On Wednesday of last week I learned that we would be heading down to the Pinnacle race in NH and that it was highly likely that one of our friends could watch the boy so that I could also race. This sparked a long internal debate over whether or not I should race.

Reasons for racing:

  • Because I could
  • Because more women should race
  • Because the course was rumored to be fun

Reasons for not racing:

  • I don’t consider myself or aspire to be a cross-country racer, and this was definitely a cross country race
  • I didn’t really feel like getting my arse kicked because i was the only woman on a singlespeed
  • Wasn’t in my schedule and therefore mentally I wasn’t thinking about it
  • Really just wanted a nice long ride in the woods, not a race

So, I ended up deciding not to race and on Saturday I went out for a lovely long solo mountain bike ride. Well, first we took K for an hour long bike path ride. The George and K went to watch some soccer and I went out for another three hours. It was one of those meandering, make it up as I go along rides. First I climbed into Sterling Valley, tried a new trail (great find), rode an old favorite, added some dirt roads and worked my way back home over Stowe Hollow. That climb feels awesome after 2.5 hours of lots of climbing, but it’s not as bad as it looks. It ended up being three hours, which was just what I was after. Wish I could have pushed the pace a little bit, but the roots and rocks were a bit slick and I had the wrong tires.

Sunday we headed down to New Hampshire, George was racing along with the majority of the VT-based Bike29 team. K participated in a fantastic kids race. They have a neat little course where the kids climb up into the woods, ride some spaghetti singletrack and bomb down an easy descent – great for the little guys. K is very tentative on the bike still and needs to gain experience, strength and a little tenacity. We need to take him out on his bike more often so he gets more comfortable. We’re making an effort this summer to get him riding and not just focus on our own program.

The race started for the big kids and I watched them head off into the woods without one tinge of regret about not being in it. Not once. They can have their laps. I ended up spending most of the race in the woods looking for an ewok village with four little boys who turned every stick into a blaster gun. The course looked a little damp and there was quite a bit of carnage and crashing. Again, not something I was looking for and happy to be on the sidelines.

Last week before my big trip to FL and a week off the bike and out of my normal life. I’m trying to make the most of it and get outside as much as possible.