World Championships tomorrow

So I am finally here... Maui is gorgeous. I am definitely thankful for the steam room session, it is humid here. Yes I knew it was going to be hot and humid but still.

I arrived on Thursday night, checked into the Makena Beach and Golf Resort and fell into bed. The time difference isn't huge but 4 hours is enough. I got to see my Mum who is in the room next to me, and I can't tell you how lovely it is to have her here, I miss her more than she knows, thanks Mum.

This is the hotel lobby

Friday Oct 22
I started putting my bike together and had a blonde moment when trying to put the back wheel on ... so we went to breakfast to nourish the brain.


I wish I could do hotel breakfast buffet's every morning. Fruit, eggs, omlettes, and waffles (not that I needed them but they were there). The hotel I am staying at is the host hotel and talk about convenient! I ran into Jen (Jennifer Razee) in the morning and we decided to go check out the beach and do a lap of the swim course.

The Swim will be 2 laps counter clockwise of a 750m course with a short beach run in between. The first buoy is 325m out then 100m parallel with the beach and then 325m back to the beach. The water is crystal clear. It was unbelievable to be swimming in the ocean. I felt incredibly comfortable. We had to stop swimming on the way back in to the beach cause this turtle was too cool to look at, just hanging out on the ocean floor, amazing.

After swimming and having success with no foggy or leaky goggles, I was happy. Next up bike.

I got my bike all sorted except the back rotor (brake) got bent during travel and that's not fast. Thank god for the bike mechanics, apparently I had some cabling issues and they also needed replacement. Anyways it didn't take too long and I got on my bike at 1pm for a ride to check it out. It was all good. the practice course is a 3 mile loop and I was drenched in sweat after the first climb, mama mia! I ran my tire pressure a little to high and man was it bouncey.


Saturday 23 Oct
Today I did another 750m swim and practiced running into the water and diving with my goggles on - yeah no leaky goggles, Tammy happy!

I rode a little on lower tire pressure and it was much smoother. Then I ran the last mile of the run. I started at the finish line and back tracked along the beach and into the 'Spooky Forest'. There are lots of trees to leap over and under. Fabulous idea for the last mile of the course to keep you on your toes.


Ok so I haven't and cannot pre-ride the bike course but no one can. It is on private land. But here is a pic from last year. So I guess there is a little hike a bike - yeah.

Results will be posted on Xterra's World Championship site.

One last shot at the finish, so see you tomorrow at the finish!

Boulder Peak, July 11, 2010

July 11, 2010

Boulder Peak is a Road Tri. 1500m Swim, 40K Bike & 10K Run.

I have a number of goals for each race. I try to keep them challenging but achievable.

1. Swim <>

2. Bike avg > 21 mph

3. Run <>

4. Top 10 in age

5. Total time <>

Boulder is an interesting place to race. It is a training mecca for elite athletes due to it’s altitude and training terrain. It is intense, everyone has super cool techy gear and talks the talk. It is a good reason to tune out and listen to my ipod. We always stay at the same hotel Holiday Inn Express in North Boulder. I like to ride my bike to the race albeit in the dark, Brett sleeps in a little longer, I will see him at the swim start. Riding my bike means I can pass the hundreds of cars that are waiting to get into the reservoir. This way I am warmed up and get to set up earlier than most without getting up super earlier, anything for Zzz’s

Swim 30:47

I am interested to see how my swimming will pay off this year. Last year I had a shocker of a swim in this race and almost vowed never to swim again it was that bad (37mins). I was ecstatic to look at the clock when I came in to T1 and see 30:47. I want to scream to Brett, hey I am fast, but … I grabbed my bike and was out of transition.

T1 1:35

Bike 1:13:2 (4th fastest in my age on the bike)

avg. 21.3 mph

I haven’t been riding my road bike at all this summer, so it would be interesting to see how things would pan out. Stage Coach is a tough climb and I was looking forward to it. Climbing is one thing I have been doing. This is the 4^th year I have done this race and I was really familiar with the course. Stage Coach is an out of the saddle in your lowest gear type of climb and it is long. I felt great and carried some momentum onto the flats. I always reset my bike computer when I am setting up my transition. I have the display so I can see how fast I am going and to see what my avg. mph is. This is what I use as a gauge to see how I am doing. I felt strong on the bike but also see room for improvement. I was happy with the bike.

