Addison Oaks Summer Classic PREVIEW

 It is once again race week for me. On Sunday I will gear up and head east to Leonard, MI. This is the plan, barring any circumstances change. :)

It has been a long time since I have ridden at Addison Oaks. It was 9 years ago, back when this race was in the fall. I honestly don't know when it changed, but that really doesn't matter. Because it has been so long, I don't remember much of the course. I have vague flickers of the parking lot and the finish area, but it has changed as well. 

Maybe I over analyze things. Maybe I like to be prepared. I just like to have an idea of what I will have to deal with when I start a race. Well, I like to have plans even for my regular rides. That fear of the unknown is something I struggle with. lol. Or....I just like to be prepared. Yeah, that's it. I like to have my plans laid out and go from there. Not really a fly by the seat of your pants person. Anyway...here we go.

Addison Oaks Summer Classic

Clockwise direction

This event is the fundraiser for CRAMBA. This is the Clinton River Area chapter of the IMBA. This will be race #6 in the Michigan Off Road Championship. 

I had a nice conversation with a friend of mine that knows this course pretty well. Jimmy and I used to race against each other for many years back in the CPS days of the MMBA. He has since moved south, but he took the time to give me some greatly appreciated tips. Was also good to catch up with him, been a while. Time, as usual, flies.

Jimmy pointed out that the course hasn't changed much, other than the start. The start used to go against the grain of the finish. It would create two way traffic on the bridge. The initial climb was then singletrack as well. It was tighter and nastier than the new entry.

Now, the start is a wide grassy area. After a few turns the grass turns to a short section of pavement before entering the woods on a gravel trail. It is still a climb, and will surely put the legs to the test early. This wide climb should create the spacing for the singletrack and break apart the starting group.

At the top of the climb the course takes a left into the singletrack. This is where the old and new courses match up. With heart rate maxed out, just gotta keep pushing on this first section. Its still a bit uphill, there are segments of relief. Nothing super tight in here, just regular singletrack with a few small rock gardens. Looks like room to pass (or be passed) if needed in this first segment. Eventually the woods open up and it seems like you can see a long ways ahead, being able to keep riders in views.

There is a longer bridge over the swamp that throws you into a small climb before a solid descent. Rest the legs here if you can, just don't lose any speed! Eventually the trail opens up into a wider section. Good place to take a drink, or hammer down and get around someone. This is a flowy section where speed can be carried.. That ends soon enough and the trail narrows back down again. A long straight away gives you a view of riders in front of you, and then another open area does the same.  But when you cross the bridge there is a punchy climb, so be ready. Hit the base hard and you should be able to carry the hill.

After some more trail you hit your first paved section. A nice wide blacktop trail that has a bit of elevation gain. Kick back into the woods and its a flowy curvy section with another climb. Seems to be a long climb out of here too. Based on what I see it just keeps going up up up. Not a steep section, but some climbing for sure. Not saying it doesn't get steep in some areas, but for the most part the climbs are just grinders. 

This last section is where a lot of the climbing seems to be. They look to be the most difficult on the course. In most cases you can see them coming, so keep those eyes down the trail. UP the trail? Hmm. keep watching the trail. lol.

Bomb the descent towards the lake and carry the next hill. It looks like some curves that need to be carried. They will steal your momentum, so smooth is king here. Keep climbing up away from the lake, your legs will be screaming here. This last section has more roots than the rest of the trail too, on top of the bridges and rocky areas. 

Then you hit The Wall. It starts slow, and just gets more gross the higher you get. It flattens out for a second, then goes up some more. Then you start a downhill and see the funky rock that has a hard left after it. A bit more climbing and the lap is coming to a close. The legs finally get a break and there is some good downhill for a bit. Another wide section gives way to the last black top segment that crossed the bridge and kicks you back into the grass towards the finish area. Time for another lap!

