The Joy of Mountain Biking

so i realize i'm behind on updating this blog. i now owe you two more race recaps and some news and random thoughts. so i'll break this up into different posts as i get a chance throughout the day.

anyway here we go with the easy stuff first (and remember: language may not be suitable for children under 13)

I'M OFFICIALLY A TEAM MTBNJ MEMBER!!!!!!!!!

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ok... so this is pretty fucking awesome (to say it mildly). :D

i've always considered myself sort of an honorary member. kind of like the kid sister you don't mind hanging around in the background. i've helped out once in a while at races and gotten some perks like t-shirts and food... (FYI: i'm easily bribed with t-shirts and food) and everyone on the team has always been helpful and supportive and never made me feel like i'm somehow less (if that makes sense) for being a slower or less capable rider. and being asked to join the team feels like i've earned my stripes... and it feels really really good. it's definitely a major confidence boost for me. and it's definitely going to make me push myself harder so that i can make the team proud that they asked me to join... plus i look good in the orange and blue. seriously. i'm going to rock the hell out of this kit.

@Dominique gave me an old jersey and i was able to wear it for my first race as a team MTBNJ member at the Lewis Morris challenge this weekend. It didn't quite go as well as i'd hoped, unfortunately (more on the race later)... but at least i looked good!
 
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ok... some race recaps for ya:

Bulldog Rump: this was the first race i was actually able to pre-ride. i went out with Lucia the day before and checked the course out. it was nice sitting back and checking out lines in some spots... seeing how another racer handles her pre-ride and all. get her opinion on how to tackle stuff. so thanks to checking the course out, i knew ahead of time that on race day there were going to be some spots that would trip me up. but, since i also don't have to worry about the pressure of making podium, i told myself to try those tricky spots on the first lap but that i have permission to walk some of those spots once fatigue hit on the second lap.

race day comes and it's hot as fuck balls.... which is bad for me since i really don't do heat well. i've had to cut out of rides early because of heat headaches and stuff. so i took it slow (of course, one could argue that's the only speed i'm capable of doing right now) and the race itself went as expected. i'm in the back just trying to remain upright and finish. i'm the last cat 2 woman to come in but some awesome folks were hanging out at the finish and cheered me on... and that always feels nice. :D

there was one really nice thing that happened in the middle of the race that i want to talk about: so i'm doing my thing and i hear someone behind me. i look back and see a guy coming up and i can't tell if he's cat 2 or endurance or what so i kind of slow down and pull over a little to let him by. but he doesn't race past me. instead he tells me that it's the racer behind me who's responsible for making the pass and that i don't have to move over like that. and that's nice to hear... that someone who's a faster rider than me acknowledged that it's my race too. that i deserve the right to do my thing at my speed and not feel like i have to move for everyone. so thank you whoever you are. (and yes... he did eventually pass me and he was very nice about that too)

Lewis Morris Challenge: Uggh. i'm really disappointed in this one. knowing the competition, i know i have no chance of podium... but i still wanted to do well (for me) in this race because it's my home town trails. like i have to represent morristown and all. i ride here all the fucking time. i know where i can bomb down really fast. i know which lines to take. i know where all the uphills are and when to conserve energy. and it was my first official race as team MTBNJ (more color!).

and i totally fucking fell flat.

it wasn't as hot as the bulldog race, but it was still bad for me. i got a major side stitch halfway thru the first lap and it lasted into the second lap. i had trouble breathing and i was just not hitting lines the way i normally would have. the noon start time is weird. i had breakfast but i can't eat lunch but i need food for energy but not too much where i cramp up. uggh. this racing shit is complicated. anyway... i did what i could do. i finished and somehow wasn't last. i heard some cheers as i came thru the laps (thank you thank you thank you) and i got some encouraging words and some advice from other racers afterwards.

as i've said before, this being my first season of cat 2, this is all a huge learning experience... learning to pace myself, push myself, mentally prepare myself... i shouldn't compare myself to the other ladies yet. i can't beat myself up because they have a 20 minute gap on me. that's not fair to myself. they're stronger, better athletes who have more race experience... and i just have to be patient with myself to experience what i need to experience in order to get better. (still sucks tho when you see the results :/ )

but @sarcaro better watch out... because i am coming for her! ;)
 
ok ok ok.... Race recap!

The Point Peter Pounder...
The Jervis Johnson Jolt...
The Orange County Crotch Crusher...

uh. that's all i got right now. (suggestions welcomed)

so anyway.... I wasn't sure I wanted to even bother with race. It's far. I'm lazy. I hate driving. But I went up with @sarcaro and @Cara Bradshaw on the 4th of July and we met up with @pixychick & co to pre-ride the course. My first impression of the course was that i didn't like it... like it couldn't decide whether it wanted to be flowy or techy so it wound up somewhere in between. and some trails felt REALLY new... like they were just put in weeks before and really needed a lot of work. there were some parts in the extra loop that we rode that i liked but they weren't included in the actual cat 2 race. oh well.

so i register at the last moment because i figured i really should just finish out the season. and maybe there was some peer pressure from @sarcaro (i think she just likes my recaps)

so race day comes... blah blah blah... we line up. i'm tired and sort of hungry and totally not warmed up. but i decide to just go and ride... fuck race pace (well, fuck race pace if i had an actual race pace). we head out and i keep diana in sight for a little bit but then i get distracted by some racers coming up behind me. there was a group behind us at the start so i knew they were coming and i was just bracing myself for the inevitable passing. so trying to be assertive (because it's my race, too, dammit!), i wasn't going to just move over for anyone. they'd have to pass me and only when i said ok.

