Mother-Daughter Fall Ride

Saturday, Mandy and I went to Big Spring Hollow to take pictures of the trees and ride the trail.  Mandy was funny she walked her bike on the not so steep and more easy part of the trail, and then when we got to the part that was steep and up hill she rode the rest of the way with frequent stops.  I think me telling her I expected her to walk her bike made her decide she wasn't goingt to--wish I had thought of that at the first of the ride.
Start of the ride.

Mandy on the trail.

Time for a picture break.

Mom and Mandy having fun.

Sunny Days

Went with Jolene to get a guided tour from Patty of the Onion days race course and some other fun single tracks in Payson.  When we left it was very cool outside, so I took arm warmers and two jackets just in case.  By the time we got to Payson it was warm and I only needed my arm warmers for a short period of time.

We parked somewhere near the bottom of the canyon and rode up the rode toward the single track.  On the way up we passed by some cows.  The first set thought nothing of us, the second one looked and me, paniced and ran up the bank, then saw Jolene and ran across the road and up a steep embankment.  Then we scared another group of cows that ended up running up the road, across the road and up a very steep embankment.  I guess we looked pretty scarey.

It wasnt' long before we got to the single track, and started having even more fun.  However, we did not get very far before Patty's front brake broke of her handlebar.  Normally I have electric tape, and slip ties, but I of course just changed bike bags and did not put these things back in.  Jolene started to search through her camel back to see what she could find.  She looked and looked, and after she had pulled almost everything out I came up with a great idea.  Check it out--we used my ponytail holder to hold it in place.

This left Patty with only her back brake to use, and we had just gotten started.  Luckily most of the trail can be done with a back brake, and Patty has skills, so she did great without the front brake.  As we rode more we saw some goregous views.

And of course we had to get pictures of each other while looking at the views.

Jolene working with her camera.

Patty and me hanging out on the trail.

The ride got better and better and of course I forgot to take more pictures.  We ended with a fun downhill to the car, where off to the right were a bunch of wild turkeys (no pics).  Now I just need to convince Patty to show me more trails up there.

This is why I started to....

ride my bike. A little or not so little screw that was put in my foot a little over two years ago.

Two years ago I had surgery that required this screw to be placed in my foot. The surgery kept me from walking or running, so I decided to buy a bike, and the rest is history. Since then I ride as much as I can and absolutely love it.

This screw is also the reason I am not riding right now, but that will only be for a couple of more days. See ya' on the trails!
It may not look that big, but it was a lot bigger than I thought it would be.

The Weather Man was Wrong

Normally the Monday after a race I ride real easy and use it as a recovery ride. But this Monday was different. I knew I was having surgery Tuesday (getting a screw out of my foot), and I knew I would be off my bike for a few days. So knowing this I called up Jolene and Wendy and convinced them it was not going to rain and the ride would be great.

We rode the loop in AF Canyon, and the ride was great. The weather was perfect, the trails were tacky from recent rain, and of course great friends to ride with. As we hit the Cascade side of the loop dark clouds started to roll in, a breeze picked up and there was thunder announcing an imminent storm. I kept saying the weather man had said it would not rain until 3 pm, and it was not even noon yet, so we should be okay. I had to put those positive vibes out there. We rode up to the Summit parking lot, and just as we got there the clouds opened up and the rain came pouring down. And by pouring, I mean drench you immediately rain shower.

Not knowing how long the rain would last we took off, although I don't think it would have mattered, how fast or quickly we went because we were drenched within minutes. The funny thing we noticed as we rode back, the rain was on part of the trail, but not others, and by the time we got to the parking lot the only indication you would have known it had rain was the mud that covered our bodies.
Snagging a picture of Jolene as we ride.
Wendy coming to the top of the look out.

Part of the downhill on Deer Creek South Fork.

You can't see the rain, but my flash went off due to the dark clouds and reflected off of Jolene's bike.

Wendy riding down hill. I got water on the lens from the rain.

Ride is over and we are the only proof that it rained.

12 Hours of Sundance

The race was amazing. I have never done an endurance race or been to one, so I did not quite know what to expect. What I got was more than my expectations and one of the best race experiences ever.

The race started at 7 am while it was still dark out, but light enough to see the trail and the road. The racers left the start line and a few seconds later Reed Abbott goes up the road, then a few more seconds later Chad Gibson comes up the road saying "nothing like starting a race in last place." I guess when you are riding solo for 12 hours, 30 seconds is not going to make or break you.

With the sun still not over the horizon it was chilly. To bide the time and take our minds off the chill we visited with other racers and got set for when our turn would come to ride. The waiting was not long as the first riders Chris Holley and Josh Wolfe came burning down the hill. It was phenomenal watching them come down the hill and around the perimeter to the finish line. I love watching the pros ride.

