Whew, what a weekend....packed in waaayyyyy too much into a short amount of time and it was totally worth it!
On Wednesday after work, I quickly packed up some gear, a couple bikes, and some snacks, and prepared to launch...destination, Ocala, Florida for the 12 Hours of Santos. I packed the Hei Hei and the SS both - knowing I intended to race the SS, but hoping to do some rides on the hei hei just for kix - plus, having just set up the SS on tuesday PM, and never having tested it out due to snowfall etc...I figured a little familiarity might be a nice crutch....ha! but more on that later...
Thursday AM, bright and early, hit the road and made a run for the border. The customs officer, in the usual customs officer way, gave great pause as she inquired about my status...
Officer: Citizenship?
Me: Canadian
Officer: Occupation?
Me: Cheesemaker..*smirk*
Officer: You make, what??
Me: Cheese...
Officer: Hmm...Purpose of trip?
Me: Bike Race
Officer: You are driving all the way to Florida for one day???
Me: Yes....
**Blank Stare**
Officer: Have a good trip....
And so off we went....
After a few hours in the car, hunger set in, and as counting the deer sleeping on the side of the road was proving less the fun any more, lunch was called for. A quick stop at the "Eat n' Park" reinforced the notion that healthy eating is alive and well in America, as I ordered a simple salad with grilled chicken on it, and what did I get, but a bowl of lettuce, topped with french fries, cheeses, and then the grilled chicken. There may have been a tomato, but at that point...meh, whatever.....she didn't even have to ask "Do you want fries with that?" The thinking was done for me .... sweet...
Pressing on - got as far as South Carolina, booked into a room to get some zzzzzz and watch the latest episode of Buck Wild, filmed not too far away in West Virginia, and get set for the next day's arrival in Florida, and a pre ride of the course. So nice not to see snow all around for a bit :)
Friday we high tailed it to Ocala, and got there with lots of time for a ride. Geared up, and hit the trail...in shorts...wicked :) (any of you short ladies ever notice that the urinals in the port potties are about at eye level....ewwww..and down there, they are full of Banana Spiders too - never changed so fast in my life..)
The course was a 10 mile loop of half flat fast twisty, rooty singletrack, and half wicked technical rock gardens and quick, very punchy climbs. I was geared 32x19, and I knew this would not be enough to get good speed on the flats, but it made the climbs do-able, so I was happy. The technical stuff so early in the season was an eye opener after spending the better part of this winter either off the bike, indoors, or on snow, and I got my clock cleaned a couple times with wipeouts in the rough stuff - quite a bit 'o blood left behind....A couple times through though, I managed to figure out most of the issues, and was feeling pretty good about the way the race might go - well, technically anyways. Says nothing about my lack of fitness...
Which brings me to race day. I knew I had zero base for this kinda race, and after spending so much time off the bike lately, I had no bidness doing a 12 hr...but my ego took over and I entered the 12 hr. knowing full well there was a 6 hr. catagory I could do with at least a modicum of competitiveness. Bah...ego. Race morning came, and I knew in my heart I would be doing the 6 Hr...still, I kept myself in the 12 just in case I got hungry. Ha!! Haaaaahaaaaahaaaaaa!! I was so full after just 3 hours that there was no WAY I was gonna do 12...I crashed a couple times, and not small ones either - big, scraping, bleeding ones...and I had mech. issues, and I cramped, and I whined, and I didn't feed properly, and I decided I really wanted to ride the next day on more of the cool trails around...so, at the 6Hr. mark...I called it. Shudda entered the 6...as it was, all cramping, whining, and fatigue had kinda passed by the 5 hour mark, and I was feeling pretty good again - so maybe not a bad idea to call it - and to absorb what that means for my training in the next couple months leading up to our season opening up here in Ontario.
The race itself was awesome - great vibe, and cool people - and definitely no slouches - great bunch of hardcore fasties down there in Florida. And, they offer breakfast AND dinner to all racers, plus prize $$ and HUGE trophies - all for $50 - too cool....highly recommended. Do it if you rare in the neighbourhood next year...and then apparently, head to Lakeland just south, for more great riding :) Next year...for sure...
So, now home again, and back to making da cheese. I know what needs to be done, and it pretty much just involves actually riding my bike, not staring at it in the corner while I eat popcorn and feel angry about my failing body and the snow....April is just a couple months away!!!!!
