Cuz I Love It

Last weekend a crew of us headed up to the County - to Presque Isle for a 12 hour mountain bike race.  There are several category choices: solo, teams of 2, teams of 4, coed, all one gender, family, etc.  I was on a team with three other women: Al, and our excellent, avid biking pals, Karen and Sarah.  We called ourselves ASKK Us.  The race runs from 9am to 9pm and the only real rule is that everyone on the team makes at least one lap.  We kept it real and all did the same number of laps in the same order all day.  The loop is 8 miles and like a relay, one person finishes a lap and another goes out.  We did that for 12 hours, riding 24 miles each.  We demolished our only competition - we got in 12 laps (and we stopped sending people at 6:30) and they only got in 11 laps (finishing in the dark with a light) and our time (with the extra lap) was over an hour faster than theirs.  So we won our entry fee back and had a great day of exercise and adrenaline free of charge.  Wahoo!!

Packing the rig - I drove the truck up - Karen, Al and Josh rode with me.  Good trip.

We camped at the Maine Winter Sports Center Friday and Saturday night.  Saturday night, after the race, they had a huge bonfire, a bluegrass band and beverages.  Great event.
 

Race Day - my teammate, Sarah, stretching.

Race Day - NOT my teammate, B-liscious, drinking.

Race Start - that's Al in turquoise, number 7, running.

Their bikes are on the other side of the building.  They have to run to their bikes, jump on and start pedaling the loop.  She did SO WELL!  So much stress, pressure and traffic on that first loop because everyone is pushing hard to get a killer start.  Go Al!

Even after slamming a beer at 8:30 in the morning, before his first loop, Barry did well -- 8 miles in 41 minutes.  Here he is tagging Josh. 

Al came in not long after Barry - and Sarah is on her way - she was our second leg.

I LOVE tough, hardcore chicks!  Here is my kick-ass teammate after falling on her face and knocking a tooth out (it is a fake tooth, but still).  She is showing her sweet husband, Joe.

This is Karen, my final teammate, finishing her first lap and Al heading out for her second.

Al - near the end of her second lap.

"Home" - yoga mats, foam rollers, bike stands and gear.  This is where we all kicked it when we were not out racing.

On Sunday morning there was a biathlon and downhill competition.  I did neither, but this is Joe after his first 3 mile sprint - taking his shots. 

After that event, I headed out into the woods with Joe and Josh (and Rosa, the dog) to watch the downhill race.  

Al won the downhill for the women - she Go-Proed her practice run, can't wait to see that.

I think, if all goes well, I would do this race again.  It was fun to be a part of a team, fun to push myself at race pace and definitely fun to win.

Since I am always the one behind the camera, there are no pics of me racing or doing anything, really (except one Al took after my first lap where I am being crazy with my tongue out that I am choosing not to share) so I have to rely on the professional photographers.  I felt like the real deal out there with cameramen!

Tomorrow we are heading to The Kingdom.  It is a women's trip!  Our whole team plus our friend Kat, who rides with us pretty regularly and runs a timber framing business with her husband, are heading up tomorrow to ride and camp.  Al and Karen went up today and rode today and will tomorrow - Kat, Sarah and I are heading over together tomorrow, after I help Jim at the farm.  I am SO thankful to have these badass women in my life.  I was telling Jim that I think it is rare to make new friends later in life but that it is so easy if you get out and DO what you LOVE.  I love these women, and even though I can tend to blow off activities that require extra effort and planning on my part, I have been really proud of myself lately because I have been making the effort.  Stoked to go rip it up with these women.  Photos to follow : )