The next few riders began to come in and there was cheering for them as they rode past. The rider I remember the most and would continue to love to watch throughout the day was Dan. Dan was wearing argyle socks and when he came down the hill he let out a loud holler--I can't remember what he said but he was obviously happy to be there riding. Each time he came around he was cheerful. He was riding solo, and I don't think there was a time I really saw him off his bike. He ate and drank while he rode, as well as chatted and cheered for other riders.

As riders came in and went out I began to get ready for my first time out. Like other races I had a case of the nerves and had to go to the bathroom several times. It's amazing how nerves can affect the bladder. My first time out I was a little nerve racked waiting because I did not know what to expect. Eric pulled in and I went out, the wrong direction! I couldn't figure out how to get to the road. With a little laughter and a shake of the head I turned around and got out to road. I felt good on my first lap and rode hard. My goal was to get in under an hour and hopefully have a time that would be close to my team mates.

The downhill for my first lap was not so good. I went much slower than I was used to and kept braking around every switchback. It felt jerky and unnatural. I knew I lost some time as I went down the hill. As I hit the road to go down the final hill I looked back and saw Chris. I yelled he needed to hurry up to pass me and took off. I then took off and turned on the first turn I came to me and rode hard up the road. As I was riding I heard a yell from Chris and realized I had made a wrong turn! I quickly turned around and rode back in the right direction. Thank goodness Chris was there to keep me from going all the way up. I got to the bottom and across the line in 56:14. I was happy this was under an hour.

Coming off the course I went and found someone to fix my bike. It had done some skipping in the gears while on the trail, and I was worried it would get worse. Tim helped and while he worked on my bike I forced myself to eat a sandwich. Eating was pretty difficult as I was not hungry, but I knew I would need to eat if I wanted to ride well my next lap. I also drank two water bottles of Carborocket to get me well hydrated and ready for my next lap. The drinking was not so hard, but the eating almost made me sick.

It wasn't long before my turn came again and I was ready to go out hard. My second lap I felt great. There was more downshifting than the first lap, but everything was smooth and flowing. I passed a few people this time, but I have to say there is no accomplishment in passing people that are doing duo or solos. And then about the time I hit the top of the course my gears started to skip and I couldn't get into the right gear. I pedaled gently and did some shifting back and forth until it finally went in. As I head down Speed Trap I crossed my fingers there would be no further problems. It was on Speed trap I got a little beat up and bounced around. I did not realize until I got to the bottom of Speed trap my fork had been locked out. I quickly unlocked my fork and from here everything was smooth. It's amazing what how well you can ride when you have been riding rigid.

For my second lap the downhill went great and I was much faster and smoother the whole way. I had more skipping issues along the way, but was able to hold everything together with a time of 56:23. A few seconds slower than my first lap, but I was happy with the time. I had stayed consistent and all went well.

Eating the second time was not too bad, but still difficult. While waiting my turn I debated whether I should have someone look at my bike or if I should leave it and hope for the best. I left it and hoped for the best--not a good decision. It seemed my third lap came a lot quicker than I expected. I went off feeling a little tired, but still good. I rode up the hill hard and fast, but this time in a smaller gear, as soon as I hit the single track I switched to a larger gear and started going hard and fast. I only went a short distance before my gears in the back started to skip. I flipped around and tried to figure out which gears would stay, and discovered while in my middle I could not go down, but had to stay in my upper gears. This would be fine if it was my first lap, but it was not and my legs need to be in the lower gears. My only choice was to go into my small cog and ride.

Riding in my small cog I stayed smooth, but I could not get the power I wanted to go fast, especially on the flats like Archie's. I rode as hard as I could, but my speed was not what I wanted or was capable of, there was no heavy breathing involved--a sign I can definitely go harder. As I rode around Scott's pound and out towards the next hill climb you could hear my chain creaking and groaning, and I discovered my gears would not stay in when I tried to go into my 3 to the last chain rings. I was fine in granny, granny, but the three next rings I could not use. This left me without a lot of options when it came to climbing hills. I ended up in my granny, granny gear for every hill climb and I was spinning as fast as I could while at the same time trying not to put too much pressure on my pedals so my gears would not skip. I was very frustrated, because I knew I could go faster and I felt like I was letting my team down. I didn't want to be so slow that we couldn't get in at least two more laps. The down was good and I was able to keep my speed smooth and consistent which helped. I ended up coming in at 1:01:??. Off the course I immediately had Joseph look at my bike. He got it in working condition, but I need new cables and probably a new chain. I guess with that knowledge it could have been a lot worse, and as someone reminded me at least I did not end up walking. I just hate to be the one to let the team down.

The good news is we ended up getting in two more laps and winning the Masters Coed Division. I am now hooked on endurance races. Although I am not quite ready for duo and probably never for solo, so 4 man/woman teams will have to do for now.