well, i didn't have to be a bitch or anything (darn it)... everyone passed nicely... a couple of guys chit-chatted a little before making an eventual pass... and i just did my thing. parts of the course made me nervous because i have a little fear of heights. i hated the hill just before the feed area mostly because i knew people were there watching (if that's not an incentive to not walk, i don't know what is). i pop out into that area and head down for the mini loop before the start of the second lap... i do the second lap. it feels easier and faster and there's less pressure since no one's behind me at that point. nothing really exciting to report here. sorry, folks.

anyway... i finally finish. i think i'm the totally last cat 2 racer to come thru. i guess the good thing about that is that i can't get any worse next year? i almost fall getting off the bike... my thigh totally seized for a second as i was trying to unclip. i go get me some skratch drink because water isn't cutting it and i find half a bagel (THAT'S RIGHT @Santapez ... I ATE HALF A BAGEL... DELICIOUS DOUGHY GLUTENS!) and i hang around for the podiums.

nice podium surprise: since there was only 4 of us in our cat/age group and we've been the only 4 who've been consistently racing, steph made sure that we were ALL on the podium together. she may have threatened physical violence if we weren't. i thought i'd go up and just get my pic taken with everyone else, but the promoters were nice enough to give me a consolation medal and water bottle too. :) (it's a nice water bottle BTW.)

so, i guess that's it for the H2H races. not too many fucks given overall since this year is all about learning how to race better and pushing myself to do more. i've been slow, poorly hydrated and anxious. i've had a few mechanical issues. but i got a fun new bike and became part of a team. and i even got a water bottle and some medals.

not sure what else to say. i have other types of races i'm going to do... and i guess i'll post recaps for those... maybe i'll add some training (*snort*) updates. and i'd like to do some more downhilling. and this is getting really long now soooo... fuck this shit... i'm outta here.
 
See you at CX practice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

crossiscoming crossiscoming crossiscoming crossiscoming crossiscoming crossiscoming crossiscoming crossiscoming crossiscoming crossiscoming crossiscoming crossiscoming
 
MissJR said:
ok ok ok.... Race recap!

The Point Peter Pounder...
The Jervis Johnson Jolt...
The Orange County Crotch Crusher...

uh. that's all i got right now. (suggestions welcomed)

so anyway.... I wasn't sure I wanted to even bother with race. It's far. I'm lazy. I hate driving. But I went up with @sarcaro and @Cara Bradshaw on the 4th of July and we met up with @pixychick & co to pre-ride the course. My first impression of the course was that i didn't like it... like it couldn't decide whether it wanted to be flowy or techy so it wound up somewhere in between. and some trails felt REALLY new... like they were just put in weeks before and really needed a lot of work. there were some parts in the extra loop that we rode that i liked but they weren't included in the actual cat 2 race. oh well.

so i register at the last moment because i figured i really should just finish out the season. and maybe there was some peer pressure from @sarcaro (i think she just likes my recaps)

so race day comes... blah blah blah... we line up. i'm tired and sort of hungry and totally not warmed up. but i decide to just go and ride... fuck race pace (well, fuck race pace if i had an actual race pace). we head out and i keep diana in sight for a little bit but then i get distracted by some racers coming up behind me. there was a group behind us at the start so i knew they were coming and i was just bracing myself for the inevitable passing. so trying to be assertive (because it's my race, too, dammit!), i wasn't going to just move over for anyone. they'd have to pass me and only when i said ok.

well, i didn't have to be a bitch or anything (darn it)... everyone passed nicely... a couple of guys chit-chatted a little before making an eventual pass... and i just did my thing. parts of the course made me nervous because i have a little fear of heights. i hated the hill just before the feed area mostly because i knew people were there watching (if that's not an incentive to not walk, i don't know what is). i pop out into that area and head down for the mini loop before the start of the second lap... i do the second lap. it feels easier and faster and there's less pressure since no one's behind me at that point. nothing really exciting to report here. sorry, folks.

anyway... i finally finish. i think i'm the totally last cat 2 racer to come thru. i guess the good thing about that is that i can't get any worse next year? i almost fall getting off the bike... my thigh totally seized for a second as i was trying to unclip. i go get me some skratch drink because water isn't cutting it and i find half a bagel (THAT'S RIGHT @Santapez ... I ATE HALF A BAGEL... DELICIOUS DOUGHY GLUTENS!) and i hang around for the podiums.

nice podium surprise: since there was only 4 of us in our cat/age group and we've been the only 4 who've been consistently racing, steph made sure that we were ALL on the podium together. she may have threatened physical violence if we weren't. i thought i'd go up and just get my pic taken with everyone else, but the promoters were nice enough to give me a consolation medal and water bottle too. :) (it's a nice water bottle BTW.)

so, i guess that's it for the H2H races. not too many fucks given overall since this year is all about learning how to race better and pushing myself to do more. i've been slow, poorly hydrated and anxious. i've had a few mechanical issues. but i got a fun new bike and became part of a team. and i even got a water bottle and some medals.

not sure what else to say. i have other types of races i'm going to do... and i guess i'll post recaps for those... maybe i'll add some training (*snort*) updates. and i'd like to do some more downhilling. and this is getting really long now soooo... fuck this shit... i'm outta here.
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I lost count of the foul language LOL....Hey there was not threatening of physical violence. I just said all 4 of us going up there well bc there were 4 spots! bring on 2018 :)
 
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