Rays Indoor XC TT

 

This weekend concluded the Rays Indoor Mountain Bike Cross Country Time Trial Series #1 which ran from 11/14 - 1/10. I had decided to try it out awhile back and decided to sign up for a time slot on the last day of the series and practice as much as I could beforehand.

Each time slot signup included a Tri Flow lube, a Red Bull and an entry for a GT Zaskar.

COURSE: START/FINISH: GT Deck. Race totals 3 XC loops and 7 GT lines (shortest lines throughout). START and FINISH triggered by breaking a laser beam, supervised by a Race Official.

* START: Break laser beam to start clock on GT deck
* Prologue: Line P (marked), return to deck
* 1st lap Fisher XC (approximately 1/3 a mile) loop, return to deck
* Line 1, return to deck (two options- one a little more technical, one a little longer)
* Line 2, return to deck
* 2nd lap XC loop, return to deck
* Line 3, return to deck
* Line 4, return to deck (stumps...this line is often problematic for riders)
* 3rd lap XC loop, return to deck
* Line 5, return to deck
* Line 6, return to deck (riding tree logs also trips many up)
* FINISH: Break laser beam to stop clock

The key would be to ride a clean ride because if you fall off any of the lines or put your foot down you incur a 15 second penalty for each.

Top time on the board for women was 9:24 at the start of the day. Also ready to go was LP and ET, a 15 yrd old sponsored female and my friend and I knew both ladies would give me some tough competition.

I lucked out with a clean run my first go and posted a time of 8:21:27 which was good enough to give me the overall win. ET has been dealt a rough hand being sick the last couple weeks and posted a 8:50ish (for 3rd) which included a 15 sec penalty on line 1. LP (got 2nd), who had been taken out by a bicycle before she even got to attempt the race that morning, improved her time by nearly a minute but had incurred two penalties after choosing to bomb line 4 and took a spill on 6 (she got up fast and still finished strong much to her credit).

First female awards me a Rays MTB jacket and a picture in Mountain Bike Magazine! Now I got to quit spending so much time on these lines and become better at the clearing the jumps like the other two girls I raced that morning who definitely have the edge there.

After the race, most racers (especially me) spent the day hacking up our lungs after sucking so much cool warehouse air. Then it was off to Senorita Bonitas to celebrate with some beer and Mexican!

And it's it still falling....

 

Another day of slow commutes and more snow, so what is a girl to do?

1. Be happy because the husband plows snow and that equals $!
2. Go snowmobile riding...you know you are having fun when you stay out until the wee hour of 3:00 am riding.
3. Kick or throw snow at the dog. Mr. Matches loves to try to catch them!
4. Drive to work at crack of dawn so you don't have to get stuck in the rush hour mess and the bonus is the workout!
5. Go to indoor cycling class...every week CTC east side class continues to grow and now we even swim after class every week!
6. Go to Ray's Indoor Mtn Bike Park-Hitting the park tonight and Friday to practice for the XC TT race time slot which is this Sunday the 10th! Crossing my fingers for a clean ride with no penalties!
7. Hit the gym. Lots of weight training this month including some circuit training and of course my fav, P90x!
8. Use mad amounts of chapstick and lotion...perhaps I blast my heater too much!
9. Consume large amounts of spicy chili. Healthy, yet delicious!
10. Watch a good movie while baking in the room with the wood burning stove. My favorite movies over the last couple months included Public Enemies, Hangover, Terminator Salvation, Funny People, Star Trek!
11. Make friends with the treadmill again...and hopefully hit the trail soon!
12. Learn to love the smell of chlorine.
13. And above all else, really appeciate those few days when I actually get to see the sun!

Matches Loves Snow!

 

Happy new year!

 

2010 is already looking up!

Kicked it off with a new years eve 3 mi. run. 3 Miles may seem like small potatoes to most but this was the best 3 mi in a long time as the tibia pain was not present!!

After a very mild new years eve, news years day was packed full of fun including CTC's polar plunge, the post race warm-up at Panini's and games with our friends.

Saturday, 1/2, started the health kick where some focus is returning to my nutrition. Day three now in progress and already feeling better with cutting out the crap!

Saturday was a pretty darn good day actually with a 2 hour cycling class, 2000 yd swim, got some stuff done around the house and then a super fun night of riding snowmobiles!!!

Between snowmobiling the other night and the husband plowing, I am loving this snow! 2 feet and counting at home!

Did I really have to go back to work today though?

Bring on the new year!

Polar Plunge 2010!

 

Lots of crazies!