Coffeeneuring Ride 7, in the wild

Coffee in the wild. The hot coffee felt good on a cold day.

Coffeeneuring 2019 wrapped up today with Amy R. as we hit the trails at Willowdale State Forest for a late afternoon ride. Amy and Jennifer both picked up new mountain bikes last weekend and today was her second time out. Of course she’s a powerhouse on the trails, so I was happy to just keep up. (It is no secret I’ve let my fitness slide since July and I’m just now starting to get it back. Hills are still a grind for me. Are they ever not?)

Riding with Amy was really fun and I was grateful she knew the trails. I would have been lost for sure — and with the sun sinking fast, we didn’t have a whole lot of time to get lost. It was a fun ride!

An hour and a half later my (tubeless) rear tire completely flatted about 500 yards from the parking lot. (I’ve been needing to replace that tire for a while now, so wasn’t surprised it finally gave out.) We walked it back to the car, grabbed my backpack containing mugs and a hydro flask of hot coffee, and warmed up with a post-ride brew. A perfect ending to a great day.

Coffeeneuring 2019 is complete — I’m now 4 for 6 on this annual coffee ride challenge.

Into the woods we go!

Adventures with Chip - Breakheart Reservation MTB

A gorgeous day to get a little lost.

It looks like we're on the Blue trail...
but we ended up on the YELLOW
#hike-a-bike

Like a dog, Chip can't pass a good stick without picking it up.

Adventuring

I somehow convinced Chip to head out for a ride at Breakheart Reservation with me a few weekends ago. I knew he was feeling tired from a hard week of football -- and wasn't really keen on heading out for an adventure -- but with the promise of food he rallied for a ride. (It was a little manipulative on my part -- I know can entice him to do anything at the mere mention of food.)

We had brunch at The Iron-Town Diner in Saugus -- a fantastic place which Chip rated a "Ten outa ten". (Impressive.) We then headed off for Breakheart Reservation and a quick little adventure getting "lost" with a ton of hike-a-bike on the yellow trail. 

My side goal while we were there was to find some easy hiking trails for the Cyclopaths, but realized as we were riding (and hiking) that the trails we chose were a little too challenging for our gang. I have a little more exploring to do.

We had a great time, though! Can't wait to go back!

Iron-Town Diner

The burger was as big as his head....
but he finished it in three minutes

VeloFix to the rescue

Guenther at VeloFix, mobile bike shop

How many years have I complained about the gearing on my Trek Domane? Probably since I first got it in June 2013!

I always think about it in-season, especially as I'm trying to mash up the hills of Vermont in a too-high-gear, but I can never find a break during the summer to leave my bike for any length of time to take care of it. I discussed my issue (several times) with two of the mechanics at FitWerx who kinda/sorta understood what I was looking for, but also told me that I just needed to get stronger... (oh, good grief)... and gave me a rough estimate of $250 (!) to replace the cassette and derailleur.

After my mechanical in August at the Farm to Fork Fondo, I knew I had a bent derailleur hanger and the bike was riding really rough and sluggish. I'd met Guenther Anger from VeloFix Boston a few times this fall and decided to give him a call. VeloFix is a mobile bike shop -- he brings the shop to you! So perfect.

Guenther came to my house and repaired, cleaned, and tuned up the Domane perfectly. He replaced the chain, which was totally shot, and the bar tape that was starting to fray. (Zane replaced it two years ago. It was time.) He also ordered a new cassette for me ($75) and will replace it when it arrives.

When he was done, he went to work on the Kona. I just had it tuned in June so it wasn't in despicable shape, but he did cut down the handlebars for me!!! (Oh that bar is so much more comfortable now. It just reminds me of how much JRA Cycles kinda sucks.)

VeloFix took care of two of my major annoyances and I looovvveeee my bikes again!

Thank you, Guenther!

Working on those skills

It's like pinball alley down there, turning sharply left at the bottom.
I knew I was going to crash.
But went anyway.

