GETTING READY FOR LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN

Training is going pretty well!  But, I know I started training waaaaaaaaay too late for this.  I am running consistently again finally.  I guess it took me signing up to get at it again, but it feels great.  I have found that riding my single-speed all year really built my legs up and has helped my run.  There are just so many great things about NOT HAVING GEARS.  I have had two, 3 hour plus runs and a 3.5 hour.  I am planning to get up to 6 before toning down.  My runs have all been in the mountains and mostly on the Appalachian Trail.  That has been crucial to get me ready for Lookout's climbs.  With the leaves changing and fall in the air, it has been easy to find the motivation to hit the trail.  I have found my love of running again.

NIGHT RIDES BEGIN

Night rides have begun at Dahlonega Wheelworks.  We had a great crew out on Thursday and I can't wait for lots of long night winter rides!  There were no major mechanicals and we had lots of new faces out.  Following the ride, we headed to Gustavos for the Fugazza Challenge!  Overall a great time!

PLANS FOR END OF 2011 & 2012

I am in the midst of getting together my racing schedule.  This will be my first year back in action since 2008.  I am excited to be back settled into the mountain and am ready to train.  Here is what I have down so far:

Lookout Mountain 50 Miler-December 2011
Operation Endurance 24 Hour Run-March 2012
Rev3 Knoxville Half-May
10 Gap Dahlonega-September
6 Gap Dahlonega-September
Rev3 Anderson Half-October
Beach2Battleship or Rev3 Florida-October

I also plan on doing some local races in between and hopefully most of the tri the parks series!  Post on here if I am missing a good race!

24 HOURS OF GEEEEEEEOOORRRRGIA

What a great race!  This was my first 24 hour mountain bike race and it was a blast.  The environment was great and course challenging.  I raced with a Co-Ed 5 person team and we ended up getting 3rd. The laps were 12 miles.  4 miles were on granite and 8 headed out through the woods on dirt. So, let us talk about my laps.  Lap 1- I started our team out with doing the first lap.  Sunny and mild with a slight breeze....I definitely did not have weather as an excuse to be weak!  The granite section was a blast but kicked my tail on the single-speed.  I ran a 19 freewheel and should have had 21!  One section of the granite was not rideable on my 19...at least for me.  I think it was faster to run up anyway.  The challenging part of lap one is the crowd on a single-speed.  On climbs, you have to go fast and it is touch staying behind someone of gears, but then on the flats, they want to get around you....luckily there was not too many flats.  Lap 2- Finished up just before dark set in.  The sun setting was gorgeous!  I almost hit a deer headed down one of decents...that would have been bad.  There was not too much exciting on this lap.  Lap 3-Midnight riding!  I love riding at night and felt great on this lap.  The trail quieted down and it was nice and peaceful...well except for my gasping for air.  I caught a few people in the last 3 miles and picked up the pace as they tried to hang on my wheel.  This led to my only fall in the last half mile of the course...haha is was great.  I stayed in front though:)  My last lap-this was sometime way too early...4am I think.  I had not hydrated enough after lap 3 and I felt it on this lap.  It was not cramping and my legs felt great.  It was my stomach...no fun.  I was still able to get the lap done in a moderate time considering.  The bumpy course did not help the unsettling sick feeling the entire lap though...I will save you from the details!

So overall, everyone on the team did great!  Our female kept doubting herself but she is faster than she thinks.  SHE DOMINATED!!!  This was her first time riding at night in a long time and it was a tough course to do that...she made it look like nothing.  We all had a blast just cutting up and grilling out.  I met some great people.  I met a girl who graduated with my brother from highschool and her boyfriend ended up winning the whole thing.  They are training for a double iron-distance and triple iron-distance triathlon----yeah, excuse them for being BEAST!  Also, met a few people doing the 50 mile trail run at Lookout Mountain in TN that I am doing.  I am excited to run a few miles with them in the near future.

Chain Buster and Dirty Spokes did an amazing job putting this together and I recommend anyone at any skill level do it!