Mountain biking season has begun

Last night was the first mountain bike ride with Team Sugar. One of our local bike shops has a women’s mountain bike race team. They put on weekly women’s group rides. They divide everyone up by skill level, and they put a few team members with each group. They have a ride every Tuesday night from June until August. I started doing it last year, when I first got my bike. It was a great way to see some new trails and to learn some new skills. I went to my first ride last night, and it was really great.

Last year when I started out I rode in the first group, level 1. As the season went on, I moved up to Level 1+. Near the end of the year I was tempted to try out Level 2 endurance, but I just didn’t think I was fit enough. Those girls ride fast and never seem to get tired Since it is the beginning of the year, I decided to go with Level 1+. This spring has been so wet and cold, that I haven’t done much biking at all. I have been riding the trainer, and I worked out off and on all winter. I wasn’t really sure how in shape I was, but this ride gave me a good idea.

We rode up a trail called Skid Row. Last year we rode up the street and down Skid Row most of the time. Once, near the end of last season we rode up Skid Row. The first part of the trail is all uphill–fairly steep with a lot of switchbacks. When I heard that was the trail we were going to ride I had flashbacks of stopping and gasping to catch my breath last year. I decided to go for it anyway, and I was glad that I did. The initial switchbacks were hard and tiring, but I wasn’t nearly as tired as I was last year. I was able to ride almost all of it without stopping–I just stopped where I had to, when the rest of the group stopped. And this group hardly ever stopped This was the fastest Level 1+ ride I have ever done. But it was good. It helped me to see that I might actually be ready to move up to Level 2 endurance!

It was a beautiful cool spring evening. It started out a little cold, but once we got riding I warmed right up. The choke cherry trees were blooming and the views were awesome. I was really proud of myself. At the beginning of every ride I get a little bit nervous. I get butterflies in my stomach and I worry that I won’t be able to do it. But, once I get going I surprise myself. I felt great at the end of the ride. I was happy at how I did on the ride. I felt like I didn’t lose much over the winter, and I think this is going to be a great summer of mountain biking for me!