Exactly one month ago, I rode my new bike! I’ve been keeping an eye out for a new bike and test rode almost ten bikes over the past year, most of them at Roamfest in Sedona last year. My one non-negotiable was to have full standover, i.e., being able to stand over the top tube and have both feet flat on the ground. The winner was the Pivot Shadowcat, a.k.a., “Sassafras,” or “Sassy Cat” for short. The Shadowcat comes in 2 colours: Danger Fruit (which is really a hot pink) and Blue Mirage. My colour preference is shown below 😉 Sassy is a light, nimble bike that absorbs chunky rock with ease. I’m enjoying smoother rides on Sassy than my other bike and am feeling more confident to attempt small drops and jumps because of the longer travel (i.e., greater suspension). I’m looking forward to getting to know Sassy better! It was so wonderful to have Sassy to ride in Moab — such an epic way to break in the new bike!
Me and my Sassy CatSassy Cat found her “furrever” home with me, haha!One of my first rides was to climb up to the “Helipad” at South Mountain. Sassy did well!
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I can’t believe it’s already been 2 weeks since I was in Moab. That was an amazing trip! On my second day in Moab, while my SAT (self-appointed trainer) rode a difficult trail I didn’t feel I was ready for, Jess and I checked out the Navajo Rocks area and rode a beautiful loop full of picturesque views. It was the perfect way to do a recovery ride. It was also cool to ride during the annular eclipse!
Start of our ride.I didn’t take any great pictures of the eclipse. My SAT took this photo during his ride; note how the eclipse’s effect makes the photo look otherworldly!Another photo from my SAT.My friend Heidi took this photo.Jess and me. No more eclipse.Sassy Cat enjoying hte view!Jess and I took turns taking photos and videos of each other. I quite like this photo.
As a final farewell, my crew went for a little walk on our last night in Moab. We enjoyed watching the sunset at Slick Rock. This is a popular trail known for its “slick rock,” which is essentially petrified sand dunes and the eroded remnants of ancient sea beds. The rock is really grippy, but the trail has tons of steep ups and downs, which make it very challenging to ride, despite the grippy rock. I’ll try riding it next time I’m in Moab (hopefully soon….next year?).
Playing with shadows.My SAT and me.Yes, those are my shoes.
Last weekend, I got to experience the beauty of The Whole Enchilada (TWE) trail. TWE is an iconic mountain bike trail just outside Moab, Utah. The entire 27 mile (43 km) long trail is actually made up of several shorter trails that begin at an elevation of 11,177 ft (3,400 m) at Burro Pass in the La Sal mountain range. You ride down, through, and over mountains, alpine forest, and red sandstone / slickrock, dropping about 7,700 ft (2,350 m) all the way down to the Colorado River. It’s an amazing trail that offers gorgeous views at almost every turn. My jaw dropped every time I rounded a corner! It was really hard not to take pictures ALL THE TIME.
The only unfortunate part about our ride is that Burro Pass was closed to the shuttle vans due to snow, which meant that our TWE ride would be a few miles shorter. We’d also miss out on the first climb (a couple of my friends were happy to hear that!). When our shuttle dropped us off at the Hazzard County trailhead (9,350 ft elevation / 2,850 m) at about 8:30am, we were greeted by snow, crisp mountain air, and near freezing temperature. The initial short climb helped to warm me up and the scenery (and altitude!) made me breathless.
My SAT (self-appointed trainer) recognized Richard Cunningham, a biking giant!The shuttle’s trail map.On the shuttle with Jess and my SAT. Dang….I look like a sushi chef…Just about ready to roll!Beautiful mountains.So excited to be here!Taking a break after the initial Hazzard County climb.Oh, I recently got a new bike! It’s a Pivot Shadowcat, a.k.a., Sassy Cat. She handled TWE so well!
The next section was the Kokopelli trail, which is a wide, rocky / chunky dirt road. It was very easy to go very fast. Kokopelli melded into the UPS (Upper Porcupine Singletrack), which was immediately followed by the LPS (Lower Porcupine Singletrack) trail. Both UPS and LPS are fun trails with lots of overlooks from which to enjoy the sweeping views. About halfway down LPS is the super technical section called the “Snotch” (no idea where that name comes from). The Snotch is super steep, narrow, and hard to walk down! My SAT (self-appointed trainer) was able to ride down the first half of the Snotch….even he said it is difficult, haha.
Kokopelli trail start.So many beautiful views!About to head down LPS (Lower Porcupine Singletrack).The crew!Making our slippery way down the Snotch.
The last and longest portion of TWE is Porcupine Rim, which many say is the most difficult section. I agree, for several reasons: you’re somewhat tired by that point, the trail is technical (i.e., chunky, steep in spots, high consequence in other spots) and fatigue makes it harder to navigate features, and depending on the weather, you could be riding during the hottest part of the day. However, when we started the Porcupine Rim section, the temperature was still really pleasant and we were excited that we were heading into the home stretch. This last part was challenging, but my group emerged unscathed and pretty full from our “enchilada” experience!
The last section of TWE!You can see how different the landscape is here than in Hazzard County.If you can see this, you’re getting close to the end!Colorado River.I told everyone to smile here, haha.The last technical feature before the end of the ride.Rolling through to the end!We did it!
It was really a perfect day. My group did not have any mechanical issues, other than a slow leak in one tire early in the ride, which was easily fixed. We also did not have any crashes or incur any injuries, which is a huge win. Would I do anything different? Yes: I need to remember to eat regularly. I started feeling weak and very low energy about a couple hours into the ride, which made me walk some technical features I normally would ride. However, after eating a couple of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I felt MUCH better and my riding reflected that. Overall, I had a fun time with my crew, felt like I rode well, and am making plans to ride TWE again, possibly next year!
Lessons learned
Eat food regularly. As I said earlier, I was feeling pretty weak a couple hours into the ride (before hitting the Snotch). I should have set up hourly alarms to remind myself to eat, similar to what I did during my Rim to Rim hike.
Wear and bring layers. It’s cold at the start of the ride!
Make sure the bike is tuned up before the ride. In my case, I just bought a new bike (Pivot Shadowcat!! I’ll officially introduce my “Sassy Cat” in my next post!), so everything was already in tip-top shape. (Side note: riding TWE on my new bike made the experience even more epic!)
Doing some regular upper body strength training is a good idea to develop the strength you’ll need to ride downhill for several hours at a time.
Consider bringing a bike light next time, just in case.
Have a bigger backpack for next time. My 3L Camelback was not quite big enough. I was lucky this time because my SAT (self-appointed trainer, a.k.a., my husband) had a big backpack and could carry a few things for me.
