Water, Wind, Sky and Family

Being One with the Mud

After what seems like months of rain, we have yet another wet race. I was a little hesitant going into the day, but I had already sat out two races because of the rain, and with a car full of carpoolers, it was like I already had my momentum going there, so I followed my inertia. The sun peeked out when I arrived and it was a wonderful site.

Laura and I warmed up together on the back roads in the park. This was actually the first race I have felt good enough to even put my heart rate monitor on, and I was pleased to see my normal spikes. We decided to ride into a trail we came upon, and although it was not in the race, it is one of my favorites. Besides being glad to ride this trail, it gave us a good idea of what to expect. … water, water everywhere, but bottoms hard and wet rocks with some grip. I was quite comfortable with all of these things.

The Pro’s and the aspiring Pros lined up in the first row, and Wendi and I got shuffled to a third row, with all others in the second row. Lining up in the back is not always bad if you chose a good wheel to line up behind, and in this case, I was shot like a projectile into 5th spot going into the prologue turn. As expected, I blew up, and Melissa and Katina came by right before the first giant puddle, … kursplush!!! The unknown feeling of the first puddle was sooo much fun! I never rode through a puddle like that as a kid, so it was like reliving my childhood in a new persona. Shortly after and half way through the prologue single-track, Ellen came by, and disappeared. I managed to keep Katina in sight. I was feeling surprisingly good.

I got a little mentally bent out of shape on Major Mike trail that first lap, but totally figured out what I needed to do for future laps. When I exited, Katina was still right there in front of me, so I felt like my mishaps did not cost me as much time as perceived. I did not dwell on what I did wrong, but envisioned what I would do right on the next lap. Luckily Stewart has a heavy shale content that made a firm bottom for the many puddles that covered the trails. I am very thankful for the deep puddles, because they kept my tires clean enough so that I could keep them rolling, and that was my main focus of the race.

My plan was to find water. Halfway through my first lap, I committed myself to this quest and it began to consume me, pushing me forward. I did not ride super fast, but stayed steady and efficient. By the end of the first lap I moved back up into second place and started working my way through the men’s class. The less I used the brakes, the better. I bumped a few trees and put a foot out here and there, but had no falls.

I finished the race feeling stronger at 2:48 than my last race at 2:00. Good thing, because I had a lot of clean up to do. It may seem strange, but I enjoy the clean up. My bikes bring me so many good times, that returning them to good health is quite rewarding. Muddy mountain bikers were indeed smiling on Sunday, and I was feeling as one with the mud.

Escape to Blue Mt

I love riding at Blue Mt, and with all the rain we have having, it felt great to to able to ride in the woods. Three ladies, three bikes, three hours of riding with three big smiles and one short movies to remember the day. To view the movie go to my photo and video gallery in my links.

A Touch of Poison

After working with volunteers out on the trail over the weekend, I thought it might be wise to spread the know and not the oil of the infamous poison ivy plant. Three smooth leaves as pictured above growing on the ground. It also can grown on a hairy vine up a tree, kill the tree and engulf it as seen below. It is easy to miss from above. There seems to be a lot of it this year.

Singlespeed -A- Palooza 2009

May 31, 2009 : 204 mountain bike racers gathered for the first ever Singlespeed-A-Palooza at Stewart Buffer Zone in Newburgh, NY. Racers came from as far as Canada on this pilgrimage with various bikes in tow. Some with big wheels, some with little wheels, in fancy carbon or ghetto rigged home-made steel, even a unicycle. The common denominator was that all the bikes had only one gear. As we gathered, there was much excitement of the anticipated simple adventure ahead. An incredible highest ever turnout of 19 women in a single-speed event, were registered.

Violet, is the name of the bike I have owned the longest and a very dear friend to me. We have been through a lot together, and months may go by without a ride together, and within seconds of getting back on her, I am at home. She is my current singlespeed, and I have updated her with a fox 100mm platform fork, disc brakes, chain tensioner and a bell. For the race I used Industry Nine race wheels and an assist pink rubber band on my tensioner to match. I had decided to play it very conservative and picked a light gear of 32X19.

There were 5 classes: Pro/Open Men, Pro/Open Women, The North Cat 2, The South Cat 2 and Cat 2 women. I went off second in Pro/Open Women and with my light gearing, fell off to the back of the class on the slightly uphill to flat gravel road start. Once I crested the top of the grade, I got into a tuck and nearly bridged back up to the back of the leaders. Already I felt like a child playing games. Imagine that?

All this at the start really doesn't matter as it usually settles itself out in the first single-track eventually. I had to wait to pass a few, but it gave me a little rest and gave Violet a chance to rip it down the first little downhill to catch the next racer. It is amazing how fast you can go pumping the terrain without pedaling. I spun as fast as I could on the flats, but I quickly lost sight of the racer in front of me, and by the second lap, the spinning was wearing me down. A heavier gear may have been the ticket for a faster race, but dealing with what you have is the beauty and simplicity of this event.

