Thursday's ride through the Sea Otter XC course was great and the weather couldn't possibly be any better. The forecast is for great weather the whole way through the Sea Otter weekend! There are about four spots on the course that are marked with 'Technical Descent Ahead' and they're not kidding. I took a spill on the one descent (nothing major, just a few scrapes) but Donna came through unscathed. It's the same course she road last year, with an 8-mile section added on that she didn't have to do last year since she was racing in the beginner women's category. The extra 8 miles are a pretty tough 8 miles - lots of tight, tricky sections where it will be hard to get around other riders should the occasion arise. Her real strength seemed to kick in when she hit to dirt road climbs - she turns into a rocket. The technical descent aren't bad in terms of rocks and steep drops, just very deep sand with a few small drops and tree roots mixed in. We haven't ridden in sand since we lived in Oregon and when you don't ride it often, it's tough to get used to. I can't help but seed the irony in the fact that we live so close to the ocean and beaches yet so rarely encounter sand pits on the trail.
Today is a rest day for me, as is tomorrow and the entire weekend. I was in no shape to get on a bike this morning but Donna needed to get out and just spin for a little while to loosen up and stay warmed up, so she's out for a one-hour ride right now and I'm sitting at Starbucks sipping on coffee and eating some yogurt with blueberries and strawberries.
I really blew it after yesterday's ride - despite all the 'great' seafood restaurants in Ventura County, I LOVE Long John Silver's, so after running myself into the ground on the ride we went to a LJS/KFC. Donna walked to the table with a single grilled chicken breast (which she pulled the skin off of) and some corn and mashed potatoes. I, on the other hand, had two deep fried fish fillets and three deep fried chicken strips with French fries and coleslaw. Her dedication and will power are absolutely amazing.
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