Gear
Bike stuff:
Helmet
Spare tube, “bacon strips,” manual pump
Multitool
Master link
Sealant
Elbow and knee pads
Gloves
Sunglasses
Baggie with gauze, tweezers, bandaids.
Duct tape
Clothing:
Buff
Vest
Smartwool base layer
3/4 sleeve jersey
Long riding shorts
Knee socks
Shoes
Food:
I used a small top tube bag to carry a ziplock baggie of Skratchlab chews (about 5 packs). I also had a couple of gels and fig bars.
In my Camelback, I had 3L of water, 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and a few more fig bars and Larabars.
I also had a little baggie of electrolyte/salt pills and Ibuprofin (i.e., “Vitamin I”).
Other:
I recorded my ride on my Apple watch. Next time, I will use my Garmin to conserve my watch’s battery power.
Took my phone with the Trailforks app. I downloaded the route onto my phone, just in case.
It’s officially fall and I am SO excited for the cooler temperatures! Phoenix is actually cool in the mornings now and I am definitely taking advantage of that by getting outside as late as…..7am! 🙂 This post will sum up a few fun trips I was fortunate to enjoy this summer. First, as I write this, I am reminded of where I was, literally, a scant month ago. I traveled to Cleveland, Ohio for the first time to visit my friend Vanessa. We packed in a lot of fun stuff in 4 days, including biking, hiking, karaoking (yes, really), going to the musical “SIX,” eating lots of yummy food, getting all cultured at the art museum….etc. It was great to escape the Phoenix heat and experience a different climate and landscape. Thanks for being the hostess with the mostest, Vanessa!
Getting my kitty fix with Arya!Nice view of the lake.Some of V’s friends joined us for a hike at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP).We did the “Ledges” hike.Yes, there is actually a cemetary in the park.About to watch “SIX” the musical!Listening to a fabulous concert at Blossom Music Center.The armoury was my favourite part of the Cleveland Art Museum.Yes, this is THE “Water Lilies” by Monet.View of the main entrance area.Don’t remember what this statue is called. Let’s call it “Contemplative Dude.”Self-explanatory.There were random decorated pianos around the city!V’s brother’s dog, Jolla (pronounced “Hoy-a”). He looks very dapper here!
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I had a few days at home after my Cleveland trip to unpack, only to turn around and pack for the Slaydies Sunrise weekend. This weekend was held at the Sunrise Ski Resort in Greer, AZ and the objective was to guide and empower women mountain bikers down the various trails at the resort! I was fortunate to serve as a “sweep” for one of the coaches, i.e., I rode at the back of my assigned group to make sure that everyone rode down the trail safely. I even got to carry a walkie-talkie for emergency purposes. THAT made me feel really important, haha! The weather started out perfect, then….it started to rain…and pour….and boy, things got muddy at the end of the first day. The second day started out partly cloudy, but the rain largely stayed away. I left that weekend with some new friends, great experience riding some new trails, and more confidence in my downhill riding skills.
Just arrived and it’s a beautiful day!Setting up tents and preparing for all the riders who will arrive soon.Weekend schedule!Everything is set up and things are happening!Cool view from the chairlift.Another view from the chairlift.End of day 1. It rained a little and I got a wee bit muddy.Here’s my better side, haha!We all enjoyed a happy hour social event with a great charcuterie board!View of my Airbnb’s front yard.Morning yoga to start day 2.With Stefanie McDaniel, Slaydies founder and organizer of this weekend.Silly photo of the group I assisted.All of the weekend riders.The coaches and assistants.
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I always view Labour Day weekend as the start of fall because for the longest time, I’d start school the day after that weekend. However, in Phoenix, summer temperatures do not follow the calendar. So, in another attempt to escape the heat, I organized a downhill mountain biking weekend during Labour Day weekend for a few friends at the Angelfire Bike Park in Angelfire, New Mexico. I went to Angelfire last year for the Homegrown ladies’ weekend and had such a good time that I knew I HAD to come back. It was such a fun weekend, despite the long drive, because we got to play outside and hang out in our Airbnb the whole time. Are we really adults? 🙂
On the chairlift, looking into the light!At the top of the chairlift….girl gang!Pretending to drink some lemonade before dropping into Lemonade.Girl gang pic on the chairlift. We’re either doing some yoga stretches or pretending to give birth.Such a pretty view!Combi trail was so pretty with all the flowers!Had to stop and take some pics!More prettiness.We saw deer on the trail!Dear deer. 🙂Going up on the lift to ride down.We didn’t get a group picture until the last night!
I have a few more trips coming up and am really looking forward to the cooler temperatures (did I already say that, haha?). I hope you all are enjoying fall and the glorious colours that come with it!
It’s almost the end of July, but the high temperatures show no sign of abating. Phoenix has broken a couple of weather records this year, to which I say “Phoenix, STOP being an overachiever!” Summer riding in Phoenix is always challenging because the “coolest” part of the day occurs VERY early in the morning. I’ve managed to get myself outside by 5:30am when I want to ride my bike, but I’ve also given myself some grace to NOT ride my bike. The last few early morning rides were a little hard to wrap my head around, because the temperature was already 95-97 degrees F at 5:30am! (That’s about 35 degrees Celsius for my Canadian friends.)
What does an overheated Phoenician do to weather the heat? Escape to cooler climates! A few things I’ve done in the past couple months include:
a fun bike park skills clinic at Fort Tuthill in early June with Trail Lovers Sedona. This was a fun class that focused on a couple of skills used at bike parks: jumps and drops. I drove up to Flagstaff with a couple of friends and we spent a half day working on jumps (i.e., getting some “air” on the bike) and drops (i.e., when you ride over an elevated surface and “drop” down to the ground). I did execute a couple solid drops, which made me happy. 🙂
I took this screenshot from the video of my drop. You can see that my wheels left the ground! Videos always flatten out angles, so the screenshot doesn’t look as steep as the drop actually was. Well….maybe the drop wasn’t steep. It sure felt like it was!
A few friends and I spent a weekend in Flagstaff in mid-June exploring new trails and enjoying the cooler weather.
We ran into Joanna and Phil Yates (3rd from right and very right) at the start of our ride! They were the coaches at the clinic I took in June!View from the Arizona Trail.Heidi took this selfie. She is very good at that. Lani (white shirt) was our guide because she lives in Flagstaff. Kara (far right) rounds out our quartet.I do like cooler summer temperatures!Such pretty views!Cool picture of us in the aspen trees.
