Two Moon Park

Well, I've been a bum since the MS ride and have hardly been back on my bike since with the exception of commuting too and from work so I was excited when Mike called me up and asked if I wanted to ride.  We decided to meet up last Monday (a week ago) but I forgot to call and confirm it.  Feeling guilty, I went out to meet him at 6:00am just in case he showed.  Its dark and cold at 6am now and it wasn't really that pleasant.  Mike was a no show so I took off by myself and did an easy ride on the bike path.  I must have encountered 20 deer on the ride, a few who were determined to take me out.  It was a good ride though and I had forgotten how good my road bike feels.  I need to use it more often.

Anyway, yesterday Mike and I finally met up for a mountain bike ride through Two Moon Park.  It was good to catch up.  We did a lot of pedaling in too.  I met up with Mike a little earlier than I usually leave so we had 10 extra minutes to goof around.  No animals this time but it was still fun.  As we left, I warned Mike to shift down for the long climb up the switch backs.  He shifted down and easily cranked his way up the hill, however, my chain wouldn't catch leaving me in a higher gear.  I had to stand up the whole climb putting down enough force on the pedals to keep the bike moving but not enough to spin out the back tire.  My tire slipped at the end of almost every stroke but I was able to push through.

Today I tried to meet up with Mike again but couldn't reach him so I went by myself to Two Moon Park.  Another nice ride, and again I left early so I got in a few extra minutes of ride time.  I was so pooped by the time that I climbed out of the park that I struggled to keep my pace at 10 mph.  It didn't help that I fought a head wind all the way back to the office either. 

These last two rides have been good for me.  I'm hoping I can dig myself out of this slump and get moving again.

Riverfest

What a bum I have been lately.  Ever since the MS 150 this year (which was awesome, see Tree Squirrels post) I have been feeling pretty wiped out.  Not because the MS 150 wiped me out but because a nasty stomach bug hit our house right afterwords.  Since then I've only been on my bike to commute to work, went mountain biking once, and rode the road bike to the church on Wednesday night. I wanted to go yesterday but the freezing rain kept me indoors.

I found out about a mountain bike race this weekend and although there was very limited information and this weekend has turned out to be brutally cold for September, Chris convinced me to give it a try.  The race was called Riverfest and was held at Riverfront Park.  I entered in the Mountain Bike Sport Class which was a 7 mile loop around the park (originally supposed to be 2 loops before our Arctic blast rolled in).   The girls both had soccer games so Sarah and I had to arm wrestle to see who got to race.

I rolled out the door just after 9am this morning covered head to toe to shield me from the 38 degree temperatures and wind, at least there wasn't rain like yesterday.  I rode over to the park and to get a leg up, I rode some of the course knowing it was going to be the sloppiest part of the race.  To my surprise, they cut a new trail to bypass the worst part of the mucky mess, something I'd struggled with all summer.  Unfortunately this new trail wasn't much better since it was freshly cut, muddy and not compacted.  But at least I knew what to expect.

We started the race in a Le Mans start, a short sprint to your bikes and off you go.  Not my strongest start because I always have troubles clipping in with my dual sided pedals, the clips always seem to be down and I have to fumble with them to clip in.  We started and I was the second to my bike but I quickly dropped to the back of the pack while trying to clip in.  I could see the lead pack ahead of me and I huffed and puffed to keep up.  I was feeling pretty good about being on the tail end of this lead pack although I could hear others not too far behind.  I was huffing and puffing at this point and wondered how long these guys could keep it up.  Before long the pack peeled away and I only caught glimpses of them through the trees.

As we crossed the bridge onto Norm's Island, I caught a glimpse of the pack again.  They were spreading out.  Before long I overtook two people.  Everyone else was long gone.  Soon I was riding by myself with no sign of anyone ahead or behind me.  I eased back on my pace just a bit to something more comfortable but still aggressive.  The going was tough with mud caked to my wheels with short respites on paved or graveled trails to fling the mud off.  Before long I was in the home stretch with familiar trails, stuff I ride all the time.  I knew then, if I had a chance to overtake someone, it was then.  I took off into the canopy and approached the split in the trail that I'd seen this morning.  I hit the turn hard and too fast!  The back wheel slipped and I had to dip a foot.  What's worse is that I lost all momentum and had to push myself up the mucky hill and then struggled to clip back in.  I knew this mistake cost me but I still pushed it.

