RIDIN', RACIN' PLANS FOR 2011

Crummy January weather has me looking ahead to when it'll one day be warm and sunny. Or at least not so cold 'n' wet 'n' windy. First up, I've gotta finish my Classic Road Rides of Washington book, however the weather hasn't exactly been cooperative of late. Oh well, nothing I can do about that.

So I'll look forward to mountain bike races and road rides. I've already mentioned ad nauseum Oregon's High Cascades 100 and Olympia's Capitol Forest 50, both of which are beginning to fill and making me a little nervous that I won't get in. ('Course if I made a decision on which I want to do, that'd probably solve everything, wouldn't it? ) Another one that's caught my eye is the Test of Endurance 100-miler (and 50-miler), also a Mudslinger event in Oregon.

Certainly want to do a couple of the Indie Series races. Had a great time two years ago but missed all of last season with a broken collarbone. (2011 schedule doesn't seem to be out yet.) BuDu Racing also has their series which runs February through April so I may jump into one or two of those races. Last year I single-speeded (izzat a word?) Cookin' in the Kettles, on a great course through Whidbey Island's Fort Ebey State Park.

Probably do some local(ish) road events too--Skagit Spring Classic in May, the Tour de Whatcom in July. I've done Wenatchee's Apple Century a couple times, which usually heads north along the Columbia River to Chelan. I notice this year's course, however, heads inland toward Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee. That could be kind of cool, especially if there's a tailwind from L-town east. One that intrigues me (and one that will definitely hurt) is the Chelan Century Challenge which heads up McNeil Canyon. The overall ride climbs 9,000 feet with 2,200 of it up the 5-mile McNeil Canyon Road. Not sure how they do it, but apparently you can ride McNeil Canyon as a timed hill climb. (See here for my McNeil Canyon write-up.)   

Speaking of hill climbs, after a couple years off, I think I'd like to give the Mount Baker Hill Climb (Ride 542) another shot. (Click here for my write-up on the last time I raced it.) Which means of course I'll be starving myself throughout July and August to somehow get my weight below 160. My best time was 2008: 1:38:10. This year I'll be in a new age group (as opposed to say, a New Age group), 50-59. Damn, that sounds frickin' ancient!

FORT EBEY MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE

Headed south to beautiful Fort Ebey State Park for the SingleTrack Cycles West Side Mountain Bike Series race number 4. Part of the BuDu Race Series. First race since what, last August or so, and first single-speed race ever. (Hope it won't be my last.) Extremely, extremely hard.

There was one heat for all single-speeders regardless of class or age. Thus, I finished a sparkling 9th out of 12. Doesn’t sound great but my time (1:28) would’ve put me 5th (out of 22 or so) in the 40+ sport (geared bikes) category. So I’m not sure what to make of that. (Jump into the sport 40+ race on my single speed?) Looking down the line of SS bikes at the start, I saw some Niners, Gary Fishers, and a couple Felts; nobody was rockin’ the low-end steel bike with rigid fork like me. (Is it obvious that I'm attempting to make myself feel better for finishing 9th out of 12?)

'nother thing: the flyer implied the race would be about 50 minutes but the course was two laps of 7 miles, with 1,000 foot climbing in each, so it took me almost 90 minutes. (Single speed winner was like 1:11.) Kinda like showing expecting to run a 10K but finding out you’re running a half-marathon instead. (Not really, but again, I'm trying to make myself feel better.)

All that said, it was great to race again! And Fort Ebey has some amazing trails--twisting, winding and narrow with lots of steep climbs and descents. But they're pretty darn dry, sandy almost in spots. Must be the rain shadow effect. And race organization was tops too!

CAN'T QUITE BRING MYSELF TO RACE ... YET

Well, I had grand plans to race a few of the BuDu mountain bike races and though the weather's been really good, my grand plans so far have come to nothing. Already I've missed two races including one yesterday. 

Not that I've not been riding: Saturday, we did what I've come to call the Dictionary-Pine and Cedar-Long Around route. About 30 miles with 3,500 feet of climbing including the killer long steep one up the back side to Pine and Cedar--just an all around nasty and inappropriate climb followed almost immediately by my favorite descent around here, the Hemlock Trail. (It was Mellow Johnny Clark, the Titanium Cowboy Scott Young and Doctor Professor Steve Vanderstaay.) Then Sunday (single-speed Sunday) was Der Mullet, Der Three Pigs, Der etc., so I'm getting in the bike time, that's for sure.

I guess it's just hard to justify a two-hour drive for a 50-minute race that starts at noon followed by a two-hour drive home, which is what most of the BuDu races would require of us Bellinghamsters. So much easier and more pleasant to roll out of bed at 7:30 a.m., be riding at 8 with the Team Unattacked squad, and back home with the family by 11-11:30-ish. (Though it looks like the March 28 race in Coupeville starts at 10 a.m. so that's a possibility.) More likely I'll wait for the Indie Series races starting in May; I think their Sport/Single-Speed races start at 10:30 a.m., not quite the all-day killer that a noon start is.

Also on my radar, sorta kinda, is the High Cascades 100 mountain bike race in August down in Bend, Ore. Though I have no aptitude for the ultra-long stuff, I do feel the need to do at least one 100-mile race in my life. And I've always wanted to see Bend. 

COOL NEW MOUNTAIN BIKE SITE

Looking for the 2010 Indie Series (http://www.indieseries.com/) schedule (not up yet) I came across a couple interesting tidbits. One, that Lisa Miller was leaving the series--great job, Lisa; you'll be missed--but that shes' started this cool, new site (http://www.mtbwashington.com/), as a centralized website for all mountain bike events. Also has a forum too.

Though the Indie Series schedule isn't up yet, I've heard that the first event is early May at Silver Lake Park near Maple Falls, about 26 miles east of Bellingham, just off the Mount Baker Highway. Yea for that 'cuz I live up here!

Still planning on opening my 2010 race season with the Feb. 21 race at Dash Point State Park. (http://www.buduracing.com/)

ODDS 'N' ENDS

(OK, I know, it makes no sense--a photo of Mount Shuksan right under a photo of Mount Shuksan. But it's a purty pic, innit? All black-and-white-like 'n' all.)

Anyway, I was up at Mount Baker Ski Area Sunday taking photos for an upcoming Times story. Always beautiful up there. Saturday, Mellow Johnny Boy and I ran--yes, ran--for over 90 minutes on the winding up-and-downsy trails toward Lost Lake. Should've been riding, I know, but I needed to get in a couple long-ish runs if I was going to do the Orcas Island 25K in early February like I'd been kinda, sorta, was thinkin' about planning to do, maybe. Possibly. But then Monday, I read on the R.D.'s facebook page that it's full. So I'm not doing Orcas.

What I am planning on doing is a few of the BuDu Racing mountain bike races (www.buduracing.com/) in February and March. I'll try at least one on the single-speed and keep my fingers crossed that I don't embarrass myself too much. Hopefully, they're like the Indie Series (www.indieseries.com/) which I thoroughly enjoyed last summer. Great spirit; great people; great fun.

A few fun performances coming up: Cody Rivers on Thursday, Ryan Stiles and various UpFronters on Saturday, me own thing with Chuckanut Radio Hour next Tuesday.