I headed to Yankee Springs on Tuesday to get some miles in. I am sort of surprised at the low amount of cars in the parking lot. but at the same time, Barry Roubaix is getting close and the focus for many is gravel. I appreciate the quiet trails. It allows me to just ride and not have to worry about getting run over.
Since it was Tuesday it is the dreaded yellow direction. Maybe my disdain for this direction comes from the fact that I just know the trail better in the Red direction. I wonder that, and then I get to the long climb towards the middle and remember that it isn't lack of knowledge....it is 100% this climb.
Hate is a strong word, but not even strong enough for how I feel about this portion of the trail. It just feels like it goes up and up and up and up and up. As you roll into the valley you can see that sides go pretty vertical, not fully knowing where you will end up. I have a good idea....because I love this part of the trail in the Red direction. It is a bombing descent that tests you nerves and skills as you drop further into the valley. In the yellow direction it is a whore of a climb that just seems to keep going.
I hate it....
I am not a climber so that doesn't help. But, each time I have ridden out here (in this direction) I have made a bit of progress. And if I don't make progress, I learn what needs to be done to take that next step. I look at the line. Try to determine where the best line is. Develop a plan for next time.
On this ride as I started to get into this area I was already primed to tackle the first challenge. As I rounded the bend to my first stopper I knew what I had to do. Gain some speed and power over the right hand side of the root cluster. I sped up as much as I could and hit the cluster on the right side. I was up and over the first hurdle, and on my way to the next.
Feeling pretty happy with myself for clearing that first challenge my brain shifted to the next one. Another nasty root filled kicker about half way up the climb. As you round the last corner before the climb, it appears like a punch to the face. It looks terrible because it is. Its not very long, but it goes very steep. I knew I had to gain speed so I pushed what I could and started up the kick. I barely cleared it, but I made it. I was able to finish the rest of the climb and get a bit of recovery on the downhill into the pines (think mile marker 7).
This was history my friends. Ever since they added the Yellow direction I have never made all of the climbs. Its such a rough go through there, and I probably let the mentality of it bother me more than the physical part. I am thankful that I could muster the strength to get over both of these major hurdles on this ride. For the first time ever I rode the entire Yellow direction without putting a foot down.
(that isn't entirely true.....I did stop to help a damsel in distress. She had picked up a stick and it sent her chain over her biggest cog on the back wheel. The chain was jammed in pretty good. I stopped and helped her and then proceeded on my ride).
Even though I did that great, my time was only good enough for 2nd overall for myself. Maybe it was stopping to help. Maybe it was just feeling sluggish on the ride. But it was a great ride on a beautiful day in the woods.
I belong in the woods. There is something so much more enjoyable for me when there is a single ribbon of ground that I am following. Gravel is ok, but my mind can wander. Mountain biking offers a different mindset. You have to be focused on what you are doing or you can kiss a tree, get thrown off the trail, roll a root wrong and dump yourself. When I am riding a mountain bike I just am able to unplug and focus only on riding. My brain is still active with a few sub-routines, but overall I am in the moment. So as much as I hate the yellow direction at Yankee, I am still in love with the sport. I am grateful that I have been able to put myself in the position to enjoy it so much more. I am grateful for my wife that supports me. She wonders why I put myself through the torture, but she understands that I need to train and how it helps me mentally.
Thank you friends for reading my posts. I appreciate you as well.