Nothing really seems to sneak up on you. There are a few climbs straight out of corners, so momentum and smooth lines are important. Gotta hold that speed into the corners to help make the hills smaller. There are a lot of wooden bridges out there, so if it rains at all....be alert. Don't need anyone eating shit on a bridge. 

For me, it will be 2 laps. This is around 14 miles total with under 1000 feet of climbing. With a lot of the climbing in the later part of the lap, it will be interesting coming into the finish. People will be getting tired when the hills really start. Need to temper the efforts on the first section and save the gas for the final couple of miles.....if I can. 

Finish times seem pretty fast....so it should be interesting to see what happens. The start will be key. I would like to be top 3 heading into the woods. I hope the group disassembles itself like it did at the Custer Stampede. I was able to slide into 3rd when we hit the woods and build enough of a gap to not be pressured the entire race. That is my goal again here. There are certain areas where I can take a peek back and see if anyone is coming, but my focus will be forward. If I worry too much about who is coming, I can be distracted and ride sloppy. 

Based on the finishing times from last year I will need to be sub 35 min laps to be top 5. The winner last year nearly broke an hour on his 2 laps. I know I don't ride that fast. I am hoping the distance is a bit shorter than the claimed 7.25, because that makes more sense for the higher speeds. Based on my strava results from many years ago....the laps seem to be sub 6 miles. I should be able to shave time off of my old PR from 2016. I was probably 40 pounds heavier than I am now, so that gives me some hope. My last average time would have landed me in 8th last year. So, that again makes me optimistic for a higher finish. 

If CG (current leader) doesn't show up I will need to place 3rd to pass him in the series. My goal, will be to podium again. I will be shooting for Gold, but I will take anything in the top 3. The temps will surely play a factor. Thankfully I am not as big as I was, so I should be ok. I plan to do a few outside rides this week to get acclimated. 

All of this adds up nothing until the say "3, 2, 1....go!!!!" on Sunday. Maybe some beasts will show up and tear my legs off. Maybe it rains and makes conditions awful. Fort Custer turned against me when the rain showed up. Maybe the body won't be in the mood. A lot of things can happen. I just know I will do what I can to be successful and enjoy the ride. 

At the end of the day I want a safe ride. And I want to win. But I really really want to move up the points list in the series as well. I am currently 3rd (by my calculations). If you reorder because one guy is actually qualified, I drop to 4th. After this next race multiple people will be qualified so the order will change again. Should be an interesting day as I am chasing new foes around. Not quite like old times, but it is good to be back in the woods. 

Goal time will be sub 1:10. That is 35 minute laps. I would love to say 1:06 and 33 minute laps, but that might be a stretch. I guess we find out on Sunday.  (Like I said, podium is the main goal). 

 

Weight update

 

After a flurry of weight loss posts early on, I have slowed down. It has been a while since I have given an honest update, so I figured it has been time.

How it started

It started off difficult. Not having real food for so long was brutal. But the weight was falling off so it was worth it. The further I got out from my procedure the easier it got. I was heavy. While I had dropped weight from time to time, I always gained it back. I would get to a milestone and then shoot back up. Work life, home life, bad habits, and stress all added in to how I got to where I was. After some discussion and introspection, I knew it was time to make a change. Having a near death experience in 2019 helped make it an easier decision. However, that stint in the hospital wasn't enough to force me into making the changes that needed to be made. I was pushing 300 pounds. I was in terrible shape. I was still trying, but I was not doing great. 

I hit my max in 2022. I stepped on the scale at 308 pounds. For someone that is 6'1" that is well over 100 pounds overweight. Ideal weight is 185. I am bigger framed, so anything sub 200 is healthy for me. I was 180 when I got married in 1998. When my oldest daughter was born I was 185, but had just broken my foot. That was 1999. I shot back to 220 pretty quickly when I changed from working out and playing basketball a few days a week, so sitting on my ass. 

