August--Beginner Women's Bike Clinic Schedule

August 26 @ 2pm--Ocoee Whitewater Center/  Boyd Gap--Brush Creek Trail CANCELED!!!! (NOT ENOUGH PARTICIPANTS)

Focus: learning to ride with confidence
WE WILL DIVIDE UP INTO 2 GROUPS FOR THIS RIDE--A BEGINNER GROUP AND AN INTERMEDIATE GROUP.

RSVP by August 24. 

BONUS CLINIC:

September 23 @ 8am--Tsali Recreation Area, NC (email me for directions--will already be camping there)

Focus: technical riding for experienced riders only*****

RSVP by September 21. 

YOU MUST BE 18 OR OLDER!!! Sorry kiddos! Mom needs a break too. You will be asked to sign a waiver. Sheesh! I know...more paperwork. 

THE 411
Meet at Boyd Gap parking area. It is 1.8 miles beyond the Ocoee Whitewater Center (OWC) on the RIGHT. Please remove any belongings from your vehicle that might tempt a thief and leave them at your house. Cars have been broken into in the past including mine. They stole a towel and a pair of my boyfriend's shorts. I am guessing they were naked and just got out of the shower. Ha!

Following the ride, we will have a cookout at the OWC. If you would like for your family or any friends to join you for food, tell them to be at the picnic area across the bridge at 5pm. We should be done well before then. YOU MUST SUPPLY YOUR OWN FOOD AND GRILLING STUFF! THERE ARE GRILLS THERE. BRING CHARCOAL, ETC... 

This will be the last beginner clinic of the summer.

THE TRAIL
This trail is 8 miles long. It is located just above the OWC. It is rolling and tight in sections. It is not technical. If you have ridden Harrison Bay and all of its roots you can ride this with no problems. It has one technical spot and one long downhill at the beginning. There are several bridges that as long as they are dry are no problem, but if it has rained, they will be slick. This trail flows well.

THE NECESSITIES
1.Please remember to bring your bike. If you have not ridden it in a while, please take it to your local shop and get a tune-up. Trailside maintenance will not be part of this course!

2. Bring a helmet!! If you do not bring a helmet, you do not get to ride!!! Helmets are cheaper than hospital visits. Go to your local shop and pick one up.

3. Wear proper shoes. Tennis shoes are fine if you do not own cycling shoes. Just don't show up in Chacos, Crocs, flip-flops, etc. I would like for you to keep all of your little piggies. 

4. Water! Lots of water!! It will be hot, damn hot! If you pass out, I might be tempted to push you into the lake and pretend I do not know you. Also, be sure to bring bicycle water bottles and not your Nalgene bottle. They do not fit in water bottle cages. If you do not own water bottle cages and bottles, again, hit up the cycling gurus at your local shop for these items.

5. Bring anything you might need for grilling out and playing in the river if you so desire.

6. Please bring a great sense of humor. As you can see, I have one and love to laugh and hope you do too. 

THE $$$ 

These clinics are free. FREEEEE! However, there is a parking fee at the Ocoee Whitewater Center of $3 per car. Tsali has a trail fee of $2 per person, but no parking fee. 

I look forward to playing with everyone and can't wait to see you out there! 

If you have any questions and to RSVP, please email me at bikinbeth@gmail.com

July Clinic--Absolutely Fabulous!

Growing up, I watched this horribly tasteless series on the BBC called Absolutely Fabulous. The two primary characters were these middle-aged women who spent all of their time consumed by fashion and  alcoholism. I am not sure why this show intrigued me so, but I watched it religiously. One of the women had an 18-year old daughter who spent most of her time keeping the women out of trouble and wishing she were somewhere else. These two women were ridiculously funny and the situations they found themselves in were totally unrealistic, but alas they made me laugh. (Watch Patsy and Edina in their many misadventures below.)

While Sunday's clinic was not consumed by fashion and alcoholism, it was by far Absolutely Fabulous!! A group of apprehensive women took on a challenge and came out on top. Excellent job ladies!! We shared many laughs and lots of stories and a great time was had by all. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing someone accomplish something they thought was not possible.

See you in August! This time we are heading to the Ocoee Whitewater Center. Stay tuned for group rides between now and then. 

 

Sunday July 22 Clinic weather update!!!

The weatherman says we are to expect a 30% chance of rain showers tomorrow. If tomorrow turns out to be anything like today with monsoon-like downpours, we will postpone the clinic. As long as the weather holds out, the trail should dry out enough to proceed as planned. Again, if we receive any more rain, the trail will be too wet to ride successfully. I definitely want you ladies to have a good first experience. Safety is most important.

Updated Beginner Women's Mtn Bike Clinic Schedule

July 22 @ 2pm--Harrison Bay

Focus: review of previous clinic, continue to work on shifting and braking, climbing and descending

RSVP by July 20.

   

August 26 @ 2pm--Ocoee Whitewater Center

Focus: obstacles and learning to ride with confidence

RSVP by August 24. 

BONUS CLINIC:

September 23 @ 8am--Tsali Recreation Area, NC (will meet at Ocoee Outdoors)

Focus: technical riding for experienced riders only*****

RSVP by September 21. 

YOU MUST BE 18 OR OLDER!!! Sorry kiddos! Mom needs a break too. You will be asked to sign a waiver. Sheesh! I know...more paperwork. 

