Mountain biking - new hobby

Last summer Monica was invited by her friend Dave to be on his team for 24 Hours of Great Glen, a mountain bike race near the base of Mount Washington.  She wasn't an experienced rider but as is pretty common with her she threw herself into the experience and her competitive nature made her want to be better at the sport for next year.  With David's help and lots of research she bought a new bike to replace the Boat Anchor (David's words) that she had been using.  I have an old bike and this fall we went for a few rides locally with Brenda, Steve, and Michelle and I think I got the bug as well.  One thing was sure, my bike (and the Boat Anchor) weren't suitable for keeping up with Monica.

Since the winter started out with a dearth of snow, and we had a bunch of shared vacation time between Christmas and New Years we took a few rides on new terrain.  I borrowed a bike from David - the one Monica rode at Great Glen - and armed with my new GoPro camera hit the trails at Great Brook Farms in Carlisle, MA and Big River Reservation in West Greenwich, RI.  We learned our share of lessons about layering for the cold, riding during hunting season, the fine art of falling safely, and mud.

First, let's establish some ground rules: I'm not an adrenaline junkie.  Sure, I like sports that require you to get out there and push the envelope from time to time, but in the grand scheme of things I don't like really fast speeds or living on the ragged edge.  This point was driven home forcefully a few years back when I was driving F1 gocarts at a friend's bachelor party and I came in dead last in every race.  Small children were passing me in every corner because I just don't have the killer instinct needed to dive into those turns at top speed.  Apparently using the brakes is frowned upon.  And this translates to mountain biking in a way that means each segment we ride I start out right behind Monica and while trying to negotiate a tricky section I look up to see that she is gone, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake while I chicken out on log jumps.  Such is life.

I own a mountain bike.  Well, I own a bike that many folks would consider a mountain bike.  It has a front fork suspension, but I've modified the bike for commuting and the less said about it the better.  When Monica got her bike I borrowed her old bike; formally the Barracuda but now rechristened the Boat Anchor. Until recently I would have been happy with a bike like this, but riding the terrain we've been riding recently its shortcomings are clear.  It's an older bike with a front fork but other than that it doesn't compare favorably to a Big Wheel, let alone a full suspension bike with disk brakes.  Finally, I borrowed Kathy's bike (the one Monica used at Great Glen) and riding became a whole new sport.

With a full suspension, trails look very different.  Terrain that used to have me picking my way down at a snail's pace I could now ride at a good clip, looking ahead to pick out my best line without worrying about every rock and root.  As the speed picked up I fell into a better rhythm allowing me to enjoy the ride, rather than think my way through everything.  Riding became more instinctive and flowing, and while I still don't have the killer instinct that lets some people ride down cliff faces I can go across narrow bridges, jump some logs, and get through steep descents without embarrassing myself.

I'll be picking up a new bike for myself this spring and exploring the local trails.  It's a great cross training sport, and is more stimulating than road biking.  Maybe a western mountain bike adventure is in the works?

New Years Resolutions

A new day and a new lease on life!  Time to reflect on 2011 and plan for 2012.

2011 was a pretty big year for Runner Dave. The highlight was certainly running the Boston Marathon, my first.  My friend Robyn ran every step with me and I'm eternally grateful to her for that.  The race itself was a mixed bag; I had calf cramps for the last 10 miles that caused me to walk a bit each mile but I finished and I was very proud of my accomplishment.  There was also my first real bout of disappointment related to injury.  I had registered for the Bay State Marathon in October but leg problems caused me to scale it back to the half.  It was a big disappointment and felt like a failure, but completing the half even though my training had been so poor and interrupted was a boost. I even got a chance to pay forward Robyn's gift to me by running with Brenda on the Somerville Jingle Bell Run, which was my first race ever 4 years ago. I ended the year healthy and excited about running.


So, I'm looking forward to 2012 and planning out some races and goals for the year. Here they are:

1. Stay Healthy - I had several problems in 2011 with injury, from ITB tendinitis during my Boston training to a persistent cramping problem in my calves. They seem to be related to overtraining issues and technique.  To address this I am going to do a lot more cross training; adding road and mountain biking to the weekly schedule and creating a weight lifting program that strengthens my knees. I'm looking into Yoga to help my flexibility and I want to keep to a sports massage once a month because I like pain, apparently.
2. Eat better - In 2009 I lost 60+ pounds and felt great.  It made running much more enjoyable and made me feel better during and after.  After Boston and the inactivity that came with injuries I've gained back some of that weight so I want to get back to the diet that helped me lose and maintain my weight.While exercise is part of it, getting back to the eating techniques that worked is the key.
3. Create a routine - I've got a group run on Monday with some co-workers that has become part of my weekly tradition.  A weekly schedule that mixes running (indoors and out), biking, and weights in a coherent training schedule will help me focus and motivate to get in the full number of workouts per week. Weekend backcountry skiing this winter will replace the long runs, assuming we ever get any snow.
4. Add some new race challenges - A second marathon is in my future at some point, not sure when or where.  For some reason I want to run a 50K trail race before my 50th birthday, and Pinelands on Memorial Day weekend could be the right fit.  It's daunting but so was the marathon.  We'll see how the long runs in the spring go.  One last piece of the puzzle is a triathlon.  Before I started running I was a biker and growing up I was a competitive swimmer, so a tri seems logical, right?
5. Have fun - I think this one is pretty straight forward.  Why do it if it isn't fun?