I know this was the timeframe that my weight started to creep. I was working far from home. I would eat breakfast in the car, go to a buffet for lunch (3 days a week on avg.), snack on the way home, and eat a late dinner before ultimately heading to bed on a full stomach. Terrible factors that all contributed to that trend towards 3 bills. 

How its going

Today, I am still progressing. I am still learning. I am far from perfect. Good days and bad days. Good decisions and bad decisions. More good than bad. I can safely say that I am the lightest I have been since around 2001. Ultimately my goal is to be back under 200. The doctors tell me that 220 will be a healthy weight for me, but I want be lighter. I want to be sub 200, and I will keep working until I get there. I am getting closer every day.....well....on the average I am getting closer every week. 

I did get stuck for a bit when I plateaued around 230. I hit 230 and lingered within a few pounds for nearly 5 weeks before I finally broke through. I am not much beyond that mark, but I was sitting at 227 this week. Since I broke that barrier I have gotten back to around a pound per week. I know this will fluctuate, but any trend towards my goal is positive. Even a .25 loss is still a loss that gets me closer to where I want to be.

In general I eat the same thing during the week at work. I have a protein shake, some fruit, a salad for lunch, a cheese stick for a snack, and a high protein Greek yogurt. Sounds boring, but consistency is important. Dinners range to anything really. Chicken, sometimes pasta, sometimes chicken tenders. But food is different now. I can't eat some things I used to. Also, have to eat slower and smaller amounts. Most of the time I am good with that. Some days my brain fights me for all its worth. My stomach will be full, and my brain is like "but I want more" and that battle continues. Its a literal food addiction. Much like alcoholism or a drug addiction....our bodies don't want or need major quantities....but our brain is screaming as loud as it can to be fed. 

But like I said, more good days than bad. I still have ice cream and candy sometimes. I just have to be careful how much. I know its not good for me, but some days you need a treat. I am fully aware of my addiction, and sometimes I trend back to how I was. But I don't want to be that person anymore. So I give in some days, but not every day. And I fight back by telling myself that it is ok, tomorrow is another day. Learn from this, don't beat yourself up and end up back at 300 pounds again.

 

Perspective

Based on the image above you can see how much volume 5 lbs of fat is. It takes up some space, and it just looks gross. Being that I am down 70 pounds.....I am much smaller than I was. My clothes fit differently than they used to. Some are not great, and will have to be replaced sooner rather than later. Others work for now, but if I reach my goal they will need to be replaced as well. All good things.

I wanted to show the fat vs muscle to show the difference. A 350 pound strong man, like Eddie Hall, is mainly muscle. They are massive dudes with low body fat. I was a 300 pound guy with more fat than muscle, so being able to shed that fat has been life changing for me. I am lighter. My heath is better. I am stronger. I am just better overall. 

I also wanted to show what 70 pounds looks like to help people understand the gravity, or weight, that has been removed from my body. 

Below are 14 bags of flour that equal 70 pounds. If you have ever picked up a 5 pound bag of flour or sugar you know how heavy they are. So pick up 2. Now pick up 5. 

Now 10. Can you hold them all? You have a 50 pound bag of concrete you have to carry around with you. Add 4 more bags and you are at the 70 pounds I have dropped. From how I see it, its still unbelievable. I cannot believe that I used to carry that amount of weight around with me. (at my heaviest you can add 2 more bags). 

I hope this makes sense. Like I said, I wanted to give an update on where I am and where I am going. I still have many of these bags to go to reach my ultimate goal. I will take a scoop out every week, slowly moving that scale to where I want to be. Slowly but surely. 

Every day....we keep moving forward. 

Luton Park Time Trial Recap

 The next stop of my season arrived on Father's day this year. Instead of sleeping in and getting breakfast in bed, I was up early to have some breakfast and head North. I made the hour trip up to Rockford. I arrived at Luton Park around 9:30. The lot was pretty empty, so I found a spot easily. I wandered over to registration and got my number plate. 

Almost forgot, this song was playing on my way up. lol. MORE COWBELL!!!!

