She is a Russian Spy

 Well the mountain bike season cannot end (ok, it  slows down, endless biking), without a showdown at Copper Harbor MI Fat Tire Festival.  It was 28 miles and 3000 ft climbing. It felt like 7 stage race rolled into a few hurting hours.  I decided I need to throw it down and focus. If I didn't focus I would have been taking the express way down the mountain gravity style (like some others ouch).  Going down hill smoother and faster is the goal for 2012... the time is now.

I watched the weather go from cold to colder and then rain.  The race started on paved road, that hit a road wall.  I was not sure who was going to get the party started on this climb, but seem to keep pace with the other ladies before hitting the 3.2 mile DH.

They seem to get away on the climb up to the lodge, but from pre-ride I could not hold that pace over 28miles...I did pass them them going into the Red Trail (photo) rolling quickly onto some fun bridges (very north shore!) into the Mango trail.  Then I had flat tire in the rear after working hard to drop the ladies on the second lap in the big climb.  I somehow crushed/bent the air valve and had some difficulty inflating the tire (wasting more time) and obviously did put enough air in and then another flat (wasting more time).  Then the bike race turned to a running race (running is not fast in a bike race; but good thing I like trail running) to the end.  Some tossed me a tube on the trail...a 29 tube freck! Long story short, it was an awesome race despite all the not so good stuff.  Good learning.  I rode my flat tire across the finish line :)


Cleaning up some file on my computer...here are some nice BCBR pictures....

 

Mom took this photo after crossing the line.

I just like this photo from design love fest blog

Here are some oldies, from a trip to Costa Rica I took with my dad.... visit to coffee plantation.

I dragged my poor dad backpacking all over costa rica, made him ride a horse through the mountains, sleep in hostels, walk a very long time in the jungle, go surfing and swimming in the big waves, watch active volcano shoot lava from the road....dad deserved a little TLC, so we splurged on the last day and settled the bill before mom found out.