The light at the end of the tunnel

I've been mountain biking for one year now and it's time to pay the fiddler...

I told my wife and friends that if I was still biking the next time the New Bethlehem Peanut Butter Festival Mountain Bike Race rolled around that I'd enter.

It's important everyone know that a year ago I was 5'5" and 230lbs. I rode all fall and winter which was pretty good for skill building. I figured riding technical crosscountry trails through the snow and ice in Northwestern PA sure beat sitting in front of the TV.

So now mid August a year later, I've lost some weight (20lbs) and gained some skill for the technical single track I have available to me. My big problem is that the recreational (just for fun) riding I do isn't really helping my speed as much as I'd like. Especially not for a 15 mile cross country race..

So I got onto my favorite search engine and found some training info.

Week 1

Let the abuse begin.... I pushed it hard this week. I gained a lot of speed on the half mile hill (dirt road). I went so fast on the single track that I considered hooking up with the veteran xc riders and seeing if I could manage to keep up with them.

Then I rode today after work.....

I'm not sure if it was the Diet Dew, Hot Dogs, or over training, but I could barely make my normal loop.. My riding buddy smoked me up the hill, and killed me on all but the toughest single track. I hit the figurative "Wall" and I could practically hear my (wise) wife warning me (again) not to train 3 rides in a row with hill repeats and full-bore riding..

Oh well.. At least I get to go and sit at my wife's college reunion this weekend and do nothing..

Just kidding!!!!

I'll be riding at Frick Park in Pittsburgh,PA. It's not New Mexico or Colorado but it's a fun bunch of flowy single track right in the middle of Pittsburgh.. Good stuff!! I love that roller coaster trail!!

Hey I hope everyone has that light at the end of the tunnel to get them through training, work, the wife's college reunions or living up to empty promises (xc races when your fat) ;)

-Mike