The winners-Stephen Washburn, Kendra Clark, Eric Johnson, Eric Johnson

Practice for Moab

So I am doing the 24 hours of Moab race October 10th with a bunch of great ladies. I am very excited and have started training/riding for this race. Of course part of getting ready is doing night rides. I happen to like riding in the dark, so going out for a night ride was great. For our first night ride Wendy, Jen, Jolene, Dorothy and I rode Big Spring Hollow--for some reason they didn't believe me the BST would be a great ride. Eventually I will get them there.

The ride was a blast. We laughed and visited the whole time, and the gals realized riding was fun. I think the pictures say it all.

Dorothy & Jolene getting lights ready for the ride.

The trail at night.

The lights do funny things when you take pictures.

Wendy on the trail with the others behind her.

Using the lights to make shadows on the trees.

Best one of the bunch

Jen on the trail with all of us lighting her up.

Jolene-love the light affects.

Jen & Wendy

Time for a group picture - take one-too many lights.

Take 2 - Jen didn't make it in time.

Take 3 - Ooops Jen forgot to block her light.

Take 4 - ooops camera went off on it's own.

Take 5 - Jolene got cut out of the picture

Take 6 - Great group picture.

Mistakes

A friend of mine once told me a mistake is never stupid if you learn from it. Today was full of a lot of mistakes that I definitely learned from, used to help me, and hope to never repeat again.

I went up today with Wendy to pre-ride the race course for the race this Saturday. Although the trail was not marked we had a map marked with all the different trails we had to take. The first of the course was pretty easy to follow it followed the same route of the Icup race at least until you hit the dirt road that goes up hill, and then it changes. Instead of going up switchback alley, you go down. Well, I didn't catch that and we went up switchback alley, got to the top and realized we had gone the wrong direction.

We went back down switchback alley, but did not realize we needed to cross the road and go down. Instead we continued up the road to the chair lift. We got to the chair lift looked at the number and once again realized we had not gone the right way. We lucked out and talked to one of the guys who knew where we were supposed to go, and he set us straight, so it was back down to switch back alley, and down we went. This downhill is very fun and fast, in fact it is so fast you can miss the camouflaged trail you must turn right on. Which Brian and I did (forgot to mention we picked up another rider pre-riding the course along the way), but luckily Wendy did not. We went past, but it wasn't long before we heard Wendy calling us back.

Can you see the trail you are supposed to go on. It's straight ahead.

It turns out it was a good Wendy stopped where she did, because when we climbed back up she was standing right over my multi-tool. Apparently my bag had come unzipped and it had fallen out. How lucky we had missed the trail. If we hadn't it would have been ages before I knew my multi-tool was gone. I got the tool zipped up my bag and took off down this new trail that has seen very little use. For a trail that has not been ridden much it rides really well.

We lucked out and for the next few turns we were able to go the right way. We did miss a turn that took us up to Speed Trap, but we figured that out and were good to go. Now came the next complicated part finishing in the right place. Apparently somewhere there is a trail that ends just above the upper parking lot. We took one way and ended up just before the top of uphill climb that drops into the single track--this was not the right turn, so we turned back. We continued down, but I never could fine the place we needed to go, so we ended up dropping down onto the road. Oh well, I guess I will find out the ending on race day. I sure hope they have it well marked.

When we got back to the car I reached in my bag and realized my keys were gone! I can't believe I didn't think of this when I put my multi-tool back in. Oh well, at least I had a good idea as to where they might be. Wendy went down to the office, while I took off back up the hill. Going up I got to thinking about some of the mistaken trails I had taken and decided there might be a quicker way to Switchback Alley. I took the trail just to the right of the road which took me to bobsled. Now bobsled is a fun down, and today I discovered not such a bad up, but you must be on your guard for the down hillers, because there are a lot of turns and it can be precarious, luckily for me there were no incidents on bobsled.

However, this turned out to not be the case going up speed trap. I am not sure why it has this name, but you can get some serious speed on this trail. Just as I was coming up the steepest part of the hill a downhiller rounded a corner flying down crazy fast (a minimum of 25, but I am sure faster). The trail was gravely on one side of the road, so both of us were on the same side of the trail. I was not going fast enough to cross the trail, and he was going way too fast to do much of anything. I had just enough time to say "oh sh*#" and turn my bike towards the opposite side of the trail, but the turn was not enough. The downhiller collide right into the side of my shoulder and face. I actually did not go down, but the rider went down hard into the bushes.

He was a sweet kid and kept making sure I was okay. I was not sure as I did not quite have my senses about me, and I lost my hearing in my right ear--boy did it hurt. After a moment I decided I would be fine and let him know. He kept making sure I was okay even though he obviously had hurt his hip. Nice kid. I left continuing up speed trap tentatively and feeling the throbbing in my head and ear, which has stayed for the entire day. It was not long after that I got to switchback alley. From here I went down very slowly seeing if I could see my keys. When I reached the spot I had found my multi-tool I laid down my bike did some hiking to see if I could see them anywhere. No such luck. I never found my keys, but at least I tried, so I feel pretty good about that.