Rebecca's coaching still floats through my head.
Feet level, weight off the seat. Bananas.
Brake with one finger -- feather to control speed.
Don't look down -- look straight ahead to a happy spot.
Keep elbows bent, not rigid.
Ketchup. Ketchup. Ketchup.

I think I've got it.

Mountain Bike Adventures with Rebecca

"Every time I see your feet aren't level
and your butt isn't out of the seat,
I'm going to shout 'bananas'.

There may come a time when I will be able to fly over roots, stumps and boulders on a rock-strewn downhill descent without crashing. Right now, though, I'm still landing hard on my ass almost every time.

Just adding to my collection of bruises.

MTB and CX pro Rebecca Gross was in the house for two weeks giving me as much guidance and coaching as she could possibly cram into me. OK. Got it. "Feet level on the pedals. Weight off the saddle. Look ahead to a happy spot. Keep those elbows bent. Don't look down. Don't brake. Really! DON'T BRAKE..."

That one is tough for me. As I forget to look ahead to a happy spot, and look down and see the massive rocks ahead of me on the trail, I tend to put the brakes on and down I go. Eeeesh. It's not easy.

"Every time you say 'I can't' or 'that's too hard',
I'm going to shout 'ketchup'."

I keep trying.

I get up.

I keep going.

But I have #bruisesonbruisesonbruises.

It was a bananas and ketchup kind of day.

Winding down summer on the trails

Easy summer days

Willowdale with Michelle. (My big head! Hahahaha)

Lost in Willowdale

The Northern Rail Trail

Rich and Chip take a break from the rain

Despite ambitious plans at the beginning of the summer, Chip and I decided last week not to ride this year's Harpoon Point to Point -- in part due to the low-key summer I've been having and lack of training. Instead, we tossed the mountain bikes in the back of the car and headed up to Ascutney to check out some trails. Rich was interested in riding as well -- as we've made a tradition out of doing the P2P together -- so he met us in Vermont on Saturday despite rain in the forecast.

Let me just add that I don't put much credence in weather forecasts -- they are always wrong. So when I heard thunderstorms were expected in the area, I didn't believe it. (Hahaha...)

From Ascutney, we drove 25 minutes north to Lebanon, New Hampshire to The Northern Rail Trail -- what a terrific discovery! The mixed terrain trail of hard packed dirt, crushed stone, and gravel extends for approximately 58 miles down the former Boston and Maine Rail line, beginning in Lebanon and traveling east/south to Boscawen on the Merrimack River. My initial plan was for us to ride as far as Danbury (28 miles/56 RT) but didn't count on torrential rain and severe thunderstorms to hit us. We headed out in a light, misty drizzle which eventually turned into drenching downpours with rumbles of thunder six miles into the trail.

Despite poor visibility and tough riding conditions in the rain, we continued on to Canaan (14 miles) where we found a charming breakfast/lunch spot, Dishin' it Out, still open for lunch with 30 minutes to spare. We walked in soaking wet and asked if it was still ok to get lunch. A few folks in the restaurant chuckled at our appearance, but all were genuinely nice and welcomed us right in, despite the fact we were leaving mud and puddles on the floor as we took a table. (A terrific place! We'll go back!)

"You're jumping in the lake?" "Why not? We're already soaked"

After lunch, we returned to the trail and headed back to Lebanon at a somewhat faster pace -- we gained 500 feet in elevation on our wet ride to Canaan, so it was nice to have a slight descent on the trek back). We stopped five miles out of Lebanon for Chip and Rich to check out a rope swing hanging over Mascoma Lake, and of course both took turns jumping into the lake. (Chip several times.) Their reasoning was that they were already soaked from the rain, so why not jump in the lake? Hahaha... (At this point, my Strava app quit, probably while I was taking a video of the two of them jumping into the lake, but in all, we rode just under 28 miles round trip.)

Catching that moment just before splashdown

We had a great adventure on The Northern Rail Trail despite the wet weather challenges; Scenic lake and mountain views, seven river crossings in the first four miles, an abandoned mill and waterfall, an old train depot; Chip wiping out on a bridge, and Rich and I almost doing the same behind him; and both boys scaring the hell out of me showing me an enormous spider in the tunnel (eesh)... it was a fun afternoon. I'm looking forward to checking out other parts of the trail in the future!

