Mountain Bikes, Bass Guitar, and other stuff I like

Was surprised that the race was held after the deluge the night before.  Singletrack was sloppy so the bike portion was cut down to 1 lap instead of 2.  Run portion was dry in the the cross-country section but puddly in the singletrack. I had my characteristic slow run start and the lead pack quickly left me on the gravel road heading in to Rusty Bucket. Picked up some speed after coming out of the tight and twisty Rusty Bucket trail. Felt strong back to the first transition. Quick transition to bike after 30 seconds or so.  Practice had paid off. On to the bike leg and feeling good.  Only doing 1 lap was a disadvantage for me since my endurance is better than my speed.  About a quarter mile from in to the bike leg noticed my rear wheel was loose. This on top of severely muddy trails made me dial it back some but at least the wheel never came all the way out.  Another bike lap would've been miserable. Good sportsmanship on the trails. Back to the transit...

Really enjoyed my 1st duathlon of the season although I would've hoped for a better result. I seem to do well in these multi-sport events and I enjoy their dynamic more so than a dedicated bike or run event. Renee even made a comment that I multi-task well.  This duathlon is a tough 5 mile run/11 mile bike course at Blanket's Creek.  I think I finished in about the same time this year as last year, around 1:52. (my watch stopped working mid-race) The time was good enough for 4th place AG.  I am disappointed with the result as I consider the duathlon as my bread and butter. More frustrating is that 3rd was 31 seconds ahead at the finish.  I think I was right behind the guy going in to the bike leg then he slowly pulled away from me over the next several miles.  Weird thing about racing is that you just never know who's in front of you! HA ! I was hoping for at least 3rd. Also, the top 2 guys are monsters.  I know I could've found 31 seconds out th...

First year doing the Allatoona Creek race. Missed it last year because I had a duathlon on the same day. This course is sneakily difficult with the most challenging being the Mason's Bridge section.  On a bike, it's easier and more fun because you can roll through all the dips but running through those is really tough.  There aren't very many climbs and no big hills but that course is a grinder.  There was a torrential rainfall a few days before the race so the first 3 miles was a mud run through open cross-country.  I really liked this part though felt I got off to a slow start.  Pacing is so difficult because I don't know how much energy I need to spare.   Feet were wet out of the gate but it was no big deal.  There's a twisted part of me that prefers adverse conditions. Went in to the singletrack section at Rusty Bucket and shuffled through twisty sections, not very fast through there.  In fact, I felt leaden the entire race. I had ran the da...

Went with Renee to the 10.2 River Gorge trail race at Prentice Cooper State Forest near Signal Mtn, Tennessee.  Renee had done the race last year and loved it so this year I decided to jump in.  We were promised a rainy race but luckily the rain had moved out by the time the race started.  Trail conditions were muddy however and treacherous in places.  For some reason, I decided to wear my new Merrell shoes, which are more suitable for less technical trails and road running.  I wish I had brought my Roclites today since they would've served me better on an extremely technical trail.  The only trail I can liken it to is Snake Creek Gap near Dalton,GA.  There was so much slick, leafy downhill that I felt like the trail was all downhill I was actually looking forward to the climbs because that is where I could make most of my time.  I rolled my ankle 2 weeks ago and am still treating it gingerly. I am not the strongest downhiller and today really emp...

I ramped up to Pine Mtn. over about 5 weeks. For the prior 3 months I had done a strength training routine.   While this had its benefits, I wish I had ramped up about 8 weeks to the race instead with more running.   I felt a little sluggish starting out the race.  I had rested 3 days leading up to the race. Maybe only 2 days rest next time. My knees and feet were really tweaky during race week so I figured more rest was better. My attitude about this race was "I'm just training through" and I had it listed as a B priority.   I could've been more excited. I wanted to podium again but I didn't think I could top my 1:20 time last year since I was putting in 1:30 times during training.  I had a real goober drafting me at last year's race so that gave me an extra boost.  I did a lot more hill work before last year's race during my lunch breaks so that was missing this year.  The 5-week ramp just wasn't enough. I remember having a somewhat positive menta...

I recently had the chance to discover a silent film gem called Lonesome courtesy of the Criterion Collection .  I’m always amazed at how the fine folks at Criterion keep unearthing these lost classics, from even as far back as 1928.  That the film’s celluloid has even survived the ravages of time is a miracle in the first place. Criterion's fabulous artwork Lonesome ’s story is simple: middle-class working man and woman (Jim and Mary) feel a sense of isolation among teeming masses living in New York then happen to meet at a Coney Island carnival.  Jim is played by Glenn Tryon and Mary played by Barbara Kent. Both are masterful and conveying emotions and ideas using only facial expressions and body language.  Their meeting, after much coercion from Jim and resistance from Mary, leads to a blossoming love. Too quickly over the course of one afternoon at the carnival? Perhaps, but it’s the movies after all and magic does happen. Silent films are a visual treat pr...