Weekend MTB Rides

[Artista]

Thanks Keep in mind that I live in a coastal area that's rolling, not mountainous. Also, the trail system that I use my singlespeed at most often (including yesterday) isn't terribly technical.

For me, singlespeeding is another way to introduce some variety into my local trails and to get stronger in the process, all while feeling like a kid again. Believe me, I have a full-suspension geared bike for the hiller and more-technical rides!

You're still a bad@ss

[indysteel]

Ugh; I should have listened to my gut and stayed home. DH and I couldn't hit the trail until about 10:45 because I had an eye appointment first thing in the morning an hour away from the park. By the time we started, it was already terribly hot and humid.

I didn't feel great during a short road ride we did yesterday, so why I thought today would go any better, I don't know. I started to overheat about halfway through. It was rough going from there. At several points, I really thought I might throwup. We finally made it back to the car and I forced some food and hydration down. Catrin and Limewave, to the best of my knowledge were at another trail and I was originally planning to hunt for them. But I really just wanted to go home.

I cannot wait for this heat wave and drought to end.

[Catrin]

Indysteel, sorry to hear you were feeling so bad - it was HOT and this level of heat is just brutal - my body appears to tolerate trails much better than roads in this heat but hot is hot. We got started shortly after 10 on Limekiln. There was a 6 year old with us so we took a good number of breaks along the way and at the turn around. We finished about 11:15 - which is pretty good time for ~5 miles, especially with all of the breaks.

I had my first half-azz endo. I am not sure, but I think I got distracted by something on the edge of the trail that I didn't remember and wound up grabbing a handful of front brake while, of course, riding at the odd dip in the trail. Unsure, but that is the only reason I can think of why my bike stopped moving and I didn't

It wasn't a full going-over-the-handlebars but I did get airborne and landed on my right side. As I fell there was a shooting pain across the middle of my back and I made enough noise that Limewave and the other woman we were riding with heard me and came back - at that point I was taking up the rear.

My language would have made a sailor blush briefly at that point for which I apologized - I don't ordinarily talk like that, especially around children. I took my time getting up to make certain nothing was broken (there wasn't), and while I will have some spectacular bruises later I think - and I may have strained my right pectorial (muscular soreness/slight pain in my right breast), there doesn't seem to be any real damage. Yayyyyyyyyy!!!!

The rest of the ride after that was great and I am pleased with how I did. There are certainly somethings I need to work on - one-legged drills on the trainer will help my climbing I think - but I am comfortable riding solo next week assuming I can work out all of the soreness that will likely come

Oh yes, and I managed to ride the entire trail in the middle chain, last year I wasn't quite fit enough to leave the granny

[indysteel]

Owie, Catrin. I sure hope you're okay. Did you hit your head at all?

On a happier note, my pedals came today. They're prett cool! Not so sure about the shoes though. My toes went kind of numb. I might try the Karvers after all. I have to get the Guides cleaned up to return them if possible. They're just a little dusty.

[Catrin]

Owie, Catrin. I sure hope you're okay. Did you hit your head at all?

On a happier note, my pedals came today. They're prett cool! Not so sure about the shoes though. My toes went kind of numb. I might try the Karvers after all. I have to get the Guides cleaned up to return them if possible. They're just a little dusty.

I think my head/neck are fine - don't think I hit it - I wound up on my side so that was a blessing. That was part of the reason for my colorful language, I remembered the LAST time I had a hard fall - but there doesn't seem to be anything more serious than perhaps a slightly strained muscle. Time for a nice long hot shower now - I wanted to get home before the heat of the day.

Hopefully you won't have any problems trading the shoes, keep us posted on how things go. I have somewhat narrow feet myself, and every ride tells me I need to do something different with my feet.

[solobiker]

No riding for me for several weeks due to back issues. It flairs up every so often and puts the breaks on pretty much everything...except for hiking. Grrrrrr. It makes work as a therapist quite challenging. I am enjoying reading about all the fun you guys are having though.

[Catrin]

Weekday mtb camping vacation felt like the weekend

My crash last Thursday when testing to see if the laws of physics were still operational had consequences... Wasn't sure if bent boob and bruised muscles would allow me to ride but took Jamis Dakar and gear just in case

Monday: no riding, didn't even consider it - 1.5 hour mtb trail hike instead.
Tuesday: TRIED to ride the road inside the campground. Uhuh, riding position too painful, 3 hour mtb trail hike instead.

Wednesday: 4 hour mtb trail hike (mixed with pruning sticker vines that stick out over the trail) AND succeeded in riding a 1-mile beginner trail without pain, repeated it and finished with pain. End of riding for Wed.

Thursday: Back to beginner trail - no pain. Rode it twice Rode another trail connected to it - no problem - even better! Rode a portion of a trail connected to that one up to the road and took that back to my car. Wooot! An entire 4-5 miles when I could barely tolerate 2 miles the day before.

Wait, it got better than that After an hours break or so for lunch and rest, I took my bike to Limekiln - I love that trail and can't say why since it's tried to kill me a couple of times - and rode THAT one with no problem or pain. It is an out and back that is just under 5 miles combined. The trails were so dusty that every part of me that wasn't covered with clothing had dust/dirt by the time I was done. Even the inside of my ears and the holes on my HRM watch strap! It was fun, but man-oh-man do we need rain.

