Today I received an email from one of the race coordinators that summarizes my “Into The Darkness” adventure:
October 27th - Explore Park - Night Trail Run - Mountain Bike - and November 10th Duathlon
Sorry I missed you during the race.
I went out at 11:45 in search for you. We were afraid you had fallen off a cliff or something.
I hope everything went OK. I heard that you did 3 laps? Is that right. You must be a glutton for punishment.
Josh
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Yes friends… I did freaking 3 laps = 24 miles of one of the most horrible experiences I’ve had thus far on my young mtn biking addiction. As much as I try to look at the “fun” side of it I was not able to do so…
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Yes friends… I did freaking 3 laps = 24 miles of one of the most horrible experiences I’ve had thus far on my young mtn biking addiction. As much as I try to look at the “fun” side of it I was not able to do so…
The trails were so darn muggy (thanks to the 4 inches of rain that they have been getting in VA for the past 4 days) and rooty that I lost tracking of time and; therefore, doing more than I should have.
I lost count of the times I felt after 15… My right knee was bleeding… I was so beat up… my legs are in a deep purplish color like the color of an eggplant… Mmm ah… this is the summary as I wrote it for my friend Jenn:
In to the Darkness:
- Registration fee: $25
- 200 lmn riding light: $300
- Three mtn bike tubs: $15
- Long sleeve mtn bike shirt: $25
- Long biking tights: $30
- Cool weather mtn bike gloves: $20
- Two tanks of gas for round trip: $60
- 200 lmn riding light: $300
- Three mtn bike tubs: $15
- Long sleeve mtn bike shirt: $25
- Long biking tights: $30
- Cool weather mtn bike gloves: $20
- Two tanks of gas for round trip: $60
Driving 12 hrs (round trip) to do 24 miles of torture thanks to the muggy trails of the Blue Ridge on VA and of getting lost and confused by the marking plus the constant thought of a bear jumping out of the woods to attack me...
PRICELESS!
And you don’t even get a medal… I should have received the medal of punishment or/and stupidity… I guess I should take a pic of the t-shirt I got and my number (if I can find it!) and post it here.
Well it is all good… nice training for the Swank 65 in 2 weeks, yay!
Till then stay crazy… Viva La Vida Mtn Biking!
See picture from my battle with Pisgah. I know it doesn’t look that bad, but actually from all the cuts I’ve got thus far these ones are the ones that are hurting the most. I think it has to do with where they are located… every time I walk I feel like the wounds are opening up. Also, they are a little deeper than what they look… I’ve been cleaning them up so no infection… I think I’ll be ok.
OMG could you believe that my first race is this Saturday? And I haven’t done any training on the dark! I just hope I make it alive!My friend Jenn said that it looks like it is going to rain all this week… darn… I hope not and even if that’s the case I need to do some training!
Also, my other fellow mtn biker junky, Allan, left me a comment asking how my Swan training is coming… uyy… I don’t know LOL at least now I have the 780 map so I can bike around and hopefully not get lost, but I don’t know… I think I am going to die at the Swank. Dave from PAS told me that he’ll do the Fishery Hatch (is that the right name? LOL) ride with me on 11/3 but I doubt it… that’s the same weekend PAS is working at DuPont.
Oh and my Saturday night out adventure? Bah… that’s all I have to say… thanks in part to that I had to take a rest Sunday… Oh lazy day with Herr Faust Picasso (see picture).
Every time I hear the name "Pisgah" I think of pissing... not sure why... it is like when I hear "dejavu" I think "dejabrew" LOL LOL I know makes no sense but I am like that...
Remember the song by Hootie and the Blowfish I think the name was "Hold my Hand" when he sings "with a little bit of love and...." up to today I have no idea what he says but I sing it this way "with a little bit of love and M&Ms" LOL LOL.
Ok enough of my wondering mind... Friday, I went to BC and did about 2 hrs and a half of biking (left work early) and when I noticed it was already 7ish by the time I got home it was late 7ish and by the time I took a shower blah blah blah it was passed 8 so I decided to stay home and just not go to the Downtown Assoc. party.... Oh big deal, I was not in the mood to socialize anyways.
Today I did almost 4 hrs at Pisgah with Dave, Valerie, and Mike from SORBA... Ouch all I can say... the hills were hard specially because of all the lose rocks and the downhills were hard too... and guess what? I got not one but TWO freaking flat tires!!! the front and back one... I was a lucky girl today. Oh yeah and more bruises and cuts thanks to those darn clips LOL...
See the latest addition to the collection of cuts and bruises... but it is ok... at least I am still alive!