I kept a smile on my face and enjoyed every piece of single-track to it's fullest, although there were times that felt more like I was riding, not racing because of the gearing. The north and south guys were passing me often on the flats and up hills, but I held my own on the flowing down hills and still really enjoyed the flow of the course. I ended up finishing 3rd for the women that day, which was certainly better than expected. I came home with a pint glass, bottle opener, cool trophy, pro pay out, a dot of poison ivy and a smile. The promoters, Mike and George, go out of their way to make all their events fun. If you did not do this race this year, it is a must for next year!


photo by gtluke http://gtluke.smugmug.com/biking/798708

A Blink of an Eye

I have really been enjoying my Tuesday road rides up in Harriman. Although some weeks I struggle with the faster pace of the group, the scenery and all it's seasonal developments are welcomed each week. The sun, the wind and the scents make riding through the park on a bike so much more enjoyable than in a car like most of the world sees it. This past Tuesday was no different.

Sundays race, and my first real race of the year was a very tough race. Rain had made the course conditions very muddy and treacherous. I'm not quite sure why, but I started the race a bit flat. It seems that since having Lyme Disease in August, I have not regained my racing spark. After two laps I was exhausted, and even contemplating dropping out, which is something I have never done. I stood at the start/finish area and shared a few words with my teammate who had just dropped out, and decided I needed to try to finish to find the answer to me being tired. Needless to say, I went out for my last lap and walked part way up the big hill, and if you know anything about me, I usually do not walk up hill too often. That night when I got home, I was so tired I could barely feed myself.

Tuesday came, and I did not expect to feel recovered, but with amazement, I was a new person. The park was beautiful that night, and I did not struggle with the climbs or pace, although most of the group did race on Sunday too. Near the top of Rt 106 my foot unexpectedly unclipped from my pedal. After several of these happening, I realized that I had worn off the part of my cleat that held me in. I was able to steady my foot in the pedal with constant pressure down, so I finished the last 25 miles of the ride with a steady and constant down stroke on the right foot, and no standing. It was a good exercise in discipline, and made for a challenging and good day on the bike.

With what seems like a blink of an eye in life, summer has arrived. The emergence of light green that grows from down low and works it way up to the tops of the trees has now turned deep green all over. The sun shines through to the back of my eyes, colliding with my soul. The big sky steps down from the stage and green walks in letting the understory of the forrest play it's role, and the canopy above now offers us shade . Welcome! ...The season has gone full circle.




Dumping a load of green for my eyes at Jungle Habitat.


a contrast in decay


a trio of lady slippers

All Girl Ride 5/9

Hooray for All Girl Rides! This past Saturday was by far one of the most fun Kittatinny Clinic rides that I have organized to date. Fifteen outstanding and energetic women gathered to learn and improve their skills. It was a real pleasure to have such passionate and experienced leaders like Jess and Tara. Everything just seemed to move along naturally, and the women picked things up easily. Skills included, mounting, dismounting, balance, track standing, tight cornering, front wheel lifting, back wheel lifting and bunny hopping. By the end of the skills session, they were bunny hopping with joy. Afterwards we all had a great ride and reviewed hill climbing, rocks and log riding while out on the trails. We rode much of the park including the spine, which by the way was lined with moss and columbine. Good day indeed. Looking forward to seeing more women on the trails.

Summer Surprise

I dream of riding in shorts and short sleeves all winter, and somehow a few days of summer arrived bypassing spring. Warm days and a hot sun before the trees are ready to offer shade. I have enjoyed evening meals outdoors and hanging out in sandals without a thought of sweaters and down coat.

CCWC09

Somewhere in a county far away, 23 like-minded bike racers joined together on a training mission. Three days, two disciplines, many miles and lots of climbing made up the weekend. Some may call it a race, but I like to think of it as a training camp in a stage race disguise. Alias names and places were used to keep this event top secret and known only to the underground society. The weather gods gifted the bike racers with a beautiful warm spring weekend.

Day one: took place in Briana’s little patch (as if ?) … of the woods. This was a 4.5 mile TT section of real woods trails, with a techy rock climb, 2 mud sections and a small stream crossing. Briana, with the home advantage took the stage with a 61 second advantage over Dumpster Boy. Reigning champion Crispy Kernal won the ladies by 91 seconds over yours truly, too tired princess “2TP”. Goat, missing his start and then breaking his chain, earned the coveted DFL jersey. The boy and I were coughing up a lung all the way home. Ahhh, feels good to be racing again.

Day two: 20 of us rolled out on our road bikes. This time everyone had gears, and a good thing, because we were going to climb. We were to have 2 timed sections that would count towards the GC, 2 sprints, and 2 KOM’s. Our first timed section was up Sun Cheese Mountain. Stick, Kernal, Tex, the Mayor and I were battling it out on the bottom section. Then I saw JimBoob and proceeded to reel him in with what seemed like a train behind me. Once Boob was caught, the train rode by, but I fell off a bit finishing behind that group and 40 seconds behind Kernal.

