July! Time is slipping by!

Well it has been way too long since I've posted anything. I had decided to take a short break(longer than Planned) to focus on some rest, family and managing my training plan. Many of you know I took up Mtb racing a few years ago and have put much of my training into the dirt. Last year racing was not as good as I had planned but I learned lots which set me up for a better 2015 season, Early MTB races like Gods Country Marathon was delayed two time from early April to May then we finally race in June. My first marathon event. We raced at the Lawrence River tails, a fast, flat flowing trail system. Races some really fast Elder men in the CAT 1 50+. I took 4th overall and I was happy with the finish

God's Country Marathon

God's Country Marathon last Hill

The MTB CX session started May 2-3 rd with the Kansas State FAT Tire festival out at Wilson Lake in north Central Kansas. What a beautiful area. A lake my family visited often when I was a child. The trails are really as they call it EPIC and one would not know you are in Kansas Prairie Land. Sand Stone makes up lots of the trail with larger rock gardens to challenge the experts and really challenge those not so expert but all is rid-able or walk it if you must. I did! The first day it got hot so my body did not want to work very well so I DNF'd for my own safety. 

Then the rain set in and I think I or all of us in this area hit single trails a few times prior to the next event on the calendar June 7 Down'n Dirty in Warsaw, MO. Great trail system there. I have only raced there now three times. First as a CAT 2 50+ and won and Second as a CAT 1 and DNF'd with 3 flats in the first loop of 3. I was done. This year it was time to get back on the + side. There where not many people at this years event I think cause many thought it would be too wet and another event across the state happening. Non the less we race. Not many in the CAT 1 50+ but one must finish an event in order to win place or draw. I finished and took a Second place. It was a hard and again a very hot day. It was all about perseverance. 

The following weekend it was the Mason's Midsummer Meltdown, a fund raiser for the Trail Masons at Wyandotte county lake Park. Not as warm as one would have expected in mid June. A good group of racers showed up to give this one a-go. As with this race not alot of CAT 1's in general but we are racing. The tails in the park are good flowing with climbing that makes you work all the time when trying to go fast. I was really glade to get this one over with for some reason. I was not sure where I was in the mix of things when we got into the single track from the start so I just kept on fighting to not let people just past me nilly willy. With great surprise I was third on the day again racing in a very fast and skilled class of CAT 1 50+ guys.

Masons MidSummer Meltdown

Stay tuned for more MTB racing and start of CycloCross Training