Another trip to the DL

My 5K plans are on hold for a few weeks while I recover from a (self-diagnosed) calf strain. Last Friday, (June 10) I felt a tightness in my calf as I headed out for my run, thinking it would be fine once I got going. At .6 miles, my calf seized up, rippled, and popped. OMG. Painful. I had to limp home.

It's been almost a week, and I'm still hobbling around, barely able to climb the stairs, but actually able to ride my bike. Huh. I've discovered that I don't use my calf muscles at all when riding -- Just my quads. Who knew? Maybe that's why I have huge calves... they never get a workout!

So, I'm in recovery mode as I give my right calf muscle a rest -- likely another 1-2 weeks. I'll get back to running ASAP. 

Yes, I know this is, like, the third injury I've had in the last year... a few people have pointed that out to me. Can I just mention that maybe, just maybe, an occasional injury comes with the territory of being ACTIVE?!

(Previous thoughts deleted.)

Fortunately, I'm able to ride despite my injured calf. Last Saturday was a slow-paced breakfast ride to Manchester with the Cyclopaths, and a few short rides around the neck on Monday and Tuesday. I've also been able to get some trail rides in too, and had fun introducing two of my SpiderOne teammates to off-road adventures last night at Lynn Woods. Fun stuff!

Michelle loves off-road! Her first venture on a new MTB.

Chasing the sun. Night ride at Lynn Woods

He stole my bike...

Chip and I headed out for a trail ride on Saturday... 

but ended up ditching those plans after an off-trail side trip to the Farmer's Market, 

(where he bought cider donuts)... 

and then ending up at the beach (for lime rickey's)... 

'cause that's how we roll.

Off-Road MTB

Loving the adventure

The sad thing about mountain biking is that I didn't discover it sooner.
I love, love, love riding trails.

#happinesswatts

So much awesomeness on a gorgeous day

Dogtown with Chippy. Laughing so hard it hurt

Chip's lacrosse game in Gloucester early Sunday morning gave us a good opportunity to explore Dogtown Commons after the game, so we tossed both MTBs into the car and made a plan for adventure. And OMG, what a crazy adventure it was!!

Soon after entering Dogtown, we got lost -- though were eventually able to pick up a signal on the phone to download a map. We then went in search for the Babson Boulders -- created by philanthropist Roger Babson, who commissioned unemployed Finnish stonecutters to inscribe inspirational messages into boulders throughout the woods during the Great Depression. It was a crazy "scavenger hunt" -- following a main trail which became confusing with crisscrossing trails and forks in the road. I don't know how we managed. (Chip lead the way. Hahaha...)

The trail was 50% passable by bike, very rough terrain at times, so we hiked quite a lot, but it was one of the best adventures. Chip gave it a ten out of ten for adventure and I couldn't stop laughing at our ability to get lost despite our "map". (We found 16 of the 27 boulders.)

Funniest, craziest day in a long time. So much fun.

"I know where we are. Rockport's that way." Good to know.

"This is for Will."

"Just follow me. I don't need a map."

Packing, Shipping, Reassembly and Back on the trail

Hahaha... Pro pack job. (aka I did it myself.)
The 29er baaaarely fit.

Three cheers for Bike Flights, which made shipping my bike to and from Tucson affordable and painless. I met a few folks from Bike Flights at 24HOP the morning before the race, (they had a tent set up near registration), and ohmigosh they were soooo nice. Don't you just love it when you take a chance on something and it actually works? Shipping my bike to Fairwheel Bikes through Bike Flights -- (and later, home) -- was one of the easiest parts of my adventure.