Not only did I get a number plate, but this event gives T-shirts as well. Pretty good for a small event with a lower price. 

I had plenty of time to get set up and get the legs loosened up. With only one ride this past week I was getting some tightness in my calves. I took the time to stretch, which is something I don't know if I have ever done before a race. Feeling relaxed, I started a warmup. By warmup, I rolled around the parking lot for a while just soft pedaling and trying to loosen up the legs. 

Luton isn't very big, so after a few laps I rolled up onto 10 mile and did a little loop out. Closer to the start I went out there again and put in an effort on the climb to see what my HR would do. It elevated nicely and I headed to the start line. 

I was the 5th person off the line, as a few people had not shown up to race. This was going to mean little to no traffic for me to pass. I chatted with the starter for a second and it was time to go. 3....2...1...GO.

I was off the line. For some reason I had some trouble clipping in, but got it after the first corner. I started hard. I was going so fast that I wasn't cornering well. I was taking them wide and sloppy. I just wasn't settled in yet. It did get much better, just took a second to get my bearings. 

I was thru the first section and into the wide trail and I was feeling good. I knew that lurking behind me was Chris. He is a super fast clyde that kills me at every event we are at together. I had a goal of not getting caught by him on the first lap, so I was pushing pretty good. Plus, I just didn't want to get passed by a lot of people. Luton has plenty of passing areas, but mentally its rough when people are flying past all race. 

I got settled in and found a comfortable pace. My heart rate was climbing so I knew I had to calm myself a bit. I didn't want to torch the first lap and struggle through the second. The first climb showed its teeth but I was able to hold a steady rhythm to the top. Not fast, but steady enough to be happy with the results. I was finally feeling comfortable and was focused on the task at hand. 

I came into the connector hot, and when the loop kicks back right I nearly missed a turn. I was fighting with my camel pack, lol. Little things. Heading into the Orange loop I was feeling good. Muscle memory for handling was finally starting to take over. So far so good, took a drink and pressed onward to the black loop. Here is where I saw the first rider coming behind me. Not bad, made it almost 3 miles before being overtaken. I will take that. On top of that, I started to reel in the guy ahead of me. I settled back in and kept going. I could see the guy I was chasing again, this time I had a better understanding of the distance. I went into chase mode to catch him. Still took me a bit, but eventually I caught him. This was towards the end of the black loop, and nearly 2/3 of way into the first lap. I did pass two other guys here, but it seems like they were just riding (during a race....ugh).

Next up is my least favorite climb on the course. Just feels like someone throws out an anchor and I am super slow. I made the right into Red and started the climb. I love this loop, but I need to improve on this hill. Once over the top I was into my rhythm again. Trying to relax on the downhills and carry speed into each section. About halfway thru red I could see another guy coming. I just rode my race. Its funny, because in this section you can see riders everywhere...but they might not be close. They could be ahead, or behind. Fun section. Before long, I was finishing my first lap.

Time: 0:41:59

With a goal of breaking 90 minutes, I was well on my way. I used my flask to take a shot of gel, but couldn't get it back into my pocket for a minute. Had to fight with it. nearly crashed. almost crashed again. Finally was able to get it back in and fire off my 2nd lap. 

LAP 2

After shaking off  a mental breakdown from that damn flask, I was able to get back into rhythm. I was shocked that only 1 guy passed me, but wasn't complaining either. The second time up the first climb was a bit slower, but still not terrible. I struggled near the end, but was able to clear it and get moving again.  

About halfway thru the yellow I got caught by the fast Chris. I chalk it up as a win to have held him off as long as I did. He was eventually the winner of Sport Clyde. Another guy snuck past with him, and I was again on my own. I was able to keep them in sight for a minute, but just in the long straight away. haha.

Towards the end of the Orange loop another guy caught me. I pushed hard in the last section because it is so narrow that passing isn't feasible. So I pushed to not hold him up as much. when the trail opened up he passed and was gone. I took the nice descent and wide section to recover before diving back into the Black loop. It was pretty quiet on this section. Nothing really happened good or bad. I just rode as hard as I could. 

