Hello

So no racing for me this past weekend. I decided to take a week off because I was having a not so good feeling about the Powder Monkey race, and my knee was still in pain from the climbing at Welch so avoiding additional large hills was a plus.

Ive been doing some road riding for a change, It was a pleasant break from trail riding. Plus YAY! My riding buddy with the broken scaphoid is finally back in the saddle! Andy and I were out to dinner with my ridin buddy and her hubby. They were saying that they were kinda happy to have the racing season coming to a close, when WAAHBAM! I realized, jeez I really am also. Racing is a great thing and so much fun but it definately wears one down. Plus you have something going on every single weekend. No time to just sit at home and relax or hang with long lost friends. I have many people that I owe some visits too!

So I am realizing that my recent crashes are because I have not done this amount of physical activity in one year since before I could drive. My mind and body are ready for a month off and a nice refreshing start.

Two of the best races are yet to come, the Laddies Loppet and the Jail Trail. I have been taking it easy and doing some trail walking/running in order to keep in shape but give myself a bit of a break. If the next two races pan out well for me than I have a shot at the overall 1st place spot for my age group for the whole year. SWWEEEETTTTT!

Now I have to make the big decision. Do I train over the winter and race citizen again next year so I can continue taking photos of the races, or Do I train over the winter for the sport class, double my race time and the technical abilities needed to race? It seems logical that I move up to the next class if I pull an overall 1st for the series but thats a big jump, kinda nerve racking!!

Speaking of great photos. My Mother won a photo contest, she actually won two catagories: Peoples Choice and Nature. She was supposed to send me the pic but she has forgotten numerous times, so if your lucky, she will remember and I will come back and post up the photo.

You Know, I am going to look at the Dirt Rag mag and see if they have any info regarding sending in action shots, maybe I could get some photos published. Check ya later!

Welch Jam

This weekend was the 7th MNSCS race and my Birthday. What a great weekend!! We hit up Welch on Saturday to attempt a preride. I met up with Beth in the parking lot and she volunteered to wait for me to get ready so we could preride together. This is awesome because Beth is my competition in the series. Though I feel that she is at a level beyond me and I might not be able to catch her this year.

We started up the first climb (all welch is, is climb after climb after climb) and we slowly began to sink deeper and deeper into the thick substance covering all the trails. After about 10 mins of fighting with the foot deep mud we decided to climb the decent of the prolouge and hit it up backwards. All and All we saw about 1/5 of the course and 1 of the bizzilion hills we would be climbing the following day.

I think it worked out for the best. Had I climbed all the hills on the preride I would have had nothing left for the race.

I came in first in my age group and 3 overall for the women. Not to bad but I was holding out for the 2nd place position. I got beat by a younger gal. After climbing/walking the hills I was spent at the top and spent sometime on the double track recovering. Well Jordan, who is quite the awesome racer would come sprinting by me with a big grin on her face. She loved every minute of passing me up.

Jordan and I played cat and mouse a bit, I would catch her on the singletrack where I had no room to pass, then pass her on the climbs then she would sprint infront of me on the straight aways. We had a good time and warned each other about upcoming sketchy areas and gripped about the upcoming climbs.

In the end, she beat me by 45 secs. I got into a funk near the end and ended up walking my bike down a section, after the section I ran into some fellow team mates taking photos. I swear I was only there for a second, but after the race they said I sat there with them for probably a minute. They were like "what the heck, your racing, GET GOING!" so I suppose I could have had a photo finish. But all in all I was happy about the race and atleast I was beat by deserving folk!

After the race, we had some peace coffee hanging time, I got quoted for an article to be written for the MNSCS series regarding the WElch race. I cant really remember what I said, other than the fact that it included the word "Moist" It outta be an interesting article. Hopefully I sounded smart ; )

We had dinner at Kings Bar & Grill. Great Burgers as usual!!! Then home for a well earned shower and rest.

Great Race

Hey Everyone-

Well, not sure what my last post read, I think it detailed all my crashes and the fact that my knee was not working correctly.