On Wednesday after work, I quickly packed up some gear, a couple bikes, and some snacks, and prepared to launch...destination, Ocala, Florida for the 12 Hours of Santos. I packed the Hei Hei and the SS both - knowing I intended to race the SS, but hoping to do some rides on the hei hei just for kix - plus, having just set up the SS on tuesday PM, and never having tested it out due to snowfall etc...I figured a little familiarity might be a nice crutch....ha! but more on that later...
Thursday AM, bright and early, hit the road and made a run for the border. The customs officer, in the usual customs officer way, gave great pause as she inquired about my status...
Officer: Citizenship?
Me: Canadian
Officer: Occupation?
Me: Cheesemaker..*smirk*
Officer: You make, what??
Me: Cheese...
Officer: Hmm...Purpose of trip?
Me: Bike Race
Officer: You are driving all the way to Florida for one day???
Me: Yes....
**Blank Stare**
Officer: Have a good trip....
And so off we went....
After a few hours in the car, hunger set in, and as counting the deer sleeping on the side of the road was proving less the fun any more, lunch was called for. A quick stop at the "Eat n' Park" reinforced the notion that healthy eating is alive and well in America, as I ordered a simple salad with grilled chicken on it, and what did I get, but a bowl of lettuce, topped with french fries, cheeses, and then the grilled chicken. There may have been a tomato, but at that point...meh, whatever.....she didn't even have to ask "Do you want fries with that?" The thinking was done for me .... sweet...
Pressing on - got as far as South Carolina, booked into a room to get some zzzzzz and watch the latest episode of Buck Wild, filmed not too far away in West Virginia, and get set for the next day's arrival in Florida, and a pre ride of the course. So nice not to see snow all around for a bit :)
Friday we high tailed it to Ocala, and got there with lots of time for a ride. Geared up, and hit the trail...in shorts...wicked :) (any of you short ladies ever notice that the urinals in the port potties are about at eye level....ewwww..and down there, they are full of Banana Spiders too - never changed so fast in my life..)
The course was a 10 mile loop of half flat fast twisty, rooty singletrack, and half wicked technical rock gardens and quick, very punchy climbs. I was geared 32x19, and I knew this would not be enough to get good speed on the flats, but it made the climbs do-able, so I was happy. The technical stuff so early in the season was an eye opener after spending the better part of this winter either off the bike, indoors, or on snow, and I got my clock cleaned a couple times with wipeouts in the rough stuff - quite a bit 'o blood left behind....A couple times through though, I managed to figure out most of the issues, and was feeling pretty good about the way the race might go - well, technically anyways. Says nothing about my lack of fitness...
Which brings me to race day. I knew I had zero base for this kinda race, and after spending so much time off the bike lately, I had no bidness doing a 12 hr...but my ego took over and I entered the 12 hr. knowing full well there was a 6 hr. catagory I could do with at least a modicum of competitiveness. Bah...ego. Race morning came, and I knew in my heart I would be doing the 6 Hr...still, I kept myself in the 12 just in case I got hungry. Ha!! Haaaaahaaaaahaaaaaa!! I was so full after just 3 hours that there was no WAY I was gonna do 12...I crashed a couple times, and not small ones either - big, scraping, bleeding ones...and I had mech. issues, and I cramped, and I whined, and I didn't feed properly, and I decided I really wanted to ride the next day on more of the cool trails around...so, at the 6Hr. mark...I called it. Shudda entered the 6...as it was, all cramping, whining, and fatigue had kinda passed by the 5 hour mark, and I was feeling pretty good again - so maybe not a bad idea to call it - and to absorb what that means for my training in the next couple months leading up to our season opening up here in Ontario.
The race itself was awesome - great vibe, and cool people - and definitely no slouches - great bunch of hardcore fasties down there in Florida. And, they offer breakfast AND dinner to all racers, plus prize $$ and HUGE trophies - all for $50 - too cool....highly recommended. Do it if you rare in the neighbourhood next year...and then apparently, head to Lakeland just south, for more great riding :) Next year...for sure...
So, now home again, and back to making da cheese. I know what needs to be done, and it pretty much just involves actually riding my bike, not staring at it in the corner while I eat popcorn and feel angry about my failing body and the snow....April is just a couple months away!!!!!
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