That damn climb on the red....ugh. Slow and steady up that hog again. I cleared it, and was ready to be done. I kept pushing as hard as I could, knowing if I slowed down that it would just take longer. lol. I could see another guy coming, but could do little to hold him off. He passed and disappeared just as fast. I finally reached the last section and pushed as hard as I could. I crossed the line and took a second to slow my breathing down. I was done and dusted. 

I took 2nd place in Sport Clyde Open with a time of 1:25:53.

My lap times were 41:59 and  43:34. I felt like my 2nd lap was so much slower, but in reality it was pretty close. I set a PR on this route by over 6 minutes. what a day!

Looking at my time, I am more than satisfied. I had three goals really for the day.

1. Don't get caught on 1st lap by Chris.

2. Break 90 minutes

3. Podium

Chris didn't catch me until into the second lap. Goal 1.

I broke 90 minutes by over 4 minutes. Goal 2.

I took 2nd place. Goal 3. 

The trifecta was achieved for me today. Luton is such a fun place to ride and this was a very fun event. I have never done it over the course of its 6 years, but I am glad I did. It felt good to be back racing after missing one with sickness and another with other obligations. 

With my 2nd place finish I am up to 3rd in the standings. However, one guy is actually qualified so he is the technical leader at the moment. He sits 4th by points, but 1st by qualified racers. He has 4 under his belt while others (including myself) have 3. Once people qualify it will change things again, but I am happy to be here I am after 5 races in the series. With 3 more to go, a lot can happen.

Next up is Addison Oaks in a few weeks. I haven't ridden there in 10 years, so I am looking forward to another fun day. 

Keep moving forward my friends. 

Luton Park Time Trial PREVIEW

 Next up on Father's Day is the Luton Park Time Trial.

This will be race #5 in the Michigan Off Road Championship.

Before Maybury last weekend I was still sitting in a tie for 2nd place. I can't find the results so I will need to wait until they update the standings to know where I stand, but I am confident its not 2nd place anymore.

While I have ridden Luton quite a bit, I have never raced here. On my last ride when I was just out for another lap my mind started to wander to many years ago. Custer Cyclery had a big group head up and do a team ride. Luton had only been around for a few years at that point, and we loved heading there to ride. It was a funny ride because one of our team lived up in Cedar Springs and had been riding more, so he was talking a lot of shit. Our first lap made him quickly realize that he needed to ride more. lol. We took sections that he never rode. So he was getting fast, but it was on the easiest sections without any climbing. Take the red loop out and that is what he was riding. lol. So we killed him on that lap, and then headed out for a second. Good times. 

This course is a lot of fun, and its where I have been riding since the Yankee TT. I wanted to get a good understanding of the course, even though I already know it. Little differences in line choices or hitting a climb will make big time gains. I will break down the course how my mind sees it. Below is a map to match up with the colors I will use. 

Green (start) to  Yellow

Heading out of the parking lot you start on the green. Look for the P in the upper left hand corner for this area. This little section gives you a great idea of what this trail system offers. It is a fast and flowy section to get the legs moving. There is one tricky curve in here that can sneak up on you. Its a left hander right after a tree that has a tree right in the middle of the exit. You can take it at speed if you know its coming. Then you cross the first bridge and find yourself on the Blue trail. This is a fast and wide section to really turn on the jets. When the trail opens up keep right to stay on Yellow. 

Yellow

Yellow starts pretty easy. There is a spur that goes off to the right, but ignore that for the race. Just go straight and ride the flow to the first climb on the course. This isn't a rough climb, but you have to make sure you are warmed up. Probably the 2nd longest climb out there, you just have to get after it to the top. The rest of the loop is up and down with some flowy switchbacks, some armored corners, and a few rocky sections. Nothing terrible here. Maybe a little kicker of a climb. The last descent takes you back down to the clearing and the Blue trail connector.