I had posted a group ride for new riders on MORC (Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists Forum) and we had a great turnout. I was unsure if I would be able to ride but I just took up the back and kept it slow and steady. The ride was at the MN River Bottoms, which was the perfect trail for getting the knee back in working order. You can bypass all the technical stuff and it is a nice flat trail. It was a wonderful day!

So Saturday came and it was time to head down to Red Wing for a pre ride of the XC course and to watch some crazy friends race on the Down Hill course. The preride went quite well. I few of my fellow lady riders came along and we had a great time. As far as riding. I was a little nervous due to the knee and it was showing in my speed and technical abilities, but regardless we hit the loop twice and I was feeling pretty good.

The Down HIll race was awesome, I still think Down Hill racers are nuts. A friend Josh lost it and hit a tree, he hurt his back and his (r) wrist but that didnt stop him for taking the 2nd plunge down the narly down hill course. YAY to Josh, Steve, Rich and all the other brave Down Hillers. WAY TO GO!!!!!

afterwards, 4 of us went to Kings and had some great Burgers and a Beer and man were we ready for bed and the big day.

MUDDY RIVER ROCK N ROLL

I have to say that this was the funnest race I have done to date. The course is excellent, some nice twisty singletrack. Quite a few climbs but they are doable (you have to work alittle you know). The "Washing Machine" Which is this crazy ribbon of up/down hill sttep switchbacks. You get mad momentum which carries you through all of them, and at each turn downhill there is a nice sized tree you have to shimmy around. Pretty exciting stuff.

Though it was definately all of the 91 degrees! You know a wonderful course when the screaming heat doesnt stop anyone from racing.

I fared very well, Andy and I both took 2nd overall and 1st in our age groups. Thats a pretty sweet turnout if you ask me!!! Though my 2nd overall was only within the ladies, if you bunched me in with the guys I took 38th out of 60, which is still not to bad!

My friends Nita and Neal did their first race and they both were very happy. Its so awesome to introduce new people to this wonderful sport. If you race once, you will totally be addicted so watch out before you come hit up the trails.

OWIE

Well here I am, a few weeks since my last post and I am all excited for the Memorial Park race this weekend. It has been 4 weeks since I last raced and I cant wait! Oh Wait, I went riding some this last week and the trails were not very nice. Crash #1 at Thursdays Womens Ride involved a slam of my ars into a nice pointy rock. Leaving a very nice softball sized bruise to remember it by. Crash #2 at Mammoth (The feared trail of the twin cities) involved me forgetting to clip out of my pedal and slowing tipping over and over into a dry, rocky creek bed. Not to cool, I almost got pierced by a branch. My hand hurts and my (r) knee was hurt. Crash #3 small jumps over and over and over again, ah where did that log come from. OH SHIT i think thats me upside down flying through the air, what is that?, oh its my bike now in the air, SHITTTT! OUCH, okay this one hurt the worst!

It felt okay after the ride but when it came time to drive home the action of pushing in my clutch at every flipping light on the way home aggravated the injury to the point of having me in tears. I was seriously thinking about hitting up the ER lastnight but opted for calling the BCBS Nurse Line. They are always so helpful. Since I started this Mountain Biking Sport, myself and the nurses at the hotline have become very good friends!

So I decided to play hookie from work today because I couldnt walk last night, and this morning I was looking quite gimpy. I got in my car, pushed in the clutch and ohhh the pain, its baccccckkkkk! So needless to say I stayed home and have been keeping my leg up. Hoping and Praying that it will be better.

This week I have scheduled to take a group of new mountain bikers to the MN River bottoms for a meet and greet ride, Thursday was a group ride with the ladies where we are planning a happy mooning event. HEHEHE! and Friday was a day I was taking a future racing chick out to Memorial trail for a preride and Sunday is the well awaited race. So needless to say, a very busy week where I am in much need of a working knee and I again hope and pray that i will be able to take part in all this good stuff.

Oh so Tired

Hey Everyone-

So I rode to Lebanon on Tuesday, did one lap and headed home. It was the toughest ride Ive had in a long time. The weddings, booze, and icecream from the weekend did not have a positive effect. (go figure) I then joined a MORC Ladies ride at Elk River yesterday which went fabulous. I was Happy to feel strong and fluid again. I so love that trail!