Despite the cold weather and looming clouds, the start of the 2013 Ascent Cycling Series proved to be yet another success. There were solid fields in every class, ranging from the youngest of juniors to a spunky 65 year old. Smiles abounded as riders turned racers maneuvered around rocks, up steep hills and down tricky switchbacks. Number plates adorned bikes of all kinds,…

George Sheehan once said that the only difference between a jogger and a runner was a bib number. I loved that quote when I was running. I always took that iconic statement as a reflection on the commitment it takes to sign up for a race. It didn't matter if you were fast or slow, there to win or simply to finish. If you were willing to take a risk an toe the starting line, you earned the title of runner. That step is scary for many people as all the standard worries are voiced. "I'm not…

It's always bittersweet to end a series as fun as the Ascent Cycling series. Throughout the summer, I've been looking forward to 6:15 on Wednesday nights. No matter how crazy the weekend before has been or how hectic the upcoming weekend will be, on Wednesday nights it's been time to race my mountain bike. I've known there will some fast women on the line, plenty of speedy juniors to chase and the possibility that Russel, Cam and the rest of the really speedy local (and national) pros will…

Okay, so technically these are crit races, but it still feels like a short track race on steroids. That's what I've jokingly called the Ascent Cycling Series in the past. A 2.5 mile lap, repeated for an hour, then the sprint to the line. All out from the gun until the finish. So much different then the cross country races of two to two and a half hours where its a hard start, then settle into a strong…

Lesson #1 from race four in the Ascent Cycling Series - ignore the crazy guy hollering at you to do wheelies and other crazy stunts during your pre-ride... Oh yeah, can't! Enthusiastic spectator turned course tear down volunteer was my husband and I wouldn't want to disappoint him - so I did the wheelie at the top of the hill and promptly fell off my bike. Oh well - that's what I get for trying to show off! And at least it was during the pre-ride.... A great start to the evening! Anyways...…

Quick! Name the one thing that really makes a race stand out. Okay, a swag bag filled with goodies is nice. It's always fun to dig through a bag, drooling over the race fkyers and nibbling on the samples. I'll freely admit to having a warerbottle covered in race stickers and I really love all the waterbottles. But I have a cupboard full of waterbottles now and can only use so many at a time. Fancy t-shirts or socks? Always good to replace shirts that have gotten all stained up and socks get…

I wasn't sure how the legs were going to feel when I pedaled over to Bear Creek Terrace on Wednesday for the third race in the Ascent Cycling Series. A long weekend with some hard miles (Breck 100) had left me feeling more than a little beat up. Even though I was tired, I still wanted to race - something about throwing down hot laps on the fun trails! I got on the course and did two laps easy after the 5:00 race started. It was definitely an easier course with fewer rock gardens and…

Wow - a month since the last Ascent Cycling race. It's been a crazy, busy month too, with lots of things going on. I know plenty of people have said this already, but we should all be very thankful for the hard work of the Forest Service crews, the CSFP and everyone else involved in the Waldo Canyon Fire. We may have lost some of the best trails in the area, but it's a small loss comparatively. We still have…

Oh, Palmer Park. Our in town, technical play ground. I'm just now starting to feel really comfortable riding in Palmer Park - when I first started, the rocks all scared me. Now I'm taking the fun trails - not always by myself, but I try to at least find one fun rock section every ride. And I have to admit that I've never raced at Palmer Park before. I know, sad with all the…

Unlike some of the other sports I've done, mountain biking is one where taking some time prior to the race and checking out the course can make all the difference between winning, finishing and taking a major spill out. Marathons? It's nice to know where the hills are and if there are any sharp turns. But not knowing won't really affect the course. Road triathlons? Same…

Okay, so the the hail held off until the racing was done and hopefully everyone got home safely! I know it got really ugly really quickly...

I got to Bear Creek just before the start of the Cat 3 and Juniors race. Always fun to watch those races - there were some fast juniors tearing it up and some true beginners out having a good time. Bikes of all shapes and styles underneath riders of all ages. Then the Cat 2 race started and it was time to think about following my own…