After I broke into a clearing, I looked back to see someone on my tail about a hundred yards back.  I hit the gas and took off.  This part was pavement and knowing that I'm not the strongest road rider, I pushed it hard so he wouldn't overtake me.  Up ahead the course split from the pavement and onto the grass with the finish line in the visible distance.  I peeked back and couldn't see the other rider.  The grass was rough and I bounced so much that I had a hard time focusing on the finish line.  I saw someone riding towards me which I thought was weird.  As I approached the other rider, I realized we were riding the same direction.  I stood up and tried hard to overtake him but didn't have enough distance to do it.  I finished about 50 feet and just a few seconds behind him.  Bummer, because he took 3rd place overall.  I took 4th.  (I won't mention how many riders there were overall but the showing was scant).  Seeing that Chris took second and I was just seconds behind the third place rider, I feel pretty good about it.  Chris took two golds and a silver medal at the Big Sky State Games.  I feel pretty good anytime I can keep him in my sights even for a few miles.

See Billings Gazette article for more info including that awesome picture above!
And Video

Ales For Trails

I was out for a lunch ride the other day and got stopped by a crowd of cyclist filming the promo for the Ales for Trails fundraiser and they asked me to be part of it. I'm the smurf in the dark blue with the red helmet. At least I wasn't wearing bike shorts!

NAMI Bike Ride

Check out Our Tree Squirrels NAMI Bike Ride Post!

Russ J***** Talks to Animals

45 Miles

I rode up on a wood chuck sitting on the road today.
"Hey woodchuck.  You're going to get run over." 
(Woodchuck doesn't move.) 
"What's the matter woodchuck?  What's it like to be a woodchuck?" 
(Woodchuck looks up and bolts.)
"Alright then.  Nice talking to you woodchuck.  Say 'hi' to your mother for me, OK." 

I approach a deer as I'm climbing the toughest part of the hill with the wind in my face.
"Hey deer.  How's it going?  Hey dear, give me a tow, would ya!"
(Deer looks at me and bounds off leaping over the fence and disappears.)
"Alright then.  Nice talking to you deer.  Say 'hi' to your mother for me, alright"

If you didn't get it, watch this SNL link.

I got up early this morning and pedaled over to Mike's house in the dark.  I watched an awesome sun rise over my shoulder.  I've never appreciated sun rises before I began riding with Mike, mostly because I'm never awake enough to see one.  It's all up hill to Mike's house and I was struggling to wake up in the 8 miles before I met up with him.  We finally met up and pedaled down the trail.  We took it easy, gabbing and catching up from our two week hiatus.  Round trip, I had in 27 miles before I even went to work.  Add in my 3 mile round trip commute to make it an even 30 miles.

I don't really know what possessed me, but I decided to do a lunch ride up to Pictograph Caves and back, another 15 miles for a total of 45 miles today.  It was really cool outside when I started the ride, probably about 60 degrees.  That was part of the appeal.  It was also overcast and somewhat drizzling on and off.  I started out cold but eventually warmed up as I cranked it up Colburn Road to the TV antennas.  I made really good time even though I fought a slight headwind on my way up. 

As I approached the drop off on the other side, I determined I had time to go to the bottom and come back up.  I'd have a headwind going down so the ride back up shouldn't be so bad.  As I flew down the hill, I gripped the brakes hard.  I was uneasy with the combination of speed, wind and wet asphalt so I played it safe.  I still had some time when I made it to the bottom so I went the rest of the way in to Pictograph Caves.  I've never made it that far during a lunch break. 

As I turned around at Pictograph Caves something horrible happened.  The wind shifted and picked up.  I was now fighting the wind that was supposed to blow me up the mile and a half long hill.  Grrrrr!  I shifted down and grunted as I cranked the pedals, thighs burning.  That's when I came across the wood chuck (ground hog for you Easterners) and I actually did speak to it.  "Hey woodchuck.  You're going to get run over!"  When I had to swerve because it didn't move, I did ask "What's the matter woodchuck?"  I exagerated the rest.

Still huffing and puffing up the hill, I came upon a doe mule deer.  She bounded away from me effortlessly up the hill.  I watched in amazement and that's when I mustered the breathe to shout "Hey dear, give me a tow, would ya!"  Again, I exaggerated a little after that.  I promise, talking to animals isn't a normal occurrence, besides 'mooing at the cows, but it did give me that extra push I needed to get me up the hill and take my mind off the wind and cold.  I was glad to get back to the office, also a rare occurrence.

After work Sarah and I played three aggressive games of racket ball.  I'm pooped and I still have to get ready for our 33 mile NAMI ride tomorrow morning.  Hope I survive the weekend.