Reminiscing...3+ days till the 101!

We are just three days out from the 101! I thought perhaps i'd recount past years' experience via picture... I think that not only have my mountain bike skills improved - but also my photographic skills. While i'm a bit embarrased to post these, it's worth the story. Dang. enjoy the show.

2006

I didn't know anyone in the race this year. But it was fun to watch and help!

Richie (left) & Peter (right); I didn't know either of these guys at the time! Who would think that years later we'd all be friends AND I'd be training with killer (right) for this crazy race??!

Chip cruising over rocks... Check out the grainy pictures I used to shoot. can we get a little ISO adjustment here...anyone??

Strauber - eaten up some rocks!

2007


Straub and Chip take two - 07 style. Yup, still didn't know either of them.

A very blurry Sparky!

2008

I only made it to a few spots in 08 as i was working aid station 4 (yet again)... but alas I got a few nice shots of friends...

Here we are pre-race 2008. finally some familiar faces... Wes and Joe pre race @ coburn.

Left: cowboy Right: Todd, Smiling!

pre-race game faces. We've got Kyle, Steve, Billy and Strauber.

Take off!!! yup, i'll be at the back this year rollin out - cruising and chillin.

Chip and Billy: these guys are amazing at rocks. I'm not quite there yet but... soon. AND rachel in the background! Stranger last year, now a dear friend.

Frank cruising through...

Then came ERIK!! I didn't know erik or Mary Jo last year however I'm fairly certain that I worked with mary jo at aid station 4. This year he's been a part of more than one epic long mountain bike 101 training adventure!! Such good peoples!

Then came Mr Glover. He's awesome.

Joe riding through the three bridges rock garden carnage... and cowboy (right)

This dude did Iron Cross too! he's a cross bike machine!!

Rich - cresting greenlee. Greenless is a beast of a climb. From the absolute base it's a good 5 miles. It pitches up at the top. I love it.

Chip! Psyched to crest Greenlee. He was contemplating Seeger - the next big climb in the 101.

Steve-o - always smiling! and then WV (right)! I barely knew WV at the 101 after 1 century with her in June. Who woulda thought she too would become such a great friend??

Allen! I have Allen's picture on my wall at home. Shhhh don't tell. he'll think i'm stalking him. Really, I wanted an anonomous picture of mountain biking and I shot a lovely one with the mountain laurel in full bloom last year in the Stoopid 50. I printed it, framed and hung it. A year later, he becomes part of the Saturday AM ride group! Sweet.

Todd - cresting Greenlee!


And here comes Erik again!

And Frank... and Ray.

And Joe...

Thumbs up to Cowboy stoked to drop crolye...

JG smiling? at the top of Greenlee. I was probably yelling something ridiculous to make this happen. I tend to do that. Good times!!

I'm stoked. Now the big question is - who will take MY PICTURE this year??

happy anniversary

A year ago today, the day after the 101, life was uprooted:

I don't (didn't) love you. I love(d) the way you make me feel.
Ouch. I had completely let go only to fall off an off camber and precariously balanced stone. The impact was rough. My face planted in a bed of rocks, arms and legs broken and bruised trying to thwart the impact. Something planted deep in my stomach; i'm not sure what it was but I felt it in the back of my throat with each swallow.

The months following were vicious. I'd avoid the mirror as all I could see were gaping yet thin scabs which at any moment could wear off reopening deep, seemingly fresh wounds. I kept to myself not wanting anyone to see. This sad person wasn't me; I didn't like what I saw. How could I expect anyone else to?

I started riding my soma a few weeks later. I'd retreat to the forest for hours, alone, finding solace and calm via rolling forest roads. As I road I increased physical strength. I only hoped emotional would follow. I signed up for my first ever race - Iron Cross - a 62 mile mostly off road cyclocross race. Confidence was low, finishing this race was something.

While finishing Iron Cross was monumental, it wasn't enough. Months following were equally hard and tear-filled. I continued riding slowly emerging from a solitary shell, rediscovering a semi-social world. I made new friends - women equally excited about bikes and sensitive to similar struggles.

I road all winter through rain, sleet, snow, gnarly wind and single digit temperatures. Psyche was still drained, yet I continued to gain strength still hoping physical and mental would re-align bringing balance.

This spring, I received a facebook message inviting me on a long mountain bike ride in the forest. I was not a mountain biker and couldn't conceive riding my bike out there with a group. I declined. Soon thereafter at Zenos I met up with a group and the discussion turned to bikes. I was convinced (by Killer) that both the double century (200 miles, one day) and the wilderness 101 (100 miles mountain bike race) were in my reach. I am not sure whether it was the beer or the company; that night, sights were set high.

I started packing in miles - many with my new good friend killer. Many with the saturday AM group. Many, many alone. I traded in my baby blue 26" rockhopper for badass Reynolds Niner. I started riding trails. Lots of trails. And rocks. And doing big climbs. Over and over. I fell - a lot. It hurt, a lot. I have a scar on my face to prove it. Then I got up and kept going. After all, getting back up and moving forward is all that really matters.

I finished the double century! Dang. I didn't think I could. Check number one for the summer. And now, the 101 awaits. In just 5 days - Saturday at 7AM - we roll out.

It will hurt. I can finish. I will finish.
My life is certainly more than bikes. A fulltime job and phd on the side keep me busy. Bikes are meaningful as they've made me strong. They've healed. They've brought confidence and a sense of achievement.

And now here I am, a year later, not only healed but improved. Solid. I'm smiling again. Finally. A lot.