THE 411
There will be a short lecture component consisting of familiarizing you with your trusty steed (i.e. how to adjust seat height, brakes, shifters, etc...) followed by a short ride. ...We will teach you how to shift, when to shift, and what not to do concerning your brakes and shifting. We will discuss safety and proper biking attire. Plan on being out at least 2 hours and possibly 3. This will be determined by the number of participants.

THE TRAIL
We will be riding a very basic trail that hangs on the outskirts of Harrison Bay. There will be no big roots, big drop-offs, or huge hills. I do not wish to kill you right away. No!! That will be saved for the last class (okay not really). The trail is a loop that is 4.5 miles long. There will possibly be hikers, runners, and dogs on the trail. We will discuss how to approach these 'obstacles' prior to hitting the trail.  

THE NECESSITIES
1.Please remember to bring your bike. If you have not ridden it in a while, please take it to your local shop and get a tune-up. Trailside maintenance will not be part of this course!

2. Bring a helmet!! If you do not bring a helmet, you do not get to ride!!! Helmets are cheaper than hospital visits. Go to your local shop and pick one up.

3. Wear proper shoes. Tennis shoes are fine if you do not own cycling shoes. Just don't show up in Chacos, Crocs, flip-flops, etc. I would like for you to keep all of your little piggies. 

4. Water! Lots of water!! It will be hot, damn hot! If you pass out, I might be tempted to push you into the lake and pretend I do not know you. Also, be sure to bring bicycle water bottles and not your Nalgene bottle. They do not fit in water bottle cages. If you do not own water bottle cages and bottles, again, hit up the cycling gurus at your local shop for these items.

5. Bring a chair for the first portion of the clinic. We will convene in a shady corner of the parking lot at the trailhead to begin our discussion of biking, proper bike fit, apparel, etc... 

6. Please bring a great sense of humor. As you can see, I have one and love to laugh and hope you do too. 

THE $$$ 

These clinics are free. FREEEEE! However, there is a parking fee at the Ocoee Whitewater Center of $3 per car. Tsali has a trail fee of $2 per person, but no parking fee. 

I look forward to working with everyone and can't wait to see you out there! 

If you have any questions and to RSVP, please email me at bikinbeth@gmail.com

The Hill of Truth

Once upon a time, I trained with an intense group of friends who were dedicated to the weekly torture that adventure racing bestowed upon weary participants. We traveled to Oak Ridge several times per month to mountain bike a very technical 8-mile trail located in Haw Ridge at the Life Development Center. Following the biking, we traded our trusty steeds for a pair of tattered trail running shoes and headed back out to run the very same course. The obstacles we faced consisted of short, steep, muddy, slick ascents that set your quads and calves on fire, long, bumpy log bridges that spanned swampy sections keeping you high and dry, and off-camber, rooty turns that had been hacked out of hillsides. No matter what obstacle found its way under our wheels and feet, nothing matched the frustration felt by all when ascending the Hill of Truth, a power-line climb that was long, loose and nosebleed-steep at the very top. No one could make it no matter how many times we tried. We even tried cleaning away the loose rocks and rubble that kept worthy adversaries at bay. It was as though the Hill was lying in wait--ready--to defend its rocky tower resupplying the scree that littered the top. I was determined.

I decided to visit the Hill alone. It was a typical, hot, humid summer day in the South. You know the kind of day I speak of if you have lived here most of your life. The type of day where your underwear decides to rebel against your ass placing itself in a nice, damp wad completely rendering them useless. The type of day where mosquitoes rival small rodents in size and could damn near tear off an appendage beating you to death with it. The type of day where nothing can quench your thirst and you spend the entire 8 miles wishing you could produce more saliva to drum up one more spit to rid your mouth of the dusty film lining it.

 I plugged my headphones into my ears allowing the music to penetrate my mind setting the pace for the day. Zipping up my Salomons and strapping on my hydration pack, I hit the trail. The music eliminated any and all natural sounds keeping me focused on the task at hand--defeat the Hill of Truth once and for all. I meandered through all of the other obstacles really gaining a keen sense of my surroundings sans sound--mud, roots, rocks, hills, logs, descents, holes, swamp. It was surreal. I felt as though I were running through a Mountain Dew commercial. Bringing me back to reality was the close brush with a mountain biker who passed me while I was taking a quick snack break. As he passed on my left, I screamed almost dropping my food and certainly startling him. I quickly regained focus and headed out. Once at the base of the Hill, I stopped and psyched myself up by cranking up the volume a few more decibels. I decided to try something new. Since I could not hear myself and therefore no one else could hear me (of course), I yelled a battle cry all the way to the top. Ridiculous? Perhaps. But it worked. I conquered that bastard Hill and went home with a smile.

What did I gain from this experience? Aside from sore feet and dehydration, a new sense of confidence that carried over into my biking. The next time I rode the Hill on my bike I made it all the way to top grinning from ear-to-ear. Did I make it every time? No. In fact, I still struggled to defeat it each time whether biking or running. It was just that loose at the top. By the way, if you are wondering why it was named the Hill of Truth and not the Hill of Frustration or the Hill of Hell, it was simply because it kept you honest. There was absolutely no way to cheat your way to the top. You had to earn it and earn it--you did.

July's bike clinic will focus on hills and climbing. Check out the advice given by a highly recognized outdoor organization, REI, and utilize this information for your next attempt to conquer your Hill of Truth.

In need of a little inspiration? I leave you with this highly motivating song by Volbeat.