Instead of writing up a summary of the race I thought I would take 5 times as long and do a little documentary. I know it's cheesy but my kids are cheese lovers!!!
Whether it's on the road or trails, it's all fun on two wheels.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Out And About
Wow, where have I been lately? I for sure haven't been posting anything on here, I hope I have been out riding my bike. I can say that I have saved some money this year by not racing as much but I have paid a price of fitness and speed in doing so. Now I'm saying I'm not in shape or able to ride very fast because my fitness is pretty good and I can still carry some speed, it's just racing is a whole different level of training in fact I believe it is the best training. And for a guy like me that has never won a race when you come across as second best here and there it is some motivation to do better next time. Plus the racing scene is just so much fun, being around like minded individuals that enjoy riding their bikes in the dirt.
I am less than 2 weeks away from my second 24 hr solo race, I'll be heading to Boone, IA for the 24 hr of Seven Oaks on August 20-21. Am I ready? Maybe not where I want to be but I don't think it matters how good of shape I'm in I don't think I will ever be satisfied with where I want to be. I am ready to go out and race my bike for a day. My wife, kids, and parents will be there so it will make it that much more fun. I'm trying to get my body and especially my mind ready for the pain and agony that is inevitable. I will be taking my Specialized Epic and my Dad's Santa Cruz Blur for this race, I thought about taking Mary but I hear there is a ton of climbing on this course and I don't want to toast my legs earlier with no gears. I have only ridden my Dad's bike a couple times, but I really like how it handles (even with it being an XL frame). I rode a lap of the race course at Crowder and on some of the rocky climbs that bike climbed like a rocket, that bike has the VPP (Virtual Pivot Point). I don't know exactly how it is designed but it makes the bike handle very well.
I've been getting some miles in at I.C. and the cobwebs have been excessively bad this year. My last ride James was there before me so he got 95-98% of them knocked down for me so that was great, thanks James!!! My last ride out there I did a couple extra laps on the campground loop (which is blazing fast right now). After riding next to the water there is a short distance of gradual climbing and then the drainage crossing followed by some downhill again. The sun was getting lower in the sky and on the downhill the glare of the sun off the water was almost blinding and riding that section was a little difficult since I couldn't see exactly where I was going. My concern was that my speed was pulling me to the downhill side of the trail and I was afraid I was going to clip a small tree but it all worked out just fine. It made me think about Coach and the fact that he could probably close his eyes anywhere on that trail system and ride for 30 seconds or so and not miss a beat, I think that man knows every rock and root on that trail. Actually I think he knows a lot of trails like that, Lyle has mentioned about how fast Doug can memorize features on trails even in a single preride.
I am less than 2 weeks away from my second 24 hr solo race, I'll be heading to Boone, IA for the 24 hr of Seven Oaks on August 20-21. Am I ready? Maybe not where I want to be but I don't think it matters how good of shape I'm in I don't think I will ever be satisfied with where I want to be. I am ready to go out and race my bike for a day. My wife, kids, and parents will be there so it will make it that much more fun. I'm trying to get my body and especially my mind ready for the pain and agony that is inevitable. I will be taking my Specialized Epic and my Dad's Santa Cruz Blur for this race, I thought about taking Mary but I hear there is a ton of climbing on this course and I don't want to toast my legs earlier with no gears. I have only ridden my Dad's bike a couple times, but I really like how it handles (even with it being an XL frame). I rode a lap of the race course at Crowder and on some of the rocky climbs that bike climbed like a rocket, that bike has the VPP (Virtual Pivot Point). I don't know exactly how it is designed but it makes the bike handle very well.
I've been getting some miles in at I.C. and the cobwebs have been excessively bad this year. My last ride James was there before me so he got 95-98% of them knocked down for me so that was great, thanks James!!! My last ride out there I did a couple extra laps on the campground loop (which is blazing fast right now). After riding next to the water there is a short distance of gradual climbing and then the drainage crossing followed by some downhill again. The sun was getting lower in the sky and on the downhill the glare of the sun off the water was almost blinding and riding that section was a little difficult since I couldn't see exactly where I was going. My concern was that my speed was pulling me to the downhill side of the trail and I was afraid I was going to clip a small tree but it all worked out just fine. It made me think about Coach and the fact that he could probably close his eyes anywhere on that trail system and ride for 30 seconds or so and not miss a beat, I think that man knows every rock and root on that trail. Actually I think he knows a lot of trails like that, Lyle has mentioned about how fast Doug can memorize features on trails even in a single preride.
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