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.

Ooops....It's dark outside

I went for a ride early this morning (5:45) on the BST with Kerry (yamabiker), Eric and Steve Washburn (Mad dog racer). They have graciously let me come and ride with them in the early mornings. The ride was great, but half way through the batteries on both of my lights went dead. It happened very quickly and kind of spooked me.

Luckily about the time I lost my lights Steve and Eric had come back on the trail (they are much faster than me). Kerry was behind me not because I am faster, but because I am still new to riding the trails with lights and this particular trail has a cliff edge. Anyway, since I had lost my lights we had to reposition who rode where. Steve rode up front, I rode next and Eric and Kerry were behind me.

At first it was a little weird trying to ride without any lighting. Sometimes the lights behind me would illuminate great, other times it threw my shadow around the trail and made it difficult to ride. Eventually I figured out the best way to ride was to stay directly behind Steve and follow him and use his light. The more and more I did this the more my confidence grew and I felt better about riding right behind Steve. I had a blast riding and I am glad I was with people when I lost my lighting. I would have hated to ride the trail without any lights by myself. Also, it was mighty nice of Steve to go slower on the downhill so I could keep up. I guess I owe him and the other guys.