Recovery Monday:
Started the day working on Deb’s Honda, it has been stumbling and the CEL finally came on, new plugs and coil packs hopefully will fix it.
Then the weight room, a bike ride and tennis. Thank you to all the trail gnomes who worked to open Country Park, I was amazed how trees were down and cleared after Hurricane Michael came through.
A long day at work, but a great evening ride.
ReCycles Thursday night ride. It is great to get back with a group of riders that are pushing the pace, but don’t kill me!
Shady Side. I have no idea why I have never taken this trail off Owls Roast…. I guess I am a creature of habit, but what a fun loop!
Beating the rain for a beautiful morning ride!
Almost 3 hours of mountain biking in a “heat advisory” and dry trails create an interesting pattern on my calves.
Save the best for last…. DuPont State Forest and last trail of the day, the super fast and flowing Ridgeline Trail.
Grassy Creek Falls
Since I posted the high of winning last week, here is today’s race report. The Southern Classic Mountain Bike Series presented the USAC North Carolina State Championships on the fast course in Mayodan, NC. I decided I wanted to race it hard and from the gun, went for it… my friend Micheal got the hole shot to the woods, followed by 2 fast guys I had never seen before and Chris, then me. The 2 unknown fast guys pulled away from us and Chris and I started chasing…. I got around Chris for 3rd as we finished the first lap but let him back around as we entered the woods again. As I settled in behind Chris we were half way through the lap when my sweaty hand fly off the handle bars going over “whoops” and I slammed into the ground shoulder first, losing another spot…. then Michael and I started closing in on 3rd and 4th when I washed out on a corner, twisting my knee and my leg got tangled in the main triangle of the bike frame. (That hurt) I was now in 6th and I started trying to chase again when I went down for the 3rd time…. I was done…. so a bad day of racing, but a great day with friends!
Wild Turkey joy!
The Southern Classic Mountain Series returned to Anglers Ridge in Danville.
My race race started well, I could have taken the hole shot, put decided to not “pop” on the climb up the ridge to start, so I settled in third as we entered the woods. Second place was letting a gap form to first, so I was “jawing” that he needed to close the gap… instead he pulled over and let me go. I quickly closed but to first and looking back, we had a gap and so I just followed until he hit a tree and went down. Now I was in first…. it is very weird racing from the front, the mental game, pushing yourself, and not popping or crashing.
As the second lap went on, second and third closed in and I could build a gap back, and back and forth we went, I tried hard to build a gap where they couldn’t see me – a out of sight, out of mind game. I caught the leader of the 19-39 field (they started 2 minutes before us) and passed him….. he said – “damn, being beat by an old man,” and he took my wheel, I didn’t want him to crash me, so I let back around as we entered the last creek crossing/climb when I clipped a tree and went down…. no damage, but I couldn’t get un-clipped and struggled to get off the ground. Luckily my gap was big enough I held on for the win. Only my second win in the series….
My custom made trophy by Josh Miller, the race director!
