Last Great Act of Defiance

Recognizing the weather would be working against us Sunday morning, a couple of us seized the day on Saturday and took a trip to White Clay. Soft and slow does not adequately describe it, but it was biking so it was good. Also worthy to note a mountain lion warning posted at the various parking lots. I think mountain lions are also known as cougars, so this is interesting on a number of levels (wink wink). 

Speaking of "seizing the day," following is a sampling of local races on tap for this spring. Personally I feel some compulsion to defend home turf. Less compulsion than the early days when I was deluded into thinking I might actually succeed, but some compulsion to at least make an honest effort...sort of a Last Great Act of Defiance. I thought maybe some of you may feel the same way, or are looking for a motivator to get back into shape, or whatever so here goes:

• Hibernia Duathlon (4/19)- Our traditional low-key kickoff to the riding season, this is a run/ride event.  You can compete solo or in a relay format.  If you've got a fleet footed wife or child, this is a great way to get them pumped for spring and build a little healthy family team spirit. Here's a link to the blog posting for last year's event.
• Fair Hill Spring XC Race (4/19) - I don't know anything about this one but if you have ever ridden at Fair Hill then you know this has gotta be one fun fast race.
• On the Rocks at French Creek (5/9) - Buckle your chinstrap and bring out the full squishy for this one.
• Fair Hill Classic (7/12) - Another Fair Hill event for those who missed the first one (due to the Hibernia Duathlon of course).
• Midnight in Milford Mills (7/18) - OK this is where the "home turf last act of defiance" thing really needs to kick in.  This will be a night race right here in Marsh Creek State Park.  Imagine the carnage!  There are not many riders who have our level of experience riding these trails at night, so this will be a great chance to get a leg up on the competition.

I can't say enough good things about the Hibernia thing, especially from a family perspective. Last year we had all sorts of awesome combinations - father-daughter, brother-sister, husband-wife, etc. In case you are wondering, I will be racing the relay with my fleet-footed-6th-grader Sara.