The Montgomery Bell series is always a target of mine, but I knew I was off going into this one. I have gained a lot of weight since the beginning of October. I gained a little on our trip to Utah and a little more when we got back. Most of it, however, came in a one month period before the holiday season started at Thanksgiving. I gained 18 pounds before I could blink my eye. It just happened from eating like I was training during the summer except I wasn’t riding much at all with being sick and finally going back to work. I have been working my tail off since work has been available. My Dad always says, "You have to hunt bear when bear are out." The bear were scarce last summer, so now that they are out, I'm hunting. I need a good bear hunting season to get some race money. We also need a new vehicle so I have a lot of hunting still to do.
The trail had no snow on it come Sunday, but it was frozen like a concrete sidewalk. The first half of the trail had some raised areas where we had to crunch down the trail stalagmites, but the second half was smooth and super fast. There was even a little frozen dust kicking up off the trail and settling on the bike and your lower legs. The temp was around 25 when I did my warm-up and got the race underway. This season is the same course as last year which features 18 miles of singletrack in one big loop. It’s a challenging course with plenty of short hills that add up over the course of the lap to really take a toll on your legs. There are also a lot of corners, humps and bumps with a few technical areas that keep the upper body and brain working hard as well. It’s really a challenging place, which is what makes it one of my favorite trails because it keeps you busy the entire loop.
Normally, I beg to go first and they put me back in the field and make me go through traffic even though I always run a good time. This round I didn’t feel like I needed to be up front as I just didn’t expect to do much with how little I have been training, so of course they sent me off first. I was so uncomfortable on the first descent. The revamped suspension felt different than the worn-out suspension I had become accustomed to riding so my settings were all off. Not to mention the suspension was cold. The bike felt weird on the bumps and in corners. Both of my brakes felt like they had air in the lines and the levers were very inconsistent. I had to pump them up throughout the race, which maybe the cold contributed to that too. And the bike felt long. I have been riding my 26” bike for the past six weeks and changing back to 29” felt like swapping from driving a car to a bus.
I did not get in enough warm-up either and I just stunk up the first few miles. I got caught a mile in by Harrison Klapheke who started 30 sec behind me. I couldn’t even begin to get onto his wheel when he went by. Two more riders caught me in the first few miles before I finally got going as we climbed Charlotte’s Ridge and Goatpath. I made a lot of mistakes in corners, but I started remembering how to ride a 29” bike by the second half. The brakes were an issue the whole race, but I didn’t crash so that was good. I really only struggled on the climbs. I could totally tell I was packing extra weight. I ended up 6th in the Pro/Cat. 1 Open, which was decent considering how much I struggled. It’s going to be a tough series though as there are some really strong riders coming this year and many are targeting early season races so they are training hard right now. My time was 1:51:29, better than my goal of breaking two hours. The frozen trail was faster than I thought it would be. I have a lot of work to do before the February round though if I want to contend for a podium. In my personal race report I wrote one word that covered my day the most: UNPREPARED.
Dina at the first creek crossing
Photo by Trail & Fitness Bicycles
Photo by Trail & Fitness Bicycles
Me coming back to the two-way creek crossing nearing the end of my race
Photo by Trail & Fitness Bicycles
I went back in after the race and did another partial lap to watch some riders hit the icy creek crossings, nab some pics and ride with Dina as she finished up her race. She survived the cold and ended up finishing 5th in the Open Women.
After the Bell, I was able to get the cross bike back out and do some efforts at home. It has been too wet or too cold to do them for most of the winter, but another round of snow came in and gave me something other than mud to ride in. It was an interesting course I laid out in the snow. Deep snow feels like sand until it packs down. Packing takes a while when you are the only person out there riding. I had a road section in my loop that was covered in ice and beyond treacherous. It was a good challenge. It tested my skills and ability to lay down smooth power. I really can’t believe I rode all day without falling on the ice. It was insanely slick!
We also got in some sledding while the snow was on the ground. I may be 31 years old, but I still like getting out and sledding like a kid! I guess I just like riding anything. My Mom and Dad were out there too, so maybe it just runs in the family.
We got another round of snow before the first bunch melted, which is rare for middle Tennessee. Typically, the snow melts in a day or two, but this time the new snow added to the fun and we were back out for more sledding. Some of the neighbors joined us for the second day of sledding.
The year also started with the discovery of a crack. Cracks are never good in the bike world. That's why bib shorts were invented. My Jamis Xenith road frame is cracked where the top tube meets the seat tube. Jeremy had me mark the crack to see if it grows and it did get bigger the first ride after I found the crack, but since then it has stayed the same. Of course, it is beyond the warranty date so I’m on my own. Hopefully it will last a while as I can’t afford a new road bike right now. Somebody offered me a newer Jamis frame at a good price, but my components are pretty worn out so I don’t really want to put money into a frame when I really need a full bike. I’ll save that money for now and put it towards a new ride later.
I was also hoping to get some new wheels for the 2018 season, both for my road and mountain bikes. My mountain bike wheels are still in decent shape, but I was hoping to get on a new set for this season and keep my old ones as a spare. My road race wheels are also getting a lot of wear on them and even making some noises in the hub from time to time that nobody can figure out the cause of. But I will have to pass on both until I can get us some new vehicles or else I may not have anything to drive to the races!
