GRAVELDURO: "Big gravel road ride + enduro-style shredth" I knew the day was going to be special when Donnie fought back tears at the riders meeting, overcome with emotion at the turnout of people for the inaugural Keystone Gravel, and, I'm sure, a sense of relief that it was all happening as planned with no … Continue reading Keystone Gravel.
Caleb and I have been talking about doing a century all summer. I'd never done one on my own bike. I've done a 100-miler and the 200-mile ride to Thanksgiving on the tandem with Evan, but somehow I feel like that's different. I needed to do one myself. Caleb had never done one either. I … Continue reading Hug the lake.
Each year, time seems to go by faster. Sometimes, it scares me how quickly my life seems to be flying by now. When I was a kid, I was always anticipating something---my next birthday, a friend's party, the last day of school. I wanted to turn 16 and get my drivers license, then I wanted … Continue reading Life in a sauna.
I stood, slightly chilly, under the big top tent as the rain poured down outside. My heart was pounding already. My stomach was in a knot. The other ladies all stood in a group, all friends from previous races and events. Most of them raced for the same team. They were all kitted-out, matching bibs … Continue reading Racing rookie.
I had this teacher in high school who said he went into teaching because he was always scared of public speaking, and he tries to do things he's scared of. I don't think about much from high school. It wasn't exactly my favorite period of my life. But I think about this statement a lot. Most … Continue reading Conquering.
After a full day of riding at Big Bear, our plan was to hit up Coopers Rocks on Sunday. But discussions with Jeff and Annie left us intrigued about the Davis, WV area. Over post-ride beers at our cabin, we all grew increasingly curious about Moon Rocks, a giant, cratered expanse of rock atop a … Continue reading Riding on the Moon.
At the grocery store in McHenry, we divided and conquered, spreading to all ends of the store to grab provisions for the weekend. It was then about a half hour drive to Big Bear Lake, where we stopped at the guard shack to grab our key. The other ladies hung out while I dealt with the … Continue reading Ladies of Big Bear.
Last year, my friends Tammy, Allison, Carissa, and I started a tradition of a yearly long-weekend mountain bike trip, ladies only. All of us ride with the guys all the time, which is awesome (I'm usually not really one for girls-only stuff anyway), but we thought it would be fun to do our own trip … Continue reading West Virginia bound.
Summer evenings are my favorite. The heat fades, the sun becomes less intense, and, my favorite piece of all, it's light until 9pm (or later, around the solstice). I love daylight. When I was in Alaska in the summer and it was light almost all the time, it was heaven. I know they make lights … Continue reading Fox tail.
I taught Evan this word as we were doing an impromptu hike along the Mid-State Trail yesterday. Basically it describes body awareness while in motion, such as knowing where to place your feet while running through rough terrain. Having good proprioception means not tripping on a rock and falling on your face. An essential skill for … Continue reading Proprioception.