I hurried back to my taking Archies backwards--it is kind of weird going on Archies backwards, but it sure is fun, because it is a lot faster. I got back to the parking lot, and there was my husband with the spare set of keys. I had called him before I took off to look for the other set. Went to rack my bike and discovered my bag and come unzipped again and I had lost my multi-tool. Oh well, no need to go back. It was a fun ride, and I am glad for some of the mistakes I made, because I knew a quicker way up to switchback alley, however I will probably not take this way again, because I really do not want to get hit again, and I am definitely buying a new bike bag.

Test Ride

Went to AF Canyon to ride my favorite trail with Dorothy today. I don't think we could have asked for better conditions, perfect temperature and the trail was tacky from the rain the canyon had just received. There were a lot of hikers out on our way up, but nobody on the way down. We also passed a few riders going up, and as we were going down I came up to a rider on the down, but he refused to pull over. I backed off a little, but there was not doubt I was riding his tire and could go faster. Yet he still did not pull over. Let's do the math, you started on the down way before me, I catch you on the down, hmmm.....maybe I am going faster and you should pull over. Oh well, I still had a blast.

Dorothy coming up the hill toward the lookout.

Dorothy has never started the loop from Timpanooke, I was very excited to show her the fun trail she has been missing. I think she liked it, because she mentioned she was going to take her fiance on it. This has got be one of the best rides around.

I got my 29er back, I am glad I had another bike to ride while my bike was at the doctor's, but there is nothing better than riding my 29er. It rides the lines so perfectly, takes corners marvelously and now it has gotten even better, if that is even possible.

I have new front brakes which work great, but I also got new grips. I have been doing a little research and decided it was time to buy Ergon Grips. I was not 100% I would like them, but everything I researched told me I would. Since I am getting ready for 12 hours of Sundance and 24 Hours of Moab I thought it would be good to have what is supposedly comfortable grips. Well, the verdict is in and the grips are awesome!!! Todays ride I noticed a significant difference in my hand comfort, it was amazing. I know this was only one ride, but for the first ride to notice such a difference means there is only better things to come.

Girls Ride

Tonight was the final ride of the year for "Ride Like a Girl". I have been so excited for this ride all week, so much so that today I could hardly contain myself at work, 5 o'clock didn't come quick enough.

Our ride tonight was in AF Canyon. I have had so little riding time in AF this year, and it is one of my favorite places to ride--riding up there is always a treat. At first I thought we were going to ride from Summit parking lot and do a short loop, but KC had a different plan. Instead we were going to go down what I have always gone up. At first, unfortunately, my face showed some disappointment to not going down Deer Creek South Fork, but this was actually very wise on KC's part as we could have ended up in the dark and not everyone had lights. Once I realized I had the opportunity to go down a new direction I was excited. Even more so, because I got to lead the way down.

The ride down was a blast! We hit jump, after jump, after jump......after jump!!! You could hear girls whooping and hollering all the way down the trail. Oh did I mention there were 12 of us on the ride...yes, 12 girls loving every moment of it. Eventually we got to the bottom and it was time to turn around and go back up.

As Jen took off to go up she got chain suck. We were able to get it out, and then she and I took off to catch the rest. Well of course Jen caught the rest, and then went ahead of the rest. I caught some of the rest, except for Jolene, Patty and one other gal. Good training for Sundance try to catch up to the others.

On the up we got spread out. Jen, Patty and another gal hit the Summit with Jolene and then me right after. By the time we got to the Summit Jen and the others were not there. Jolene was worried they missed the turn, so she went down Jurassic to see if they went down that trail. I stayed and waited. Eventually Jolene came back--still no Jen. After a bit KC showed up with the others. We took off down Jurassic. This is a fun trail, or at least the part I rode. We did not go far as the sun was going down and we were losing light. By this time we still had not seen Jen and the others, so KC took off to find them, and we headed back. On the way back we ran into our lost riders. They had gone onto the ridge trail thinking this was the direction we were going to ride. So it turns out they were only kind of lost.

Now the next conundrum do we go get KC and let her know their okay or do we continue to the parking lot? We continued to the parking lot, and here is why. KC is the most amazing, strong and incredibly fast rider. We knew she could go down and up in the amount of time it probably would take us to get to the parking lot, and this was almost the case. KC showed up about 5 minutes after we arrived in the parking lot, and I am sure she was very relived everyone was okay.

The ride was great, and I am really sad there will not be any more "Ride Like a Girl" rides for the year, but at least I have something to look forward to next year.