In early July, my SAT (self-appointed trainer) and I visited our family in Canada. While there, we attended a family wedding, which was on a boat! Fun fact: I get seasick. 😦 However, even though the boat ride was a bit disappointing because of nausea, we did other fun things, like visit a water obstacle course and meet some animals from Australia.
Despite my seasickness, it was still pretty cool to attend a wedding on a boat. Me and my SAT all dressed up for the first time in….years.Water obstacle course.Me and Priscilla the porcupine. At the time of this picture, she was 3 years old and very tame. I got to feed her some melon!A beautiful peacock.A wallaby, which is a small marsupial. Kangaroos are much bigger.A kangaroo totally ignoring me. It was so fun to interact with the animals! I pet this kangaroo and its fur is really soft.
I went to Flagstaff AGAIN shortly after coming home from Canada with some other friends to ride bikes. Although it wasn’t as cool up in Flagstaff as we would have liked the day we went, we still enjoyed the change in scenery. We left Phoenix at 5am and started our ride shortly after 8am, when the temperature was 80 degrees F (about 25 C). The temperature was about 95 F (about 33 C) when we finished riding around 11:30am.
Yay, we’re not in Phoenix! Lani (far right) was my guide again.Still happy not to be in Phoenix.
To prove that living in Phoenix is like living in an oven, I baked cookies in my truck (again). I made a chocolate cookie dough with Heath bar pieces, dropped a dozen onto a cookie sheet, and placed that cookie sheet inside my oven. Started at 10:30am and took them out 6 hours later. The max temperature inside the truck was 190 F (88 C). The cookies were DEFINITELY baked….rather crispy, actually. Although it’s super cool to bake cookies in one’s truck, I’d prefer it if Phoenix did not get hot enough to do that!! I’ve now baked cookies in my vehicle three times and each time, the max outside temperature was at least 117 F (47 C). Also, the temperature inside the vehicle hit a high of 190 F. Consistency is key, my friends.
Starting the process.Cookies are setting up nicely.The average of the 2 thermometers was 190 F.Finished product!
The rest of July was spent in Colorado! The first half of our CO trip was with our good friends Carl and Lifan, who moved there recently. They showed us the delights of small town life and introduced us to the Phil’s World trail system. We will definitely come back!
Phil’s World trail system.Sunflowers everywhere.Trying to get an artsy photo.Practicing my selfies!Great views on the Ribcage trail at Phil’s World.Me and Lifan enjoying a moment.Yummy cider!Hanging out over drinks.A refurbished printing press.We stamped our own tote bags at the local printing press shop!Horse-drawn carriage…definitely evidence of small-town life!
The second half of our CO trip was to ride at Trestle Bike Park in Winter Park. The drive there from Carl and Lifan’s is absolutely gorgeous. We passed through a few mountain passes and were inspired by all the “14ers” we saw along the way. I’m thinking that we’ll be making our way to hike up some of those 14ers next year! One nerdy highlight was seeing the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, which features prominently in the American opera “The Ballad of Baby Doe.”
Coal Bank Pass summit.Fun mural in Gunnison.Monarch Pass summit.There’s a gondola at Monarch Pass summit. We didn’t have time to ride it. Maybe next time!Tabor Opera House in Leadville!
Finally, we met up with our friends at Trestle. We rode there for two days and wow, who knew that downhill riding could be so tiring? By the end of the first day, my hands were cramping so badly that I couldn’t hold onto my handlebars. I was fine the next day, but I was definitely tired! It was fun being at a bike park with my SAT; it was the second time at a bike park for both of us. What was great about being part of a group at the bike park was that we could ride with other people who were more at our level, as well as riding with each other. For me, my Trestle experience was like a personal workshop in downhill cornering, jumping, and getting used to speed. Of course, the weather was awesome! I keep saying this, but we will be back to Colorado as soon as we can!
Me and my SAT riding the gondola up to the downhill trails.Nice view, right?Getting ready to ride!The lodge at the top of the gondola.I rode a lot with my friend’s husband, Joe, since we were at a similar riding level.Another great view.My group stayed in a condo an hour away from Trestle, so we had to drive in both days. This is the enormous bike rack used to shuttle all the bikes!View of the Trestle “village” area.I had to take a photo with the Coke bear!Another cheesy photo opportunity.Trying to take yet another artsy photo.Me with Heidi, Joe, and my SAT.Me and Cheryl.The entire Phoenix crew.Playing tourist in Frisco. Frisco is super cute.Pretty gelato and sorbet.Words to live by!
*Any guesses as to what song the blog title comes from?
Hello, dear readers! I can’t believe how fast this year is going! I’ve been pretty busy with work, lots of visits from friends and family, and outdoor adventures when I can fit them in. I want to recap a few of the more notable events in my 2023, largely for my own benefit, haha.
Right after the new year, my dear SAT (self-appointed trainer, a.k.a., my husband) volunteered us to foster a pair of feral brother kittens. His boss had been feeding these kittens, along with their mama and sister, and took the kittens to get neutered. My SAT thought his boss would appreciate us fostering the kittens while they recuperated from surgery. We were only supposed to have them for a week or so. WE STILL HAVE THEM. But, I think we may be rehoming them to his boss’ place soon. Anyway, I named them Mario and Luigi and they were about 5 months old when we got them. They are pretty cute! Mario has the white chest and paws and Luigi is all grey. My cats, Jack and Simone, have largely tolerated the kittens’ presence. The kittens LOVE Jack. They would totally engage more with Simone if she let them. Here are some pictures of Mario and Luigi (let me know if you’d like to adopt them!):
(First picture is shortly after the kittens arrived at our place. Luigi is behind Mario. They were about 5 months old. The second picture is Luigi enjoying the flowers. He’s about 6.5 months old here. The third picture is Mario lounging on our bed (approximately 8 months old here).
For the past few years, I’ve ridden in Sedona with friends to celebrate my birthday. This year, I got a small group to spend my birthday weekend in Sedona. We booked an Airbnb close to some trails and just hung out the whole weekend. We mountain biked, hiked the Devil’s Bridge, and ate lots of yummy food! It was a fantastic weekend and such a great way to celebrate. There were 9 in total and 5 people had a March birthday, so the mood was VERY festive. I made a “Birthday Queen” sash for the birthday girls to take turns wearing!
This year was the third year I participated in the Slaydies Spring Challenge. For the month of April, participants commit to practicing a few mountain bike skills every day for at least 15 minutes. On May 1st, there is a celebration ride and party to mark the end of the challenge. Pivot Cycles hosted the party and provided demo bikes for us to ride (Pivot bikes are super nice, so that was a real treat). I focused on climbing for this year’s challenge and I think I’ve improved my overall body position for attacking technical (i.e., chunky, rocky) climbs. The celebration was last night and I got to lead the “beginner/party” ride option. Why was it a “party” ride? Well, apparently, I have a reputation for “making” my riders take part in a mountain bike dance party, hahaha. I like to have fun 🙂 One cool thing that happened at the end of my ride was getting a group photo taken by a professional photographer! He posed us in a “V” formation and caught the sunset. After the ride, we all enjoyed pizza and drinks and received our challenge t-shirts. It was such a fun time!