T2 1:02

Run 46:58

Pace 7:35

I felt really good on the run. I never thought the day would come where I would actually be passing people on the run! 10K flat is cake compared to the 10K’s I have been doing in the mountains. It was paying off. I was aiming at breaking 50 mins and running sub 8 minute miles. I came 8^th out of 120 girls.

Total time: 2:33:45

This was an amazing race for me. It was perfect timing to boost my ego for Beaver Creek Xterra the next Saturday and confirmed that I was peaking at the right time. I guess I had better make my goals a little more aggressive huh?

Mountain State Cup - Crested Butte

June 26, 2010

The last weekend that Mum & Dad were in town we went to Crested Butte. There was a Mountain States Cup (MSC) race and we thought it was a good excuse to show them a little more countryside. The drive from Edwards is about 3 hours and over some incredible mountain ranges. The trusty Subie transported the 4 of us and we managed to find some room for Zeke, how: not sure, but we loaded both bikes and were off. I don’t usually get car sick but reading on a windy road took it’s toll and pretty soon I wasn’t feeling so hot.

We arrived shortly after. It was Friday afternoon and we grabbed some lunch at Sunflower Deli on the main street in town. If you are looking for a great sandwich and really quick check this deli out – we went back the next day it was soo good.

Then we checked into the Crested Butte Lodge. It was an amazing location, 100 feet from the base of the ski lift which was where the race would start. Brett and I pre-rode the course that afternoon and it was gorgeous, incredible views from everywhere, the downhill was fun there were some technical parts but mostly it was nice soft grippy dirt in the trees, so it was shaded. Zeke was happy to have Dad looking after him, I am pretty sure they were snuggling on the bed watching TV. Zeke is my parents’ only grandchild, neither Shane or I have kids yet, so he was getting pretty spoilt.

Race Day

Cat 2 30-39 9:30am

I ate breakfast and did my own thing warming up and trying to get race ready. At the start I saw Willa who I met at last MSC and we chatted and lined up together. It was nice to know someone. The gun went off we rode through some wider roads for a few hundred yards until we filtered into the single track climb, I was in 3^rd. Jill Sorenson – Tokyo Joe’s was already developing a lead! My bike didn’t feel super seamless. The day before when we pre-rode I dropping my chain and some gears were skipping. Brettt suggested I try to get one of the boys at the demo tents early in the morning to take a look at it - I didn’t. So 5 minutes into the race I had dropped my chain front and back – URGHH.

Can’t blame anyone but myself.

Unfortunately this was right where the single track got tighter. The climbing didn’t allow for any passing and I was trapped at a speed that lent to the leaders getting further and further in front. It was driving me CRAZY. When it opened up to enough room to pass, I shifted gears to overtake and dropped my chain again! “Really, are you kidding me”. Ok so now I was just mad and on a mission. Nothing like having a fire lit underneath you to make you work hard. I figured I had no option but to redline as much as I could to try and catch them and if I blew up well… at least I tried.

My descent was clean although there was definitely more traffic to contend with and I lost time sitting behind a few girls. The girls who raced were really great about chatting with people around them “am I holding you up?” & “Do you want to slide by?” This is lovely when someone will be considerate enough to work with you and let you pass. I did not take advantage of this opportunity early enough. The second lap was fun and fast. There was a lot of ground to make up. At least I could now see Willa and just tried to close the gap, I knew she was in 2^nd. Although I would drop my chain 1 last time! What does not kill you only makes you stronger, right?

The downhill was really long and I know that I am more aggressive than Willa on the descent so I took a few chances and started making some ground. I ended up right on her back wheel and we were chatting and she asked where the next girl behind me was. I told her that she had a fair distance and I would be surprised if she caught us. She was my hero when she said “you should go. You are faster downhill, than me” WOW she pulled over enough for me to slip by and I couldn’t believe my luck, what an amazingly nice thing to do. So thanks to Willa, whom I owe many beers when I see her next I came second!

I finished in 1:56:13 and came 2nd

(click for Results)

#3 Berry Creek Bash

June 16th
This is a longer race, 'me likey'. Berry Creek is close to home about 5 mins ride. It is some serious climbing and has some a little bit more technical riding than what we had raced so far. 10.8 miles of climbing and nearly 3000 ft of elevation gain & I won this puppy!

I finished in 1:19:12

I was having some pretty vivid dreams that week, trying some positive affirmations, I guess it worked! It is nice to ride clean. Actually I slipped right at the finish, but I wasn't the only one. The road is loose, but I still have the scar, tell my why, always the elbows.

