Thoughts on Blanket's Crash

Past few times out on the bike my front wheel has washed out. The trail has been powdery/loose in both cases but I blame mostly my riding technique. It seems that instead of leaning, which one should do at high speed, I'm trying to turn the handlebars too much.

It's discouraging because I feel my technique has advanced considerably over the past two years. I know experience is a great teacher but I can't help but feel like I'm regressing some here. Bad habits are hard to break.

Common biking wisdom suggests that we crash on trails most familiar to us, perhaps because we are so casual and too loose. This one particular section I wiped out a few weeks ago on but it was more of a harmless 10-foot butt-slide that only ripped my shorts.

Now I'm forced to convalesce and heal my wounds. My body probably needs a break anyway. Already looking forward to the next ride. I want the chance to ride the section smooth and fast with confidence.

Until next time

-J

VMT crash

Allatoona Creek trail run race report

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...

Solar Eclipse 2017

The solar eclipse just happened and it has me feeling cosmic and appreciative of our wondrous universe. It makes me feel pretty small and realize that most of my concerns are really trivial. I was amazed at how the quality of light changed and how the crickets began to chirp. Not to mention the crescent-shaped lights on the ground beneath the trees. We had a colander out viewing crescents on the patio because we had no solar glasses. Briefly, a cloud covered the sun and we looked up for a few seconds at the eclipse. Then some neighbors let us borrow their glasses. They are neighbors who for some reason we have never even spoken to, but people realize this is a rare event, so it makes us more human, more kind. This is an amazing time to be alive, with my daughter just turning 1 year old and now this truly inspiring event of nature. One can't help but feel gratitude and a sense of contentment. One of my favorite Carl Sagan quotes: “The surface of the Ea...

Pinhoti times 2

Saturday went out on a rainy ride by myself for about 4.5 hours. Put in about 32 miles. The rain let up on the 2nd half of the ride but it was still puddly. I ate a ton out on the trail. Rode well despite the conditions. Biked up fire road 4 miles to top of Bear Creek in steady rain. Funzies! Bear Creek was really wet so couldn't bomb down. Pinhoti 1 was easier and shorter than I remember probably because I was on the singlespeed last time. I also felt good on Pinhoti 2. It wasn't until Pinhoti 3 that I started to feel tired. Legs were getting really sore and Pinhoti 3 had non-stop climbing for what seemed like hours. It just doesn't end. I wish I had kept my composure together but I began to curse loudly in the woods for no one to hear. I would hit the smallest of sticks on the trail and would topple over. It was pretty slick out there. The switchbacks on Pinhoti 3 are tough on a good day but I did manage to clear a few but fell horribly on one gaining much red cla...

Mountain Bikes, Bass Guitar, and other stuff I like

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