This past weekend, a hardy group of hikers completed my annual DIY 7 Summit Challenge. The event is based on the official Phoenix 7 Summit Challenge and the goal is to complete all 7 hikes in a day. All 7 hikes are located in the Phoenix metro area. The “DIY” part refers to a few modifications I make to the event, such as the order of the hikes and switching out a few hikes to avoid driving all the way up north. This year’s hikes are the same as last year’s, with 1 exception; I decided to include Shadow Mountain, which I hadn’t even heard of! The 7 hikes for this year’s challenge: Piestawa Peak, Shaw Butte, Lookout Mountain, Shadow Mountain, Holbert, Mormon, and Javelina. I tried to group the hikes geographically, then by perceived difficulty. For example, the first 4 hikes are all within a 10-15 minute drive from each other and the last 3 are also relatively close to each other. Also, the first 3 hikes started “hard” (i.e., Piestawa is 2.73 miles long and gains almost 1,200 feet in elevation. Shaw Butte and Lookout are easier because they don’t have as much elevation gain.), the 4th one is short (i.e., Shadow Mountain is 1 mile round-trip), and the last 3 follow the same pattern of difficulty as the first 3.
Highlights of the day included a beautiful sunrise, great conversation, many adorable dogs on the trail, and finishing before dark! I also made stickers this year, which was a fun little project. The catchphrase of the day: “We’re losing daylight!” (I don’t know how many times I said that….probably at least 7 times, haha.) Similar to last year, our celebratory dinner was at Fate Brewery in Tempe and we had to climb the stairs to our table (bonus summit!).
According to my Garmin, total mileage for the day was 20.55 miles / 33 km (mileage does not include the bonus 8th summit), 5,758 ft / 1,755 m of gain, and 11 hours and 7 minutes for the entire event, which is about 50 minutes faster than last year! It was a great day and everyone did SO well! Happy holidays and rest up! 🙂
Just before sunrise on Piestawa Peak.Summit #1: Piestawa PeakA different perspective of the previous photo.Sunrise!A “digger” on the way up to summit #2.Summit #2: Shaw ButteSummit #3: Lookout MountainOn the way up summit #4. This hike was new to everyone. It was pretty steep and had a lot of loose rock on the trail.Summit #4: Shadow MountainSummit #5: Holbert/Dobbin’s LookoutShelly and I were the first ones to reach the 6th summit. My feet were hurting a lot by this point because of some blisters. I think I’m hiding the pain pretty well here!Summit #6: MormonShelly and I were the first ones (again, haha) to reach the 7th summit.I had to get at least one selfie with my SAT (self-appointed trainer). My feet were REALLY hurting. I was very motivated to finish!Summit #7: Javelina. My friend Gladys took this photo from a distance using her watch. The photo is a little blurry, but it captures our joy at reaching the last summit!End time was 5:37pm. It was still daylight!Darkening sky.We had to get 2 tables for our group at Fate.Happy, hungry hikers at table 2.Yum yum yum!The stickers I made for the event. I think they turned out well!
Most people I know want to mark milestone birthdays in a meaningful manner. My friend Kara is no exception. For her 40th birthday, she wanted to do a “long ride.” Maybe a 40 mile road ride? Or a 20-ish mile mountain bike ride…which is somewhat equivalent in effort to a 40 mile road ride. Or….something else….well, thanks to my SAT’s (self-appointed trainer, a.k.a. my husband) suggestion, a little group of us ended up doing the AES Picketpost Punisher race to “celebrate” Kara’s birthday.
The Arizona Endurance Series, or AES, is a local “underground” endurance mountain bike race series. As the website says, the AES promotes grassroots, endurance races throughout the state of Arizona. “Underground” simply means that the race is not an official, sanctioned event. There are no fees and no prizes. The challenge is to finish! The AES offers a full calendar of events and most of the events offer 2 to 3 course options. For example, the Picketpost Punisher has 3 options: the A course (or, “Pulverizer”), which is 76 miles long and over 10,000 feet of climbing; the B course (or, “Punisher”), which is 49 miles long and about 7,200 feet of climbing; and the C course (or, “Pansy,” hahaha), which is a measly 22 miles long and about 2,200 feet of climbing.
Guess which option my group chose to ride?
It was actually a pretty fun day. We aimed to be at the Picketpost trailhead near Superior, AZ around 7am because the race started at 7:30am. My SAT initially planned on riding the B course, but changed his mind at the last minute and decided to join the “girl gang” on the C course. Here is the “girl gang” right before starting the race! Kara is on the very left, wearing a little birthday crown. 🙂 (Fun fact #1: Kara and I wore the same mountain biking shorts!)
The C course winds around Picketpost Mountain and includes a section of the Arizona Trail. The scenery is beautiful, with lots of fall colours, cool canyons and lush foliage, all connected by rugged singletrack. Overall, I didn’t find the technical aspect of the ride to be too difficult. There were a handful of spots that I walked, but I was able to ride most of the route successfully, even the last tricky descent with all of the loose rock on the trail. I kept telling myself not to brake too much and to keep looking ahead! My “girl gang” ended up splitting into 2 groups: me, my SAT, and Kara in one group and my other 4 friends in the second group. My group finished in a leisurely 4.5 hours and the other group finished their “social paced” ride in about 6 hours. 🙂
After the ride, we hung out with the other racers and enjoyed all the food we brought to share. I even brought a birthday cake for Kara because you can’t celebrate a birthday without cake! (Fun fact #2: the cake was allergy-friendly for Kara’s sake, i.e., gluten/dairy/soy/nut free and tasted pretty good!)
(Fun fact #3: the race organizer said that the ladies represented well: 9 ladies participated (I think that is the biggest number of women participants in this race?) and all 9 finished. Yay!)
Good day with good friends. However….it’s TOO SOON to say if I will do this again. So, quit asking me, my dear SAT. 😉
During the first weekend of November, I went to Roamfest Sedona, a women’s mountain biking festival weekend. This event is essentially a party on bikes all weekend! I went last year and had such a good time that I decided to go again. The format was the same as last year: lots of group rides, workshops, and general hang out time with old and new friends; good food and drink all weekend; lots of free stuff provided by the festival and the onsite vendors; clean portapotties, haha. The biggest difference this year is that I knew what to expect and therefore, was MUCH more efficient in what I packed. I drove up with a couple of friends and shared a hotel room with a friend 5 minutes away from the festival venue, which was VERY convenient!
