Hey!!!

It's been a while since I posted.  I've been trying to get into a routine of riding regularly, but rain and vacation threw a screw in the works.  Oh well, I start working a 2nd shift job as of Monday - yes it's a new job and something kind of different.  I'm optimistic and open minded that it's what I need to do to advance in my career.  Hopefully not having to be at work until 330p everyday will allow me time to get rides in in the morning before it gets too hot.

My plan is to try to ride 3 days a week for 1.5-2 hours per ride.  Mostly I plan to focus my riding at the Cove and Mill Mountain.  Once the bottom trails of the Cove dry out again it will be great.  I've been trying to ride from the Timberview Parking lot which means I get to climb up and over Brushy Mountain - so far I've done it twice using Trough, Buck, 4 Gorges, the Fireroad and the Gauntlet and it's taking about 2 hours (13 miles).  If the lowers dry out, I can ride from the boat dock on about a 12 mile loop that takes a bit over an hour, but this is kind of boring because half of it is fireroad.  Then there is the normal lower trail loop from Bennett Springs which is about 13.25 miles.  The weekend is where I want to try to get in longer rides - I'm hoping to loop some stuff together tomorrow at the Cove to come up with a long ride.  I guess any combination of upper and lowers out there will be about 26 miles or so.  We'll see what I come up with tomorrow.  I'm hoping that the weekend rides will include riding with my friends!!! 

Why am I doing all of this?  Well I want to be a stronger rider when I get to ride with my friends since I won't see them as much with my 2nd shift job, but I'm also looking at 7 races...  I've already done the one MTX race where I "returned from Splinty."  A few weeks ago, I did the Montvale Time Trial where I was proud of doing my lap in 39:53 and actually beat a few other people.  The biggest highlight of that day for me was riding through both creek crossings which were about 3 feet and a foot deep respectively. 

Here's my tentative schedule:

Jun 16th  Fat Tire Frenzy (Bedford, VA)
Jun 30th  Fat 5 Enduro (Bedford, VA)
Jul 22nd  Dirty Dawg (Blacksburg, VA)
Aug 12th The Sizzler (Greensboro, NC)
Sep 15th  Montvale Mayhem (Montvale, VA)
Sep 22nd  6/24hrs of Angler's Ridge (Danville, VA)

and most importantly to me...

October 13th Rotor Meltdown at Carvins Cove!!!  Undecided on long vs short course...

I think there may be another race or two that I might try, but it all depends on whether I can get in my training rides.