Changes

Alright people, a year later and I'm back. There have been major changes in my life and things are not done changing. Life has come full circle. I am a pissed off, punk rock seekin' rat like I was 15 years ago, and that says alot - to be here again. Someone took me out back and kicked me in the a$$ and reminded me who I was. Thank you. It was painful, but ya know hard lessons are often the most pleasurable after the bruises heal.

It's Official

It's official, I set and met a goal - I won the SingleSpeed category for the NMORS Series. I decided last year after trying a few of these short course sprint, traditional XC races I would ride 5 races allowing to meet the 4 race minimum to win a category. I selected races I had ridden before, and courses I was familiar with, showed up and rode hard every race. In the series showing up and finishing is the name of the game rather than winning the individual races.
Official results are out and I get the championship jersey. More importantly this was the first year a female raced enough races in that category to take the jersey, and we had nine women race SS in the series. Hopefully there will be more and more women come out to race SS at these races. The men's field is usually pretty competative and hopefullly the ladies will catch on to the fun of passing a geared rider with their lonley, single gear.....
I'm not at all a sprinter, endurance baby, endurance. But I do have fun at these races and so I'll definately race a handful next year.

Let the Games Begin

The SingleSpeed World Championships in Durango Colorado have begun. Teammates Lenny and Claudia Goodell made the front page of the Durango Herald cheesin' it on the first group ride of the weeks events. Seems local (meaning from Durango) teammates Matt and Jeni opted out of the event along with Rico, Colorado rider Jeff to actually compete in a 12 Hour event this weekend. I hear the course is not very ridable for at least 7 of the first 11 miles, but hell - who really goes to ride this event anyway? Okay out of 981 riders probably 200 riders come to "race," the rest come for the craziness of 900 cyclists on SingleSpeeds and the inevitable rolling party that results!

Lonely Blog

My poor blog has been lonely and I know you all have missed my intermitten posts too. Things have been so hectic, and I know my poor blog, you just don't understand one being too busy to spend a few minutes posting to you. I raced every weekend from Easter (ok that one got rained out) til May 9 - then I was out of state 2 weeks and then back to work. And although it is better to be at work and wishing I was not than to be unemployed, I wish I had some time to ride and post to you my poor blog.
Poor blog, we have been landscaping the backyard, so evening rides have been out and evening computer time. I am actually working a "normal" person's work schedule of 40+ hours a week (usually its 30 hours a week) and I have extra work on the side eating up potential ride time and blog time. I am just about to abandon all the distance events I signed up for in Fall because of the fast depletiton of my ability to endure and clearly its bad if I don't even have a few minutes for you, poor blog. But alas, maybe I can pull it out in the next week. I have decided that shoveling and spreading 9.5 tons of rock can count as gym workouts, and posting to you, blog, can be my recovery - so i just have to find bike time.
I promise, poor blog, that I will visit you more often, and above is a pic to remind you what I look like when I'm free to do what I love and what brings me to you for posting.

Leading the Way

OK, I admit it, part of the reason I am racing Single Speed all year in the NMORS series is because few females race SS, so my odds of placing as well as winning the series are high. I also admit part of the reason why I race SS is because my ego likes getting the props for doing so from the racing community. I deny that I ride SS for any of the reasons that Jason Thorpe claims people ride SS (see Up Front of Mountain Bike Magazine, June 2009). In fact, I got lazy as a technical rider when I got on the full suspension bandwagon, and I also got extra soft...not having gears and only a suspension fork, has made me technically better each ride and not nearly as soft (although the Budah Belly still rules - because SS'ers appreciate good beer more than any other group outside of downhillers I think).
So the point is, yes there is a point here, I still would like to see more women show up riding SS at the short course races. The last three races I have done I have won - without challenge. Conversely, everytime I show up at an endurance event, the female SS competitionis deep and extremely tough. I have a long way to go to compete with those ladies, there's no getting around that (sigh, sound of a beer being cracked open). In fact I leave for the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde in the morning, and I know the female SS field will be deep enough I have not a chance, and I like that, because it gives me a challenge and gives me ladies to admire and to drive me in my training.
So how about it ladies, shed some gears and try the short course races 1x1, I promise to make you laugh at the starting line and share a beer at the finish.

How many days in a row

I have been cooped up inside for 3 days at a partnership meeting related to a grant I am involved with to create a certificate program for interpreters and trnaslators in the justice system and health care system. And my 3 week semester break started. So as my mind wanders from the meeting to the beautiful trees outside the conference room window and the glimpse of the Sandias over the top of the building behind the trees - I am trying to think how many days I can ride over hte next 2 weeks. Pondering my race schedule over the enxt 2 weeks and travel plans, I'm thinking 12 of 14 days - if rides to the bar count maybe all 14 days. :)

First short course race of year

So last weekend I raced my first shortcourse of the year...the xc course in Socorro, NM. I was the only chica brave enough to race SS, so I took first naturally. But the best news is that I felt I had too hard a gear running 32/18 and indeed there were times I could barely keep it rollin - BUT I ran 12 minutes faster than last year. Meaning 12 minutes faster than on the geared bike. I would have done better, but the tall gear caused me to cramp up second lap out. Check the pic - top of the nasty hill 5 yards from finish - if it were not for the cow bells, and people cheering I would have rolled back down the hill.