PedalTrout

My biking goals for this year are to improve my skills in mountain biking and to improve my endurance in my road riding. Well I am well on my way to improving my mountain biking skills. I was at Whopper Dropper twice this past weekend and overcame some obstacles: going into the trailhead; coming out of the trailhead; little rock garden and bridge before Whopper Dropper and rolling some bigger ledges. Rockhopper makes suggestions and shows me how to work on new skills, like getting up onto ledges, as oppose to rolling them. It's all good. I've only been on the road once this year so am just getting started there. I am pretty pleased with seeing some positive results already.

Great feeling, isn't it Janet? I feel like I overcame a major hurdle this winter. I worked with a personal trainer for a few months who showed me exactly how far I can push myself physically. Next to my stupid asthmatic lungs, my brain has always been one of my weakest components. My trainer forced me to explore my limits mentally and physically and I'm noticing that it translates to the bike in a HUGE way! I think I'm already riding much stronger than I was at the end of last season and that is super exciting! That's the great thing about mountain biking - no matter how long you've been doing it there's always something else to learn or conquer.

so 12 laps at gore this year Sue ?

Well, 14 would be better, but we'll see. :D

Sue, you're a machine! I wish I had your stamina. I only did 2 laps last year. LOL. I wonder how many I'll be able to crank out this year....! Guess we'll see. Maybe I'll be crazy and shoot for 6 or something... :)

It's not stamina - it's stubborn. I'm a Scorpio and it shows! ;P You can do anything you put your mind to Stace, you already have!

just conquered some goals already. latetly the group i've been riding with has had a major love for sugarloaf and all it has to offer. to get into the swing of things a couple of buddies created some jumps and berms on the side of a hill, with repercusions in the form of gaps. by no means am i a stunt man but i forced myself over the first one and the other 3 jumps got conquered in succession. i am super stoked and sort of ready for sugar daddy andor the new black diamond jump trail at sugarloaf. can't wait!!!!!

Sue, it is a great feeling to accomplish some biking goals already. That is impressive that your work with a trainer has brought your level of fitness to a new level and that you are noticing it in your biking. You are right in that we can always reach new heights in mountain biking which encourages us to reach new challenges in our lives.

Eric and I rode the trails at Rothesay School (RCS) on Saturday evening. We've been on them before and rode some new ones (new to me). I'm noticing my climbing is getting stronger. RH usually gets away from me on the downhills, but I usually catch up to him on the climbs and was noticing I was on his rear wheel on several climbs. Another plus was rolling over rocky sections. I usually think that my wheels are going to get stuck in them or throw me off balance, but I am motoring over them. That's another thing, my balance and recovery is much better so when my rear wheel shimmies off a rock, I recover and am less likely to freak out and/or fall. Isn't biking great!

And speaking of riding trails at RCS Netherwood, we had an awesome ride there on Sunday while up in Saint John for the weekend. We did the usual loops and discovered some new trails and singletrack. RH just rolls down rocky singletrack with such ease. I am always in awe of him. I followed him "down" one piece of singletrack until it did get too technical for me. We took a sideslope down to a river which had a bridge over it, made of those big spindles that cable wire is wrapped around with boards and wood from train tracks on top. RH just bombed over that (I took pictures). We found some awesome flowy trail through the woods. We came out at a house so we had to go back over the river and back to the main trail. We had done quite a bit of riding and were heading back toward the trailhead. We then discussed whether to ride up the big hill that has a spectacular view of the Kennebecasis River and surrounding area. Last year I made it almost halfway up. This year .... all the way up. Slow and steady, slow and steady. I caught up to RH and moved over to the left of him and we reached the top together, side by side. It was awesome!! We both enjoyed the challenges of the ride plus the joy of finding new trails and having the time to explore them.

jumping the first three gaps on supersweet will get conquered, the rest falls into place. hopefully i can knock it off on the weekend of the 17th. sugarloaf is forcing me to step it up.

jumping the first three gaps on supersweet will get conquered, the rest falls into place. hopefully i can knock it off on the weekend of the 17th. sugarloaf is forcing me to step it up.

so fun to have your limits pushed

So last weekend (August 21) we rode the groomed trails of Kejimikujik (sp?) Park. There were a few hills that ran through the woods on a ridge. I discovered that I am a little nervous riding narrow trails that run along the side of hill. Wednesday (August 25) we rode Powder Mill Lake trail as I reported earlier. Saturday (August 28) we got out to Rockwood Park in Saint John for a quick ride. There is a segment of singletrack that we tried last year that winds along the side of this steep hill with the lake on one side. I walked the bike through alot of it last year because I was nervous of the conditions. Well this year, we rode it in the opposite direction because it had more of a downward slope. I rode all of it, rolled a couple of tricky rocks downhill, and I might mention that the trail flowed in a left turn direction ... and you know my issue with turning left ... it feels awkward. Well I was totally stoked after that! Last night (August 29) on our way back to Halifax, we stopped into Mapleton Park in Moncton for a quick ride and enjoyed some singletrack in there. I didn't quite get over a root at one point and fell over but was okay. Good times!

