Right after I re-opened it, I'm closing up my 2008 "season". The only thing going on in Florida is the state XC series and I've all but lost interest in short races. It's too much travel for too little riding. I could hit a few late-season endurance races sprinkled around the southeast, but again, it's too much travel for too little riding. See a recurring theme here? Travel costs are ridiculous. I'm even limiting my local dirt rides to no more than 2 hours round-trip and usually only do that once a weekend. Anything further away (Santos) requires an overnighter to make it worth the gas. Summer is finally releasing its death grip on Florida, so I'm sure some weekend camping trips will pop up.
I'm getting pretty strict about the "1 hour of riding per 1 hour of driving" rule. If I break the rule, there has to be some major fun factor involved to balance the equation. This event (scroll down the the September 3 post) fits into the equation perfectly. 4 days of riding, fall mountain weather, a dog-friendly host and lots of cool people and libations will be good for the soul.
Priority #1 is still getting my life in order. It's coming along slowly. There's also the Ridgeline project at Boyette to keep me busy. Lately it's been all we can do to keep on top of the summer growth and erosion on the existing trails, but come fall we should be able to start knocking it out. I'm really motivated to get this done because Lauren's Overlook sits in the middle of it. It's built and almost ready for the dedication. We just have to be able to get out there without crawling through the brush. I have a really special dedication ceremony in mind. It will be a beautiful tribute to a beautiful person.
The tentative plan for 2009 is to be race all the winter/spring enduros in Florida, then spend the spring and summer hitting select enduros in the southeast. I don't see myself travelling all over the U.S. chasing pack fodder glory anymore, except (hopefully) for the SM100. Man, I missed that race this year.
September 18, 2008
September 02, 2008
There was a little race last weekend
To say that the last 6 months have been a rollercoaster ride is an understatement. Riding obviously took a back seat for a while and became what it was years ago: Simply a way to get away from life's stresses. Structured training went out the window, replaced with a "ride however I feel" philosophy. I got back to regular riding in May and the hours have steadily gone up, but the new philosophy has stayed. Long rides have been few, but I have gotten in at least one long ride per week for a while now. I've also felt like I've been building some form again.
Roll back to about two weeks ago. The 8 Hours of San Felasco was on the horizon and I asked Kurt if he wanted to race it on a duo team. It seemed like a safe way to jump back into racing. A week went by and I started getting the solo itch. I got Kurt and Greg DeRosa to join me at Croom for a running of the Croom 50 course. We rolled it in a solid 4 hours in stifling heat, leaving Kurt to the vultures in the process. Based on this, racing for 4 hours was very doable. Racing for 8 hours would be a challenge. I needed a challenge.
It was good to have a goal for a week. I tapered, did some intervals, obsessed over lap times and fueling strategy, just like old times.
Fast-forward to Sunday, August 31. I had done as much prep work as I could, or at least I thought so. I'm standing on the line, chatting with old friends, the countdown starts and my heartrate starts to climb with that feeling I hadn't felt in a long time: Nervous anticipation. The horn goes off, we run a short distance to our bikes and we're off. I find myself with Greg and Jay Ulloa. Neither Greg or I had ridden the course yet, so we let Jay lead for most of the first lap. He attacked a few times, but came back quickly once he realized we were having no part of it - yet.
I had some mechanical issues to sort out during the 1st lap. My shifting was a bit wacky and a few turns of the barrel adjusters sorted it out. I had some skipping problems in the big ring that I couldn't sort out. After I finished prepping the bike Saturday, I looked at the big ring and thought it looked kind of worn, then I hung it up on the wall. It was worn out. Every time I tried to push up a climb in the big ring, it would skip. I just kept things in middle ring and I was fine.
The 3 of us stayed together until the end of the 2nd lap, when I pitted and they didn't. I ate the only solid food I'd eat all day. That half-bar sat in my stomach like a rock and I knew I'd have to rely on liquids and gels to get through a day that saw temps in the mid 90s all day. My pitting gave Greg and Jay a gap which allowed me to settle into my own rhythm. I ended up catching Jay at the end of the 3rd lap, but Greg was gone. Jay fell off the back and I was on my own.
