Dirt Fever

Hahaha!  I am impressed that I already posted for April, and that I am doing so again.  This month has been a blurrrrrrr....

I did sign an online pledge to ride my bike everyday in April (more laughter here).  How's that going, you ask?  Well...I don't remember...or prefer not to.

I did pretty well the first two weeks...did 7 XC trail rides, a few pumptrack sessions, and when there wasn't time for much else I pedaled up and down my dead end neighborhood street a few laps.  The spring weather was motivational...dirt fever had set in!  Then on the 14th, I got lazy and took one day off, which turned into 3.

Then I competed in my first XC evening training race of the season.  I moved up to the Sport category thinking that 2 laps instead of 1 would be a good challenge...then I found out I had to do 3!  15 miles nonstop XC.  Oh, I can ride 15 miles, but there is usually a few pit stops and a lunch break involved.  A 15 mile ride usually takes about 3 hours.  I rode 15 miles in 1:30.  Ouch.  Placed 3rd of 3, but I wasn't far behind!  And I am at a slight disadvantage with my bike...I'm cruising on my All Mountain Transition Covert, which is AWESOME!  But I am outbiked for XC racing by all the carbon fiber 29ers.  No big deal though, it's just for DH endurance training anyhow.  And with so few women competing, I can usually still get a medal!

I think I was the only rider who rode this granite bridge--I always pick the hard lines.

So, with my first race behind me I haven't been on the bike again since...very sad.  Too much work and no bike makes me a dull girl.  I did hop on my BMX bike today (my new buddy!) and run a few laps on the pumptrack which was fun.  And I did crash once, which I haven't done since DH season last year.  And I didn't have my knee pads on...the one time, right!  Ouch again.  I need to go to Dirty Jane and order me an extra pair so I can keep one with my pumptrack bike at all times!

I wore my new Troy Lee Designs full face on the pumptrack today to break it in a bit...love it!  I need to wear it a bit more to get used to it for DH season.  Feels weird after not wearing one for so long. My first race is coming up fast!  (Duryea Downhill in Reading PA)

Tomorrow night is the 2nd series XC race, maybe with all this time off I'll have more energy to pedal through when I just want to cruise...maybe, just maybe, I can make a better showing even with the big bike.