to guide us so I followed he and CB up the mountain.  If I had been on my own I'd have gone by the local bike shop for a map.  As it turned out I downloaded Trailforks later in the week (by necessity) and it worked great.

The altitude and the grade quickly put me in granny gear.  The trail was amazing, perfectly maintained, the switchbacks were doable with no ugly surprises.  In fact all the popular intermediate trails were well cared for.  The dirt was grippy even though conditions were very dry.  CB was complaining of a headache but he soldiered on.  As we headed down the mountain the first trails were full flow.  Much happiness was had.  Then CJ ventured onto some stuff that required me to dismount and do some hike a bike.  Full XC carbon fiber shoes don't make for the best hiking over loose rocks down a steep grade.  Still a great day on the bike.  I was exhausted when I got back to the hotel.  So I showered, poured a drink, and climbed into bed.

View from my room

Saturday and the Bug First Hits

CB caught it early Saturday morning.  "As sick as I've ever been in my life" he tells me when I call to find out where they are.  Damn.  So I meet CJ and we proceed to do lift runs down the mountain.  I've never ridden downhill that much.  It was almost relaxing riding back up the lift.  My legs didn't get real tired but my arms and shoulders did.   Plus it was mentally tiring covering the terrain faster than I usually do.  At the end of the day we were both tuckered out.   I headed back to the hotel and got cleaned up for the free concert.  

Sunday Alone?

CJ caught the bug early in the morning.  What bad luck.  It was going to be a lonely ride by myself.

At my favorite restaurant I was perusing FB and noticed a friend of mine was posting from Park City.  I IM'd and we set up a ride for the day.  No lifts today, we earned all our turns.  One of the best days ever on the bike.  Thanks Ted.

I had dinner with Ted and his wife at a saloon in PC to end a perfect day (for me at least).  I was paranoid I would catch the bug and froze every time my stomach rumbled.

Monday, the Last Day on The Mountain

Both the Bergs were still down.  Again, what rotten luck.  I did a little solo ride up the mountain and took my time, enjoying the views and trying to soak it all in.  Then shopping for prizes for Lovely Wife and The Kid.  Lunch was at another saloon which didn't allow anyone under 21 in the door.  No kids, no babies, nice.  After a couple of beers with lunch I went back and packed the bike up, took a dip in the pool (just to say I did it), and walked over to the grocery store for a deli sandwich, coke, and some ice cream.

Tuesday the 4th of July, The End

The flight back was uneventful.  The Bergs were quiet and I refrained from talking about my rides, we rode to the airport in silence.

Would I go back?  Oh hell yes.  For riding MTB it was perfect.  At least perfect for me and that's all that really counts.

Creeping Along

No race this past weekend.  My grass at the house is knee high so it may have been a good time to stay home.  Still went to Jax Saturday to see my mom so I got my interstate time in anyway.  Funny how going to a race the drive doesn't seem so bad but a trip like that?  Not so much fun.

So I attempted to get my training scheduled for Saturday in on Friday.  Not really the same thing as I was still tired from Thursday but it's fun to ride on Fridays, good way to end the week.  I still think I could do more training without getting into trouble.

Sunday was a group ride on MTBs through town and down to trails on the south side.  The "ride" quickly turned into a race once we hit the single track (at least for me).  It's fun to go that hard, I miss group MTB rides, gets me into uncomfortable pretty quick.  Pizza and brews followed.  I went home and took a nap.   Then attacked the yard, that was way harder than any ride.

SERC and GSC

Points are up.  I'm in first in GSC and two points out of first in SERC.  With a Saturday short track the day before the Helen XC race I'll have two opportunities to reel him in.  Sadly there's only the two of us in the 60+ class still eligible for year end awards.  When you get this age it becomes a little more difficult to stay healthy for a whole series.

That brings me to a topic I've been dwelling on since the first race in Macon.  Yes, once again, it's the subject of my choice of race class.  There seems to be a general consensus that I may be cherry picking the 60+ base class.  I'll admit the competition has not been the level I enjoyed in Florida.  It looks like the 50+ base would have been a fun group to race with but I didn't know that back in March.  It's funny, most of the people who are sharing their opinion haven't raced a series in years.

Look, I'm doing the work.  Training between 8-11 hours per week.  When talking to the other riders in my class I get the distinct impression they're not putting in any where near that kind of time.  I'm sure when I get to Nationals I'll run into 60+ guys who have been racing expert class for years.  I just don't know of any around here.

Anyhoo, I'm going to (hopefully) collect my trophies and swag for winning the championship(s).  I'll hang the plaques in my study and in the years to come I'll look back and remember what a great time I had; CHERRY PICKING THE 60+ BASE CLASS!

