Estrella Dust Devils and Training

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!