Beer, Bikes, and Snow

I had one more Enduro on my calendar for the 2019 season - the Glen Park Enduro.  It would be the last race for the 2019 MASS series.   I enjoy Glen Park - it's very flowy with some steep chutes and some small hits.  I knew the course would be mostly marked by Friday afternoon, so I headed out after school to pre-ride.  I had two stages under my belt and feeling good.  The sun glare was challenging as the light was getting low.  I started my third stage, which was Stage 3.  Going into one of the early corners, I washed out on a soft berm covered in leaves.  Luckily I was just a bit bumped but as I started my ride again, I heard rattling.  I broke the lever to my dropper post.  My saddle was stuck down - which made for any pedaling or climbing to be a challenge.  I finished out the other three stages but was stiff and feeling a bit anxious. I arrived at Halter's first thing Saturday morning to get my lever repaired....

Two weeks after the ESC Glen Park Enduro, MASS would be hosting the Glen Park Enduro Round 1.  Due to my schedule, I was on the fence about racing since I couldn't get up to pre-ride and inspect the course.  Lucky for me, the course would be the same five stages I raced prior.  So I signed up at the last minute. The day before the race, heavy rain storms passed through, causing some concern about wet roots and slick corners.  As we waited for the racer meeting, it started to rain.  Great.  The promoter announced that there were a few minor changes from the ESC course, but for the most part, everything was the same.  I had a goal of nailing the two spots I struggled with two weeks ago - Stage 1 and Stage 3.  Oh, and to stay upright.   I noted who the Pro women were - and knew that in addition to my friend (who opted not to race) there was only one other girl registered in my field.  So there were two of us. I took my time getting ...

This year I've been drifting away from XC racing and looking to try new things, including enduros.  I knew a little about enduros - that they were timed stages (like time trials) and the lowest cumulative time was the winner.  I heard they could be more downhill than climbing and sometimes the stages were gnarly. I bailed on racing Ramsey's Revenge the day before the Pocono Enduro due to a busy week.  This gave me the opportunity to go up and preview the course with some friends.  It would be the first enduro for both myself and my friend, and we wanted to make sure we were ready for this. We joined the group ride lead by Pocono Bike Club and climbed to the first stage.  We talked about some of the features in the trail, including a moss-covered rock (I called it a turtle shell) that we could roll over or go around.  As we traveled down the first stage, I felt good and was cornering in the "berms".  Until a loose one grabbed my front wheel and I ...