Best Race in a While

SERC make up and GSC #4 (?).  Acworth Ga., short track (ST)Saturday pm with the cross country (XC) Sunday am.

Racing two weekends in a row, you'd think it would get old, but I found myself looking forward to this past weekend.  It was a family affair again, I'm so glad The Kid still enjoys going with the old people.  We left Beautiful Downtown Havana early so we could stop by Atlanta Cycling to cash in our $150.00 worth of gift cards, prizes from our (so far) successful series.  We arrived at the venue in time to make a practice lap of the XC course and a lap of the ST.  The XC trail was tight and bumpy, lots of roots with a couple of rock features to keep you on your toes.  The ST was mostly two track with a section of tight single track thrown in.  Both pretty fun.

Short Track

The yellow wave went off first in the ST.  The Kid had a good ride with first in his class.  I lined up with the rest of the white wave.  Some kids and younger girls were lined up on the front row, I have no idea why.  I led the wave until the single track where I let a couple go by me.  My class competition was way behind me.  I had a great race with the 50+ base guys, out sprinting one of them for 4 overall.  ST's are fun.  I won my class and put another point up on my rival (DD).  No rain was forecast for Sunday, which is a first time in the last two races.

Chili's

Dinner was at our regular race restaurant, Chili's.   We haven't had a bad meal at one yet.  Beer was cold, chips were salty.  I just don't know why people take babies and small children into the bar section of a restaurant.  Of course they surround my table.

Race Day

The Kid went off at 9:30.  He got a good start and was running in the top 3 on the first lap.  He cramped on the last lap but still managed to get 3rd in a field sprint of 5.  IMHO a respectable result in the 19-39 cat 2.  He didn't seem pleased but I don't think he has much to complain about.  I'm super proud of his commitment to racing bikes, I just want him to ENJOY THE PROCESS.

The 60+ class went off at 11:30.  We had 7 lined up, which meant there were a couple of new faces.  I got the holeshot and led going into the woods with one of the new guys rubbing my back wheel on every corner.  I offered to let him by but he declined, it was then I figured out he was a local and knew the trail very well.  After we pulled away from the rest he confirmed it.  I let him by when I pulled over and faked having trouble getting my bottle out.  Once he was in the front the pace slowed enough I could rest.  In the open field at the start/finish I was able to draft him, I stayed on his wheel until we hit the long open straight to the finish.  I coughed loudly to cover my downshift, stood up, and out sprinted him.  What a feeling.  You would have thought I'd won a national.  Damn I was pumped.

Anyhoo, DD finished 5th I think.  I'm not sure what this does to the points in SERC.  I needed 6 to tie him.  We'll see.  In the GSC this should give me the series, provided I finish Helen.  We got $80 worth of gift cards to Atlanta Cycling, so guess where we stopped on the way home.

I can't believe the two series are almost over.  From racing Macon in the snow to burning up in Atlanta it's been an experience.  I really thought I'd have trouble doing well, even in the base class.  I've worked hard trying to get my fitness back after THE CRASH and it's starting to pay off.   I've enjoyed every event and even grown to like the traveling (maybe not the trip home on Sunday).  Not having to do the extra lap in the sport class makes a difference on Monday.  Base class is fun!

I go into the last round in Helen one point down on DD in the SERC series and in the lead in the GSC.  There's another ST on Saturday before the XC on Sunday.  I have a pretty good shot at winning both.  

Bump and Whine

Bump and Grind mountain bike race at Oak Mountain State Park near Birmingham Al.  This past weekend.  It was, well, different.

Normally Gone Riding promotes the races in this series but they only scored this one.  The local club did everything else.  And it showed.  Let me explain.

We arrived Saturday at 1 pm.  Parking was weird with half the paved lot roped off for no apparent reason.  We set up in a soggy ditch across the road and set out to find sign up.  We being The Lovely Wife, The Kid, and myself.

At sign up I was informed I needed to choose between Cat 2 or Cat 3 for the race.  Now for the series I am in Cat 3, which was only running 9 miles, as opposed to Cat 2 which was going the whole 21 miles.  No laps, just one big loop.  Hmmmmm.  The forecast called for strong thunderstorms that night and on into the next day.  So I could take a chance and ride the 21 miles or play it safe for the points and go 9.  Again, weird.  They told me I had till in the morning to decide.

Practice Lap

"Where do we pick up the 21 mile loop?" I asked.

"Well you go down here to Froggy Back and climb up Mr. Toad, then take a left on Pretty Pony" the guy from BUMP told me.