One last thing I want to mention in this post is Kendall James and her fight against cancer. I haven’t mentioned her on here in a while, but I am always thinking about her and the entire James family. I am happy to write that she wrapped up her 43-week chemo treatment plan on Dec. 28, 2017 and is now officially in remission!
Here are some of my favorite pictures of Kendall as she has gone through her chemo treatment over the past year, all courtesy of Shawn James, Kendall's dad.
The Nashville Predators participated in the NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer program and they picked Kendall as their ambassador for the night! She was invited out onto the ice before a game for pictures at center ice with the two team captains, then was greeted by the entire team as she left the ice. The kid is a huge Preds fan and this was beyond a dream come true for her. She was so excited! The team has done a lot for her during her treatment and I am grateful for how genuinely nice they all have been to her.
The James family has been through a lot over the past year. Their friends and community have stepped up a lot to help them both financially and with taking care of things for them at their home and with their other children. The outpouring of donations raised a lot of money. The GoFundMe page Prayers for Kendall James is still open as I write this now in December 2018. They still have some medical expenses that need to be covered so please take a minute to consider sending them some love if you are able.
Details from February coming in the next post. Thanks for reading!
Frozen creek in the back near Tommy's Revenge
Dina decided to walk this one, which probably was a good idea considering the holes in the ice.
Jessica Ratcliff on the ridge
This picture of Jessica and a junior rider got a lot of attention. It was a cool shot of them on the twisting, leafy trail next to some big icicles, which pretty much sums up a winter race in Tennessee.
The picture landed on the header for the Nashville Mountain Bike Facebook group page...
...and on the page for both Race #2 and #3 for the series.
Dina on that same piece of trail.
Icicles reaching down into the creek along the trail.
After the Bell, I was able to get the cross bike back out and do some efforts at home. It has been too wet or too cold to do them for most of the winter, but another round of snow came in and gave me something other than mud to ride in. It was an interesting course I laid out in the snow. Deep snow feels like sand until it packs down. Packing takes a while when you are the only person out there riding. I had a road section in my loop that was covered in ice and beyond treacherous. It was a good challenge. It tested my skills and ability to lay down smooth power. I really can’t believe I rode all day without falling on the ice. It was insanely slick!
We also got in some sledding while the snow was on the ground. I may be 31 years old, but I still like getting out and sledding like a kid! I guess I just like riding anything. My Mom and Dad were out there too, so maybe it just runs in the family.
My Mom sledding with us on the hill near our house
Shannon with scared face...
...and for good reason considering how this saucer sled rides.
Dad on the sled with his glowing gloves.
Shannon on her first shovel ride. If you have never tried sledding on a big scoop shovel you have to do it!
Shannon and I going double on the shovel.
Left my car window cracked when the snow came in...
...and ended up with snow in my seat.
We got another round of snow before the first bunch melted, which is rare for middle Tennessee. Typically, the snow melts in a day or two, but this time the new snow added to the fun and we were back out for more sledding. Some of the neighbors joined us for the second day of sledding.
The neighborhood kids came out for some sledding the second day.
Photo by Belinda Knight
Taking a run with Snoop
The year also started with the discovery of a crack. Cracks are never good in the bike world. That's why bib shorts were invented. My Jamis Xenith road frame is cracked where the top tube meets the seat tube. Jeremy had me mark the crack to see if it grows and it did get bigger the first ride after I found the crack, but since then it has stayed the same. Of course, it is beyond the warranty date so I’m on my own. Hopefully it will last a while as I can’t afford a new road bike right now. Somebody offered me a newer Jamis frame at a good price, but my components are pretty worn out so I don’t really want to put money into a frame when I really need a full bike. I’ll save that money for now and put it towards a new ride later.
I was also hoping to get some new wheels for the 2018 season, both for my road and mountain bikes. My mountain bike wheels are still in decent shape, but I was hoping to get on a new set for this season and keep my old ones as a spare. My road race wheels are also getting a lot of wear on them and even making some noises in the hub from time to time that nobody can figure out the cause of. But I will have to pass on both until I can get us some new vehicles or else I may not have anything to drive to the races!
One last thing I want to mention in this post is Kendall James and her fight against cancer. I haven’t mentioned her on here in a while, but I am always thinking about her and the entire James family. I am happy to write that she wrapped up her 43-week chemo treatment plan on Dec. 28, 2017 and is now officially in remission!
Here are some of my favorite pictures of Kendall as she has gone through her chemo treatment over the past year, all courtesy of Shawn James, Kendall's dad.
Kendall James, cancer fighter
The Nashville Predators participated in the NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer program and they picked Kendall as their ambassador for the night! She was invited out onto the ice before a game for pictures at center ice with the two team captains, then was greeted by the entire team as she left the ice. The kid is a huge Preds fan and this was beyond a dream come true for her. She was so excited! The team has done a lot for her during her treatment and I am grateful for how genuinely nice they all have been to her.
Kendall with the Nashville Predators
Photo courtesy of Shawn James
Photo courtesy of Shawn James
Photo courtesy of Shawn James
The James family has been through a lot over the past year. Their friends and community have stepped up a lot to help them both financially and with taking care of things for them at their home and with their other children. The outpouring of donations raised a lot of money. The GoFundMe page Prayers for Kendall James is still open as I write this now in December 2018. They still have some medical expenses that need to be covered so please take a minute to consider sending them some love if you are able.
Details from February coming in the next post. Thanks for reading!
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