You enduro freaks out there know that your mind has a lot of time to wander over the course of a day in the saddle. My mind started wandering to Lauren. San Felasco is one of those places that I visited with her more often than without. She had ridden every Tour de Felasco since the beginning. I thought about buying two entries for it next year and riding the course twice - once for me and once for her. I thought about how this would have been the kind of race she would've loved to race with a team of girlfriends. I thought about how if she didn't race, she'd be pitting for me, giving me invaluable support and encouragement. I was on the verge of tears at least 5 times out there. It would take me off my game and I'd think about how she'd want me to push through the adversity, to keep going. I thought about doing this for her, and keeping riding strong for her.
Lap 6 was my toughest. I was mired in a bonk and in a real funk. I decided that when I finished the lap I would take a short break, try to eat some food, get my head adjusted and go out for two more laps at a more "enjoyable" pace. On the way to scoring I saw Eddie. "Eddie! Got any Burn?" He just happened to have half a can in his hand that he'd just given to Namrita. He told me I was in 2nd place and not too far back from 1st. So much for the break. The racer took over, I grabbed 2 bottles and headed out for a much faster lap. Eddie was there again at the end with another Burn, this time a full can, to ensure I was bouncing around the trails like a pinball. I could make it back before cutoff if I really pegged it, but I ran the risk of making it and having nothing left for another lap. I kept the tempo high, but not so high that I left it all out there. I missed the cutoff by a few minutes and wasn't exactly bummed that I did.
Thank you Marcel for the pic. The effort was good for 2nd overall, which I was very happy with. Greg has been working his ass off this year and it shows.
It was good to feel butterflies while standing on the line again. It was good to push through adversity and come out of it stronger. It was good to see lots of old friends. It was good to hear the cheers of the crowd every time I rode through the pits.
It was good to be racing again.
Roll back to about two weeks ago. The 8 Hours of San Felasco was on the horizon and I asked Kurt if he wanted to race it on a duo team. It seemed like a safe way to jump back into racing. A week went by and I started getting the solo itch. I got Kurt and Greg DeRosa to join me at Croom for a running of the Croom 50 course. We rolled it in a solid 4 hours in stifling heat, leaving Kurt to the vultures in the process. Based on this, racing for 4 hours was very doable. Racing for 8 hours would be a challenge. I needed a challenge.
It was good to have a goal for a week. I tapered, did some intervals, obsessed over lap times and fueling strategy, just like old times.
Fast-forward to Sunday, August 31. I had done as much prep work as I could, or at least I thought so. I'm standing on the line, chatting with old friends, the countdown starts and my heartrate starts to climb with that feeling I hadn't felt in a long time: Nervous anticipation. The horn goes off, we run a short distance to our bikes and we're off. I find myself with Greg and Jay Ulloa. Neither Greg or I had ridden the course yet, so we let Jay lead for most of the first lap. He attacked a few times, but came back quickly once he realized we were having no part of it - yet.
I had some mechanical issues to sort out during the 1st lap. My shifting was a bit wacky and a few turns of the barrel adjusters sorted it out. I had some skipping problems in the big ring that I couldn't sort out. After I finished prepping the bike Saturday, I looked at the big ring and thought it looked kind of worn, then I hung it up on the wall. It was worn out. Every time I tried to push up a climb in the big ring, it would skip. I just kept things in middle ring and I was fine.
The 3 of us stayed together until the end of the 2nd lap, when I pitted and they didn't. I ate the only solid food I'd eat all day. That half-bar sat in my stomach like a rock and I knew I'd have to rely on liquids and gels to get through a day that saw temps in the mid 90s all day. My pitting gave Greg and Jay a gap which allowed me to settle into my own rhythm. I ended up catching Jay at the end of the 3rd lap, but Greg was gone. Jay fell off the back and I was on my own.
You enduro freaks out there know that your mind has a lot of time to wander over the course of a day in the saddle. My mind started wandering to Lauren. San Felasco is one of those places that I visited with her more often than without. She had ridden every Tour de Felasco since the beginning. I thought about buying two entries for it next year and riding the course twice - once for me and once for her. I thought about how this would have been the kind of race she would've loved to race with a team of girlfriends. I thought about how if she didn't race, she'd be pitting for me, giving me invaluable support and encouragement. I was on the verge of tears at least 5 times out there. It would take me off my game and I'd think about how she'd want me to push through the adversity, to keep going. I thought about doing this for her, and keeping riding strong for her.