The last year and a half has been hard. Draining. Downer. I'm stoked to ride across the finish line next week at coburn - no matter how long it takes. Past is in the past. Finish line is all about present and future.

It is MY anniversary. A year following my lowest low; i'm now standing tall, independent and strong. Most importantly happy and fulfilled by all of the people in my life that probably would not be here had this past year not happened.

I'm not generally one to lean but sometimes it happens. Thank you to each and every one of you who were there; i'm lucky to have people like you in my life. G (all the talks!) & E, CJ aka Cyclocross Jess (taking me in to your home during the lowest low and listening), WV, Rach & DC (long rides and good talks / times, WV for checkin in during 'off the radar times'), Todd, Cowboy, JG (constant encouragement, believing in me + so much laughter and incredible positive attitude!!), CK (online chats and advice), Byron (checkin in at just the right times encouraging me to quit dwellin), Dragana (listening, and relating and then listening more and more and more. and more.), Killer (for being a kickass training partner, showing me forest trails, teaching rock skills and kicking my ass into 101 shape, ridiculous good times, good tunes, and just a few mechanicals along the way ;) ). And there are more... to everyone else who's been encouraging and positive along the way - you're awesome!

You ALL are amazing friends. Thank you. Happy Anniversary to ME!

Reynolds

This is a true story about Reynolds, (my 29" Steel mountain bike). He's a popular dude - especially on facebook. He has friends. People talk about him behind his back too (Cowboy!!) and their friends tell him about it on his facebook page (thanks Yoda!).

No really. This happens.

This evening I made my usual pilgrimage to the forest. Life has been stressful lately. Thank goodness for the forest.

I threw Reynolds in the back of the subi, cranked some tunes and we were off. Josh was at the forest lot on his 26" IF. Yup, another fisher (carbon superfly!) down for the count after one month of use. I'm so happy I opted out of the Ferrous!

Josh and I chatted for a bit; another truck parked beside. Josh knew the dude and said hello. He got out and was talking about bikes and the 101. He seemed vaguely familiar but not someone I remember capturing via my camera.

I proceeded to pull Reynolds out of the car. He looked at us and exclaimed

Hey! It's Reynolds! I know that bike. I'm friends with it (on facebook).
NO HE DIDN'T (i'm snapping my fingers as i say this). His name was Greg. He knew Reynolds. He didn't know my name. Yup, Reynolds now officially has more friends than yours truly.

OK so i get it. Reynolds is solid steel and has a year round golden tan. He's got a red bio-centric bottom bracket and a sweet white falcon saddle. He's a sexy badass mother-fornicator (too young to swear), but dang, I'm being outshined. What does this mean?

same sex penguin love

G sent me this article today. Really, you should read it. Apparently the penguin world can be characterized ala daytime soap opera drama. Hilarious. Yet reality. Thanks g!!

feathered friends

This is too cool to not share. If nothing else, just look closely at the pict for the baby nighthawks!!!

mechanicals

We celebrated Peter's birthday today with a ride in the woods.
He started the day right by dumping 3/4 of a full water bottle on himself in the car (mechanical #1). There was some left in the bottle so the rest went on his head. it was the right thing to do. we rocked out to quality 80's metal all the way to greenwood furnace.

Some of my favorite riding peeps showed up including Todd, Josh, Erik L and Allen aka George! good times!! The group proceeded up a wet and slippery sassafrass, to upper sassafrass. It was a good thing I didn't bungie myself to todd on this climb as his pedal detached from the crank before we even made it up the trail head (mechanical #2). in awe i fell over just to outshine him. Sweet. Upper sass rocks a gnarly steep descent - washed out in places and damn steep. I made friends with a few friendly bearded amish gentlemen on the way down.

"it's a rocky ride, huh?" they yelled.
"oh yea"!
I was behind on upper sassafrass (what else is new?) but alas, some mechanicals slowed the pack. At the base, friends looked at me and smiled wondering what i thought of that crazy trail:
"Mother f@#r!" I belted out. I meant it. Warning: Steep descents activate spontaneous slurred torretes. laughter ensued.
Allen showed us a new piece of single track that looped around to lewistown. we climbed up to beautiful and on this rocky ridge trail encountered yet more flats and mechanicals. I road through the carnage. We made our way down to the base of no name. I like this trail. not sure why. it's a rocky bench cut that's a bit steep at times and simultaneously washed out in places. It's good for the mojo as I can actually ride large portions of it - slowly.

I road through more carnage on no name. more flats. we were held up for a while at the base of the trail. We regrouped and made our way back up the road splitting at Indian. I was tired from saturday's rocky trail ride so I made my way back on the road to meet up with the group later.

A proper birthday ride should end on a high note so we finished up seeger and dropped telephone to seal the deal. We complete the day with a cold beer (guiness, yum! at Erik's petting furry dogs and checking out their amazing gardens and bee colonies! So cool.

Perfect day for a birthday celebration. Sure we had 10,000 mechanicals but it was still a fun, eventful ride with a lotta cool peeps. Thanks guys for draggin me around! A few picts are below:

left: peter took KOM on seeger. Right: then came allen! nice climb boys.

Erik and Josh!! Josh, you are at the top! no really this is the top. this is NOT HALF WAY.

Reynolds at the top of telephone. He likes it here. he can rest.

This is what chaya thinks about all this climbing / rock nonsense.

Larke Chaya de Cacao - in action


i go here sometimes when i need time away. or want to relax. or just want to make my little furry brown girl happy. nice.

loves sticks.

The cute face.


Mad ups! Yes i've posted ones similar before i know.

life is good.