Riding

and not training. That's what I've been doing. Difficult to be focused when there are saddle issues and lots of wet trails. So...

Today I rode with 3 other women, on the road, to Utica. Was a great ride and got in some tempo and pace lining. Plenty of comaraderie too.  Good times

Friday I did a trail night ride with a group from meetup. It was fun, but I learned a few things. I need a better light or ride more at night to get used to it. Have more patience. We rode very fast from point to point, but stopped really often and "rested?" I guess you'd call it. Too much standing around for me. It was a good workout though. I will join them again. Once I find a better light.

Lots of emotions lately. trying to just let them come and experience them. 

lots more to type but I'm whooped. off to bed

peace   

OMBC #2 Mohican

Week before last was decent training. Got some good trail miles in and finished with 35 miles in 2 days. Then last week went out the window. Between needing to be out of the saddle, then rain and other plans. Lack of consistency definitely hurts progress.

Rode with 2 friends to Columbus on Saturday evening on our way to race Mohican OMBC #2. We were lucky that one friend has an aunt and uncle that put us up for the night and fed us breakfast Sunday morning. As we were leaving the city on our way to Loudonville, we stopped at Starbucks. I know better, really I do but I did something very dumb. After being coffee free for about a year and a half I decided to have a shot of espresso. Wrong thing to do. By the time we arrived at the race venue 1.5 hours later my blood pressure and heart rate were elevated and I was nauseous. I opted to enter the novice race, feeling as I did, instead of the Sport class which was the same as the Expert class and was 25+ miles. Temps had dropped overnight to freezing. It was warming up but was still chilly and windy. Twenty minutes into the novice race I started wheezing. Yet again another asthma attack. I lost my lead into the single track. Eventually I passed another novice woman, but a mile or so before the end she passed me and I Never saw her again. This is racing. 

The long course was tough, with 3100 ft of climbing and plenty of roots and rock gardens. I don't think any of the three of us were happy with our results. But all in all it was a fun weekend with friends. We got to ride new trails. We ran into KT who came in 3rd in the expert women's race. She had taken her sons and spent the weekend with her family not too far from the venue. We also got to see Tim and Lauren, a couple we met at Mulberry Gap the first of March. Tim came in 2nd in the expert vet open race and Lauren took home 1st in the expert women's race.

A weekend with friends, new and old while riding bikes and seeing new places is so special. I am very fortunate and am grateful for each new adventure and opportunity. I love this life I'm living. 

I hope you had a fun weekend with people you love and enjoy being around too.
Life is good.

peace    

Prana (life; to move)

Celebrated a friends milestone birthday tonight. We drank and danced and moved to the music. I felt alive and chi was moving throughout my physical body. 

Definitely shows my age. Leaving the party and home well before midnight. sigh

Looking at it I'm sure some thought  things like what's that old lady doing dancing out on the dance floor. Anyone within 5 years of my age had a partner, either dancing or close by. I miss those days, somewhat. 

But mostly I am ready to ride bikes tomorrow and Sunday. I hope to catch results from Battenkill. That's a tough rode race in NY state. Time to go north I think and ride trails all day long.

respect and peace

Sweet Caroline was special tonight 

I'm the one

it seems, no one wants to be beaten by. Old lady, ex-smoker.

interesting but at end of the day not important

I have my own goals and typically don't include beating specific people. Maybe I'm the anomaly

peace

and sometimes

what you do (or try to do) gives love better than saying three little words.

I'm trying lots of things

but can't seem to find the right one(s) to eliminate. Rode down Dog Hill trail today going into the park. It has gotten rougher over the winter and a second trail parallel has been formed as well. My hands hurt so badly the entire way down I was almost in tears. I opted for one Cherokee loop because the hands weren't feeling any better by No Net. No dairy and no wheat or gluten. No beer either!

I'm not going to stop. Not yet. I love riding trails daggonit.

facing facts

Sometimes you just have to no matter how much you'd rather it not be.

but I'm not ready to give in/up yet