Lap 6 was my toughest. I was mired in a bonk and in a real funk. I decided that when I finished the lap I would take a short break, try to eat some food, get my head adjusted and go out for two more laps at a more "enjoyable" pace. On the way to scoring I saw Eddie. "Eddie! Got any Burn?" He just happened to have half a can in his hand that he'd just given to Namrita. He told me I was in 2nd place and not too far back from 1st. So much for the break. The racer took over, I grabbed 2 bottles and headed out for a much faster lap. Eddie was there again at the end with another Burn, this time a full can, to ensure I was bouncing around the trails like a pinball. I could make it back before cutoff if I really pegged it, but I ran the risk of making it and having nothing left for another lap. I kept the tempo high, but not so high that I left it all out there. I missed the cutoff by a few minutes and wasn't exactly bummed that I did.
Thank you Marcel for the pic. The effort was good for 2nd overall, which I was very happy with. Greg has been working his ass off this year and it shows.
It was good to feel butterflies while standing on the line again. It was good to push through adversity and come out of it stronger. It was good to see lots of old friends. It was good to hear the cheers of the crowd every time I rode through the pits.
It was good to be racing again.
August 29, 2008
It's time...
...to wake up.
Lauren died April 29, almost 1 month after something went horribly wrong and left her in a vegetative state. Despite being operated on by one of the best neurosurgeons in the country and being cared for by one of the best neurological ICUs in the country, everything that could go wrong went wrong.
I'm not going to go into a lot of detail, but the days that followed have been some of the darkest of my life.
Eddie and Namrita bagged the race they were going to do the weekend after Lauren died and came down to spend the weekend with me. They say that when times are really tough you find out who your real friends are. They're two of the best. The first day they were here we headed to
Alafia after sleeping off hangovers. It was my first time on the bike in a couple of weeks and I had a blast.
The next day we went to Boyette with the dogs, and it was a whole different story. Lauren loved Boyette. Many of the rides we did together were there with our dogs. I have many fond memories of time spent with Lauren there, and they all came flooding back. The tears flowed fast and furious on that ride, but with them came the realization of what I had to do.
I had to build a trail there and dedicate it to Lauren.
The trail was there, waiting to be built. We laid it out in November. I talked with the SWAMP brass about it, and Wes helped me find a beautiful overlook just off the trail. Just in time for the summer heat, I tackled it.
It doesn't look like much now, but off to the left is a grove of sugar maples, a very rare thing in Florida. I'm going to put a bench next to the tree (behind Max) and some kind of sign dedicating it to Lauren. It will be my place to go for quiet reflection of the life and love we shared.
Now we just have to build roughly 3 miles of trail before I can have the official dedication. SWAMP is still trying to get some excavators out there to tackle the extensive bench cutting. I've been going out and working on some of the ridgetops where machines can't go, but after almost passing out in the heat a couple of times I've lost my motivation. It will be cooling off soon and I'll be back out there.
In the mean time, I've started to feel like living again instead of just going through the motions of life. I've kept myself in the company of a close circle of friends and it's time to venture out of that cocoon.
I'll end this post with a few memories.
My beautiful bride, May 4, 2002.
Porcupine Rim, Moab, October 2002.
Key West, November 2003.
Somewhere off the Florida Panhandle, June 2004.
Chillin' in the Ocoee, July 2005.
Ellijay Georgia, October 2006.
Cedar Key Florida (our 5th anniversary), May 2007.
Douthat State Park, Virginia, September 2007.
Lauren died April 29, almost 1 month after something went horribly wrong and left her in a vegetative state. Despite being operated on by one of the best neurosurgeons in the country and being cared for by one of the best neurological ICUs in the country, everything that could go wrong went wrong.
I'm not going to go into a lot of detail, but the days that followed have been some of the darkest of my life.
Eddie and Namrita bagged the race they were going to do the weekend after Lauren died and came down to spend the weekend with me. They say that when times are really tough you find out who your real friends are. They're two of the best. The first day they were here we headed to
Alafia after sleeping off hangovers. It was my first time on the bike in a couple of weeks and I had a blast.
