Still Pokey, After All These Years.

With apologies to Paul Simon, I am not crazy, just pokey. I rode with a new group of folks last night. Some I knew from years back. One was a Pro XC racer in the day and one of the most overall skilled riders I have known. One is a XTerra racer and always a fast whippet of a rider. But the rest of the blend was just a bunch of guys, so I figured all the work I have been putting in would put me in good stead among the group. Guess not. I sucked.

Been thinking about it. Was sick last week, still not 100%. Rode the SS the night before, worked pretty hard. It was a lot of very steep up, in fact this was the first time I felt the need for a 20T chainring for that 29er. Then, I waited for a guy who had a rear brake line fail and I played catch-up to the back of the group. But I just felt slow on the climbs. More donkey-ness (see previous blog entry). I really am at my best over a longer distance when pacing and overall riding skills come in to play, but that high heart rate, very steep climb has always been my weak point. Hopefully the SS will help here, but maybe nothing will. Not like I am getting any younger.

Now I get my revenge on the techy, DH stuff. There I am in the front of the group, not #1, but a contender. Well, at least that is something. Case in point: This ride ends on a slinky and fun ridgetop singletrack, very So Cal. I got caught up in traffic and decided not to force a pass on the slower guys. Then we came to a section where guys are walking a dropoff. Hmmm, must be pretty rough? Not. My turn came up, looked at it, clicked in, pedaled down and jumped off the offcamber drop into the singletrack runout. What's up, girls? If I could climb like I could do that, I would be one heck of a rider.

Well, I don't know. I think I need to ride with this group again. Maybe it was just an off day or maybe I need some days off. Not sure.