Saturday, June 24, 2025:

It’s been a few years since I’ve entered a mountain bike race. This Spring, I’ve had the opportunity to coach a Youth MTB team for the first time, and it’s been an incredibly rewarding experience. We have 11 riders on our team, aged 10-16, and we ride twice a week. There are 6 races on the calendar this season, a few of which have provisions for adult race categories. Yesterday’s race at Norbrook Farms in Colebrook, CT was one such race….

The uphill start of the Cat 3 adult race…I was in the 40+ group. The race was 2 laps, for a total of 10 Miles and ~1,300 ft. of climbing.

Coming out of the woods on the back wheel of my teammate, Greg, at the end of the first lap….5 miles down, 5 to go.

That’s All, Folks! ….I pushed myself harder than I had planned to, lol. I was pumped to have so many of the youth riders from our team out there in the woods cheering me on. It meant so much to me! I was the oldest rider in the 40+ group, and I finished a respectable 5th Place in a field of 16 riders. Oh yeah, I was the only lunatic on a singlespeed bike! I got a lot of compliments from other riders mid-race. What can I say?…I love a challenge.

Youngblood raced, too! I was very proud of him.

PEACE! ✌️