Next timed section was from Cheesepack Inn to the top of Cheesebrook Rd. Twelve miles, part rolling, two major bumps, and then a daunting 13-18% grade up the last 3/4 mile that will humble just about any cyclist. Last year I tried hanging onto the lead groups down the rolling part, and got spit off the back 3 or 4 times by them and the passing groups. This year I felt good on the previous section, so I tried that again, and it worked. I held with them easily all the way to the first bump, and then passed a few and hung behind “shake and bake” to the top. I felt a little shaked and baked myself, zig-zagging the top part in the 84 degree full sun, but made it to the top as the first women. Some how Kernal was snoozing and never got latched onto the lead group, so I gained back the time I lost on the last timed section, which was a lucky break.

We finished the day with 79 miles and 8200 feet of vertical climbing. Briana stayed in the GC leaders jersey by 2:25, Kernal in the women’s GC jersey by 92 seconds, and The Hamburglar with a 7 minute margain in the DFL jersey, drooling over his soon to be beer prize. Goat now wore the Sprinters Jersey, Otto the KOM, Blockhead the U23 and Dumpster in the 45+.

Day three: 17 of us set out into the great woods on our mountain bikes for 38 miles with the same number of competitions as the previous day. Right from the start my legs felt like toast and I was struggling to hang onto the group. To make things worse I was feeling brain dead. Imain Imaoutski gave some code instructions that may have seemed normal for everyone else, but that I could not decipher in my stupor. So besides being exhausted, I got lost. Thankfully I was with Tex, because my brain was still in slumber. By the time we got to the wrong finish area, we found others as well. Luckily the unofficial pro-rated our times, and we were still in the games. Grabbed a quick bite to eat and continued on to the next timed section.

By this time I was way beyond tired and wondering how I would make it up the next climb, if I could not even follow instructions. I pushed as hard as I could, but it felt like a snails pace. On the turns I could see a train of riders behind me, Kernal included, and wondered why they were not passing this snail. When I asked if anyone needed to come by, all I got was “nahhh, not yet”. I continued this way all the way to the top, and it seemed like a long, long way, feeling apologetic for holding the group up. I was surprised to find out after, that I was the motivation pulling them all the way. Group rides can be great in that way, offering opportunities to be on both ends of the chain of motivation. So although I was doubting myself for coming out this last day, I now had some purpose for being there.

Results:
Briana LaFevre - GC
Crusty Kernal Curd - GC female
Blockhead Square Wheels - U23
Imain Imaoutski - 45+
Otto von Emmental - KOM
Butt Insurance - Sprinter
The Hamburglar - DFL

It was great to see both Briana and Kernal back out racing and in the leaders jerseys, after being out most of last year from illness. Overall it was a successful weekend filled with challenge, great people and good times. The group as a whole rode awesome, .5mph faster on the road than last year. Fin and newcomer G-unit rocked it with the guys and should feel ready to jump into racing this year. Looking forward to CCWC10!

Healing a Clipped Wing

Swing the leg over the bike, and I head out into the woods. As I start to turn the pedals, my legs begin to burn. Each labored breath rips deep in my lungs and reminds me of my mortal weakness. This goes on for a bit, but eventually my legs seem to disappear from my mind, working solely on their own without question. My lungs begin to feel quenched of air and take a relaxed simple rhythm. The relaxation of my breath stretches out to the end of my fingers. I feel as if I were a hawk floating through the woods in search of something not known to me yet. Momentum begins to replace the feeling of gravity and the texture of all that is below my tires becomes the wind to ride upon, …gliding over rocks and roots with just a slight change of position or a dip of the wing to guide the path of my trajectory. Once in the single track, I rarely ride a straight line, but ride from one arc to another, as if I were an ice skater always on edge. The system to my flight becomes intuitive. I am lost in flight.



Being injured as an athlete is always a difficult thing to go through. We take time off the bike, and can easily slip into feelings of anxiety, doubt, self-pity or denial, to name a few. It can get to us all in some way. Last year it was Lyme disease for me, and now I am nearly six weeks into a torn rotator cuff. Neither of these injuries has been life threatening, or even kept me completely off the bike, but they can certainly slow me down in life for a bit. When you look at the big picture, these are minor set backs, but still require some patience, trust and focus to heal. Truthfully, riding a bike is a gift, and the ability to do so may just be on loan to us. We just don’t always realize this, until it is temporarily taken away.

Although I did not see it at the time, when I look back to last year when I had Lyme, I see a path of rest that led me to my first cycle-cross race, and guided me into an energized season of winter road riding. There is a small part of me that feels some disappointment in having to slow down after such a strong winter, but it is now my path, and I will embrace it, and see where it takes me. So, although the exact destination of this path is unknown, I do plan to fly again.