Flooded and freezing

"I feel like I have puddles in my shoes and I've wet my pants" quoting myself.

Flooded and freezing describes today's riding at round 3 of the Tassie state series down in Hobart. I did a DNS - mainly to leave early and get my son into a hot shower as he was not dressed for the unexpected cold. Kinda wish I'd stayed and raced, but sometimes looking after family is more important.

Just did my online entry for Round 1 of the National Series - also in Hobart and only 2 weeks away - gulp!

FRAGILE

Fragile (painful) is how my shoulder was feeling last night after moving tables and chairs around at work. It's definitely not quite right. I think I have soft tissue damage from a couple of months ago - kinda like a sprain in my shoulder. Feels fragile after downhill riding too. But if you let a little fragility make you fearful of doing things and living life, you'll end up not living life to the full. Took a couple of nurofen and went riding this arvo - fun!

Fourth and first

Last Sunday was the second race of the state downhill series and I managed fourth and a personal best time for the big bad Glenorchy track. For the state series I have set myself two goals - to win the series and to get a faster time than last year on each track, so I am happy to have done that again.

I rode carefully as I was still sore and my confidence was down a little after falling hard twice on the same track while practicing two weeks previously. Glenorchy is very steep and technical, one of the most difficult downhill race tracks in Australia and it has tended to chew me up and spit me out - rather painful! But I'm not going to give up on it. I will have another go when the National Series comes to Tassie next month for the first race of the series.

The best thing about Sunday was hanging out with the three other girls who came to ride - very friendly and fun. It's great that they all encourage me and help me out even though I'm old enough to be their mum!

Another great thing was I have my first sponsor!! The Anaconda adventure store Hobart is sponsoring me this year which is really cool and fantastic. Here I am in a new jersey and gloves at Glenorchy. Their bike brand is called "Fluid - go with the flow" Love it! Anaconda's tag line is "the adventure starts here" and it really did for me. I had not heard of mountain biking until Anaconda opened their first store around the corner from where I was living in Melbourne in 2004. Joel decided to spend all his Christmas money that year buying his first mountain bike from Anaconda and things went from there - a great and continuing adventure!

First but not first but still faster

First race of the season - perfect fantastic fine weather, track in perfect fabulous condition, lots fun riding fast but I just could not quite beat those legs 30 years younger than me. I came second, just four seconds behind the young one. But, I did manage to be faster (15 seconds faster)than my previous time on the Wyena track so I'm happy!!

Future of mountain biking in my part of the world

Forming - a new mountain bike club in north west Tasmania. We have a website at www.nwtassiemtb.blogspot.com and an email: nwtassiemtb@gmail.com

First - time I have ever been on a club committee.

Future - we are planning to get a world class mountain bike park in the Dial Ranges

Fun in the dirt - there is going to be lots of this

Friends - a great opportunity to make new riding buddies

FAN THE FLAMES!

In 2 Tim 1, Paul tells young Timothy to "fan into flames the gift of God that is in you" which can be roughly translated as 'use it or lose it'. 'Use it or lose it' used to be the slogan for an arthritus campaign to keep people exercising to keep joints moving and slow down the progress of arthritis. How appropriate, then, that at the ''oldish' age of 45 I started mountain biking, and after some prayer, at the age of 46, decided to give downhill mountainbike racing a serious go. Most people my age are slowing down, but I'm speeding up!! One of the reasons I do it is because I am so grateful to the Lord for giving me the good fit healthy body that I have and I think it would be a sin not to use it to its fullest - ie. "fan into flames the gift of God". The mountain bike season has started and I am already having lots of fun riding my local tracks especially the Paloona Playground. I am so looking forward to the first race in 2 weeks time. This year I've decided to race the Tassie state series again, and the National Championships in Adelaide in January (gotta defend my title, ay?), and I will also do as many National Series races as I can afford to get to. This year I will have at least one sponsor to help me out - Anaconda Adventure Stores have come on board which is very cool because if they hadn't opened their first store around the corner from where I was living in Melbourne at the time in 2004, Joel and I never would have found out about mountain biking - true. I'd never heard of it until then. So, I'm going to fan the flames of riding fast - it's so much fun! Faith+fast=fun!! Yippee!

FAST FRENCH FEMALES

The World Mountainbike Championships have just finished in Canberra. French females won both the Junior and elite Womens titles. I've met Emmiline Ragot, the winner of the womens title and she is very nice and really deserved her win. Freecaster.tv showed all the elite females runs, and Emmiline was just so frigging fast and flowing and full-on. It was very special to watch. FANTASTICLY FAST!!! For a really good coverage of all the female action at the worlds go to http://www.marthahucker.com/