Cathy 's Blog (10)

Saturday, January 27, was my third year of participating in the first leg of the annual Grasshopper Adventure Series - Ye Old Caz. The course was challenging and fun and very lonely at times…

The day began with a leisurely drive to our destination in Occidental. Jim, Phil and I took to the road early so we would have plenty of time to prep before the race. The day was crisp, not too cold, and the surrounding fields along the drive were lush and green. I always feel like i’ve been…

Saturday morning, early, we piled into Greg's truck and drove up to the mountains for the third race in the Nevada City Dirt Classic Series.  This would be race number three for Jim and a chance at a State Championship.  Greg and Simon had each raced at least one of the other races in the series.  As for me, this was my first time ever competing in this event.  

We arrived early to get Simon to the start by 9:00 am.  He would race one six-mile lap.  Greg, Jim, Mark Gibson and I all…

Saturday, May 13, was year number two for the now annual event called The Old Cabin Classic.  Held in Santa Cruz, amongst the redwoods and grassy fields and expansive ocean views, it is hands down one of the most beautiful and wild places to race.  The race is hosted by the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz, and the race is a direct result of their dedication to expanding trail access for mountain bikers in Santa Cruz county.  With the cooperation of the California State Parks, the second annual…

“The Accidental Detour”

The Lake Sonoma Grasshopper was another adventure in fitness combined with stunning scenery.  I rode my Trek hardtail 29er for the 25-mile race.  As the morning progressed and racers warmed up, we all gathered for our race meeting, which immediately launched into the race start.  I liked the beginning because, for the first time, I actually got to see the leaders take off up the road.  I watched as Jim and Carson rode away with the other racers at the front.  My start was rough, slow,…

How did this day get here so fast? I remember when Jim signed us up and I was like, "oh, ok", thinking how far off that day was and how much time was ahead for me to prepare. Somehow there must've been, I swear to it, a time warp. I blinked and woke up Saturday morning, January 18th, and all of a sudden I was in a car with three other Acme team riders,…

Monday morning, July 11, Jim, Simon and I hopped in a car loaded with bikes, gear and lots of excitement, and headed out on our six-hour long journey to Mammoth, CA.  We were on our way to competing in the coveted 2016 XC National Cross country event.  The first racer amongst us to compete was Simon.  He would race on Wednesday.  I raced on Thursday in the Cat 1/2, 45-49, and Jim raced on Friday in the Men's Pro class.  Our Acme teammate, Greg, would arrive on Wednesday for his Men's Cat 1/2…

Lemurian Shasta Classic 2016



My fourth cross country race and let me tell you, this was no picnic. My last three outings, The Grasshopper, Napa Valley Dirt Classic and Sea Otter, certainly put me to the test. At the end of each race, I swore nothing could ever be more difficult. But today I quickly learned The Lemurian was its own beast. A monster with climb after endless climb and a twisted desire to tease and lull one into actually having fun on its swoopy wooded single tracks…

Napa Valley Dirt Classic



The Napa Valley Dirt Classic on April 10 was my second cross country race as a team member of Acme Bikes and my second cross country race. We started the morning with some heavy drizzle (rain) but by warm ups and race time the rain decided to give us all a break, as if the weather knew we had a big enough challenge ahead without the added chill and poor visibility rain can bring.



I lined up in the back with my Cat 2 ladies and watched as our…

So I decided to get off my dh kick and try some real racing this year. With A LOT of help from Jim I participated in my first Grasshopper event and mixed racing challenge yesterday. I really had no idea what to expect, as I've never even really ridden on the road, let alone with 400 other people in race mode. Strategy? What strategy? My strategy was to not fail. I must finish.



That being said, I had the time of my life! My morning started as Jim and I did some road warm ups. I…