The festival provided demo bikes for people to test ride. I demoed 6 bikes and rode them on the same trail to make it easier to compare the bikes. The bikes I tried, in order of the photos below, are: 1) Transition Scout, XS frame and S frame, 2) Pivot Shadowcat XS frame, 3) Rocky Mountain Instinct, S frame, 4) Rocky Mountain Element, S frame, 5) Pivot Mach 6, XS frame. I really liked the Shadowcat, Instinct, and Scout. Did not like the Pivot Mach 6 at all. I’m slowly narrowing down potential new bike options…
The non-biking activities I participated in included a climate advocacy discussion, a bracelet making session, and a silent disco. The disco is one of the funniest group activities I’ve ever done! Everyone had their own headphones, which connected to 2 different music playlists. You chose the song you wanted to dance to. When I took my headphones off, it was hilarious to hear the (somewhat off-key) singing of all the ladies, but no actual music recording. Most of the group wore costumes, which added to the fun.
Of course, riding mountain bikes in Sedona means sharing beautiful views with lovely people. Looking forward to next year!
Hello, dear readers! It’s late October, which means summer is finally OVER here in Phoenix, AZ. Mornings are actually pleasant and, dare I say, a wee bit chilly, which is such a welcome change from the months of heat, humidity, and general crankiness (I’m not referring to myself at all…). I’ve been enjoying the option of riding later in the morning or — gasp! — late afternoon.
One recent highlight I wanted to share was a spontaneous girls’ weekend in Sedona last month. A few friends and I decided to check out some new-to-us mountain bike trails and visit a couple of mountain bike coach friends in Sedona. Not much to say, other than a great time was had by all. Gorgeous scenery, silly photos, and awesome friends = wonderful time.
Hard to take a bad picture in Sedona.ExuberanceAmo, me, Joanna. Amo and Joanna are 2 fantastic mountain bike coaches based in Sedona.Action shot!Just look at that red rock!We visited the Amitabha Stupa park, which is an outdoor venue for prayer and meditation.Our 2nd day started with a photo opp by a sinkhole!Showing off our best sides in our Shredly mountain biking shorts!Another fun photo.Heidi and I attempting some partner yoga on top of the “Ant Hill.”
At the end of last year, I wrote a list of mountain bike goals for 2022. I realized today that I’ve achieved most of them! Here is my list:
Ride 2,000 miles this year.
Complete the Whiskey 30 race in one piece. (DONE! For proof, check out this blog.)
Learn how to jump intentionally, not accidentally. (I’ve taken a jump clinic and have actually jumped intentionally during rides!)
Go to a bike park for the first time. (DONE! Went to Angelfire in July. For proof, check out this blog and that blog.)
Continue working on my list of technical features. (This will always be a work in progress, but notable achievements include clearing 3 rocky sections on the lower National trail at South Mountain.)
Build endurance to ride my first dirt half century, i.e., 50 miles. (Still working on this one.)
Continue the skills practice by taking clinics and practicing specific skills on my own. (Still working on this.)
Continue to meet and encourage beginner riders to ride. (DONE! I just started my weekly ladies’ mountain bike ride again!)
Not too shabby! Still have time to knock off a couple more items….
Yesterday, my friend Crystal, and I hiked Humphrey’s Peak, which is the highest point in Arizona. This hike is an annual tradition for us and is our way to catch up, while catching our breath, haha. I call our annual Humphrey’s hike our “do or die” hike because we basically pick a day, meet at the trailhead, and….hike. We don’t train for this. We just do it. Yesterday was also “National Summit Day,” so our hike was particularly appropriate and relevant!
The weather yesterday was PERFECT. It was the best weather I’ve ever experienced while hiking Humphrey’s. Typically, I try to reach the summit by noon, to avoid any potential thunderstorms. However, there was zero chance of thunderstorms yesterday. We had clear skies and a light breeze all day. Beautiful.
The hike took us about 6.5 hours (this includes a few rest breaks and a longer lunch break at the summit). I think we made pretty good time, considering neither of us was in “good hiking shape.” One interesting thing I noticed was that shortly after we reached the saddle, I got a “second wind.” I asked Crystal if she was ok if I hiked on without her (she was) and I motored my way up the last mile to the summit. Hmm. Maybe all the mountain biking I’ve done in the past year, especially the climbing, prepared me more than I realized?
Highlights from yesterday include:
PERFECT weather and temperature.
Meeting lots of cute dogs on the trail!
Seeing our friend Stevo on the trail!
NOT seeing the usual amount of little bugs on the summit. For whatever reason, there were few of those bugs at the summit, which meant we could spend more time on the summit!
The summit was NOT windy and cold.
Absolutely delicious smells during the last couple miles. We were hiking through a Ponderosa pine forest and the bark of the pine trees smelled like caramel and vanilla. So yummy!
Looking fresh at the start of the hike.This is right at the start of the hike.I love the purple!On our way!We ran into Stevo! Always fun seeing friends on the trail.Getting higher…SO GREEN.Only 1,237 more feet to go!At the saddle. One more mile.Nerdy picture of my Garmin at the saddle.My new friend, Alex!The summit is “somewhere up there.” At the summit! Arizona’s high point at 12,637 ft (3,851 m).Statistics at the summit according to my Garmin.Summit picture (summit sign behind my head).Absolutely beautiful views from the top.Final statistics.The “we’re tired” picture at the end of the hike.
My Garmin said that we hiked 10.09 miles (round-trip) and climbed 3,255 ft (992 m) in 6 hours 38 minutes. My Garmin also said that I burned 2,351 calories. I don’t think I burned that many, but I DID permit myself to eat some fries after the hike!
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to participate in the Homegrown women’s downhill clinic at Angelfire Bike Park in New Mexico. I’ve wanted to ride at a bike park for the past year and now I FINALLY know what it’s about! During the summer, a lot of ski resorts offer downhill mountain biking, which I learned is very fun to do. You ride the chair lift up to the top of the mountain, then pick the trails you want to ride down. Even though I knew that there is no uphill riding, it was kind of foreign to me to NOT pedal much at all!
Riding the chair lift with my friends Heidi (left) and Jess (right).
I drove to the clinic with 3 other ladies from my mountain bike group in Phoenix. The clinic was spread over 2 days and focused on several topics, such as bike park etiquette, jumping technique, and cornering technique. We got to practice what we were learning all day on the trails.