Boob is still a bit bent, muscles still a little tender, but I rode close to 10 miles today on the trails and I will take it I am also figuring out that roots and rocks make me far less nervous than those dratted switchbacks, but I did make some progress on that today. I decided I don't like the North Tower Connector for those familiar with the park, I think because it has more climbing than the other trails I can ride. I need to pay this trail more attention. I walked more on that trail today than I've done in a long time - which seems odd because the NT Loop is easier for me and I would have thought that to be the more difficult trail.

[Artista]

Finally got back on my favorite trails today after being tied up with business activities for the last 10 days. It felt sooooo good!

I've had absolutely no time for exercise and was a little worried that I wouldn't be quite as strong on the hills today. Fortunately, my exercise hiatus had no impact on my strength. I rode a long, steep, rocky, hill all the way to the top without stopping today for the first time.

We heard a rattle snake under a bush about 4-6 feet off the trail today. Fortunately, no snakes were lounging ON the trails today. Rattlers seem to be having a very good year this year judging by how many we've seen, heard, and heard about over the last few weeks.

[Catrin]

Hoping my schedule will allow me to at least do some mtb drills this weekend. My schedule is so wild these days that it is sometimes a hard choice between drills (when I can't head south to the trails) and a long road ride. I need the endurance from the long ride, but I also need the drills - and can rarely do both the same weekend

Decisions, decisions - but am thankful that I've no injuries of any kind that is keeping me from my chosen activities

[indysteel]

Did about 11 miles on our usual trail system today. My legs were already toast after s workout with my trainer on Friday and a day swimming at a friend's lakehouse yesterday, but I was happy with the ride. We have plans next weekend to ride with some friends at another state park. I hope it goes well.

[Artista]

Sounds like you're able to do more mtb'ing lately, Indy. Good for you.

We did two rides this weekend. Saturday's ride was on our favorite/usual trails. I'm thrilled to say that I earned the right to rename "Ankle Breaker Hill" to "Conquered Hill". It was good to toss the "old baggage" after successfully riding up that hill for the first time ever

We did another ride today on a popular trail system about 45 minutes from home. I ended up walking quite a bit of the uphill on super skinny single track with lots of big rocks and roots in the middle of the trail to sabotage my momentum, closely spaced trees just waiting to grab my handle bar, and tree trunks jutting into the edges of the trail just for kicks. The trail difficulty was rewarded with lots of shade while were climbing and stunning views of the local mountain range when we got to the top. We were so tired by then, though, that we rode a fire road back down. I'm anxious to go back and try riding the technical parts downhill, rather that uphill, as my decending skills are better than my climbing skills.

My husband was impressed with my riding today but I felt like a bit of a failure because I had to walk so much of the uphill. I looked up the reviews of this trial system on the internet when we got home and found out that the entire system is rated "advanced" by several websites I felt a whole lot better about what I DID ride once I read the ratings.

[indysteel]

Thanks, Artista. We are getting out a fair amount, although I sure wish we had a trail close enough to home so that we could ride during the week. Oh well; what we do have is very nice. I have no complaints. I tell ya; I am so pumped after a mtb ride. I love how "total body" it is. I feel the same way about yoga. I love road riding, but I don't get as pumped up from it unless the ride includes some climbing.

Congrats on conquering that hill!! Good for you! I understand your frustration. I think the conditions you describe are one of my bigger challenges. Maybe someone can chime in with some suggestions on how to tackle it. There's a root-covered climb on one hill that totally freaks me out. I was all set to session it today when I realized that they reworked the area to make it a bit easier. Plus, they blocked off a diversion around it that had started to develop. On one hand, I'm glad it's easier to get up now. On the other, I kind of needed to face the challenge at some point.

[Artista]

It's intriguing to hear that you equate mtb'ing with yoga. I've never done yoga but I'm considering adding yoga classes to my fitness routine this winter.

We have rocky, rooty, uphill, sections on the trails that we usually ride but the rocks are smaller and mostly buried, and the roots don't stick up as far as what we encountered today. I usually just power over that stuff on our regular trail but I don't have that kind of strength for the larger obstacles. I'm not sure that we'll do this new trail often enough for me to gain the strength to ride uphill over the bigger stuff. I may have to be happy employing Malkin's motto about never encountering a hill that I couldn't walk, although there were a few sections of this new trail that tested that motto. On the other hand, the shade and vistas on the new trails may be compelling enough to lure us back regularly.

BTW, Indy, are your feet still sleeping on your new pedals? If so, did you see the suggestion in the flat pedal thread about moving your feet a few millimeters on the pedals every few minutes to keep them from sleeping? It's worked for me.

[indysteel]

I equate yoga and mtbing to the extent they both fully engage my mind and my entire body. There's little room for outside thoughts and my whole body is actively engaged.

Still working on my feet. The Freeriders felt better than the Guide Tennies but I'm going to try some stiffer insoles to see if that might help. I'll keep your suggestion in mind, too.

[Catrin]

I equate yoga and mtbing to the extent they both fully engage my mind and my entire body. There's little room for outside thoughts and my whole body is actively engaged....

This! I don't do yoga, but this is the attraction for me to mountain biking.