Tomorrow? Some more riding... I hope! I am going out tonight (WOWOWOWOW LOL) to meet a friend of one of my "gays" LOL and then go dancing with my gays because my dearest one: Mario told me that I don't love him anymore LOL ohhh gay drama!
Note: blogger is not working for pics so that piece of beauty = beat up leg LOL must wait for some other time...
Till then keep on biking and bowing to the Queen = Pisgah
I am eating an apple and it doesn't have any taste... it totally sucks... and now that I caught your attention let me say: Happy Hump Day!
The week is almost gone which makes me a happy woman! Is it bad that when Monday comes I am already thinking about Friday? LOL and the worse part is that all I want to do is for the weekend to come so I can go and ride?
I can’t help but to feel the intense need to mtn bike or do “something,” the funniest and most ridiculous thing is that working (in my mind) doesn’t count as doing “something” LOL LOL so if it is up to me I’ll be out in the mtns all the time or at the gym.
What’s wrong?
I asked that to my therapist yesterday. I told her about my almost “compulsive obsession” with mtn biking to points that I don’t even care that much about getting beat up or spending money on mtn biking equipment… After some discussion it seems (in my mind) that mtn biking keeps me sane and makes me feel alive, those freaky endorphins, plus it is a good way to just relax and let it be.
Mmmm interesting… and with that said more and more I feel so content about everything in my life. As the days go by I feel no need to reach out to find someone to date or any of that stuff… it is weird I don’t feel the need of being with anyone even at times the need to be with some friends! HOWEVER, LOL, if someone comes along the way then magnific! I am not that "I don't want anyone in my life" sort of person...
Anyways… I did a quick ride Monday at BC to keep on practicing with my clips… those darn things are going to kill me LOL but if that’s the case ahhh it was all well worth it LOL. Tuesday, 4 miles quick run and biceps/triceps work out at the gym. Tonight? Some quick riding at Mills River and then quick legs work out at the gym.
Thursday, probably Turkey Pen ride. Friday, I have a party from the Downtown Association so I guess no training that day (puff), time to socialize and meet new people! Saturday, not sure… I have some people that have told me they want to do a long ride so not sure who is coming or where we are going to end up at. Sunday, the same as Saturday and working out too.
So there you have it…
Oh yeah see pic below of my ridding buddy Jenn in her attempt to cross a river at DuPont. You go girl (with Tyra Banks accent LOL)
I made it thru the weekend, yay! Here I am back at work enjoying another beautiful day at the office talking about fixed assets, depreciation, and budgets... ahhh I live for this stuff (aha).
Last week I didn't do much of a ride I mostly focused on running and in making it alive from my first trial of mtn biking with "real shoes" = cleats.
Friday, I did a quick run and finally decided to stop all the bull shit about "uyy I will break my leg or arm if I use the real pedals and cleats" and went to Liberty Bikes and had them put the pedals, got me some shoes, cleats, and a very expensive light (so I can do my night race... Gwezz this light is my Xmas present... it cost a fortune!).
Ahh of course I felt on my first trial with Brian (the guy I always talk to when I go to that store) but after that "first fall" I did well... at least I thought so... Later that night I went to celebrate one of my friends' b-day... that was the first time in a while that I've hanged out with her and her friends and it was nice but at the same time it reminded me the "I am too old for that shit" sort of deal... I was more worried about them getting drunk and driving than enjoying the atmosphere and their company... Mmm...
Saturday, met Amy and Jenn for a new adventure: Laurel Mtn at Mill River. Well it took us a while to get there, we got a little lost but after some driving up and down Mills River we found the place!
I got ready with my new shoes and felt just a the start of the ride, puff... but it wasn't that bad! About 5 minutes into the ride I heard a noise and Jenn asking "are you ok?" (I was the last on the line because I knew I was going to be falling all the time thanks to the infamous shoes), when I looked I saw Amy on the side on the trail/mtn.
Well, she felt and had a really nasty cut... gosh poor woman... but kudos to Amy, she kept it together, didn't panic and was a strong woman! We went back to the car... Jenn did a little first aid... but Amy really needed more than just a little first aid. At the end she got some stitches and will be out of biking for 12 days or so.
Ok after that experience... Jenn and I decided to go to Fletcher Creek... good/tough ride! Of course, I felt like mmmm 10 times to the square LOL? Some were just little falls... others were big time! Especially at Spencer Branch, I even went over the handles! Gosh I really ended up with super bruised and beat up legs (today, they look like a eggplant LOL), but it was all worth it! LOL (see pics).
Last week I didn't do much of a ride I mostly focused on running and in making it alive from my first trial of mtn biking with "real shoes" = cleats.