We did 3 long laps. Karen was first to hit the top of the climb #1. She does not have the fondest memories of Berry Creek as last year she finished her race on a backboard, after convincingly leading. She is a great climber. I snuck by her on the top section of the first descent along with Amy. Amy races single speed and she is quick at climbing. It is tougher to generate speed on the flatter sections so we yo-yo-ed back and forth most of the race. She generally caught me by the end of the climb and then she let me go on the downhills. She was giving me some friendly banter to try catch one of the Vet girls in front telling me I was gaining on her but, I realized later when I couldn't find her that the Vet girls only did 2 laps. I gotta say 'thanks' for dangling the carrot.

Barry was standing about 200 feet from the top of the climb, where Amy would catch me. It was funny when Barry told me that the next girl was only 15 seconds behind me cause I couldn't see anyone. I then realized that Brett, who was at the bottom was calling Barry. He just told him to say it, so I didn't get comfortable. It was funny because I looked behind me and thought wow 15 seconds, it looks further that that to me!

I was thrilled, my first win.

1. Tamara Donelson 1:19:12
2. Karen Jarchow 1:20:56
3. Jenny Klingmueller 1:21:23
4. Pavan Kruger 1:22:11
5. Jody Diemar 1:23:16
6. Heather Cunningham 1:23:57

Summer Solstice 10K

We have been chalking up the family visitors lately. I got to perform for another family audience; my Mum & Dad, my American Mum & Dad (Brett's folks) and Uncle Stan and Carol.

La Sportiva Summer Solstice Twilight Trail Run on Saturday June 16. It was a great excuse for everyone to visit Beaver Creek Village and then have dinner after the race. It was a gorgeous afternoon, pretty hot actually.

Time 57:13
This race was actually 6.6 miles and I was thrilled that I broke an hour. There was less climbing and it felt great to actually get up to speed on the flats. I don’t think that I am the fastest climber although I am better (it is all relative). Climbing can be demoralizing at times cause you feel like you aren’t going anywhere. So this race was great for the ego even if the elevation wasn’t as aggressive as most trail running races in the Valley.

I seem to have a pattern, the first 1.5 mile I was questioning why I decided to run (hmm awareness is the first step, now how to change this thought pattern), maybe this is because the start is usually uphill. I picked my head up and saw a few girls around me that I know are solid runners and I was right there with them, so I figured I must be doing ok. I thought I would surge a little and get in front of a few of these ladies and see if I could maintain a more aggressive pace. I pulled away and kept on the gas, it is much, easier to do this when it is the top of a climb that heads into a traverse. A lovely surprise was seeing Pam Cakes on Allies Way with her cowbell. Gotta love these Davis’ and their cowbell, strategic placement for encouragement, just when I needed a boost. She had gone for a ride and heard that Ryan Cantrell and I were running and she was there to cheer us on “Love you Pam”. Silly, she even ran along with me for 10 feet clanging her bell and cheering!

I new exactly where the downhill started and I knew I could keep pushing till then and just hope my legs could deal with running downhill crazy and borderline out of control! It was definitely a bonus to finish up knowing my rele’s were all watching so of course I ran as fast as I could.

McKenna Douglas was 3^rd female overall (54:01) she is an inspiration. I can’t quite catch her (yet) but if I am within 5 minutes of her I am proud of myself. This tiny little dynamo who is the same age as me and the mother of 2 kids is quick. Nice work McKenna.

#2 Eagle Classic

Our new cycling uniforms had arrived in time for this race. Riverfront Club, yellow and black they look sharp. It was great to have everyone in the same kit, they were soon to be worn in as Eagle can be a dust-fest.

Eagle has some really fun riding. There are lots of lovely scented sage bush which I experienced close up and some speedy descents to keep you on your toes. In the Eagle Classic Expert women do 2 long laps and 1 short. The long lap has a short steep climb that I was unable to ride last year and thought it was impossible! Apparently it is not and lots of people do it!


You ride the short lap first and then do 2 long laps. Total ride is 12 miles. This is a race that rewards the climbers (come to think of it all of them are). Once you get to the single track, that winds through the sage bush it is tough to pass and you are somewhat set in your position and vulnerable to how fast or slow the person in front of you wants to go. So you really need to jockey to be on the single track nice and early. I did well to be second girl onto the single track. I went into the first long lap with Brett yelling at me "GO GO GO". I was chasing Cait Boyd who generally wins. I could tell he was a little excited.

