Mountain Bikes, Bass Guitar, and other stuff I like

Last week's adventure was up in Dawson Forest, the site of the Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory. They have about 20 miles of trails up there that are singletrack and doubletrack.  Renee and I took our bikes and loaded up the trail map using MTB Project .  It was a really hot day and we went in the early afternoon, so it was scorching.   I will say that the place, given its history, has a weird vibe. They could've filmed an X-files episode here. Also, a woman was also abducted and murdered out there. Yikes! Renee decided to go on foot and leave the bike behind so I went ahead on recon on the Red trail. It was wide-open powerline riding for about a half-mile then Renee decided to turn around because it was too exposed.  The sun was beating down on us so we headed back to the parking lot and did the Orange trail, heading west.  It was a good sustained climb out and plenty of equestrian "evidence" was about.  Trail treasures?  Jungle-like conditions a...

Preamble Decided to drink the kool-aid and signed up for my 1st 50k trail race last November.  I thought it would be a good way to spend the winter months rather than hibernating.   I was shooting for a March race date and the only ones that were relatively close to home were ones in Augusta, GA and near Birmingham, AL.  I opted for the Oak Mountain 50k near Birmingham because I had been mountain biking there before and it seemed like an challenging, grueling and beautiful place for a trail race.   I was not wrong on any of those accounts.  I wore my yellow Vivobarefoot TrailFreaks.  They were great throughout my training plan and through the race.  The lugs are just aggressive enough but the shoe has that "barely there" feeling.  This is my favorite trail running shoe.  Yes, it has high proprioception, but I feel that makes my feet stronger. (Quote of the race from other racers in regards to the shoes: " Those will break your feet. ") I ...

Major stoke for tomorrow's 50k at Oak Mountain! I feel pretty ready for this and have put in a lot of time and miles in training. Promises to be an adventure-filled day. So grateful that my parents and wife Renee Lowe (+the little one :)) Also, good luck to my fellow runners tomorrow at the Georgia Death Race and Mountain Goat Adventures race. I hope that the trail rises with you. #trailrunning "The best pace is a suicide pace and today looks like a good day to die." -- Steve Prefontaine oakmountain50k.com

Renee and I went to Garland Mountain for a run today, a place where we had ran a few times before, and also had done a few races.  This trail is primarily used for horseback riding but the Parks Department has agreed to allow hikers and by proxy, runners, to use this beautiful gem of a trail-system. Welp, it turns out that it is now illegal to run there, as of January 2015. Yes, one can hike on the trail but running? Nyet!  They literally have posted on their sign, "No running." We were made aware of this fact by two people who were doing some trail maintenance (which is always appreciated.) "You know that you can't run here right?" This was how the woman greeted us.  I guess I looked like a runner and not a hiker?  It mus have been the purple socks and multi-colored shoes.  Hmmmm? "You runners have all kinds of places to run and we only have this one place to ride horses." she continued.  Renee was pretty upset at this point and I was too but trie...

I am considering starting a series of posts dedicated to stuff I use when training.  I do not receive any compensation from companies of said products.  I would simply like to inform the reader of things that I find useful and have purchased with my own money.   If you find these posts useful, please let me know! I will start with the super-useful Nathan Quickshot Plus.  I was using this on a run the other day and it occurred to me how ingenious the design is.   This is a handy little device that is so minimalistic that you forget it is on your hand after a while.  It holds about 8oz. fluids and has a pocket that will hold a few gels and your car key. I use it for runs in about the hour range.  Great for either road or trail.  After that I need more fluids.  This handheld  has been great in races and has a lid design that I now frankly take for granted.  Well, it has no lid, as a matter of fact! Just squeeze and fluids are disp...

Rope Mill Half-Marathon June 14th 2014 My goal this year was to get on the podium (top 3) in the Long Course race series for Mountain Goat Adventures.  The long course is 9 miles or over with the longest race being a half-marathon (13.1 mile) race at Rope Mill in Woodstock to wrap up the series.  Last year I missed the podium because I sprained my ankle in the first race of the series in Cartersville, GA and it was difficult to overcome the deficit.  One has to have 4 consistently good race performances in the series to have a chance.  While I didn't podium in any one individual race and came in 4th on today's race, I am still enormously pleased with my result today coming in 2nd on the Long Course for my age group. I put in a 12-mile effort last week in Raleigh,NC where I was on temp assignment working on a technical manual.  There aren't as many hills over there but I knew that I needed to get at least one long run in while I was there.  This helped my ...