Friday, I did a quick run and finally decided to stop all the bull shit about "uyy I will break my leg or arm if I use the real pedals and cleats" and went to Liberty Bikes and had them put the pedals, got me some shoes, cleats, and a very expensive light (so I can do my night race... Gwezz this light is my Xmas present... it cost a fortune!).
Ahh of course I felt on my first trial with Brian (the guy I always talk to when I go to that store) but after that "first fall" I did well... at least I thought so... Later that night I went to celebrate one of my friends' b-day... that was the first time in a while that I've hanged out with her and her friends and it was nice but at the same time it reminded me the "I am too old for that shit" sort of deal... I was more worried about them getting drunk and driving than enjoying the atmosphere and their company... Mmm...
Saturday, met Amy and Jenn for a new adventure: Laurel Mtn at Mill River. Well it took us a while to get there, we got a little lost but after some driving up and down Mills River we found the place!
I got ready with my new shoes and felt just a the start of the ride, puff... but it wasn't that bad! About 5 minutes into the ride I heard a noise and Jenn asking "are you ok?" (I was the last on the line because I knew I was going to be falling all the time thanks to the infamous shoes), when I looked I saw Amy on the side on the trail/mtn.
Well, she felt and had a really nasty cut... gosh poor woman... but kudos to Amy, she kept it together, didn't panic and was a strong woman! We went back to the car... Jenn did a little first aid... but Amy really needed more than just a little first aid. At the end she got some stitches and will be out of biking for 12 days or so.
Ok after that experience... Jenn and I decided to go to Fletcher Creek... good/tough ride! Of course, I felt like mmmm 10 times to the square LOL? Some were just little falls... others were big time! Especially at Spencer Branch, I even went over the handles! Gosh I really ended up with super bruised and beat up legs (today, they look like a eggplant LOL), but it was all worth it! LOL (see pics).
Sunday, I didn't do anything... once again I didn't go to church... I mean I could barely move! My legs really got a good beat up! Nevertheless, I feel really proud of myself for learning the cleats trick/ride and not giving up even when it hurt!
This week... more training: trail running and mtn biking. I must start doing 5 hrs mtn bike rides this weekend otherwise I am going to die when I do the Swank 65.
More updates as the week goes by....
The week is almost gone and I haven't posted anything! What's wrong with me? Well, nothing is wrong I've just been busy at work... believe it or not... it was about time, right? LOL
Quick summary of last week:
Thursday: quick ride of about 8 miles with my friend Mr. UniMan at Bent Creek... we did our same old same old... just a quick ride to Ingles Fields - Five Points - Hickory Loop - Sidehill - Wolf Branch - back to the parking lot.
Friday: met with couple girls - Julie and Jenn - for another quick ride at BC... we did the same ride as above but this time it took a little longer... you know... we did the "girl talking" deal and "get to know each other" they are really nice girls... at the end we ended up riding the last part of the trip in the dark, yay! That was exciting! LOL
Saturday: met my friend Mr. UniMan for my frist ride at DuPont! That was quite an experience! I loved it and now I want to do more of the trails... I also had my first "over the handles" crash, but I tell you what... it was all well worth it! LOL LOL I almost landed a crazy jump!
Sunday: met with the Asheville Women Clycling Club and other girls from SORBA and just around Ashevegas... it was cool to meet other female mtn bikers... I also had my first flat tire ever!!! but Amy (see her in action) took over and fixed it. It was good to see her in action because now I think I know how to change a tube.
News for this week: I've been feeling "under the weather" and it is Thursday and I haven't done any mtn biking... however, yesterday I did about 45 min trail running... that was a blast! And I think I am hooked with the trail running... it is way more fun than road running... so I'll probably run on the trails again tonight and then gym time. I want to do long mtn bike rides this weekend... about 4-5 hrs each day and then gym time... you might ask why?Well, this crazy woman has signed up for couple mtn bike races (my firsts ever): the Into The Dark at VA (16 miles on the dark) and the craziest one: Swank 65 which is 65K on the Pisgah forest, yay!
I am also thinking about doing some duathlons (mtn biking and trail running) in the coming weeks before my big test: Disney Half Marathon...
Till then stay crazy and keep on biking!
Happy Hump Day!
Tonight is the finale of Top Chef... oh wow what a great day LOL... I know what a geek, right? But I can’t help it, I’ve become a Top Chef fan and they have inspired me to start cooking more at home. In addition, I have become a big fan of the final 3:
- Casey: oh man I wouldn’t mind to date her if she would ask me to go out with her I would say yes in a nanosecond… she is so darn cute, has an amazing smile, and she can cook really good food!