You gotta love singletrack .... and you know I didn't think I would ever say that. Of course it depends on the degree of difficulty. We were in Saint John this past weekend and rode the trails at RCS Netherwood. Eric really likes the trails there. We first take this particular route and might I say that it was the first time I rode this particular narrow downhill singletrack in the woods for the first time (always walked). Then we ride another segment of trail. This is my favourite because it to is downhill singletrack with rolling a couple of root ledges. I love this part. It eventually turns into more technical trail and I walk the bike the rest of the way. Then we cross this river and hit some flowy singletrack that I really enjoy. My skills are improving with riding over roots as well. They used to really freak me out.

Okay, the progression continues. Rockhopper and I were out to Spider Lake this afternoon. We just started on our ride and ran into Aaron and Barb. It was so nice to run into people we knew. We rode several loops of trails I am not sure of their names. I am really enjoying singletrack. I even rode down the humps ... well I rode next to them. We cleared away branches and I rode down along side the humps several times. We took video of me doing that as well as video of RH going over several big berms before going down the humps. That was amazing. It was time to head out so on our out we did the Replicator loop. I have been on that trail several times and usually end up walking my bike. Well, let me tell you, I rode most of it and that is the BEST I have ever done. My excitement for mountain biking continues to climb .... pardon the pun (hee, hee). Thanks RH for your patience and faith in me.

Janet, that's awesome. I love seeing people's skills progress and seeing confidence and enjoyment going up alongside of it. You guys remind me of us, out riding, learning and exploring together. WE SHOULD RIDE TOGETHER A BIT NOW THAT WE, (Oops... cap lock. Sorry, I wasn't yelling. Barbara's laptop is touchy...) Ahem. Now that we live in Halifax as well. And if you don't have any yet, get some snow shoes!!!

Aaron, that would be great to go riding with you and Barb some time. As I said yesterday, we hope to keep riding year round.

Whoa! What a ride RH and I had last night at Spider. Ok, here goes: We went up the main trail and rode the Ribbon. From there we came out to the main trail. We rode to the spot where you can go right to the humps and six pack or left and do this other loop. We went left. I came down one berm and then up another one. This was the spot that I wrapped myself around a tree last year but I executed it this time. Yeah, the first "first". We came out to the main trail and went across the main trail to a short cut to the humps. We hadn't been on this trail before so this was fun riding new trail. We rode that but went left and decided we would do the humps later. This was nice singletrack that took us down to the trail after the humps. There was one berm there with a steep downhill that I rode; second "first". From there we rode out to the main trail and back up to that intersection again. This time we went into the trail that leads to the humps. Before you head back into the woods closer to the humps, there is a left turn and climb over rocks. I have always walked the bike up, well, last night, I rode up that section of trail; third "first". Then we arrive at the humps. I was feeling confident I could ride the humps. AND I DID! I was relaxed and did do a little breaking, but it was awesome! Fourth "first". We rode up the main trail again, took the short cut again and then headed for Rep Loop on the way out. I am usually stoked if I ride over a previous obstacle, but to have four "firsts" is awesome! RH was right there to encourage me and to rejoice in my accomplishments. It was a great way to end the weekend.

Upate: Pump track in Truro on Friday, June 24th. I managed to get around the whole thing. RH was teaching me how you make the bike pump on the berms and how to get around without pedaling. I got halfway through without pedalling. Monday, June 27, RH found the Glenbourne pump track and dirt jumps in Clayton Park. Bigger berms but I worked at it and made some progress. I was practicing my pump track skills on the Nine Mile River trail yesterday. I like it when you can transfer skills from one style of biking to another or to the conditions. Biking rocks!

So RH and I had a good ride out at Spider yesterday. We saw Snider and his friend on the way out. We rode Inner Peace twice, down the Ribbon of Love, rode the lower trail to the Six Pack/Humps, short cut the Humps, then Rep. Loop on way out. I did pretty good but the best part was going down what I think you call the Six Pack. I keep getting them confused. Anyway, I led the way and turned right and rode down the six pack. I didn't stop to line myself up but just went for it and had a BLAST!! I was breaking a little on the way down but I felt confident and rode a steady line, no wobbling. It was awesome. Also I rode up the rocky ATV trail on your way to Inner Peace and the short cut. I always get stuck on some rock or take the wrong line. Well this time, I got up it ... finally. The humidity almost got the better of me but we persevered and had a great ride. Oh and thanks to RH for riding back along the Inner Peace trail again (by himself) to retrieve my glasses that I left behind. My hero!

That's awesome! Nothing feels better than finally cleaning a section for the first time. That bumpy bit is great once you get'er down pat.

Thanks Rally_Kia, it was an amazing feeling. There's a spot on Rep. Loop halfway through that is a very rocky and rooty downhill that I always think I will wipe out or die but manage to execute it. I can hear RH laughing behind me because I am yelling so much at this point. So when your skills improve, so does your enjoyment of the activity.