Coconut Grove and Techno Pig are now my bitches

Really.  I rode them today, and hard.

OK, actually I made it through both of the trails cleanly today, for the first time.

In truth, I may have made it through TP last year one time cleanly, but that was before Squiggy when I crashed two times on the trail, thus erasing any perceived triumphs.

Don't know what got in to me today.  Had planned to meet (OK, have to give these peeps names until I can get their permission to talk about them on my blog) Konaguy but that didn't work out so I had another solo ride.  You know, I think I need to plan at least one solo ride a week.  I've made great progress lately by myself.  Why, oh why I can't try the tough stuff with someone around.....???  My mind is a mystery to me. I enjoy riding with someone, but I really like riding alone, too.  Just me, my bike, my Ipod and I'm good to go.  Well, gatorade and a snack, too. 

Some of my friends give me grief for riding alone, but I feel perfectly safe at Wilderness Park.  I've got the ranger's help line phone number in my cell phone.  I've got some of the ranger's personal cell phone numbers in my phone.  If I run into trouble, I can also call 911.  And if I crash funny and break my neck, then I will die doing something I love.  Don't think you can ask more out of a premature death.  And out of all the years I've been riding (not that long, really..but) I've never felt intimidated or threatened.

OK, so back to me conquering the more difficult trails.

 I've not been writing this blog thing for very long, but I think I've made it clear what a wuss I am.  Some people hop on a bike and within months they're ready to join the pro circuit.  HWWR comes to mind.  My progress comes slowly, really slowly.  (Or should that be slow, really slow?? Don't have a grammar editor here.)

The last time I tried to ride Coconut Grove was probably a year and a half ago.  The sign at the entry says 'VERY DIFFICULT TRAIL' and that is enough to freak me out.  Makes my heart pump faster and my breathing accelerate so that I'm sucking air.  It's a short trail, with about three or so challenging sections.  The last time I tried it I was, again, the horse refusing the jump.  I can look at the trail and realize in my heart of hearts that it is very do-able, but that doesn't make me able to get my bike over that tough section of terrain.
After trying five times and being near tears of fear and frustration and embarrassment, I walked my bike the rest of the trail and have been too afraid/intimidated/embarrassed to try it again.  I've run the trail a few times and said to myself, 'Yes, I can do this!' but, until today, have not had the courage to try it.

So, I'm not sure why I veered my bike to that trail today instead of taking the double track Bayshore around.  1)  I was by myself. 2) There was no one else around. 3) It wasn't too hot. 4)????  I vaguely remember thinking to myself as I headed in that let's just see what we can do.  The hurdle that stopped me the last time I tried (you approach then take a fairly sharp left turn over a log...you can't get over the easier side because there's another log hanging out over the trail...then after that you've got to take another left cut) I just sailed over today.  I realize, after my log jumping the other day, that it was no big deal.  Really, it's smaller than a lot of the tree roots on the trail.  And after that there are some nasty palmetto roots to either thread through or go over.  Think I got up on the pedals and muscled over them.  That's all it takes, really.  So, I was feeling pretty good about myself after finally, FINALLY, nailing Coconut Grove.

By now, the sun was up and the temperature was rising, and the humidity was already up.  I swear, it's the first week of May but it could be July.  So not fair, going from Winter to Summer without much of a Spring.

Was working on going faster and not braking through the corners ( but of course I did) and somehow ended up at the entrance of Techno Pig, so I went in.  The start of the trail (from South to North) has got some of those really sharp turns that have me braking and going down to  6 mph to get through them.  S turns, you know?  So I got through them, slowly.  (Uh, had fallen at one of those turns just last month.)  Then there are the series of palmetto roots.  Most of them are no big deal.  Just gotta get some speed up to get over them.  But at the end there is a fairly long series of palmetto roots followed by a big root.  In the past, the colt on me has refused the jump, but today I saw it and just decided to hammer it.  I did and I cleared that big root.  And it gave me hope.  Maybe I can get better.  Maybe I won't be too embarrassed to go on group rides because I can't keep up or am too scared to hit the tough trails.

I've got a long way to go. Some of the difficult trails that I've conquered in the past have been closed for awhile due to the rain.   I haven't ridden Indian or Gatorbait for awhile. So I'll need to work up my courage for those once they are open.  And Panther.  I've made it through that just one time, North to South.  It's open but muddy so I'm waiting for a fresh batch of courage for that one.

But, as of today, I've successfully ridden all the trails in the Wilderness Park Trail System.

woo-hoo


np: Liz Phair 'Ride' ...oh, how appropriate