Getting Ready for Moab

I really don't know how to get ready for Moab, but I like the ideas I have come up with to get ready, and by no means do I think they are good training, but they are a lot of fun.  One is riding my bike multiple times a day, so my legs will get used to stopping and starting again.  This has been very difficult, it just breaks my heart having to ride my bike multiple times a day, especially when I have to tell my husband I am training, so I need to be out riding.  Another is going on night rides with my team mates and others gals who will be riding in Moab.   This has been a lot of fun, because usually I go on night rides in the early morning with the guys--so technically it is not night, but it is dark.

Riding with the guys is fun, but it is not the same as riding with girls.  For example when I ride with the guys if I want to get a picture I need go ahead of them  (very difficult they are faster than me), and set up to take the picture, because they do not stop and pose for a picture.  With the girls we stop and take pictures, we point out different scenic views, and we tend to stay together in a group--guys do not generally do this.  Tonight, something else was thrown into the mix, tonight is was cold.

Now for me getting used to the cold is not so bad.  For those who have read my blog in the past you know I ride in the cold, and my cut off is 20 degrees.  However,  I have never gotten the girls to go out with me.  Well, today I did.  Since we are getting ready for Moab we are doing a night ride, and since it will be cold why not give it a try.  So Jolene and Jen came along to give it a try, and it was cold.

We arrived at Big Spring Hollow, and my car said it was 39 degrees and Jen's said is was 37 degrees--either way it was cold.  The good news we were dressed for the cold ready, and I was excited to show them it was not so bad riding in the cold and it doesn't take long before you get warm.
Jolene dancing in the cold.

Jen bundled and ready to go.

We took off up the trail, but unfortunately we did not go far before we had a problem.  Jen's light mount had come apart and the piece that held it together was somewhere on the trail.  We looked and looked, and we were thinking we could find it in the dark, because it was silver and should reflect off our lights, but no such luck.  Well Jen decided without her light it was probably better not to continue, so she turned around and Jolene and I continued on.

The ride was beautiful, and unfortunatly the pictures do not capture the beauty of the ride.  The trail was carpeted in red and yellow leaves and with our the lights the colors danced and were brighter than ever.  There was frost on the ground that looked like jewels on top of the ground and leaves and added an extra sparkle.

I think for the most part Jolene stayed warm, at least until we went downhill, and then well, her hands got cold, but I think the rest of her stayed pretty warm.  Perhaps in the future I will be able to convince her to go on more rides in the cold.
The trail ahead carpeted in leaves.

The leaves right below my feet.

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.

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.

Double Treat

Today I went on two fabulous mountain bike rides. The first one started with my cute husband. We rode in AF Canyon. Since last Saturday I have been wanting to take Royce up to the look out, so he could see the same gorgeous view I had seen. So with some hesitation, but a lot of desire we set out. The hesitation and desire were both on my part since Royce is a beginning mountain bike rider and had no idea what he was getting in to. This ride is a lot of up hill 3.5 of the 4 miles is up hill (that is only one way). We started out at Salamander Flats and headed to Ridge 157. Needless to say it was not too long before Royce realized there was a lot of uphill and very little relief. I am guessing about the time he realized this is when he announced he was switching to road biking. Ooops, too much too soon. I was worried he really was not going to like the ride, but we kept riding forward.

The hill side is changing colors .Royce cranking it up the hill on Salamander Flats.As we hit the meadow at mud spring flats I heard a clinking on my bike and noticed an unusual tension as I pedaled. Upon inspection of my bike I found 1 loose bolt on the small ring of my front cassette and one that was ready to pop out. I was able to tighten the loose bolt almost tight, but was not able to rethread the other bolt. This did not stop our ride, however I had to ride in my middle cog for the rest of the ride. This turned out to not be as bad as I imagined.

From the meadow we headed up to the lookout. We stayed there for a while enjoying the scenery and watching the wild life. We saw a hawk circling in the sky and we kept hearing a bull elk. Never did see the elk, so I am not sure if it was an elk or hunters, but it sure sounded real.

Royce checking out the spectacular view.

A rock wall created by mother earth. After pausing and enjoying the beauty of the canyon is was time to go back. The ride back was great. When you ride 3.5 miles up hill then you know you are going to get 3.5 miles down hill. Once we got back I think I may have actually seen a smile on my husbands face. I don't know if he has changed his mind about converting to being a roadie, but I do know that I will stick to the trails with less climbing when we got out together....at least for now.

These steps may look fun going down, but they were not as great as they look.Royce bombing downhill.War wound from the ride. I popped out of my pedals while trying to pedal over some rocks. I ended up rolling down the hill with my bike. The second ride of the day was the Ride Like a Girl group ride. Jolene and I rode our bikes up to Timpanogus park to meet the group for the ride. Once we got there we found out the ride had been changed and we were going to Big Spring Hollow. There was someone there to help us load our bikes and make sure we got up to the trail head.

For the group ride we had there was Patty and Jen (part of the Mad Dog racing Team), Jessica, Jennalyn and Tiffany and of course KC Holley helping us along the trail to improve our skills. At the trail head we met and worked on tight circles, unweighting our bike and hopping our bike. After working on these skills we headed up the trail. It was a beautiful evening for riding the temperature was perfect and the landscape showed the beauty of the changing colors of leaves on the trees.

Jessica, Jennalyn and Patty coming up the trail.
Jolene heading up the trail.
At the top of the hill I scrambled ahead to get some pictures of everyone riding. This turned out to be good because after taking pictures I ended up behind KC and got some great advice on riding my bike and now have something new to practice. Unfortunately as we were riding Jessica's chain broke. KC stayed to fix it and we rode on. However it wasn't long before KC and Jessica caught up to us. Granted Jolene and I were taking pictures, but I don't think I could fix a chain as fast as KC did.

Patty tearing up the trail.

Jessica clearing the obstacles on the trail.

Jennalyn looks like she is having a great time on the ride.

Jolene riding the trail with style and grace.
Tiffany doing a great job riding. This is one of her first mtb rides.KC showing her more serious side.

We ended the group ride in the parking lot by the trail head, but Jolene and I continued riding down the canyon and back home. I wanted to see how fast I could get my bike to go down the canyon road, but it never got over 31 mph. I tried, but that's as fast as I could get. When we got to the Provo River Trail Jolene and I got out our blinking lights and took off down the trail. Somewhere along the way mine fell off and I ended up without a light. Glad we did not have far to go on the city streets.

It got dark rather quickly and was cool riding in the dusk as it changed to dark of the night. A perfect ending to a great day of riding.