- Dale: oh my gay boy… he is so sweet and gay LOL LOL how can’t you like him? I think he would make a perfect gay friend plus I like the fact that he always takes his chances!
- Hung: oh the heartless LOL everything has a way to be in science… he produces beautiful dishes but at times I wonder where’s his heart?
I think Hung might win because he just makes perfect dishes, but he is arrogant and the lack of heart is a big deal. Dale is just a sweetheart and he cooks great food but sometimes he goes way too wacko. Casey, to me, is the most in the middle… she makes great meals, her dishes are nice, and she has a heart… but she seems to get down under pressure. So who would win? Not sure… my heart goes with Casey, my head with Hung, and my guts with Dale LOL.
All this Top Chef makes me a times want to just leave my corporate finance job, pack my stuff, and just move somewhere else and become a chef LOL move to NYC and struggle as a “not too young wanna be chef” or go to Portland-Seattle… ah… maybe someday!
So Hump Day... “my humps my humps my lovely lady lumps in the back and in the front” LOL…
Tonight I am going to the gym instead of biking… I was meeting Mr. Triathlon Man (Brian) but he is going to ride too late and I don’t have lights, which reminds me that I really need to get some lights (writing it down on my list of “freaking things I need”).
It looks like my week is now full thanks to my mtn bike addiction:
Tonight is the finale of Top Chef... oh wow what a great day LOL... I know what a geek, right? But I can’t help it, I’ve become a Top Chef fan and they have inspired me to start cooking more at home. In addition, I have become a big fan of the final 3:
- Casey: oh man I wouldn’t mind to date her if she would ask me to go out with her I would say yes in a nanosecond… she is so darn cute, has an amazing smile, and she can cook really good food!
- Dale: oh my gay boy… he is so sweet and gay LOL LOL how can’t you like him? I think he would make a perfect gay friend plus I like the fact that he always takes his chances!
- Hung: oh the heartless LOL everything has a way to be in science… he produces beautiful dishes but at times I wonder where’s his heart?
I think Hung might win because he just makes perfect dishes, but he is arrogant and the lack of heart is a big deal. Dale is just a sweetheart and he cooks great food but sometimes he goes way too wacko. Casey, to me, is the most in the middle… she makes great meals, her dishes are nice, and she has a heart… but she seems to get down under pressure. So who would win? Not sure… my heart goes with Casey, my head with Hung, and my guts with Dale LOL.
All this Top Chef makes me a times want to just leave my corporate finance job, pack my stuff, and just move somewhere else and become a chef LOL move to NYC and struggle as a “not too young wanna be chef” or go to Portland-Seattle… ah… maybe someday!
So Hump Day... “my humps my humps my lovely lady lumps in the back and in the front” LOL…
Tonight I am going to the gym instead of biking… I was meeting Mr. Triathlon Man (Brian) but he is going to ride too late and I don’t have lights, which reminds me that I really need to get some lights (writing it down on my list of “freaking things I need”).
It looks like my week is now full thanks to my mtn bike addiction:
- Wednesday: meeting Mr. UniMan (Jeff) for a quick ride at Bent Creek.
- Thursday: meeting PAS at Turkey Pen for a 1.5-2 hrs ride.
- Friday: meeting a new friend, Jenn, at BC for a ride.
- Saturday: meeting Mr. UniMan for the Hardtimes Challenge that he told me about… that should be fun!
- Sunday: meeting the AWCC for a ride in the afternoon. I am very excited to meet more ladies mtn bikers and Becca, one of the leaders.
In another note I was thinking... that almost everyone I’ve been meeting, becoming friends with, going out with, and/or mtn biking with have a broken heart or have had their hearts recently broken. How amazing! I think we can make a group called The Broken Hearts Club. Their boyfriends broke up with them, their dating scene is not going well, their partners left, they just ended 7-8 years relations, their girlfriends cheated on them… etc. Oh Lord all that makes me even more un-wanting to put myself out there, beside I am still recovering and I need my time. At the same time, I can’t stay hanged out forever in a relation that didn’t work (perhaps for the best of both) and maybe let the right person go by…
I should write or make a book about this…
- Thursday: meeting PAS at Turkey Pen for a 1.5-2 hrs ride.
- Friday: meeting a new friend, Jenn, at BC for a ride.
- Saturday: meeting Mr. UniMan for the Hardtimes Challenge that he told me about… that should be fun!
- Sunday: meeting the AWCC for a ride in the afternoon. I am very excited to meet more ladies mtn bikers and Becca, one of the leaders.
