I set out running but I took my time...

Off-Road Assault on Mt. Mitchell

View from Heartbreak Ridge

I payed my dues at the Off-Road Assault on Mount Mitchell on Sunday in the blistering summer heat. The intensity of the struggle induced hallucinations at times but mostly just alot of pain.
I rode well on the singletrack and made some great moves on technical climbs, but absolutely killed it going down. I had my wheels over other riders heads at least twice! There was a section on Kitsuma where I was coming up fast on another rider and he got off the bike on the other side of a drop. I came through and boosted it, pulling the bike up and transferred the landing into a corner and stuck it. I heard applaud behind me as I kept going down the mountain.
The pure adrenalin of the downhills will almost wash away the painful memory of the climbs. But not entirely. The downhills are so long, fast and rough that they use as much energy as the climbs.
This years course includded a 5 mile climb out of the Black Mountain Campground, which was ommited last year by staying upon the Blue Ridge Parkway. This added more mileage and more struggle since the five mile climb came after completing the 9 mile climb up Curtis Creek.
All things considered, this was my best ride yet. I finished the 2006 race in 7:59 minutes. The 2007 in 7:30. And this year was 7:34, but considering the longer course, this would be my best time yet.

View of Mt. Mitchell




Saturday at Bent Creek
Forgeting how hard the ride would be on Sunday, me and Jonathon had a great day at Bent Creek, Saturday. The prelude to ORAMM was graced with a bear sighting on Green's Lick. I wasn't sure what kind of animal we were rolling up on, but as it ran through the woods, we both realized it was a bear.
Later we saw a large black snake. Jonathon caught it.
The ride finished at the lake and we cooled off and swam.

The art of tailgating in a life that’s blogworthy

When we lived in Louisville, you never needed to carry a cooler, since everything was right around the corner. Breweries were connected by singletrack and bustling neighborhoods had a health food grocery store on every corner. The beautiful urban parks had miles of hand crafted singletrack which lay just a few blocks from home.

Leaving from the house, by bike, with the no plans, but to just wander, is liberating. Even when it only comes in 1 to 2 hour blocks of time. The greenways of Knoxville connect my west Knox 'hood to downtown, the riverfront, or the wooded hills surrounding town, and more.

Conversely, traveling to mountain bike destinations has become an art. Knoxville is surrounded by mountains in every direction, and killer trails are a day trip away. So we meet early on the weekends, bring some bike gear and a cooler, and let the good times roll. War-stories back at the car go down smoother around a well iced cooler.
“You should tailgate anywhere you don’t have to work”
Words to live by, -B. Nicholson
Cheers!

Friday evening the power went out in our neighborhood. Apparently someone wrecked into a transformer. Optimus Prime must have been pissed.
The power stayed out for the rest of the night, and it changed our plans slightly. It was nice to slow down and enjoy the kind of calm, normally reserved for a trip to the mountains. We picked up dinner at Qdoba and built a fire on the back porch. Sitting around the fire was like tailgating in the mountains, but at home. I had a few Fat Tire's and put my feet up while Erin, Macie and Hank enjoyed the crackling glow of the fire with me.

The details of my life are surely less than blogworthy, no doubt. Harvest The Ride isn't a bankroll of bragging rights, but rather a source of inspiration to go out and find beautiful moments; take a picture and log it away for the whole Internet to see. Seeing the world through the lens of a camera has motivated me to ride further, with the hopes of capturing a great photo. So I keep doing it.

With a newborn in our life, my calendar is becoming surprisingly full. ORAMM this weekend, Florida next week, Windrock race, Double Dare, 12 hours of the Hill of Truth, and Labor Day Weekend camping trip at Mount Rogers! I should have lots of photos to come, but tommorrow there will be Hell to pay!

Blessened

I have been burning the candle from both ends, with fleeting moments of two-wheeled adventures interspersed throughout these long summer days. The blessing of fatherhood has been amazing. The expression on my daughters face, discovering the beautiful sounds of insect buzz, in the wee hours of the morning, is a moment that touched me deeply. Holding her is the next level.

Macie Marie Gaines attended her first bike race at the young age of 9 days old. And hopefully she will come along on next weekends trip to Old Fort, NC for the Off-Road Assault on Mt. Mitchell.
Thursday evening was the weekly time trial series at Hastie Park. Erin needed to get away from the house, so her and the baby came down to the race. I rode my bike there.
The new trails at Hastie Park add mileage to the singletrack that exist throughout south Knoxville. Separated by 15 miles of greenway from my own home, I pedaled to the race.
Racing bikes is a great excuse to drink beer in the woods with a bunch of people on bikes! I rode the loop on my cyclocross bike in 11:47, then drank beer and hung out for the next hour or two before riding home. It was fun to introduce Macie to everyone.

more baby photos

Macie Marie Gaines

Born 7-8-08 at 2:15am : It was my finest hour!
7lbs. 8 oz.

Rocky Top 100K

The dark-side of cycling has intrigued me. I'm not shaving my legs or anything, but I had a good time cruising the Tennessee farm-country in a peleton. I figured any ride that starts and ends at a bar (Barley's Taproom) has got to be a good time! Pizza and beer was definitely rewarding, and Barley's was a good host.
The 62 mile / 100k ride started in the pouring rain, which added an element that heightened my interest in the event. I had a good, but soggy, ride up to the 40th mile where I had a mechanical that separated me from the group; and playing catch up wore me down. On top of consecutive rides, I began to struggle. The next rest stop was just over the horizon, and I was restored after a snack. The last 20 miles was quite enjoyable with my new friends who fell off the group with me. It quit raining and the sun came out for the finish.

In the end, I was not happy with my (3hr.19min.) time. I have a bunch of excuses (for one, the previous days 2.5-hour-singlespeed-assault on the ridges of Haw Ridge left my legs destroyed. Although its not a race, I know I could have ridden better.
1-Speed Brian opted for a painful ride on a fixed-gear; quite an impressive journey of 62 miles!

Waiting on a baby

Borrowed image from Yahoo.com


The folks at work think I am sitting home this weekend; waiting on the baby. And by the same token, they think my life is over on the day she is born. I hear it every day, they just shake their head and laugh, thinking "I can kiss my freedom goodbye." According to them, I'll never ride my bike again.
They don't even know me at all.
Some of what I look forward to most about being a parent is bringing the family to a bike race. I don't see my passions as separate from my family life.
I feel sorry those who give up on the pursuit of a good time because of the added responsibility of children. To hear many people tell the story of parenthood, that's the way it goes.
My wife has been an inspiration. Pregnancy has barely slowed her down, and she can be found working in the yard after a day at the pool with her pre-school class; or heading downtown for live music or spending the day on the lake. Someone recently pointed out that many women act like pregnancy is an illness. I guess that sets the tone for the downward spiral of parenthood (rolling eyes.)


The last Sundown of the year ended with a bang. The Wild Magnolias partied like uptown rulers, rocking a great version of Hey Poky A-Way, among other Cajun hits.