I disassembled and packed the Kona myself -- (which Fairwheel Bikes reassembled and tuned on their end in Tucson) -- but reassembling it when it arrived home was a little harder. I lost a derailleur bolt in Tucson while I was packing the bike. It just simply disappeared into a black hole. Really! And I didn't pack the wheels very well, releasing too much pressure in one of the newly-converted tubeless tires -- which made a mess of the sealant in the bike case and difficult for me to re-inflate without an air compressor.**

I knew I needed to bring the bike to a shop -- and Lila suggested giving Josh at Western Cycles a call.

I still have issues with the bike fit  -- JRA Cycles really did me a disservice on that score -- which my race in Tucson only confirmed. On the outset, my seat hight, (and fore and aft position), needed adjustment and my bars were/are too wide. A few of the guys (MTB pros) at Old Pueblo tried to find a pipe cutter to cut the bars down for me before the race, but ultimately I decided to do the best I could with what I had and deal with it when I got home.

I brought the Kona to Western Cycles last week, and before I knew it, I was headed back there to pick it up. (Super quick.) I still need to work on the fit -- and may give Justin Cammarata a call -- (and Josh did say he could cut the bars down if I decide to go that way) -- but for now I'm riding it as is. My budget needs a little break from the bike.

Good to be back on the trails.

A stop at the pond on Wednesday. The ducks are back.

(** P.S. I've discovered we have an air compressor in the basement. Good to know.)

24 HOP, Yes there were snakes

This guy needs to go. Caught at the rock drop.

When a rattlesnake crosses your path, you stop.

24 HOP (Continued), The Final Lap

IT'S GO TIME... and I'm excited to finally be a part of this race, (though I've been in the middle of it the whole time). Michelle, Sandrine, and I head out as a team, each of us taking turns at the front, with Sandrine offering much appreciated race advice along the way. I learn a lot from her as we tick off the miles.

It's not long into our lap before we get to the part where we need to choose -- do we tackle my nemesis bitch or follow the sign that reads, "Skip the Bitches"? It's my lap, therefore it's my decision.

Skip. No question. Skip, skip, skip.

The ensuing path is gorgeous, loopy singletrack that progressively gains in elevation and is infinitely cooler than the dull gasline road. Other than the easier opportunities for passing, (which is more difficult on the bypass), I don't know why anyone would choose The Bitches if they had a choice. (Which early riders do not -- since the bypass is prohibited before 3 pm.)

Final lap

Michelle French

The fun continues as we ride through twisty tracks and cactus gardens... really so incredible... and I have to say I enjoyed nearly every single aspect of the race. Of course I'm beat up, sore as hell, and trying to keep my left side off the saddle, but the terrain is gorgeous and I'm having an amazing ride with the girls.

Midway into the ride, what becomes a setback is not any of my injuries but a defective valve on my camelback, which keeps popping off every time I take a drink. Damn. Forced to pull over several times to fix it, my frustration level rising, I come to the conclusion that I'd rather risk dehydration than deal with the stupid camelback.

Another slug of Jack at the Whiskey Tree

For several miles I didn't take a drink... until we got to the Whiskey Tree... hahaha.  I swallowed as much water as I could, topped it off with a slug of Jack Daniels with the girls, and then continued on.

On the final climb I struggled... pain nudged my hip on every-other-pedal-stroke, I was dying of thirst, and where did the air go??? Ah, yes. We were at 5,000 feet. Not super high altitude, but far from sea level, and the air was thin and dry on the climb.

I slowed down considerably, taking a few breaks to catch my breath and drink some water, enormously grateful when we finally got to the top and started to descend the rocky downhill back to the FINISH. (It's on this part of the course that both Sandrine and Michelle each (separately) take a bloody wipeout. Ugh.)

The last mile to the finish line was fun and a race official called out "716!" as I entered the transition tent. Eric was there waiting for us and it's official... we're done.

Yaasssss... done.

_________________________

We finished 50th of 74 teams, which is fair considering our (4) crashes and injuries and missing one or two early morning laps. Not too bad. I'm not disappointed. We'll beat that next year.

Half our team, Eric, Wil, Addie and Shannon finished injury free  -- while Michelle, Sandrine, Jennifer and I weren't as lucky -- each of us having a nasty wipeout or crash, going home bloodied, battered, bruised and bandaged.