Went into the half with 6 days of rest thanks to snow and a sinus cold.  I don't recall resting the entire week before a r Haven't exactly been training like gangbusters for this race since it is Winter and all.  Done 3 or 4 long runs plus a few short runs for speed work.  Also down 5lbs. from the holidays helps. Thank you Paleo! Had a 30 degree 8am race start. Up at 6am! Wore the new Altra Superiors (no lacelocks yet). This was the Altra's second long run and they performed beautifully.  Great trail feel and decent grip.  No PF flare up after the race! Unfortunately, now they are completely covered in mud! Rained the night before causing a muddy course, foot-deep water crossings.  This race really felt like an adventure or obstacle race with the harsh conditions.  Narrow planks across creeks and tree crossings.  The first tree crossing I took but it really slowed me down so on the next two I just ran through the creek.  Hey, cold,wet feet ...

Had a great time and an excellent race at my 3rd Rope Mill Duathlon. It consisted of a 6 mile bike, 3 mile run, then another 6 mile bike.  Try to imagine all out effort for nearly 90 minutes.  This race was a beast last year and was one of the toughest races I did.  This year was no different except that I am pleased to report that this year I felt a lot better physically and mentally. My bike to run transition was more "pleasant" and I didn't feel nearly as trashed going up the first awful hill to Explorer Trail.  I was a lot more assertive and in control.   I had rested all week except for a short MTB ride on Wednesday. Also haven't been doing much running to speak of for the past several weeks.  I think I may have pulled a muscle in my right quad as it's been bothering me since the ride on Wednesday. We had a race start in the 30s this morning. I couldn't feel my hands and was having to rest my palm on my bars and brake with 2 fingers.  My feet wer...

5 years ago I decided to make a change in my life.  I was pushing 250 pounds and wore size 42 pants. I was extremely depressed and had little desire for anything.  A black cloud hung over me.   Also, I was pre-diabetic.   If one ever finds himself doing blood-tests to check glucose levels, something is wrong. That would be your wake up call! I remember getting on a basketball court and how my knees and back hurt and how slow I felt.  The agility was gone and certainly the endurance.  I was a shadow of my former athletic self.  10 years before I was a pretty good basketball player  How could this happen ? Slowly and surely, that's how. Bicycling was on the periphery of my life a few years before that, around 2004 or 2005.  Casual rides around the neighborhood or on the Silver Comet Trail happened without much thought.  I remembered what it was like to have fun with exercise and feel like a kid again.  I always had a blast with bike...

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...

Biked 30 miles today at Jackrabbit in scenic Hayesville, NC. It is a beautiful mountain setting bordering Lake Chatuge. This trail is like Tsali lite, which is a longer more technical trail to the north near Bryson City. There are some climbs and a few technical features but it's mostly fast,flowy wonderful singletrack. The singlespeed did well and it was mostly easy to maintain momentum. Continued to be impressed with singlespeed efficiency and fun. I'm beginning to see what they say There was one climb going up High Point that I thought I wouldn't make but the quads and hammies had a little something left. The Suntour fork on the bike is garbage and I can't wait to get something better, like a Reba. The Suntour is actually a downgrade from the Dart 3 on my Cannondale 29er. The climb up High Point was grueling and extended, not to mention technical with plenty of rocks and rooty climbing. The singlespeed really challenged me here. A few times today I want...

Another satisfying ride at Chicopee . This place never leaves me for wanting more. There are about 30 miles worth of trails with something for everyone, featuring fast,fun, and flowy loops and also rocky/rooty loops with punishing climbs. I rode about 2.5 hours at a relatively slow pace only covering about 22 miles. Carrying the 15 lb pack really weighs me down but it's good for strength and endurance. I also tried to stay in the middle rings on front and back, around a 2-3. At least it gets lighter as the ride goes on with the loss of fluid. Today I was focusing more on good cornering, especially downhill cornering. Not rushing things at all and riding at a rather deliberate pace. Good thing the trails were deserted. It's difficult to keep my weight back through a downhill corner yet push down on the inside bar to give the front tire more bite. Ran the tires at about 30 PSI which seemed to be an adequate pressure for today's trail conditions, which were mostly tacky and...

First day back on the bike was a good one. It's the cure for what ails me. I dialed it back a lot and took it slow through corners, trying to regain my confidence. Downhills were really conservative and climbs were done in big gears which drove my lower back nuts. Really concentrating on technique through corners trying not to over-steer and using body english. I rode for about 2 hours and could really feel that I had been off a bike for 8 days. My legs were fresh but they didn't have much endurance. I rode about 16 miles. I always forget how much upper body strength is needed for mountain biking. My triceps and shoulders were really screaming today. Trail conditions were nearly ideal after some recent rain. A lot of grip and very little powder. This morning did some trail work. SORBA Woodstock had a last minute post o Facebook about this party. Helped build a wall ride at the bottom of the new downhill area at Blanket's. I'm not really a downhill rider but it...