We left Phoenix on Friday morning at 5am. Drive time is about 9 hours, but with a couple of stops for gas and a leisurely lunch break, we ended up arriving at Angelfire around 5pm, just in time for the clinic’s happy hour. All 70 clinic participants were sorted into about 10 small groups and during the happy hour, we met our respective coaches, some other ladies, and enjoyed snacks and drinks. After happy hour, my crew went back to our rooms at the Angelfire Resort to get our stuff organized for the next day and to GO TO BED!
Our bikes locked and loaded and ready to go!Cool mural at our lunch spot.We made it! At the happy hour (Gina on her phone and Jess making a ‘peace’ sign).
Saturday: we all met at the Homegrown tent near the chair lift, then split into our small coaching groups. After official introductions, we got on the chair lift (the “Chile Express,” probably named after New Mexico’s famous green chilies?) to the top of the mountain! The small groups were generally split up according to level, which was based on the questionnaire we all had to fill out prior to arriving at Angelfire. I believe that most of the groups started day 1 with a review of fundamental bike skills, such as body position and braking. It was good we started with the skills, because that gave me a chance to get to know my rental bike (Trek Slash 8, 29″ wheels, 160/170 travel). The temperature was perfect and SUCH a treat after dealing with the Phoenix heat.
Meeting the coaches.All the ladies from my mountain bike group! We had a great group from Phoenix!My first chair lift ride!View from the lift.
After the skills session, we got to do our first run (i.e., descent down the mountain). My group had 6 participants and 2 coaches and during each run, my coaches would stop at a certain point to demonstrate a specific skill, such as jumping. (For those familiar with Angelfire, the trails we rode that day included Ziggy, Combi, Diesel, Turbo Diesel, Sierra, and Jazz Hands. All are fun and feature lots of berms and jumps.)
After lunch, which was provided (box lunch: croissant sandwich, chips, cookie, water), we learned that the lift closed due to lightning (and rain). This is normal because of monsoon season. The lift opens when there are no lightning strikes for at least 30 minutes. If there is lightning within a single 30 minute timeframe, the clock is reset. Turned out that the lift would be closed the rest of the day. Therefore, instead of riding, my group snagged a covered spot and practiced trackstands (i.e., balancing on the bike without moving), played cornering games (ride in a square), practiced front wheel lifts, and learned about suspension. Very productive, educational, and creative!
Some of the ladies from my Phoenix mountain biking group met up at El Jefe’s (the Mexican restaurant right by the resort) for yummy margaritas and snacks and to discuss day 1. Then, I decided to eat some of my own food for dinner back in my room, after which I met up with the girls at the resort’s hot tub to unwind and relax. I was tired!
Sunday: All the small groups went up the chair lift to do as much riding as possible. My group focused on jumping for the morning session. I can’t believe I can jump now! It’s so fun to get a little air on the trail. This day marks the first time I was able to jump on the trail…so exciting! We also played around in the “drop zone,” which includes 4 wooden platforms of varying heights that you can “drop” off of. I’m not quite ready for the bigger drops! After all that jumping and dropping was a very tasty lunch of burgers and potato salad (and a cookie!). Tasted so good.
The 4 drops in the “drop zone.”Lunch! I got an Impossible burger. Yay for vegetarian options!My small group.
Our afternoon session was NOT cut short by inclement weather. However, we DID end early for the clinic’s raffle. All of our names were assigned a number and then randomly selected for fantastic prizes, like Dharco pants, Wild Rye apparel, an Outbound Lighting bike light, mtbvibes jewellery (made by one of the clinic coaches, Joanna Yates), and hats. I won a fun pair of earrings I’ve had my eye on for a while! We all got free t-shirts too. And….that’s the end of the clinic. But wait….there’s more! All of us Phoenix ladies had dinner at the Peruvian restaurant near the resort to celebrate a great weekend (good food! I’d come back). Then, most of us went to the hot tub to relax. That hot tub worked because I was super tired. Ah…bed….
Waiting for the raffle to begin.Me with my earrings that I won, courtesy of Joanna!Look at the little leopard!So. Many. Bikes.At dinner with the Phoenix crew.Enjoying some patio time.El Jefe’s patio (Mexican restaurant beside the resort).
Monday: bonus day! Three of my friends and I decided to stay an extra day to practice all the things we learned. I rode my own bike (Pivot Mach 4) which felt unstable and small after riding a downhill bike! Because of that, I opted not to ride any black trails. I noticed that I did not feel as stable on my bike as I did on the rental Trek Slash 8. Also, the Trek’s wheels are 29″ and my wheels are 27.5″. I felt like the Trek rolled over chunk much easier than my Pivot due to the wheel size. (Note to my Self-Appointed Trainer (SAT): I may be looking for a new bike soon….)
My group took a lot of fun pictures during our first run. We were having a great time riding the trails and enjoying the beautiful scenery. For the second run, my group split into two. Gina and Heidi wanted to check out some black trails and Jess and I decided to ride all of Easy Street, which is a really fun green trail with lots of opportunities to practice cornering. During one break, we met Russ from North Carolina, who took our picture. We were not expecting to see him again, but we saw him at the bottom. Because the others in my group wanted to check out more black trails, I thought it would be good to ride with him, since he seemed to be more interested in riding intermediate/blue trails. So, that’s what we did! It was fun and I played tour guide, showing him some trails my small group did on the weekend.
The lift was closed from about 12:30pm to 3pm because of lightning, so we decided to have lunch at El Jefe to try and wait out the lightning. When the lift opened up, I opted to take the opportunity to shower and pack. I mean….since the others weren’t around, I could take a long shower, haha. We enjoyed a final hot tub session, then went to bed.
Group picture.Being silly on the trail.This little chapel is at the top of the mountain!Showing off my muscles, haha.Cool rock cairn.Me and Jess.Me and Russ.Me with professional enduro racer and one of the clinic coaches, Stefanie McDaniel.Our helmets in formation at lunch.
Tuesday: This day is a blur, as we got up at 4am (NM time) because we planned on leaving at 4:30am. Good thing we packed up most of our stuff in Heidi’s car the night before. I got back to my place shortly after 2pm (AZ time). Yay to seeing my kitties! Yay for not crashing on my bike!
So many takeaways!: It’s hard to remember EVERYTHING I learned, but some of my main takeaways include the following:
2-1-0: This refers to how you enter a “berm,” i.e., corner. You don’t want to brake while cornering. I learned that you should use both brakes just before entering the berm, then just use one brake while cornering, then let go of the brakes to maintain speed and even gain a little speed while exiting the berm.
Inquisitive turtle: As you are cornering, turn your head in the direction you WANT to go. You always want to be looking ahead.
