Four hour mountain bike ride today with my buddy Adam. Before I say anything else, I've gotta say that 40+ miles on a singlespeed mountain bike is much much much differnt than 40+ miles on a sweet carbon road/tri bike.
We had a lot of fun today, and I'm actually kinda getting a hang of this mountain biking stuff. It's hard, but the rush is very addictive. There were a couple really technical downhills that scared the shit out of me on our first of two loops. Steep with roots, rocks, and pretty steep drops and swooping turns. Very gnarly (especailly for a roadie like me on a totally rigid mountain bike!). I was getting the hang of it though by the second loop and really started to ride with some confidence.
All in all we did a little over 40 miles. I didn't wear my Garmin today (although I wished I had) mostly because I wanted only to pay attention to time. I could have used the heart rate monitor to slow me down a bit, but when riding a singlespeed I don't think there's any chance you're not going to go anerobic at some points!
Today was a really tough day and I'm spent. Probably the hardest workout I've had in a while on the bike. Most of all it was fun though, and I can't wait to do it again! Tomorrow is back in the water in the morning, and I'll probably go for a jog in the afternoon. The weather is probably gonna be a little iffy, but if it's not raining I'll take Lucky with me. She hates the rain! Interesting for a breed originally from the U.K. not to like the rain. Just sayin'...
This is our new blog detailing our daily adventures, mountain bike racing, endurance sports, and maybe even some cooking (that's Anne's domain!). We will share our experiences with life, training, and most importantly, being a team-both in marriage and in our sport.
Dude you're gonna be tearing it up on the MEAT SAW in no time! Like I said on the trail, once you build your confidence, those downhills are all about bike handling and technique. The more you ride, the faster they'll come!
ReplyDeleteAdam-
ReplyDeleteYeah, it'll come. It's awesome getting better though. Compared to the first time we rode I feel like a whole other person! Sketchy downhills are no longer so bad. Thanks again for waiting up for me. That was a great ride Saturday! How was the race Sunday???
-Dave