Monday, September 25, 2017

Week 38 - Post Camping Wrap

Week 38 of 2017. 

It's been a hell of year.  Today marked my 37th bike commute of the year.  On the face of things thats a shade less than 1x per week.  By the end of the week I should hit 38 or 39.  But also take between Australia and HI I spent 8 weeks basically out of the country.  So if I hit 39 on 30 weeks basic thats not too bad.  Then you add in work, other stuff and random crap trap I'd say 26 weeks vs 39 rides would be 1.5 rides per week average.  And I'm definitely working from home an average of 1x per week plus all the other above crap.  So as I look at it between travel and bike and working from home 117 days of not driving the car to work out of 190 ain't too terrible.  Sure, if I maintain 2 a week I"ll be near 65 or so,  but the reality is I'll have probably 2 weeks of vacation where I won't commute, except to the bar.  And probably loose 1 week or 2 to weather. 

Last year's commute count 58 and that ended in....November!  Ugh. 

But onwards and upwards!

The MORE Fall Camp 2017 Edition was EXCELLENT!

Amazing Weather
Amazing Trails
Amazing People
Amazing Food
Amazing Dogs
Ama....fuckit.   It was the best year in Davis since year the 1st time 3 years ago.  It was most excellent, the trails were in great shape excluding the Black connector.  Rolled some big stuff, rode tons of rocks, did more of the Crack Trail this year than ever before, including most of the CRACK.  Sick.  Fun.  About the only negative was it was so warm, we didn't really need campfires much.  Sitting around the fire was way too hot for this young buck! 

Pictures to come. 

Friday - Black to Dam to Yellow to Swamp West Black 2 To Swamp East to Blue
Saturday - Jumps to Voodoo to Black to Crack to Yellow to Black to the Big X upto Pine Spur to Yellow to Gene's to Swamp East to Blue.
Sunday - Black to Swamp East to Yellow to Black to Mother of Crack to Fern to Yellow to Chunder Mountain to Yellow Down (So bad now!) to Black. 

Trails to Hit - Fern (Down), Gene's (Down), Mother of Crack (Down), Pine Spur (CCW), Crack, More Crack (maybe), Chunder Mountain (Down), Little Canaan
Trail to Skip - Voodoo (Not worth the effort).  I'd rather add do More Crack trail. 

Next on the horizon.  MoCo Epic 55.  Oh yeah, really frickin bright on my part! :) 

Monday, September 18, 2017

Summer's a Wrap - 2017 Ed.

Well it's near the end of Summer here in the Nations Capital.  CX is in the air and so are some hints of fall for really the last few weeks.  The end of summer has been very very mild so far.  Though we are looking at a spike back to high 80's on frickin Thursday.  Argh.

Other than Wake-o-tink this summer my MTB has been way more pedestrian this year than in the past.  Sure I rode a ton in July and Aug of total mileage but it was mostly road.  (Near 500 mile in Aug or more probably).  Sure I did a 40 miler up around schaeffer and  I hit up CJ recently to find some awesome re-routes in place.  A mild but hard hit at the shed, reminding me why tech skills are a continuing objective.  But over all MTB was sorta, MEH.  No VT, no NC, etc.

MEH ended on Saturday, at the PVSP Trail Fest 2017.

I did the 27mi.  It was hard.  And Fun.  And Wet.  I haven't even had the energy or time to download the GPS yet so I only have vague memories of totals, etc.  But it took a tad over 4 hours moving time with total time being near 5.5 hours.  Though 30 minutes of that was letting the enduro brah's get it on so I wouldn't slow anyone down.  It was a good call.  That first section had some sick stuff.

The first 6 miles were brutally hard as I wasn't well warmed up and hadn't felt optimal all morning.  The sweeps were chasing me till the 1st rest station.  2nd Section was much much better and I felt good most of the way.  Did some technical rock stuff.  Rode well.  I think i built near a 15 minute lead that I completely blew at the 2nd rest station.  Argh.  Off again and pushed hard from Daniels to Woodstock though by the way to Woodstock Inn I started to feel I was burning a bit hard.  But never saw the sweeps again.  In fact for a while i was ahead of a large group of riders who had started at the main start time meaning in total time I had BOOKED!  Lots of pushing heading out of 3 then riding got hard, really hard.  Mile 21 my left leg had mild tinges of crampiness but I spun it out and with some sports legs and extra food it seemed ok.  By the final descent around 24 my forearms became the big problem.  Too much braking.  Sigh.  That last climb into the park both legs cramped at about 50% but I spun on and kept going.

Ernie beer'd me as soon as I rolled into the finish zone.  Awesome!  So good.  Hung out, ate, talked to tons of guys I don't get to see very often.  About an hour later I was done and as I was heading out the sweeps came in pushing the final group.

Hard but Fun.  Patapsco has some awesome riding.  Yes the creek crossings....sucked sorta.  And I wouldn't do this ride in the winter.  But it was a good day.  And part of me is already planning how to do this again this fall.  Maybe in late October a few weeks after MoCo.

And as a barometer it was about what I expected though I forgot HOW techy PVSP is in area's.  The interesting part was 27 mile there took me as long as 40 in MoCo.  Oy.