Blue to Orange

On this wider trail its important to take a drink and just keep mashing your way around. It starts wide, then as you get to the top of the meadow it narrows down to single track again. Stay right again and avoid the root filled section that stays straight. Here a two track will take you up a small climb before you find more single track around the edge of the hills. One last gravel style climb up to a big clearing and you are at the Orange loop. Stay right, because the Blue trail is to the left. No cheating. 

Orange

This is by far my favorite section of Luton. It starts tight and twisty before eventually flowing into the woods again. A mix of gravel and dirt winds its way through until you find a small climb. At the top is a rock garden. I figured out a better line on my last ride, but I am not sure I want to share it. haha! Normally I would follow the trail to the right and around the tree. On my last ride I stayed left and rolled much faster through the rocks without losing any speed. Then a short gravel filled kicker and a few flowy turns before you start the small climb back out to Blue. Make the final right and you are met with a fast descent. 

Blue to Black

The descent is again part of the Blue trail. It is a wide and fast descent that swings right and stays wide all the way to the 2nd bridge on the course. This is a strange intersection on the trail, but easy to follow once you know it. (Plus the course will be well marked for the race). You start up the hill and head right into the Black trail. You are roughly 1/3 of the way done with the lap!

Black

Here is where the trail gets really fun. The Black is a longer loop that goes up and down and around a hill on this side of the property. It is very helpful to know the course here because some of the corners are blind from the trees or growth in the forest. There are a few root filled climbs, the first of which you find pretty quick. Feels like the climb will just keep going, but once you get over the top you have a lot of flowy trail to find rhythm. The mix here is good, so just keep going as fast as you can. There is a switchback that can sneak up on you, but then hold your speed and you can roll for a long time. The trail splits off to the right, but from what I have seen this part isn't used for the race. So stay left here and then left again over the root ascent. Its a faster line. Just after that second split you turn left and there is the 3rd bridge crossing. Carry speed and be ready for a sharp left immediately afterwards. Tackle this climb and then bomb the rest of the way into the pines. Instead of the normal straight at the trail crossing, the race hangs a right back onto the Blue trail. 

Blue to Red

This is short section and a good place to snag a drink. The lap is about 2/3 of the way done now. When the trail splits and you are forced to go right, you are almost to the Red. One little section and you cross the 4th bridge. Hang a right, you reached the Red trail. 

Red

This loop doesn't welcome you very nicely. It starts with a climb. Most would say it isn't that bad, but I believe it is the worst climb on the entire course. It finishes with a little kicker and a bit more before the Red shows you what its all about. Flowing and fantastic trail. There is a bit of climbing on this section, but it is broken up between all of the fun sections. You can see many other parts of the trail in here, but unless you know the area well...you won't know if you are ahead of or behind the other riders. You go all the way back to nearly the start of this loop and are rewarded by a descent down the hill you climbed to get in here. Stay right and take a little climb into the flowy finish. Its such a great section with multiple terrains and surfaces. It finishes with a fast descent back onto the Blue. 

Blue to Green

Keep holding your speed in this short section. Roll into the turn for the Green where you are welcomed with multiple line choices filled with roots. Choose wisely and you can roll thru pretty quick.

Green to lap/finish

On the short climb you will see a trail shoot off to the right. As far as I know this isn't part of the race. By going straight and cutting that section you get a short section of single track before a climb out. At the top is a wide section of trail that rides around before finding more flowy curves heading towards the finish. After the last curve you can see the sign that says "lap" or "finish". Take the left to do the laps you need to do. It spits you back onto the Green where this story began. If you are finishing, push as hard as you can to the parking lot. Its a short haul, so leave it all out there. 