Thankfully, I nailed the short sharp "impossible" climb, with my heart about to explode from my chest. I saw Barry and his cowbell near the top of the climb & it kept me pushing hard. I wanted to say Hi but, a nod would have to do!

The downhill was fun and fast! If you were too close to someone it was tough to see through the dust. I had a great run through the sage again, saying "Hey boys" to the Kostick Crew (Alden, Bode & Xander) as they were stationed in the sage with Sacha, and they replied with YEAH TAM WOO HOO - These boys are rad!

Bode, Xander & Alden

My last long lap and I was still chasing Cait. Thanks to some friendly encouragement from Amy Hermes, I was not going to embarrass myself and made the grind up the hill once again. I was pretty pleased with myself at this point but, if I was to catch first I needed to let it go a little and ripped down the other side of the hill taking just a little too much speed and "Hello" sage bush. Amy squeezed by checking I was alright and I scrambled on my bike, very annoyed I was so careless. I lost a tonne of speed, as it was near the bottom of a downhill and instead of carrying speed I had to pedal. Now at the top of the next climb I could hear some heavy breathing. Heather Cunningham is not quiet when she creeps up on you, she will admit this herself! Crap now I was dealing with someone right on my butt. I was a little crazy on the fire road downhill and to be honest I kind of deserve falling. Just before going under the bridge where I KNOW to be careful I was not, I came in way to hot. Heather scooted by and I threw my chain back on and then another girl squeezed by. So to get back to where I had been all race was going to be tough . The sage bush does not lend itself to passing. I sat behind Jody Diemar chomping at the bit but not quite knowing whether to pass and be risky or to just chill out. I knew she wasn't just going to just let me pass without a fight, she was giving it all she had. I waited and my last chance to was a sprint to the finish line. Which got me 3rd & $20 bucks richer!

1. Cait Boyd 1:00:36
2. Heather Cunningham 1:02:08
3. Tamara Donelson 1:02:10
4. Jody Diemar 1:02:11
5. Pavan Krueger 1:04:08
6. Brenda Moczygenba 1:06:10

Hammer in the Hay

This is the 1st race of 7 for the Vail Town Series Mt. Bike Races. Hammer in the Hay is held at 4 Eagle Ranch in Wolcott. The venue is cool, a big old ranch with horses and cows and real cowboys. It's run on private land so unfortunately there is no pre-riding of the course - fair for every one.

We had managed to talk Brett into racing this season and his wave took off at 5:45pm. I rode in with Warren as we were due to start till 6:30pm. This is because the two of them had talked me into racing Expert this year. I was feeling a little unsure about this. Last year I was racing Beginner. Yes, quite the jump and some may say this is pretty confident, but when I thought about it I usually rise to the level of competition around me so maybe it was a good idea.

4 Eagle Ranch doesn't have too much climbing, but a bit of a grind on the first part of the course. It is a jeep road and you are pretty anaerobic in the first 5 minutes. You need to go fairly hard here as then, you are somewhat stuck in that position as you meander through the sage bush and it is really tight to try and pass. There is a section across a paddock that is really fast and pretty bumpy but all in all for me this was a good first race, not to technical and pretty straight forward. Just try not to come DFL!

From the start it seemed like us girls had sorted ourselves into position within the first 5-10 minutes and we all stayed there! I had a look at last year's finish times and was hoping to finish in under 1:05. I ended up finishing in 1:00:12 and came 5th of 6 girls. I was happy enough with this race but didn't feel like I really went as hard as I could - oh well, plenty of time to work on that!

What I absolutely loved was that I heard so many people cheering for me. As scary as it was jumping into my first Expert race I was psyched to have so much support from my friends, thanks guys.

Mountain States Cup - Chalk Creek

The next weekend after Mesa Verde, Pam mentioned racing Mountain States Cup. This was close-ish to home, only 1 ½ hrs away, so we all headed to Beuna Vista for the night. This trip was made quite a bit cheaper by staying in the Bruggeman's cabin - thanks guys, you rock!

Now a little mention needs to go to the men in our lives: Brett & Barry. Pam & I are very lucky to have such support, you boys are our No.1 Fans & are the best pit crew & cheerleaders we could hope to have. Love you.

Barry & Brett

We got to pre-ride the course on Saturday afternoon, surprisingly there was not much climbing. Another surprise was how much more comfortable I felt descending. I think Mesa Verde was a turning point. It seems like every ride I go on, I am getting significantly better. I have to say I actually ride my best when Pam & Barry are around. I called them my 'Kryptonite' but I actually meant the opposite of that - DOH!

