2011 Summary

2011 was not my best training or racing year, but I am thankful for my health and my family.

Running mileage for the year 892 miles.  Average 17 miles per week.

5 events

1 triathlon

1 50  mile ride

2 5k runs

1 5mile run (the Bear)

The Bear

Mountain Bike Weekend

Specialized 29er

I took advantage of the three-day weekend to get in some mountain biking. One of the advantages of where we live is being close to both Wilkesboro and Collettsville. These two areas offer great mountain biking options. On Friday I took on the Overmountain Trail and Shinners loop at Kerr Scott Marina in Wilkesboro. This is the easiest of the three Kerr Scott trails. The trails were dry and in great shape. The leaves covering the trail made for some interesting encounters with rocks and roots, but overall was a great ride. The temperature was cool at the start but thanks to Under Armor I stayed pretty comfortable. Nice two hours in the woods on some sweet single track. I finished the day with a couple of hot dogs on the way home, great way to finish a ride.
On Saturday I choose to go to Collettsville for a long dirt road ride. I started on the Brown Mountain Beach Road. This ride took me to Mortimer where I took a left and climbed over Staircase, followed by a left turn onto School House Ridge Road. This is a pretty tough climb after coming across Staircase. School House ridge after the initial climb is great fast riding through a beautiful wooded area. The road eventually intersects with Edgemont Road and a wicked drop back to Mortimer. A right turn back onto Brown Mountain Beach Road and a steady ride back to the car. The weather was awesome and lots of people were enjoying the Brown Mountain area. I saw dozens of trout fishermen and also passed a large group of riders going in the other direction. The parking lot at Harper Creek Falls was packed with hikers on this beautiful fall day. A great weekend to be outside.

“The secret to mountain biking is pretty simple. The slower you go the more likely it is you’ll crash.” ~Julie Furtado

Over mountain to Warrior Creek and Back

Awesome day to be mountain biking. I rode from the visitors center at Kerr Scott Marina on the Overmountain Trail to Bandits Roost Campground from there I rode 268 to the Warrior Creek trail. I had a great ride on the Warrior Creek loop. Rocks got me a couple times but was able to ride 95 percent of the course. I left Warrior Creek for the return trip to Overmountain Trail and back to the visitors center. I really was suffering over the last two sections of Overmountain but it was such a beautiful day it motivated me to get through it. Really enjoyed the day on the bike, and was only terrified a couple times on Warrior. The road ride between trails kind of sucked but was not to difficult. Fantastic day to be outside.

Mountain Biking is Like Crack

I am addicted to mountain biking even thought it does bad things to me and terrifies me. My typical ride usually involves crashing, blood, aching body parts and a trip to my LBS (local bike shop). The relentless painful climbing is followed with terrifying fast downhills. The courses are littered with huge rocks and roots. What makes a highly educated senior citizen send himself crashing down these trails? The beautiful trails and crisp autumn air are a major plus, but the real high comes from the thrill of completing something hard and out of my comfort zone. The pure adrenaline rush of crashing through the berms and the heart wrenching fear of huge rocks and drop-offs make for an exciting day. Once the day is done and I am loading up the 29er for the ride home I some times think never again but by the time I get home I am already planning the next trip.

“The secret to mountain biking is pretty simple. The slower you go the more likely it is you’ll crash.” ~Julie Furtado

Maple Sally a Fall Classic

I rode the Maple Sally road in the Collettsville community just off Adiko Road. Maple Sally is an 18 mile fire road that intersects with Staircase Mountain Road near Mortimer. I only road 10 miles out and 10 miles back, since I didn’t have time to ride the course as a loop. Weather was perfect warm with a light breeze. The ride is a mix of grinding long uphills and blistering curvy descents. This is a beautiful place to see the fall colors. The fall leaves are not quite out yet but in a week or two the area will be a blaze with reds and yellows. I saw three deer strolling up the trail not the least bit bothered by a mountain bike. I also saw lots of wild turkeys. A friend of mine saw a black bear and cubs up there last week, but no bears for me. This is a great ride for all and can be done on a mountain bike or a cross bike, get outside and give it a try.

University of Mary Washington 5K

I was visiting my daughter and her family and hopped into a 5K in their town of Fredricksburg. I really haven’t been training consistently and am about 15 pounds over weight, but jumped in for fun and to see the campus. Started out way to fast and the course had a killer third mile. It was still fun to get out there an be in an event.

Male 50-54 21:11 10 Greg Baker 51 1 9
Male 50-54 28:07 219 Mike McCall 53 2 57
Male 50-54 30:33 221 Stephen Price 52 3 71
Male 50-54 42:54 124 Mark Partonen 53 4 124
Male 50-54 45:16 57 Ike Eichenbrenner 53 5 138
Male 50-54 48:15 98 Frederick Matthes 51 6 143
Male 50-54 52:08 116 Raymond O’Donnell 53 7 147
Male 50-54 55:54 82 Thomas Howland 54 8 148

Sand Mountain Ride

I got in my longest road ride of the summer this morning. I rode from my home in Hudson to a turn around at the top of Sand Mountain in Collettsville. This is a nice rolling ride with low traffic. The ride is 43 miles and it took me 2 hours and 40 minutes. I got out early so the temperature was pretty nice for most of the ride. The finish up Hibriten Drive and Star Cross are the biggest challenges of the ride. It was a great day to be outside.

Becoming a morning runner

I started a new job which means I need to get my run in the morning before work. It has been quite a challenge to get up in the dark and get out the door for a morning run. I have really enjoyed the run once I get out and get moving. The cooler temperature in the morning and the sense of accomplishment of getting it done before other things get in the way. I started out as a morning runner twenty-five years ago, but years of getting kids to school got me out of the habit. I hope to keep the morning run going for as long as I can.

Valdese Triathlon

The Valdese Triathlon was postponed in late April due to high winds and stormy conditions. Yesterday turned out to be a perfect day for a summer Triathlon so the decision was a great one. My expectations were low since I had done little specific preparation for the event. I also was out of shape from being on vacation and starting a new job. Now that I have all my excuses out-of-the-way, it turns out it wasn’t to bad. I actually swam and bike a few seconds faster than last year and my bike was only slightly slower. The weather was perfect and the race was well done as always.
MALE AGE GROUP: 50 – 54

Place Bib NAME CITY/STATE Rank SWIM T1 Rank BIKE T2 Rank RUN PENALTY Time DQ
1. 39 Brian Lehr Hendersonville NC 1 4:03 0:39 1 27:39 0:35 2 21:40 54:34
2. 75 Steve Horton Morganton NC 3 4:30 0:33 2 29:31 0:50 1 20:44 56:06
3. 83 Ed Holler Morganton NC 4 5:12 2:28 4 35:44 1:12 3 23:23 1:07:57
4. 127 Mike McCall Hudson NC 5 5:35 2:00 3 32:17 1:30 5 27:09 1:08:29
5. 64 John Mangel Asheville NC 2 4:16 1:35 5 36:57 1:38 4 24:54 1:09:18