Peanut Butter POW!

Yesterday marked the 2 weeks until my first race day!! I am still a bit nervous for the 10 miles of what I found to be hell when it was just 5 miles last year, but I feel a lot stronger and fit this time around. I had a great ride at Wampatuck State Park with one of the more larger groups I have ridden with (7 total).  The ride went great, I tried to really push myself with speed and keep up with the BikeBarn boys, and keeping up means coming up to them 10-20 seconds after they have stopped going hard.  I am extra proud that I made it up this giant, steady, never-ending climb that wasn't really part of our ride, but more an option to take the more intense route. It was the first time I said in my head "Shut up legs" as my boyfriend would explain. I felt the burn, and my legs just wanted to stop peddling but I kept telling myself, "Just keep going, you can do it": Mind Over Matter I suppose.

I almost gave my boyfriend a heart attack on the ride; as I chose to avoid a rock and take the inch of moss-like land next to the rock that could of led to a 6-foot drop into a river. We both would have gotten a nice cool down if that happened. But luckily I didn't realize at the time, that the ground beneath my wheels was paper thin and I rode right over it...or more over air as I was told by my jaw-dropped spectators.

Wampatuck is a great place to ride, with tons of trail options for any kind of rider. Our ride really consisted of trails I have never been on, and not really to my personal taste of how I like to ride. It was pretty flat, with a few roots here and there, and some climbs that were very gradual and un-technical. I really prefer to challenge myself with steep technical climbs that require you to act fast and choose the right lines, I feel it builds experience. One specific part of the ride I enjoyed was the twisting and turning downhill, that had a handful of berms to ride. Berms are something I need to get aquainted with, or more so, comfortable with. I feel once you can ride berms, you become one with your bike and let it dance through the trails. (Heard this saying from a friend, corny but totally true.)

(lame Berm example..)

I'm getting better and better at learning how to lift my bike. I was entertaining myself on my ride at Wampatuck when going over bridges that had a little drop at the end. Lifting my bike and getting some air (and by air I mean a foot if that). I felt cool though. Kind of like how I felt cool when I was taking a break (I know, I know:  "There are no breaks in races!") and sitting on my bike with one of my shoes clicked in and let go of the breaks and toppled over, letting my beauty hit the pavement, OUCH! No injuries, just laughs.

I am trying to get in as much riding as my schedule allows me, I'm determined and obsessed; I think that combination works really well with mountain biking...Until my next epic (or Era should I say) adventure, I'm just going to keep hoping summer is on it's way.