In another note I was thinking... that almost everyone I’ve been meeting, becoming friends with, going out with, and/or mtn biking with have a broken heart or have had their hearts recently broken. How amazing! I think we can make a group called The Broken Hearts Club. Their boyfriends broke up with them, their dating scene is not going well, their partners left, they just ended 7-8 years relations, their girlfriends cheated on them… etc. Oh Lord all that makes me even more un-wanting to put myself out there, beside I am still recovering and I need my time. At the same time, I can’t stay hanged out forever in a relation that didn’t work (perhaps for the best of both) and maybe let the right person go by…
I should write or make a book about this…
The fall is finally here, how exciting! I love this season because I never experienced it before until moving to WNC... Costa Rica only has two seasons: wet and dry, and Florida goes about the same.
I love the way the trees leaves start to change in color and the weather starts to get cooler... even the smell in the air is different... oh and with that said I can't wait to mtn bike during the cooler weather! LOL
Ah yeah this past week was a perfect week for mtn biking... the weather was gorgeous and the climate was just perfect, not too hot not too cold... the skies were blue and the nights were bright and beautiful with full or almost full moons. All these scenes make me fall more and more in-love with mtn biking, isn't that crazy? Mtn biking makes me feel happy, content, in-love, alive, peaceful… and a bunch of more good attributes you can think of.
Summary of last week:
- Tuesday: Kitsuma about 12 miles and some on the dark (see prior post) with Mr. UniMan (Jeff).
- Wednesday: Met a friend (Frank) at Jack of the Woods to talk about some of his projects. Later that night had dinner with UniMan; he sprang his ankle really bad on Tuesday, so I wanted to check on him and make sure things were ok.
- Thursday: Bent Creek approx 14 miles; got lost on the woods and it got dark… I didn’t have a light with me (yes I know extremely stupid!) so I rode thinking about momma bear on a trail attacking me… OMG I rode the trails like crazy… I really did a hard leg work-out, but I was able to finally find my way on the woods and make it to the parking lot.
- Friday: low key day. Prepared dinner to welcome the fall season… it was nice to share that with friends.
- Saturday: Bent Creek ride about 12-13 miles = Wolf Branch to Ingles Gap to Hickory Loop to Sidehill to Lower Sidehill to Deerloop to Hardtimes connector to parking lot.
- Sunday: Bent Creek extravaganza with PAS group… all over the place we ended up doing about 16-17 miles… it was a really nice ride!
And this week? Not sure… I am taking off today and tomorrow to go to the gym… might ride Wednesday; Thursday riding with UniMan, maybe take off Friday, Saturday probably do the long version of Fletcher Creek and Sunday meeting the Asheville Women’s Cycling Club for a nice ride in the afternoon…
We shall see what this week brings! Until then, NaNu NaNu!
I love the way the trees leaves start to change in color and the weather starts to get cooler... even the smell in the air is different... oh and with that said I can't wait to mtn bike during the cooler weather! LOL
Ah yeah this past week was a perfect week for mtn biking... the weather was gorgeous and the climate was just perfect, not too hot not too cold... the skies were blue and the nights were bright and beautiful with full or almost full moons. All these scenes make me fall more and more in-love with mtn biking, isn't that crazy? Mtn biking makes me feel happy, content, in-love, alive, peaceful… and a bunch of more good attributes you can think of.
Summary of last week:
- Tuesday: Kitsuma about 12 miles and some on the dark (see prior post) with Mr. UniMan (Jeff).
- Wednesday: Met a friend (Frank) at Jack of the Woods to talk about some of his projects. Later that night had dinner with UniMan; he sprang his ankle really bad on Tuesday, so I wanted to check on him and make sure things were ok.
- Thursday: Bent Creek approx 14 miles; got lost on the woods and it got dark… I didn’t have a light with me (yes I know extremely stupid!) so I rode thinking about momma bear on a trail attacking me… OMG I rode the trails like crazy… I really did a hard leg work-out, but I was able to finally find my way on the woods and make it to the parking lot.
- Friday: low key day. Prepared dinner to welcome the fall season… it was nice to share that with friends.
- Saturday: Bent Creek ride about 12-13 miles = Wolf Branch to Ingles Gap to Hickory Loop to Sidehill to Lower Sidehill to Deerloop to Hardtimes connector to parking lot.
- Sunday: Bent Creek extravaganza with PAS group… all over the place we ended up doing about 16-17 miles… it was a really nice ride!
And this week? Not sure… I am taking off today and tomorrow to go to the gym… might ride Wednesday; Thursday riding with UniMan, maybe take off Friday, Saturday probably do the long version of Fletcher Creek and Sunday meeting the Asheville Women’s Cycling Club for a nice ride in the afternoon…
We shall see what this week brings! Until then, NaNu NaNu!
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