Blog

My second race in two weeks is in the bag. Another drive to Massachusetts, and another suffer fest around cool trails with a bunch of other like minded folks. The trails this time were in Weston at the Hale Education center. The promotion website led me to believe it would consist of rather easy trails, but there was plenty of burl out there. Nothing too difficult, just lots of rocks and roots. There was an unrideable hill, and it reminded me how hard it is to get off and walk up steep stuff with one’s bike.

I got an alright start, but just like last week I was quickly swept up and spit out by the other riders. And just like last week, I was not doing much passing - except when I caught Sport riders toward the end. My heartrate spiked and I had to make a conscious effort to slow down and keep it at a sustainable rate. Unfortunately, my sustainable rate is not very competitive right now. The age group was a little larger this week - I was competing in the 40+ category. Being 59 is not ideal in these big groups - although this week some older folks beat me. My 14th out of 18 was not what I was looking for, but I think it’s an accurate indicator of where I am condition wise.

I’ve got a few weeks until the next race, so now it’s more training to try to improve my ability to stay longer in the anaerobic zone. It’s all good fun and I’m enjoying the whole process. My gear is working great. My Kona Hei Hei CR is definitely not holding me back. I may take off my Nobby Nics and put on faster rolling tires if the next race is looking dry.