"Triple Crown"

Got up this morning at oh dark 30 and tried to open my eyes. I really enjoy my morning rides, but anyone that knows me know that I am NOT a morning person. Anyway, I finally convinced myself to get ready and get out the door. Since I had stalled, I had to crank to get up to Rimrock Road by 6:10 to meet up with Mike and Nathan. I hate this part of the ride since its all uphill, first thing in the morning, with no warm up. Anyway, I'm cranking and finally get up to Rimrock when I see Mike and Nathan turn up Yucca to the entrance of the trail. They had been cruising down Rimrock (downhill) so they slowed down to go up Yucca but I was already geared down and warmed up so I flew past them up the hill. Of course, I got the usual "Your feet don't see hills!" And I responded with the usual "This isn't a hill." Oh, but it was. And it wasn't over yet. We got up on the trail and crawled up the rest of the climb to the top of the rims. I was glad to have my headlight today since it was still somewhat dark halfway into our ride.

I rode sloppy today. I think that as I become a stronger road rider, I'm becoming a worse mountain biker. That was evident today as I failed to "clean" fairly simple obstacles. Nathan put both me and Mike to shame this morning. The last time we rode the rims as a group, Chris "cleaned" a rock that Mike and I have both done but our experiences have lead us to dismiss the possibility of trying it again. Mike hit hard and couldn't sit for days and I hit hard and broke my seat and stripped the pedal right out of the crank arm. I hear that Sarah "cleaned" the rock fairly effortlessly although she won't tell me how hard she hit. So Chris, on our last ride, rolls right off the side of the rock onto some smaller rocks all the way down and makes it look easy. Nathan saw this too and even though Mike and I have reconsidered trying it again, Nathan was the only one that took the courage to do so today. Not only that, but Mike dared him to drop off the rock, then climb the rock face on the other side and finally climb the steep hill at the end without dipping for the "triple crown." Chris hasn't even done that yet. Nathan pulled it off and made it look easy. I didn't even try the first and third obstacle and couldn't even "clean" the second today. However, after seeing Chris and Nathan, I'm reconsidering and will probably try again. The rock is calling to me. I'll probably end up landing in the bushes when I try but it will make a good blog entry.
Anyway, we finished the ride and I booked it back home in time to take the girls to the bus stop. Then I sat in the shower for twenty minutes trying to thaw out. I think summer is finally over. Bummer!