I have never raced in any of these types of races before and I guess you need a Cycling License. You have to earn points through winning races to move up categories. The highest Category I can race right now is Cat 2. I have to place in races, then petition to USAC to move up to Cat 1.

Pam was going to also race Cat 2 until we became aware that they had a Single Speed Category. Cat 2 riders did 3 laps and Cat 1 did 4.

Results: Pam 3rd in Single Speed
Tam 1st Cat 2 (30-39)

Barry (should always wear a helmet), Angela & Mike

This was a great weekend.

12 Hours of Mesa Verde

May 8, 2010

I had never done an endurance Mt Bike race and Pamcakes (Pamela Davis) and I managed to gain entry to 12 Hours of Mesa Verde. A good friend of ours was signed up and got sick, so we picked up his spot and we rode as a DUO. Warren, Karen & Brett rode SOLO - hats off to these crazy crazy people.

Warren

Karen - hydrating & celebrating 4th Female Solo Finisher
(in her 1st 12hr solo race) Yehaar!

Brettsky - working the spandex while refueling!


We had never been to Cortez, but we had all read about the trail 'Phil's World' and heard great things. Loads of whoopty doo's and roller coaster single track, not too much climbing and heaps of fun! I thoroughly recommend this race. The riding reminded us all of Kessel & Zippity Do Dah, Fruita, CO. Each lap was a little over 16 miles. Interesting was, that each part of the trail had names like 'Rib Cage', 'Lemon Head' & 'The Pinnacle' & each of us can remember exact parts of the course because of these wooden signs like mile stones & it made it fun.

Pam - Single Speedin'

We got there on a Friday afternoon and pre-rode the course and we were all psyched, this was a fun loop. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical about some parts, as I am not exactly a technical rider, but never say never, and skin grows back!

The race started with a 'Le Mans' style start, and I was nominated the runner. It was pretty congested and adrenaline was running, I think I only fell once on the first lap. This would be a pattern I'd follow. I would master something on one lap and then falter on the next on a part I'd ridden seamlessly or I'd just go too fast & loosey goosey. Ha Ha - this is why we we called the 'Hot Mess Express'. Pam was the HOT, I was the MESS!

Pamcakes 'Hot'

Tam 'Mess'

I have to admit I did get better every lap, but by then it's hard to tell because you are so fatigued. We rode 7 laps (114 miles) in 11hrs 53mins.

We were sitting in 2nd - 3rd most of the race and Pam and I were so ridiculously close in our lap times it was scary. We hadn't ridden that much together and I have to say she was taking a gamble on teaming up with me & my limited Mt. Biking experience.

We were pretty lucky in 'mechanicals' although Pam's chain was being fussy for her 3rd lap and I flatted on the last lap and watched 4th, sail though to 3rd - bummer.

A huge thank you goes to Barry (Bazza), Ryan & Frank (sick mullet). A big thanks to First Descents for kitting us out and for the amazing work they do.

Bazza getting shit done, and BTW it was his idea to have cubed watermelon on hand - genious!

Ryan, showcasing his sunscreen application talents, 1 of many.

Frank rockin' the FD kit whilst hydrating & looking rad!


We all had a great time and will be back next year. Till then here's to Ben & Jerry's Phish Food and the creative new way Brett discovered how to hold a spoon when your forefinger/ thumbs go on strike after 12 hours of abuse!

Congrats to my phish food eating hubby on his first Mt. bike race ever, you are amazing.

Last but not least to my partner in grime, Pam, you inspire me & thanks for having faith in me.

Xterra Vegas - Race Day

I have to admit the Xterra race start times adhere to my sleeping regime much better that of traditional Triathlons. I am usually getting up at around 5am and getting into transition area for 5:45am, as the first wave usually starts around 6:30am. Xterra races start at 8:30am, love it!

Even better was the race starting at the beach of the hotel. A little room service, roll out of bed and roll straight into transition area, fabulous. I set up my transition area and then rehearsed my 'ins & outs'. I always physically travel the route I will be taking in the race. I pretend that I am coming in off the swim and count rows or a landmark to make it easier to find my bike, and then physically run out the 'bike out'. Then I pretend that I am coming in off the bike and find my transition area again and close my eyes while I imagine racking my bike, switching shoes taking my helmet off and grabbing my race belt and visor and then head out the 'run out'. Physically doing this is a important part of me setting up in the morning.