The next day we went to Boyette with the dogs, and it was a whole different story. Lauren loved Boyette. Many of the rides we did together were there with our dogs. I have many fond memories of time spent with Lauren there, and they all came flooding back. The tears flowed fast and furious on that ride, but with them came the realization of what I had to do.
I had to build a trail there and dedicate it to Lauren.
The trail was there, waiting to be built. We laid it out in November. I talked with the SWAMP brass about it, and Wes helped me find a beautiful overlook just off the trail. Just in time for the summer heat, I tackled it.
It doesn't look like much now, but off to the left is a grove of sugar maples, a very rare thing in Florida. I'm going to put a bench next to the tree (behind Max) and some kind of sign dedicating it to Lauren. It will be my place to go for quiet reflection of the life and love we shared.
Now we just have to build roughly 3 miles of trail before I can have the official dedication. SWAMP is still trying to get some excavators out there to tackle the extensive bench cutting. I've been going out and working on some of the ridgetops where machines can't go, but after almost passing out in the heat a couple of times I've lost my motivation. It will be cooling off soon and I'll be back out there.
In the mean time, I've started to feel like living again instead of just going through the motions of life. I've kept myself in the company of a close circle of friends and it's time to venture out of that cocoon.
I'll end this post with a few memories.
My beautiful bride, May 4, 2002.
Porcupine Rim, Moab, October 2002.
Key West, November 2003.
Somewhere off the Florida Panhandle, June 2004.
Chillin' in the Ocoee, July 2005.
Ellijay Georgia, October 2006.
Cedar Key Florida (our 5th anniversary), May 2007.
Douthat State Park, Virginia, September 2007.
March 20, 2008
Cohutta 100 ticket for sale
It's not happening for me this year. The 100 mile race is sold out, so here's your chance if you want in. I'm asking what I paid for it ($140) plus any transfer fees to the promoter. Send an email to harvey.minton@gmail.com if you're interested.
Friday edit: The Extreme Tomato will be taking my place at the Cohutta 100. Looks like he'll be an honorary Team Green Tomato for a day.
Friday edit: The Extreme Tomato will be taking my place at the Cohutta 100. Looks like he'll be an honorary Team Green Tomato for a day.
March 12, 2008
Riding
I hadn't touched a bike since unloading them off the roof after the Hospice race. I had to take my car to my mechanic yesterday. I always take the bike when I drop off the car. Even though it was on the road, in the city at rush hour, as soon as I started pedaling I felt like a kid again. Wind through my helmet, caressing my head and putting sweet music into my ears. Heartrate rising, sweat starting to form. Cars in a hurry to get me out of their way meant nothing. I was turning the cranks and I was transported to Nirvana.
I took the long way home. I think I'll do it again tomorrow.
I took the long way home. I think I'll do it again tomorrow.
March 06, 2008
Perspective
This would be my report on the Hopsice 100K. I got 4th and gave it what I had to give to an XC-style race 2 weeks after a 12 hour. Once again, I loved the course and the race. Markham Park is fun.
Monday we got up for work and Lauren (my wife) doubled over with the worst headache of her life. A brain aneurysm ruptured behind her forehead. She spent the day in surgery and is now in ICU. Luckily it was mild and I know she will make a full recovery. 3 days later, she's doing great, improving daily. The next few days are critical, then she will be able to begin recovery.
It's going to be a long road and I am going to be with her for every bit of it, doing what I can to bring her back to her old healthy self.
Y'all have fun at the NUE.
Monday we got up for work and Lauren (my wife) doubled over with the worst headache of her life. A brain aneurysm ruptured behind her forehead. She spent the day in surgery and is now in ICU. Luckily it was mild and I know she will make a full recovery. 3 days later, she's doing great, improving daily. The next few days are critical, then she will be able to begin recovery.
It's going to be a long road and I am going to be with her for every bit of it, doing what I can to bring her back to her old healthy self.
Y'all have fun at the NUE.
February 26, 2008
IF frame raffle
IF Racing is raffling off a steel IF frame. The winner gets a full-custom steel IF frame of their choice, with the opportunity to upgrade to ti or carbon for an upcharge.
Clickety-click. It could be the best $10 you've ever spent.
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