Well I didn't kill myself or break anything during my ride yesterday. It was a tough ride though. 8.6 miles with a lot of ups. My 2 riding buddies both race mtn. bikes so I felt bad that they had to wait on me a lot...especially toward the end of the ride when I was toast. Couldn't do some of the stuff that I could before - my technical skills have eroded a bit. Haven't lost my love for the downhills. I think I kind of surprised them with my downhill speed. They took me on the race course which was quite a bit harder than most of the stuff I used to ride. The trails are known for their difficulty - at least in this area. So, I feel pretty good about my performance. It was a lot of fun. Think I'll have to do it a bit more often.