Two summers ago, I had the opportunity to ride in my first mountain bike race, the annual 24 hours of Big Bear. It was a lot of fun, and a race that I would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in getting into endurance mountain bike racing.
This year, I am determined to race again. I have three options at my disposal:
- The Stoopid 50 – a 50 Mile race through some of central PA’s great trails, many of which were never used in events (or by me!)
- The Wilderness 101 – 101 miles of fun (and more than likely, pain). This one starts outside of Coburn, PA and winds around until you’ve ridden a century in the dirt. 2 years ago I called Big Bear, “My Everest”. This title has been passed down to the Wilderness. This one could be out of my league… who am I kidding… this one currently IS out of my league!
- 24 Hours of Big Bear – Round 2 – I was really pleased with how I rode last time on this course, but I really think that I could do better. If this is the race for me this summer, then I look to turn 4 laps instead of 3 (each lap is about 13 miles) and do each lap under 1:45 or so… That’s a pretty good goal, and I think I can do it.
So that’s what’s in store for this summer. Hopefully one of these races will have my name in the books…