Chicken wings: Keep your elbows bent while riding down steep sections….and while cornering. This gives you room to navigate drops and turns more efficiently.
Pop butt out: This helps to flatten the lower back and straighten the legs a bit to rest them. I found that I was staying in a squat position a lot while riding downhill, which fatigued my legs. Sticking my butt out reduced the pressure on my quads.
One of the things I wanted to do to celebrate my birthday this year is ride my bike in Sedona. I invited a few friends to join me and we happily planned 2 loops to ride, totalling 15 miles. We rode the “Rabbit Ears” loop first, which is a 7 mile loop with a good climb in the first half and a fun descent in the second half. I think the name “Rabbit Ears” comes from a tall rock formation that *could* be interpreted as a pair of rabbit’s ears. There wasn’t anything super technical about this loop, which is a nice way to start a day of riding. Weather was perfect and spirits were high as we drank in the beauty of our surroundings. After we finished the loop, we enjoyed some homemade brownies and other snacks.
The second loop, which included the Slim Shady, Templeton, and Easy Breezy trails, was more technical and I was happy to observe that I rode all of the features! It’s always encouraging to have some solid evidence of progress. A couple of the drops I rode were more steep than I anticipated, but my riding technique was solid enough that I didn’t panic and crash. 🙂 The day was a really memorable one and I enjoyed spending some great biking time with some wonderful friends. One friend, Gladys, even brought some wine and we all toasted to a great day and even better year. Sedona is such a fun place to visit and it’s convenient that it’s only a 2 hour drive away from me. I’ll be coming back again!
Kara (on very left) took this selfie.The “rabbit ears” rock formation.Fun pose! (Kara is taking the photo.)Pictures make steep sections look…easy.Me, Vanessa, and Jess. All of our birthdays are in March, so “my” birthday ride was kind of shared with them. 🙂Giving “rabbit ears” to the Rabbit Ears trail sign.Silly wine picture!The “rabbit ears” rock formation is in the very center of this picture. It’s tiny.My fingers framing the “rabbit ears” formation.All the snacks we brought. We were not hungry.The quality of this picture isn’t great because it is a still shot from the video of all of us clinking our glasses. Cheers!
Hello and happy 2022, dear readers! Yes, I know we’re well into February. Despite my best intentions to maintain this blog in a timely fashion, I’ve been busy living my life, which is probably a great thing to do, especially in light of a certain global pandemic that is still in our faces 2 years later…I have a couple notable events to catch you up on, so let’s get started!
One of my mountain biking goals this year is to successfully finish the Whiskey 30 race at the end of April. This race is called the “Whiskey Off-Road” and has several course options: the 15-proof, 30-proof, and the 50-proof. What does “proof” mean? “Proof” is defined as twice the alcohol content by volume. For example, a whiskey with 50% alcohol is 100-proof whiskey. Anything 120-proof would contain 60% alcohol, and 80-proof means 40% of the liquid is alcohol.
This race will be my first solo race and the most difficult in terms of distance and elevation. The 30-proof option is about 32 miles long with about 3,300 feet (1000 m) of elevation. Additionally, the race is in Prescott, which is at a higher altitude than Phoenix, so breathing may be affected. (Actually, I fully expect my breathing to be affected. That, along with all the climbing and all the rocks, will most likely adversely affect my performance!)
As soon as I said to my SAT (self-appointed trainer, a.k.a., my husband) that I was doing the Whiskey 30, his eyes lit up and he happily proclaimed that he would “help” me train. And thus it began. The first major training ride we did was in mid-January and was….hard. Of course. We invited our friend, Ian, to join us because misery apparently loves company. That, or my SAT wanted to ensure that I wouldn’t complain too much by having someone else along for the ride. (Ha! I didn’t complain hardly at all!) We rode the “Around the Mountain” (ATM) route, which simply means that we rode our mountain bikes all the way around South Mountain. The route is 35 miles long with 3,300 feet of elevation, which is almost the exact statistics for the Whiskey 30 route. Did I mention it was hard? The first half wasn’t so bad because I already was pretty familiar with the trails. But….I basically died on the second half. There was SO MUCH climbing! However, I didn’t complain hardly at all (out loud). (Note: Yes, I already said that, but it’s worth noting because “not complaining” was actually one of my goals for this ride. So there.) My left quad complained a lot. It cramped up several times, the last of which brought me to my knees. I was SO HAPPY when the ride was done and questioned my decision to race the Whiskey.
View from the north side of South Mountain. We were riding the Ma-Ha-Tuak trail.Ian and I look happy. This is before my leg started cramping.My SAT always looks happy on a bike, especially when he takes me on loooong rides.Quick break.What?? There’s MORE climbing??
As you may know, I’m part of a women’s mountain biking group here in Phoenix. The group’s name is Hawesaholics Babes Ride On, or HBRO for short (pronounced “H-bro”) because most of the members live in the East Valley near the Hawes trail system. I’ve been a member for just over a year and have enjoyed getting to know a lot of women who love mountain biking. At the end of last summer, the group founders asked me if I would consider leading a weekly beginner ride at South Mountain (SoMo) for the ladies who live near SoMo. They saw that I was riding consistently and was organizing a few group rides here and there. I thought that would be fun, so agreed to take on that role. I’ve now been leading beginner group rides since September and have met a lot of other ladies (some of whom live really close by me!), improved my ride-leading skills, and have had a lot of fun.
A couple of weeks ago, the HBRO group had its “Galentines prom” event, which is one of its three major events for the year. We all got to dress up in fancy, prom-style dresses, enjoy going out to a nice Italian restaurant, and hang out with each other while we were clean and pretty and NOT wearing helmets! The big surprise for me that night was being crowned HBRO’s “Queen of the Mountain” (QoM). Essentially, the QoM is nominated by other HBRO members and the QoM title is awarded to someone who contributes to the group/mountain bike community and is a good mountain bike ambassador. Apparently, my weekly rides and a few other events I’ve organized are appreciated! It was a humbling but awesome experience to be acknowledged and appreciated publicly. Not gonna lie, the ladies made me cry! Also, that crown is HEAVY. It was a fun night that I’ll look back on very fondly!
Some difficulties with the crowning.Almost crowned…Newly crowned!With the HBRO founders: Robin on the left and Tiana on the right. Tiana is wearing her ACTUAL prom dress from high school! Tiana is also a LOT closer to high school graduation than most of the HBRO ladies!I had to take the crown off because it kept slipping off my head! I’m with two good mountain biking friends (Vanessa on the left and Gladys on the right). Group picture!