I was all set and head down to the beach failing to think of sunscreen. Thank God for Mom's with kids in prams, you can ALWAYS count on them having sunscreen!


Wetsuit (thanks Kristine) was on and I was ready to roll. The water was kind of cold, but perfect with a wettie. The Pros were off first 'Go Josiah & Brad'. I was in the last wave, which is great when you are in the water and pass other colored caps. I felt comfortable and at ease in the water. I was relaxed and only sighted every 10-12 strokes and kept my head down otherwise. I have been working on my swim and I felt like it was paying off. My swim time was 29:31

Next up was the bike. I was feeling good, but about 3 miles in, I had this heavy almost sore feeling in my quads - luckily it went away. Most of the climbing was in the first 6 miles. The bike was much easier than I had in my head. I held back just a little as I always seem to hammer the bike and then sacrifice my run. As hard as it is to hold back, I felt great starting the run.

I did fall once on the 2nd lap and as I did this my bike seat did a 45 º turn 'bugger'. This makes it a little tough to sit on... so I used my legs to twist it back to almost straight and just dealt with it for the rest of the race. I forgot about it till Brett rode it back to the car and said "what's the deal with your seat".

I rode well (1:46:07) although I hate looking at the bike splits knowing I didn't go flat out and always wonder if it was a good strategy. One interesting thing I learnt, always take water with you on the bike! I thought there was a water aid station in the first 4 miles and didn't bother taking any, I wouldn't drink it in the first 4 miles anyway so why lug it up the hills! Well, there was no water station where I thought there was and when I finally saw one it was at mile 8 and I was dying of thirst... they were handing out tiny paper cups of water!


This year although I am 34, I have to race in the 35 - 39 yr age group. You have to race the age you are on the last day of the year, I think this is BS. Along with having your race number plastered on your arms, you also have you age on your calf. When you race you can see what age group everyone is in. In my case, I could see a girl in front of me who was in my age group. I was thinking of the best time to pass her, just in case she wanted to counter the attack. I wasn't sure how much I had in me and I wanted to place as well as possible. I decided to just go as hard as I could and if she wanted to keep up I would deal with it. As it turned out the gap between us grew and I knew after 100 yards I was safe to the finish. My run time was 55:29. What surprised me was the fact that I ran 58:12 at Beaver Creek Xterra last year. But then I realized that the run leg at the Beav was 5.75 miles not 6.2, so I ran faster and it was longer! My final time was 3:11:07

I was thinking I would finish in under 3 hrs 30min, so I was thrilled with my time. I came 5th in my age and surprised myself. 3 of the top 5 were from Colorado. The region I am in is really competitive so I am keen to see if I can qualify not only for Nationals but I would love to earn a spot to Xterra Worlds in October... we'll see... There is a lot of hard work to be done but I think it could be done - or at least it's a challenge!

Xterra Vegas!

Yes this is me on my new bike! Sweet huh? You are jealous of the color, I know!

My brand spankin' new Ellsworth Truth. I am secretly obsessed with it. You would be too if you rode one. It is quite a special treat for me to have a bike that fits, WOW what a difference that can make.

So Brett, Zeke, Boston & both of our sweet bikes packed up and hit the road to drive to Vegas.

Needless to say the Shepherds were a little short of real estate but were angels to travel with.

Loews Lake Las Vegas was insane, I wish we could have stayed Sunday night and just flaked out by the pool. It was warm and great weather and while we were gone the Vail Valley got 2 feet of snow. I know where I would rather be!

We arrive around 4pm Friday April 23. We checked in, I went to packet pick-up and then we head out to pre-ride the course - interesting. I am soo glad Brett was with me as the course was loose and sketchy in parts, I would have come home crying. There would have been no way Brett would have believed that there were such monster climbs that you had to 'hike-a-bike' and steep downhills where you felt like you were riding in a landslide.

I know that I sound like a baby but I have only been riding for 1 summer and the reason for that was I put myself in hospital the first time I tried Mountain biking and didn't get back on the trails till last summer. So I had a few 'oh oh' moments where I realized that I could really hurt myself.

Anyways we were trying to be strategic and there were parts I would have to get off my bike (to be honest it really was faster). As it turned out 90% of people ran the parts I did. The picture below is 'Monster Hill' at least that's what I called it - no one rode it it was too steep and loose & was faster and less taxing to just hike it.


That night we went to be early and watch TV with Zeke lapping up the opportunity to be on the bed - he is not allowed upstairs at home!