Still, it was an amazing race -- the camaraderie and fun we shared topped everything -- and I'm so thankful for the experience. I'm excited to return next year and tackle it with more experience behind me!

Time to start working on that.

A New Day, 24 HOP (Continued), Rise and Shine

Catching the sunrise with Addie atop the rock drop

Addie and I walked down to the hub of 24 Hour Town, grabbed some coffee, and climbed up the rocks overlooking the rock drop to catch the sunrise. So amazing. Really. Just watching the sun come up, catching an occasional racer speed below us as they headed for the drop, breathing in the desert air... So spectacular. It made me appreciate being there. Thank you, Addie, for the beautiful start to the day.

Early morning at the rock drop

We returned to camp an hour later to find everyone up and Eric getting ready to ride. Almost 2 hours have passed since Addie left the baton at the exchange tent. C'est la vie. It's a new day.

Good morning, Eric!

We have time to get 2 or 3 more laps in. Since teams must finish after 12 pm on Sunday to avoid being penalized with a DNF, we agree that Eric and Wil will each take a lap, and I'll take the last lap to finish us out after 12 pm.

Addie and Dan packed up to head out, hoping to get an early jump on the drive back to Arkansas, (while staying updated on the race via text), followed shortly thereafter by Shannon, who must catch an afternoon flight to Seattle. Camp Kitty is shrinking.

Eric finishes his lap at 9:20 and Wil at 10:45. Our final lap comes up, and Michelle and Sandrine join me for a VK team ride of the course. I take the handoff from Wil, give him a hug, and head out with the girls. It's time for me to take my turn.

Sunrise over 24 Hour Town

Sunrise over 24 Hour Town

Race Day, Part 4, 24 HOP in the dark

Sandrine in the early morning hours

Before the end of our first rotation, while getting ready for her night lap, Shannon discovers her lights aren't holding a charge. Since I'm no longer riding at night, I give her mine -- a Serfas TSL-1200 that lights up the trail like it's daytime.

We're all sharing what we can. Sandrine and I are even bunking together on a queen-sized air mattress as it is the only one still holding air, and neither of us wants to sleep on the ground. While she gets ready to head out for her lap after Shannon, I head to bed for a nap.

Shannon finishes her lap at 1:52 a.m. -- and Sandrine finishes hers at 3:42. Both have great night lap times. I wake up soon after while Addie is out on the course. The 2 hours becomes the only sleep I'll get during the 24 hour race.

Teammate Jennifer is camped further down the trail at Camp Hanson with friends and family who are also racing, (including hubby Jason Hanson and daughter Shelby Hanson. They're an MTB family.) I text Jennifer to let her know that Addie is now riding and what time we expect her to finish.

Shortly after, she texts back that she can't ride her lap. She sprained her finger in the crash from her previous lap and has just discovered she can't brake! Captain Michelle is dead asleep and unresponsive when I try to wake her, (she's had a long day); Sandrine has likewise fallen asleep, having just finished her lap an hour before... and Wil is a bit of a bear when I try to nudge him awake and ask if he can take the next lap. He gives me a harsh but groggy "NO." (Hahaha... to be fair, he had just fallen asleep. I'd be mean, too.) Only Shannon is awake, tired, but willing to ride -- but doesn't have fully-charged lights. Sigh.

Dan has a tracking app following Addie and pinpoints her location on the course. The two of us wait as she nears Camp Kitty and stop her before she passes to see if she can take another lap. (16 miles of singletrack is a long loop for an endurance relay.) Addie's beat and down to the last lumens on her lights. One light is completely drained. She can't go another lap. (In hindsight, this would have been the lap for me to take, but as I've loaned my lights to Shannon and we didn't recharge them, there's nothing I can do.)

We decide to leave the baton at the check-in tent for the next rider who wakes up.

Addie gets back to camp, changes, and suggests we go get coffee and watch the sunrise.

Sounds like a good plan to me. Six hours left to race.

Jennifer Hanson (non-race pic)