What’s coming up in March? Well, I have a birthday ride in Sedona and a jump clinic to learn how to “get some air” safely, along with my weekly beginner ride and Whiskey training rides. Stay tuned for more updates!
Last weekend, my SAT and I rode part of the Black Canyon Trail (BCT). The BCT is about 80 miles long and roughly parallels the I-17 in Arizona. It’s surprising that so many people who drive the I-17 to and from Phoenix have no idea that there’s an amazing trail just beside and below them. Most mountain bikers who ride the BCT select a specific section or two, rather than ride the entire trail. We chose to ride the Copper Mountain loop, which is a 15 mile loop that is SE of Prescott. The loop starts at the Big Bug trailhead (note: I think the reason the trailhead is called “Big Bug” is because of all the HUGE grasshoppers (or whatever they are) in the area). I was pretty impressed by the beauty of the area: lots of green due to all the rain we’ve received this monsoon season, red dirt, lots of prickly pear cacti and purple rocks. The loop itself is probably an intermediate-level trail; it isn’t extremely technical overall, but there are definitely sections that feature rock gardens (i.e., bunches of rocks clustered together) and some exposure.
Starting the ride.
Nature is beautiful.
Riding through a rocky gap.
Got to take a picture of my SAT!
Expansive views.
Lots of prickly pear cacti.
I need to improve my selfie game.
More prickly pear cacti.
And even more…
Made it back to the trailhead!
Those bugs are HUGE!
I earned my fries. 🙂
One thing I started doing this fall is lead a weekly ladies’ beginner ride at South Mountain. I’m part of a Phoenix-area ladies’ mountain biking group and was riding so much that the group leaders noticed and asked if I would like to be a ride leader. Of course I said yes! I’ve had a lot of fun meeting new ladies and showing them some things I’ve learned since I started working on my riding skills last year. In addition to my weekly rides, I plan on organizing longer weekend rides every so often. Today, I led a Hallowe’en-themed ride at Browns Ranch and my little group had a great time enjoying the scenery and taking lots of fun photos.
My very colourful group!
Just “bee”ing myself!
Holding up Balance Rock.
Polly (my bike) in front of Balance Rock.
It was a beautiful morning!
Balance Rock behind us…
…and in front of us…
I like this photo.
Handing out candy at the end of the ride.
I have a couple fun events coming up to round out the year, including ROAMfest, a women’s mountain biking festival that focuses on all things bike-related (note: ROAMfest is next week!!) and the Dawn to Dusk race in December, during which I’ll be part of the same four-person team as my Bear Jaw race in August. I’ll make sure and post writeups of those events, so stay tuned!
In my last post, I mentioned that I was going to race the Bear Jaw Groove race. Well, I did! The race was yesterday and my four-person team did splendidly. The race was held at the Arizona Nordic Village and the race format is simple: ride as many laps as you can in 6 hours. Each lap is 11 miles long. Obviously, the solo and duo team riders had it a bit harder than the four-person teams because they don’t have as long of a break in between laps. It was pretty easy to tell which riders were the solo riders because they were all super skinny, wore spandex, and had intense gazes. Kind of like the solo male winner:
He rode 77 miles, i.e. 7 laps, in 6 hours. That’s almost 7,000 ft of climbing. If I worked that hard during a ride, I’d eat ALL the fries.
I got into Flagstaff around 3:15pm on Friday. I thought I was beating the traffic, but quickly learned that move-in day for Northern Arizona University (NAU) was that day. Traffic in town was SO BUSY. I got to my airbnb and decided against going downtown for dinner because I didn’t want to face traffic again. Instead, I walked to the closest Safeway and picked up some items for dinner and lunch the next day.
My airbnb was a cute little bedroom in a single-family house with its own private entrance. The family owns a few chickens and the coop is right next to the airbnb entrance. I really enjoyed meeting the chickens and hearing their quiet “clucks” during my stay. (When I told the chickens I don’t eat meat, they seemed to appreciate that fact, haha!)
My cute little airbnb
The airbnb chickens!
Race day! For those of you who’ve never been to a mountain bike race before, it’s basically a big party. Yes, there’s an actual race, but there are also things like food trucks, vendors, live music, and activities for families such as a kids’ bike race. I was with a group of ladies from Hawesaholics Babes Ride On (HBRO), a ladies’ mountain biking group in Phoenix. We all arrived at the race site by 8am, set up our home base, and got our bikes and ourselves ready to go.
Race swag
HBRO racers right before the race started
My four-person team
Some of the vendors’ tents
The finish line!
Our HBRO area….lots of bikes!
Like I said earlier, the race course is 11 miles long. For the four-person teams, one racer rides the course at a time. When one racer finishes, the next racer will start riding. I was the second person to go on my team, which worked well for me. I didn’t have to deal with the mass start and I had a bit more time to get mentally prepared.
My new Canada gloves. I may be an American citizen now, but I’ll never forget my Canadian roots!
Right before I set off for my lap
The race course is not a technical one, i.e., riders of all levels can ride this course. My team pre-rode the course a couple of weeks before the race, so we had a good idea of what to expect. The most annoying part about the course is the climbing; almost half the course is uphill. It’s one of those steady grinds that seem to go on forever. Not fun. But, after the climb, the rest of the course is mostly downhill, which is way better! I had a couple of goals for the race: 1) beat my pre-ride time of 1 hour 40 minutes (I felt like my pre-ride time was slow because the ride was a big group ride and there were lots of stops to get people acquainted with the route) and 2) do my first lap in 1 hour 15 minutes. I met both goals!
I’ve had a few people ask me what I thought of the course. Aside from my course description above, my top three highlights — in no particular order — during the race were:
riding through the Aspen trees (I WISH I could have taken a picture! It was so pretty there!);
hearing a guy behind me yell “I was trying to keep up with you but you’re totally bombing the downhill!” (TRY HARDER, DUDE). Oh, FYI, “bombing” refers to racing down a trail as fast as possible. I left that guy in the dust. Literally!; and
pedaling as fast as I can towards the finish line in case a photographer was there to capture the moment (I wanted to look intense…you know, like a REAL racer).
My whole team did really well and we were very happy to learn that we placed first in our category!
Right after the race ended. We decided to wear our matching tank tops for the post-race photo. 🙂
Right after the awards ceremony
Cool medal! It’s also a bottle opener!
Ok….so full disclosure….we were the only team in our category (four-person team, women). HAHAHA! But hey, it’s still cool that we did the race and even cooler that we have a souvenir (i.e., medal)!
I had a really fun time and I’m glad I did this race. I got to know some awesome ladies better and we are all doing another race together in December! Stay tuned for more training and event stories!
reluctantroadie 