I know the course fairly well. I believe I can sneak in under the 1:30 mark for the two laps. As far as I can tell there are currently 4 Clydes signed up. Based on finishing times, I believe I can land firmly in 2nd place. If C.G. shows up he will beat me easily like he did at Yankee and Custer. So I will be racing for 2nd. This is ok, and I will gladly take any step they let me stand on. I have a few rides planned this week just to keep building and to keep the legs moving. If all goes well I will do a preview video as well. I just am not sure if time will allow me to get it done. 

Big goals. I have never taken the top step at a race, and I will never stop trying.

Keep moving forward. 

More days passing

Island lake was two weekends ago. Maybury XC was yesterday. I wasn't at these events. An illness and prior obligations took me elsewhere. I am looking for results, but cannot seem to find them yet. I just know that I am likely not in 2nd place in the Michigan off road Championship anymore. No worries, plenty of time to catch up!

Next up will be the Luton Park TT this coming Sunday. More to come on that later. Right now I just wanted to give a recap of last week.

Tuesday

Because I was feeling better I decided to head out for some gravel from home. I got a later start, so maybe it made me ride harder. lol. I knew I had under 2 hours before darkness was setting in. So I opted for a loop I generated a few weeks ago. This loop is under 17 mile and pretty flat. It has a mix of pavement, gravel, and one nasty two track. This section is about 1.5 miles of non-maintained forest road. It has plenty of horse tracks, making it bumpy. If its not bumpy it is sand. My tires do not really like this type of sand. It is almost packed, but not quite. So when you hit it...the tires break through and dig in. It is a rough time keeping speed and holding the bike straight. After this section there is about three miles of pavement to recover on. Then the turn back to home is all gravel until the last mile or so. Overall it was a solid ride. Being flat with plenty of pavement made up for the sandy section. I was able to hold a decent average speed. Felt good to be back out.

Thursday

I took Wednesday off, but headed up to Luton Park on Thursday. With the TT coming I want to keep riding and learning the trail. I am trying to find better flow in every section. Learn where I can corner different and how I can get faster. The TT will be 2 laps with some 'shortcuts'. I say 'shortcuts' because there are parts of the trail are not included, or a shorter option is chosen. 

I started down the trail and used the first section as a warmup. Its pretty flat and then opens to a wider flat section. Perfect to get the heart rate going. I got to the first climb and was barely ready for it. Legs were feeling ok, just not quite warmed up fully. I cleared the climb and pressed on. Eventually I settled in and found a comfortable pace. I was pushing a bit, but not riding at race pace. I got to one section where I wanted to improve my line choice. Instead of following the outside line I normally take, I blasted straight through a rocky section and it was much much faster. I shaved a few seconds right there for sure. 

I finished my first lap and was pleased with the time. I pressed on to the second. Being settled into my pace now I was feeling more confident. I started to push the corners more and really force myself to hold speed. In general I am an ok bike handler, but I want to be better. I wasn't perfect, but I was doing much better working the corners and driving through them, versus braking into them and slow rolling out. My rhythm was much better. 

I got to the end of the second lap and checked my time. I shaved about 5 minutes off of my previous PR. I am taking this as a win, with a lot of knowledge to take into the TT this coming Sunday. I did head out for another lap, and just cruised it. Overall had about 20 miles on the Mudhorn in its natural environment. That third lap did make my legs hurt, but it was a good day. 

Saturday

Decided to sleep in for a change. Eventually I headed to Martin to ride a Dirty Donut lap. The plan was to ride the 41 mile loop. I started out quick on the paved sections. I was able to hold solid pace on the gravel. Legs were feeling good, so I pressed on. I knew there was wind out of the West, but I didn't realize how strong it was. The tailwind propelled me for the first 11.5 miles. I was hauling (for me). But then the roads turned back West.....right into the wind.

On top of the wind, this is where the climbing starts. There isn't a ton of climbing, but the legs didn't want to cooperate. Between the wind and the little hills my ride at Luton started to show. Legs just didn't want to push. I struggled on the small climbs, and suffered on the worst climb on the course. Legs were screaming.

