North Georgia Adventure Race Report

Well, third time is not always a charm. First I will say that Tony Berwald of Raceday puts on an excellent race to challenge everyone. The unseasonably cold weather decided to make an appearance again, as it usually does for Tony's races. I raced with an all-female team and we kept in the top 20 or so places out of 75 until I got really sick..that means ahead of 50+ co-ed and male teams! I think some of the guys out there were quite impressed with the Bad Lasses, some were a little threatened I think ;) Sometime around 8pm Saturday night is when everything went south. I had a severe allergic reaction to something unknown and my whole digestive system also pretty much turned inside out upside down and shut off. From there it was an 8 hour slog through the snowy backcountry to get back. Unfortunately because of my sudden illness we had to pull out of the race at 3:30am. This kind of racing takes serious mental and physical strength and courage. If you are looking for something to challenge every aspect of yourself and your capabilities, try a 24 hour + adventure race. Regardless of how it turns out, you won't regret it. I'm glad I made the decision to race because I always learn a lot from these, and it was also a good gauge of my strength/fitness at this time of the year- I felt pretty darn good. Props to Eddie O'Dea (the best fiance in the world), Johnny Garner, and Bill Wallace for the excellent support- they went above and beyond for us. A trip to the ER on Sunday morning helped fix me up- cortisone shots and a week's worth of steriods! Next up for me will be the Cohutta 100 Mountain Bike race, April 22.

Pictures courtesy of Peter Jolles:

Georgia Winecountry

You may not know this, but we actually have good wineries in Georgia. We finally picked our wedding location, Blackstock Vineyards and Winery, in the North Georgia mountains. Here's what the view will look like..imagine fall colors instead. I think a bike tour of the wineries is in order..maybe for a recovery weekend this summer :)

North Georgia Adventure Race..is a GO

The search for a female to replace me in the upcoming 30 hour North Georgia Adventure Race has been unsuccessful. Why is it so hard to find a female to do this stuff? We had one male contender but my teammates really wanted to race in the All-Female category, so I'm back in. I don't feel as prepped mentally and physically for the running/trekking and paddling sections, but I will make it through. This past weekend I did a 12 mile run/hike up in the Aska trails area, which is pretty steep. I had some knee pain on the downhill sections, so I need to start with some preventative maintenance. Last year I screwed up my IT band/knee with tendonitis for awhile, and I don't want to repeat that! Hopefully the weather holds up, it's been sunny and 70's lately. But, then again, this is what it looked like last year for Tony's spring race in April..eek:


Anyway, I will be racing with Norma Rainwater and Susan Walsh as Team Bad Lasses/BURN Energy Drink. Eddie O'Dea and Sherri Hall are nice enough to be our Crew. Check HERE for Live Updates during the race. This means that I am not going to kill myself racing the SS State Championship Race this coming weekend, but I will be there as a volunteer/cheerleader :)

Sorella Cycling Endurance Clinic- April 17

Endurance Clinic - Monday, April 17, 2006 7:00PM - 8:00PM -
Location: Peachtree Bikes in Buckhead (Atlanta, GA)
Namrita Kumar, Jennifer Wills, Javaun Moradi and Eddie O'Dea will talk about various aspects of endurance racing (particularly mountain biking) such as nutrition, training and preparation. Open to the public--men and women. If you have questions, bring 'em. For more information, see www.sorellacycling.com

First Ride

First time on a Singlespeed, First time on a 29er bike, First time on Jones H-bars. I really liked all of it. One ride at Dauset Trails and one ride at Heritage Park to check out the course for the GA Singlespeed State Championship Race Hmm...should I do it? I'd enter as beginner so it would only be one lap. I guess it really depends on whether or not I race the 30-hour Adventure Race the following weekend. The course is tough on a SS, and is pretty tight in areas. I didn't feel like this bike handled particularly fast in the tight stuff, but it is sure fun to ride. The wider bars made me realize how I need to replace my super-narrow twitchy flat bars on my full suspension bike. Here are a few pics of the maiden voyage, courtesy of Mallie Dein. Also, many thanks to Mallie for redesigning my blog site!