Beautiful Disaster

The Burnin' is coming!  One of Missouri's finest mountain bike races will be at Council Bluff on Oct 13 2012.  I attended my first Burnin' three years ago, I wouldn't miss it for anything.  I love staying at CB.  With all the improvements they are making it will be an even awesomer place to stay next year. This 13 mile loop is one of my favorites.   I have had the opportunity to hike, run, bike, and work on that beautiful trail.  My goal is to ride a clean loop someday, ride everything and not put a foot down.  If you have ridden it before, you know that is not easy.  Keep in mind, I ride a single speed.  There are a lot of momentum killers out there.

My Big Unit

Over the weekend I flipped a coin.  Heads was doing the 6hr solo and tails the 12hr solo.  I have never done the 6 hr.  By the way, this was my very first 12hr race.  Not to keep you in suspense, it was tails.  Beautiful!  Who wouldn't want to ride a magnificent trail with the coolest folks around for 12 hours?  Count me in.  Now here comes the 'potential' for disaster.....

My Kona is ready.  I had a super fun ride at Lost Valley today. The trail was perfect and the weather did not disappoint.  My Big Unit flowed gracefully down the trail and climbed like a goat.  What more do you need?  Some guy on the trail said I was missing gears, I told him I do have a "hop off and push gear". The saddle is new to me, luckily I don't sit much.   I changed out my handlebars and grips too.  The hubby and I are headed to CB this weekend, sans kids.  I see a good time in my future.  Riding some laps and hanging in the trees, yea I will take some of that.  Plus, if there are any bugs to be worked out, now will be a good time.  I have a 32x19 set up now, but will change to a 32x20 for the race.  That gear worked well last year besides, I am not beasty enough to push the 19 for 12 hrs.

 I have not done any races this year except the DK200.  That will make nutrition tricky, so I will go with stuff I know works.  I hear there will be Ice Cold Delicious Pabst handups at the boat launch again courtesy of Team Seagal.  Liquid carbs are the best.

I do not consider myself a hipster and I drink Gatorade too.

There are no goals for this year.  I am " just going to to do the best I can".  Thanks Carrie Sona.  There are no visions of buckles dancing in my head. Which may be a good thing.  Last year I had an awful attack of the Buckle Blues.  I don't quite understand it, but I hear sometimes it comes with the territory.  No matter how things turn out,  I will be surrounded by fabulous people and doing something I love.

Hope to see you there.....

Sasha

ps... put some positive mojo out there that my kit arrives before the race.  I am going to look PAF!

IT

IT

I am familiar with rage.  We have a past.  I recall the tell-tale signs.  Recently, the signs have resurfaced. Fighting IT was not an option.  I have opened the door, invited IT inside, offered IT a seat, have told IT my plans.  How I am going to use IT.  Remembering my past turns my stomach. IT has made me make a lot of mistakes. IT has made me handle a few situations wrong, seriously wrong. IT is not an emotion I am comfortable with or proud of.  Frankly, IT scares me how out of control IT makes me feel.   I can't forget IT.  I can't get away from IT.  Everywhere I turn, there is a trigger, a reminder.  I have to deal with IT. I have begun to feel as if the smallest thing will send me  into a tizzy.  I stopped throwing tizzies seven years ago.  IT has to go.

Google is awesome

 Pretending I wasn't feeling rage didn't work for me.  In the past, unknowingly,  I became my own worst enemy.  In fact, I was growing IT, fueling IT all by myself.   I was slowly became the major cause of IT.  I ate incredible amounts of shitty food, which in turn made me hate myself.  That behavior did not help my rage.  I tried to cope by hanging out with the Marlboro Man and  Jack Daniels,  who was always there when I needed him most, however, we had to end our relationship since it really messed with the prescriptions I was taking.  I made a wise decision upon finding that out, I switched to beer.  I would only have a couple... well three..... but never more than four, hahahaha...... beers, EVERY night. The alcohol didn't heal IT.  Fast forward to the recent rage...  realizing that those things did not work for me, I have decided to take another approach while dealing with my gift of extreme displeasure.



It's important to tell you, IT has lessened.  Anger has taken its place. Anger has proved to be quite a motivator.  Anger has motivated me right into personal training sessions with my son, a few days a week.   He enjoys putting me through the ringer. Trevor is helping me improve upon my beast for Burnin'.  It's unfortunate that Burnin' at The Bluff will be the only mtb race I do this year.  Hell, Go Big or Go Home right? ( Or, do I just go to ride a bit and get drunk?) For now, I might as well use the anger to my advantage.  I have thrown anger into my workouts and the results have been good. Anger has enabled me to pedal faster, run faster, to lift more weight.  It feels incredible to take a 10lb sledge hammer to a truck tire.  It also feels good to punch the crap out of a black bag.  Minutes tick off, I start to feel better, I start to let it go.  I focus on the task at hand.  His "Twenty minutes in hell" session was delightful. I will be going back for more of those.

I have communicated with my spouse exactly what I need and how I will be dealing with IT.  " My bike will save my life, again.  Make sure I ride it often."   He may not get it, he can't fix it.  All he needs to understand is, when I say I need a bike ride or a run,  I NEED IT!  He knows I will leave with one look on my face and return with another that is way more appealing.  He said " You look like a different person" after I returned from a bike ride.  Of course I did.  I just had therapy.

Tire therapy

The circumstances for my rage will not be disclosed here.  I know I usually share everything with you but, this time it's not only about me.  There are innocent people involved that don't need their bullshit spread on the internet. It's not for me to put out there.  Thank you in advance for not asking.

Sasha