"Huh?"

So we rode up a road for a mile, figured that wasn't right, went back to ask again, got the same BS, found a rider who showed us what he thought was the trail, and promptly ran into BL and EP coming back from being lost.

I finally found the 9 mile loop while The Kid went to ride the whole 21.  I decided to just do the 9, which turned out to be a smart move.

Race Day

Muggy, cloudy, with rain in the area, but not raining when we got to the race.  My class started with the 50+ at 9:00.  It was actually sunny and the conditions were perfect.  I started out in front but got passed on the 1 mile road climb.  With both the guys in my class way off the back I politely let the 5 50+ guys go into the single track ahead of me.  I really don't know what I was thinking as they were scoring us separate.  Needless to say the last 3 were slower than me, so it took some time to get around them.  My bad.  I finished right behind second place in 50+, BL caught and passed me, sigh.

I won the 60+, my competition for SERC didn't show up so it worked like it was supposed to.  The Kid lined up for his race with 17 others.  As soon as the whistle blew it started to rain and it rained for 2 hours.

Bump didn't call for podiums, at least not that BL and I heard, so we missed them.  They gave us our medals and a gift card, but still, it was not well organized.

The Kid had a great race for second.  I was sooooo glad I had run the morning race.  Since THE CRASH I'm intimidated by slick trail.

All in all not a bad weekend.  The Kid was pumped with his performance, especially under those conditions.  They finally did his podium at 3:15 and we hit the road, getting home around 9:30.  I am once again thankful to be able to do these races.  We go again this coming weekend.  I am smiling.

Is It Possible?

That I'm being selfish?  Me?  Naaaaw, not possible.  For example; everyone (almost) took off for the beach or the mountains last weekend.  What did I do?  Rode my bike.  Oh, and worked in the yard.

Co workers ask, "did you do anything special this weekend?"  I did take the Lovely Wife out to eat Saturday night.  That has to count.

We traveled the weekend before last (bike race), and will travel the next two weekends (you guessed it, bike races).

Some More Stuff About Me

Four years ago in 2013 I ran the 50+ sport class in the GSC.  Getting 4th place and missing out on a year end podium by 3 points.  For some unknown reason in 2014 I promoted myself to 50+ expert for the next season, ran the first race in the rain, dropped out, and haven't done a series till this year.  That was the year The kid was a senior in high school so I decided to just ride with all the stuff he had going on.  In 2015 I rode the Tallahassee FSC race in the 50+expert and got almost dead last.  And of course while training for the CX season I had THE CRASH.  2016 was spent trying to put myself back together.

Speaking of back together, I find myself losing muscle mass rather quickly this past year.  My weight isn't up, my waistline is a little smaller, but I have more flab.  I can lift the same or more weight at the gym so strength isn't declining (much).  I just need to eat less, or drink less beer.  Well, let's not get too crazy.

Anyhoo, here we are.  I'm thinking maybe I should have run sport this year to get in better shape for Nationals in July.  But that's all in the past.  I really did think the competition would be tougher than it has been.  It's a little weird a base rider doing Nats.  Aw hell, no one cares.

Upcoming

Bump and Grind is this weekend.  Big race, an A race for me.  Nervous?  Why yes I am.  Do I expect to win?  Yes I do.  At least the SERC class.

Next weekend is the GSC/SERC north of Atlanta.  New trail.  I am much excited about this one.

Then it's on to Helen Ga. and the grand finale.  Short track on Saturday and XC on Sunday.  Big climbs, big weekend.  Followed by Nationals in West Virginia two weeks later.

I have done the prescribed work, maybe had too many beers, maybe eaten a little too much, but I've put in the work.  We'll see.

The Day After

Since I have no one here to tell race stories to you'll just have to do.

The day after a race weekend is usually kind of a let down.  It's hard to concentrate on work after being immersed in bike racing all weekend.  On the long drive home from Chattanooga Tn. last night I was dreading another drive to the next race.  Now I find myself looking forward to.  Sick.

SERC #5?

I think it's race 5, anyhoo.  Nature Park Trails in Chattanooga Tn., right next to the 200 acre Volkswagen plant.  A system of machine built goodness through hilly hardwood forest.  Trail was a rock base built along the contours.  Plenty of flow, no crazy obstacles.

The Lovely Wife, The Kid, and I started the 6 hour drive Saturday morning.  The forecast was for a 100% chance of rain Sunday.  I'll admit I had severe reservations about riding a trail I'd never seen, in the mountains, in a driving rain.  After the BIG CRASH I'm a big wimp when it comes to riding slick stuff.  But I want to do the series even though the chances of success are slim.  

