2010 look back

I meant to do this back in January, but just plain forgot. I wanted to write down some memories and thoughts about the last year when it comes to riding. Last winter started with good base miles (slacked off on the intervals though) and before I knew it was I kicking off the race season at Big Bear as usual. Rode pretty strong.

24 Hours of Big Bear was canceled, so instead I went way down south West Virginia and rode the 24 Hours of Creek to Peak. Big lightning storms. We got second place, but I'm not going to tell you how many teams were in our category.

Spring quickly moved into summer, and my goal was to ride the Bike the Wilds series. That series started off with the epic Dash for Cash. Just once I'd like to race that course when it was dry. This past year, the "creek" crossings were more like river crossings of death. Lots of rain made for very high creeks.

Summer hit full force, and I can't remember a hotter or more humid summer. Started off by going down to Davis, WV, with Mark and Hubert. We rode Canaan area. Rode Moon Rocks and Hoo Doo Rocks. We happened to arrive at the bike shop just in time to hook on with a group that was being guided by one of the shop's employees. Worked out great. Moon rocks is very unique to say the least.

Stayed at Hubert's "cabin" that night, and then got up the next day to be greeted by some serious rain.

Headed over to ride Plantation Trail. Never thought it would be rideable with all the water, but it actually was. Rode that rocky trail for what felt like forever, epic. Then at our farthest point from the van, got caught in a torrential downpour. Crazy.

Later that summer that three of us did a one day road trip to Raystown. Took a little under three hours to make it there. Rode the super fast, flowy trails of Raystown. Did about 18 or so miles. Someone described it as a 30 mile pump track, and it's a very apt description. The danger of the place comes from going too fast. And it's easy to go too fast, I know, I met a tree while there. Afterward, we grilled up some sausages at a local pavillion. That was a tough drive home.

Back to the hot and humid summer I arrived. I never had the heat hit me so hard. I was always out of energy. Did some very hot races in Bike the Wild, got lost in two of them. Then went on vacation, didn't ride for two weeks, came home and tried to race and thought I was going to die.

The low point of last summer was making it to the top of the first hill in North Park and collapsing. I had to call it quits, and I had gone like only two miles. No energy, no legs.

Finally the fall came around, and I got all my energy back. Rode the Month of Mud races with Mark. Mark was riding really strong, but it kept me riding faster than I normally would have. I started peaking around in December. Joe Friel would be so disappointed in me.

That wraps it up. Not exciting for the three people that read this, but I didn't want to forget when some of this stuff happened.

Mohican 100 or What was I thinking?

So I did it. I signed up for my first 100 mile mountain bike race. Or to be more precise, mountain bike ride. I signed up to do the Mohican 100. My only goal, to finish. Two and a half years ago I did a 100 mile road ride. Didn't think I could pull that off, but I did. Now, I fear, a much harder goal to accomplish. I've started to train a bit more seriously, but the weather here is really not helping much. But I have gotten in a good number of three hour rides on the road, need to up that to four hour rides if the weather will allow.

Here's a little video from Tinker's site that gives some great perspective of last year's Leadville 100. A good motivator I think.