The split for the long and short courses is right after the tough climb. Being 15 miles in, I wasn't confident I had another 26 miles left....so I made the correct decision to take the turn and head back to the car on the short course. I enjoyed the paved descent and then the bill came. After crossing under US131 the gravel turned loose and chunky. I struggled with this short section before making the final turn south back towards Martin. I didn't have much power, but I was doing ok.

I made the last turn onto the pavement finishing stretch. Its right back into the wind, so not as fast as i would have liked. However, I was able to push to the high school and finish the ride. I got done and headed home. I was tired, but not totally fried. It was a good ride and I was happy with my decision to do the shorter route. 

Later that night I looked at my matched rides. I shaved 20 minutes off of my PR for this course. Twenty....minutes.....

I knew I was quicker, but I didn't believe that I was a full minute faster per mile. My previous best average mph was 12.4. This ride was 15.6. A year later, I was over 3 mph faster. That is a big gain! I will take this result, even with feeling a bit bad for cutting the ride short. In hindsight this was the right decision, but during the ride it didn't feel that way. 

Was still a good week of riding and building for my next event. I stepped on the scale today and I happy to report that I am in the 220's for the first time in a very very long time. I am guessing it has been 20 years since I have been this weight. I am far from perfect. I just know that any progress is great for my health and my mindset. We keep fighting the fight, because giving up cannot be an option. Sure we will get knocked to the mat from time to time....we just need to get back up and keep fighting. 

Keep an eye out for the Luton TT preview later this week! 

The Island Lake Challenge, that WASN'T

 I can truly say that this event was not a challenge for me, because it just wasn't. 

I didn't wake up early.

I didn't drive across the state.

I didn't line up on the start line.

I didn't race. 

So what did I do?

Well,  I spent all night puking on Friday into Saturday.

I slept most of the day away on Saturday.

I did wake up and think about going to Brighton.

I did stay on the couch and listen to my reality, instead of my heart.

I was ready. I was really ready to go to Island Lake and give my all. But some type of sickness kicked in. I would love to tell you that it was self inflicted, but looking at it.....I have my doubts. We all have had hangovers before, but that wasn't this. It felt more like an illness, based on the symptoms and the longevity of it. I mean, I wasn't in this bad of shape when we went to Vegas back in March. lol.

So I will chalk it up to a stomach bug that wiped me out for a few days. Hey....this is as good of an excuse as any right?

Looking at the finishing times I am shocked. The winner was....how do I say it.....fucking fast. Second place was only a minute behind him. Then there was a gap to what I would classify as what I expected the winning times to be. I was guessing the winning times would be between 1:20 and 1:22. But the winner in my class was a brutal 1:15. 

My goal time was around that 1:24 mark.....which would have landed me close to the top 5. However, one of the top 5 I did beat at Yankee by a few minutes. So chances are I could have taken 3rd. The other two were just too far gone. Bananas to me that the gaps are this big. Then again, it was like that at Yankee. I was 11th and was over 10 minutes behind the winner. So....I guess it makes sense. but SHEESH.

So it didn't happen for me on Sunday. Dangit. 

But....there is a silver lining. I didn't spend the gas to drive across the state and potentially harm my physical well being even more than it was. Making the right decision sucks, but it was the best choice to stay home and rest. 

Another thing....after 3 races I am still in 2nd place in the Point series. I guess I can't complain too much there. 

Next up is Maybury XC, but I do not plan to be there. I have other obligations. Looking at registration though....its makes me pause. The turnout is very low at the moment. Under 50 entries with less than a week to the event. And....only 1 Clyde. ugh. I could show up and get some big points (if nobody else shows up). haha.  It could change the points, but its hard to tell until after the race.

What I am actually focusing on is the Luton Part Time Trail on the 15th. This is basically another home race for me on a trail that I know very well. I will take this week to get the legs moving again and learn what more there is to learn about the trail. 

Until then....keep moving forward!