We arrived at the park to sunny skies at around 3 on Saturday afternoon.  The Kid and I had decided to ride 2 laps since we might not get the chance to enjoy the course the next day.  It started with a 1 mile paved road climb then ducked onto the single track.  It was dry with small pebbles on the outside of the turns that kept things interesting.  No really long climbs except the paved road, and some screaming fast sections.  Sooo much fun.  If we were going to race in the rain this was the perfect course for it.

We have found Chili's to be our go to restaurant when on the road racing.  Yea I know it's a chain and not that "cool" but we have had good food and service at everyone we visited.  The Kid will eat the chips, and The Lovely Wife and I had steaks.  I, of course, had my obligatory pre race beer.  We retired to a very nice Holiday Inn Express and watched motocross while it stormed outside.

I refused to look at the radar the next morning.  It at least wasn't thundering.  In fact it was only sprinkling as we loaded the bikes.  We had dodged a bullet.  It didn't rain all day.  Sweet!

The Race

The Kid raced in the morning, 19-30 cat 2.  He was running with the top 3 when he cramped.  The guy that has been crushing his class set the fastest lap of anyone (including all the cat 1's), then flatted.  It was all set up for The Kid to win but it was not to be.  While he jumped around trying to get the cramp to let go an unidentified oriental man appeared out of the woods and offered to help.  He first said "no speak english" then began to help stretch the offending leg.  The Kid called him his trail spirit after finishing 5th.  Weird huh?

There were only 3 of us in the 60+ class, sad.  Let me get this out of the way, I do feel like I'm cherry picking this class.  Yes, it is a cat 3 class and yes I was a cat 1 before THE CRASH (a back of the pack cat 1).  I raced this class in the FSC and never won.  I can't help it if the competition isn't as strong in the GSC or the SERC.  Can I?

The Start

I locked out the suspension and stood on the pedals as the whistle blew.  I never saw the other guys again.  That's not to say I didn't get to race with someone, there's always the juniors that start on the row behind us.  Those kids go out like a wildfire, and cool off just as quickly.  I caught 4 of the 50+ base that start in front of us.  I was in some kind of traffic the whole 2 laps.  It slows me down because I don't want to get in the way of the juniors race and I had a big gap on my class.  In the end I won by 9 minutes.  So far I have won all the GSC and all the SERC.  The problem is Gone Riding gave a 15 point bonus just for attending the second round and I didn't go.  Dumb.  So I'm currently 6 points out of first with not much hope of getting them back, even if I win everything.  On the plus side I'm ahead in the GSC, so I've got that goin for me.

Looking Back

It was a great weekend.  I never would have gone if I hadn't been running a series.  I got to spend the weekend with my family.  I'll be sad when I got too old to do this stuff.  Next race is Bump and Grind up near Birmingham Al.  

Addiction

I freely admit it, I am addicted.  Really have been most of my life.  It started when I was 11, the urge, the almost impossible-to- resist pull of it.

I remember wanting it so bad.  My friends were into it.  When I first got on it my parents told me the things I shouldn't do, and of course, those were the things I did first.

My mom and dad financed the addiction at first, but I had to do odd jobs to get the extras.  Paint houses, clean my dad's office, mow the yard.  But the more I did the more I wanted.  Soon I was dipping ice cream at the mall to be able to afford it.  Then cleaning up wrecked semi trailers full of stuff at a salvage warehouse.  My high school friends ( not really friends but you know) were going to football games, surfing, and doing regular stuff.  Every week I lived for Friday so I could get out and feed the monkey.

My dad said "son if we'd of known how it would turn out like this we never would have gotten you started".  He always wanted me to play golf.  Golf didn't even begin to scratch the itch I had.

College and Marriage

I did manage to get out from under it for a few years.  But it was always there just under the surface.  I tried to be normal.  I took up hunting again.  But as soon as I got a little extra cash I went to my nearest dealer.  Before I knew it I was back into it again, only bigger this time.

I drove 2 hours one way just to be with others who shared my problem.  Even changed jobs to be closer to the action.  Even traveled out west with it.  It has left me unable to enjoy regular travel since then.

The Kid

After he was born I introduced him to it at a young age.  And now he's showing the tell tale signs of the disease.

And Now

So I'm 61 and still addicted.  This disease has hurt me, even put me in the hospital, but yet I go back.  I plan my week, even my year, on being able to feed it.

On the positive side, I've met most of the friends I have because of it.  I have changed the delivery system over the past 6 years but that seems to have made it even worse.

Of course I'm talking about my addiction to two wheels.