Next up!  Big Bear for the MORE Fall 2017 Campout this weekend!  Woot!  Awesome riding ahoy!

MORE Fall Camping Trip - #23

This weekend was the 23rd Annual MORE Fall Camping Trip.  The third year in a row to Big Bear Lake WV (Bruceton Mills, WV).

And damn it was good.

Friday was a fairly warm day and a late start due to never ending work meant I didn't leave the house till 11:45.  By the time my shopping was done it was 12:30.  Oh well.  The drive out wasn't bad after getting thru the usual BS on I270.  Made it in just after 330.  A quick setup of tent and stuff and I was out for a ride with E-dog, MOBL and Germ.  We hit a nice set of ....mostly....chill trails.  10 miles and we were back for b33r and relaxation.  Team XXL was the party hub as usual and with it being Joel's b-day we had a hell of a night.  Good food, tons of Tequila, Bourbon, and Beer.  The camp had Hop Nosh and an Amber on draft.  They survived thru the night some how.  Many people came in late or on Saturday AM it seemed.  The night was warm but once I sacked out I slept well.  Nice to get 7 or 8 hours of sleep!

Saturday became a HUGE day.  Breakfast was catered and awesome this year!  Then it was time to prep and stuff and we were off a bit past 10:30.  We hit the burly shit. The first 10 miles took near 2 hours.  By that time I was tired and not being in the 1st bail out I lead out the 2nd group.  We got an awesome gravel and paved road set of descents that were mind blowingly fast.  Picked up bits of trail and ended with 14+ miles.  Got in a nice long shower as we were in a slow time and then had snacks and beer.  Cranked up the homemade grill and cooked 2 AWESOME flank steaks.  Asian bombs of flavor.  Then it was off to the potluck.  Somehow I didn't make top 10, I think my label got lost!  Oh well it was all gone and I got tons of complements.

Then we got a drive-by golf cart parade from the locals.  Throwing out candy.  In retrospect I think it might have been leftover from last Halloween after looking at the skittles!  But like 50-60 golf carts!  Music, Lights, and Laughter.  Hung out but as usual Saturday sent me to bed early and by 9 I was chilling and reading.  Loud groups kept me up till about 12, but it was all good.  Relaxed and reading is fine.  Slept till about 7:30 then read again.

Morning was finally cool and pants paid off for the 1st bit.  Cocoa and Oatmeal for breakfast.  Yah. Packed up everything mostly and was out to ride by 10:45 solo.  Went out and knocked down 10+ miles on my own running into several groups.  It was a great day.  Done at 12:30.  Hung out till 1:30 and then headed home.  A lazy drive back, then unpacked and am now 90% done packing/etc.

Trails

Friday - Jump line, purple, black, yellow, grey, green, roadside.
Saturday - Red, purple, black, red, red, yellow, blue, ???, pines, road back.
Sunday - Jump Line, Road, Green-West, Yellow, Orange, Fern, Yellow, Blue Kids course, Yellow, Little Canann, Roadside.


Friday, June 23, 2017

2017 Cat-chup.

It's been a LONG time.

In a Galaxy Far Far Away.

I've been around the world and life is beautiful.


:P

So tonight I was running late to come home.  It was getting dark.  And I had no lights.  So I went on the Highway to the Danger Zone and cranked out an epic ride home.  Huge pace.

27 Minutes.  Perhaps my fastest ride home.  And it could have been faster, by the time I got to Courthouse on the south east side of 123, it was getting dim.  By the time I entered Nottoway park, it was pretty dark almost at 9::05 especially under the tree's.  Had to really take it a tad easy up the path to Vaden.

If I'd held my pace all the way into vienna then pushed harder up Courthouse and then thru the park, I think 25 would have been possible.  Typically my ride home is the slower part. 31 minutes.  Sub 30 I consider pretty good.  And the moving time versus total time?  32 mins total.  That's bonkers, it's usually 45 minutes nearly with stops/lights/etc.

Total Ride - 58.15.  And my lazy 31 in could have cut 4 minutes off.  Easy.

2013 - 54:07 - https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/324916846
2013-2 - 57:13 - https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/412845125 - Dec 2013
2014 - 59:31 - https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/472470681 - April 2014
2015 - 58:54 - https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/749098180 - April 2015
2016 - 1:00:32 - https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1187058047 - May 2016
2017 - 58:15 https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1813423305 - June 2017 - 27 Home

What sucks?   I was at 20 rides to work by early APR 2016.  2015 I'm only 4 or 5 off pace.  Sure I was on the road for err.... 7 weeks, so say 14 commutes.  Hmmm.  34 in 2016 still put me at June 1.  argh.  97 hours and just under 1K miles.

Stats from Strava - So doesn't have "Everything" like trailwork and such.
Year - Activities - Miles
2016 - 314 - 3451
2015 - 317 - 3591
2014 - 204 - 2157
2013 - Partial - 184 - 2124

Cool places I've ridden:
Manly Dam, NSW Australia
Sydney,NSW Australia
The Big Island HI - Just a tiny bit, more hiking and running. VNP, Greensand Beach, etc.

Beer I've Drunk - 2 much.  Highlights include tons of Australian, KBS 2016, and Doom 2017.