There is a 6 hour race at Warda this weekend that I plan on competing in. It will be the 2nd race I’ve attempted since recovering (mostly) from the accident March 16. It will be the first endurance event I’ve attempted since then. In fact, I don’t think I’ve even done anything over about 3 hours. This relentless Texas summer promises to make this one a scorcher. It will start at 6pm and last til midnight. I bet at midnight, the temp will still be around 85 degrees, hot enough for bike parks in Canada to issue heat advisories. Ha! 85 is pleasant to a tried and true Texan this time of year. My heat tolerance is about the only thing I have going for me since I’ve been working a lot on my rental without any AC. I have been riding more, but not really enough to be competitive.

My last two experiences at Warda have been less than satisfactory. The strange withdrawal at the 12 hour, and the 4th place finish at the XC race a few weeks later. This time will be different though, because I have no expectations, other than to get some ride time in and have some fun. If for some reason I accomplish neither of these, then at that point I might be a little upset. Otherwise, I aim to keep it chill and attempt  to finish.

About the bike pics. This is Long Tall Sally 2.0. If you recall, YBS Bikes agreed to build me a custom steel 29er for way cheap as a prize for winning the 2010 24 Hours of Rocky Hill. The frame they built was cool, but they left off a few details, so I sent it back to get tweaked and this time they got it right. Excellent customer service! I do really enjoy single speed riding, but I also enjoy what gears can bring to the table! With a derailleur hanger and some cable stops, the frame is now ready to accept gears! I threw on my trusty 2×9 middleburn DUO setup and also added a brand spanking new FOX F29 fork (which YBS also gave me a great deal on) and I look forward to trying out this setup at Warda this weekend. As it stands, Colleen will be out of the country for work and I haven’t found anyone to man the caveman pit, but I’m ok going unsupported for this one. Sometimes its more fun this way.

I woke around 7:30am this morning. Somehow the low 80’s temp felt cool. I’ve been doing LOTS of physical labor throughout these 100 degree days in central Texas. Water seems to sweat right out as soon as I drink it. BUT, I’m becoming very tolerant to the heat once more. When you’re used to 100, 83 does indeed feel pretty cool. So cool in fact, that I was inspired to hit the trail with Big Tex (bike) and Ladybird (pooch). We quickly packed up and headed off for the 360 trailhead before the mercury climbed back to 100. It’s been about 2 weeks since I’ve got to mountain bike and it was just an absolute blast.

After clearing the middle grounds and riding past an empty twin falls, we decided to hop on Rudy’s loop. The heat of the day was starting to show itself by the time we ascended to the top. On the way down, I spooked a doe and nearly slammed her at a pretty good clip. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to hitting a deer, but a good grip of the brakes avoided catastrophe and we made it back down to the main trail safely. At the bottom of the hill of life was enough water for the dog to get a good sip and cool off in.

Having felt Ladybird was refreshed, we took off for the ultimate Greenbelt achievement, something I can’t remember the last time I attempted: climbing the Hill of Life without stopping. I hadn’t attempted this in a while because I’m usually on a a Singlespeed and just don’t have the gears or legs needed to crest this very steep and technical climb. Today I had 27 gears and 100mm of suspension front and rear with the biggest nobbiest tires I own. I didn’t know if I had the fitness, but I was going to find out. I actually only dabbed once on the toughest ledge to clear, but still felt very proud upon reaching the top.

I dusted the dog on the way back down and we made our way back to the car. I probably pushed her a little too hard since she was gasping horribly for air, but the Max A/C along with more water to her back got her feeling better just in time for breakfast at Maria’s taco express. Three migas tacos and I was set for the rest of the day. I still think I’ll be doing some sort of racing come fall, but right now, I’m just riding for the fun of it, which is the best kind of riding there is. Maybe the kindle can wait til daily highs get back below 90 degrees

If you haven’t seen the update on Paleo Diet and Living yet, the big news of the day is that an interview by Paleo Cookbooks has been published with me as the featured guest. It’s an easy and informative read about how the paleo diet has helped me as an athlete. Check it out when you get a moment.

Caveman