We have had an unusually warm winter and the trails are actually dry so we went out for a mountain bike ride one some local trails. I was thinking great, I have to go out and ride for 1-2 hours and I can barely complete a 1 hour endurance ride on the road without getting bored or wanting to stop. I've just been really out of it lately.
The local trail we rode on this weekend was Swope mountain bike trail. If you live in the KC area you should check them out, they're super sic and actually really technical with some crazy climbs. There are also some easier areas around the top that are beginner friendly too.
Anyway, I took the pedals off my cross bike and switched them to my mountain bike, lubed the chain, went through all the gears to make sure they worked, checked the brakes, then aired up the tires. To tell the truth I was a little freaked out about riding the trails because I haven't ridden my mountain bikes since nationals and I was afraid of how bad my handling and skills would be.
We got out there and I jumped on my bike and started up the trails. I went a way that would keep me on trails but the easiest of them so I wouldn't risk getting hurt really bad but as I got closer to the top of the first loop there was a little bit of mud and I was pretty worried about tearing up the trails (Probably just an excuse to not ride again....). I turned around and ran into my dad who yelled at me to keep going because it was just a short section then the rest was clear but I really didn't want to ride with him so I rode a connector trail across a road to the other half of the current trails.
The other half of the trails are super easy but I was still having some trouble since it was my first time back on the trails. At the top of those trails some of it is really muddy and the other part is dry and shredding fast. I turned right at the top to avoid going on tech and managed to rail a corner I thought was dry but was actually some super slick mud. Next thing I knew I was on the ground covered in mud. Felt like 'cross season again!
After that I went to go back down the easy section but my dad was coming up so I had to follow him the tech way. On a couple of the sections I completely flipped out, like "OMG I haven't ridden tech in sooooo long, I'm going to crash!" so I got off and walked like a noob but I actually started to have fun even though I was freaking out and not riding half the stuff.
We rode for around 1.5 hours then I had to go home to get ready for a dance. After the dance I got up at 4 to watch the pro women at worlds which was pretty sic. At around 2 we went out for another mountain bike ride at Swope again. I was still a little iffy on actually riding trails again but I knew I had to start training soon for my first Mountain Bike race of the season- Mellow Johnny's Classic.
We went out and some of the sections were a little sketchy but I started to get the hang of it. I was actually riding things that at the end of last year I couldn't even ride. I think part of that is how much stronger I have gotten during cross season. I can actually throw my bike around and put it where I need to put it.
Now that I am feeling better on the bike my heart is more into training and I am ready to shred some faces off once more. I'm also excited to say I am going to try some road races this year and see how I do.
It's racing time once more! Mellow Johnny's is in about 4 weeks now! It's go time!!!!
The other half of the trails are super easy but I was still having some trouble since it was my first time back on the trails. At the top of those trails some of it is really muddy and the other part is dry and shredding fast. I turned right at the top to avoid going on tech and managed to rail a corner I thought was dry but was actually some super slick mud. Next thing I knew I was on the ground covered in mud. Felt like 'cross season again!
After that I went to go back down the easy section but my dad was coming up so I had to follow him the tech way. On a couple of the sections I completely flipped out, like "OMG I haven't ridden tech in sooooo long, I'm going to crash!" so I got off and walked like a noob but I actually started to have fun even though I was freaking out and not riding half the stuff.
We rode for around 1.5 hours then I had to go home to get ready for a dance. After the dance I got up at 4 to watch the pro women at worlds which was pretty sic. At around 2 we went out for another mountain bike ride at Swope again. I was still a little iffy on actually riding trails again but I knew I had to start training soon for my first Mountain Bike race of the season- Mellow Johnny's Classic.
We went out and some of the sections were a little sketchy but I started to get the hang of it. I was actually riding things that at the end of last year I couldn't even ride. I think part of that is how much stronger I have gotten during cross season. I can actually throw my bike around and put it where I need to put it.
Now that I am feeling better on the bike my heart is more into training and I am ready to shred some faces off once more. I'm also excited to say I am going to try some road races this year and see how I do.
It's racing time once more! Mellow Johnny's is in about 4 weeks now! It's go time!!!!
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