This weekend was the first event of the Dust Devils series. The series kicked off at Estrella on Saturday with cooler than normal and really windy conditions. I didn't partake in the racing festivities however my other half did.
Norma doned the pink Adrenaline jersey and lined up for her first race in a while. She's been riding consistently on her road bike as well as a couple of off-road rides, so she was pretty stoked about this race.
I was initially planning to do some drills at South Mtn then ride to Estrella, but it was so windy that I asked Norma to pick me up as soon as I was done with the climbing drills. Later on I completed the rest of my training for the day by riding the trainer in the confort of our living room. Yeah, I know I am a whimp! I hate windy days!
Anyway, back to the race. When we got to the venue, the Marathon guys were already on course. There was a big turn out of beginner and sport riders (mostly male riders) but it's good to see more people. The pro/expert class was kinda small thought. There was a nice vibe around the venue. Several bike shops came out to offer support such as Estrella Mountain Cycles and Bicycle Showcase (supporting the Procon MTB guys). I even got a free hot dog from Tim Gillis from Showcase who had his George Foreman grill out.
Norma's race started at 9:30 am and there was a group of 5-6 ladies in the beginner category. She got into third or fourth wheel up the little climb from the start and moved up a place while we could still see them from the start. According to Norma (I have to tell you because it will take her a while to update her blog), she passed another lady on one of the washes. She's been getting a lot better on the technical sections so she gained some ground. The other girl in the lead was out of sight, so she kept a steady pace up the gradual climb in the back. Not too long after the switchback in the back her rear tire slid off course and she went down. She got a few battle scratches to her elbow and fore arm but nothing major. She remounted to discover that her handle bar were twisted a bit. Fearing that the next rider was not too far back she decided to keep on riding, even with the croocked handlebar. That most have cost her a few minutes due to the difficult handling.
Back at the finish I was waiting for her when Jen Sica from Schampa came down and gave me an update on her. I was worried on the extense of the damage but a couple of minutes later Norma was coming down the hill with a big smile. She completed the junior loop and finished strong even ahead of some of the the beginner guys that started a few minutes ahead. Great Job!
Adrenaline had a good showing overall. Zac and Tom finished 1-2 in the marathon, however Tom removed himself out of the race for slightly bending the rules. Check his site for the details. The other Zack won the Pro/Expert event while Kendra and our other Junior Female rider whose name I still don't know finished 1-2 in the Junior Girls race.
It was great to see everyone out there. Even Darrin P and Darrin A were there to support the team!
Training continues increasing gradually. I did my first 3 hour ride on Sunday. That was the last time I rode for that long since AMC back in August. It was nice to be out on the bike for a long easy ride. However my last few miles got a little difficult when my right pedal broke….again! Yes that's the same type of pedal that I broke back in June at the Summit Center road race, so I am trying to figure out what's causing it. I simple got off the saddle at a stop light and when I went to pull up with my right leg my shoe came off. Oh well, it was just a few miles before home so I mostly pushed down on that pedal and made my left leg do the full circles.
That's all for now!
Pura Vida!
