This is what I told myself as I pulled into the parking lot for the start of the 2025 ORAMM race. My most recent XCM event (Nationals) put me far enough in the hurt locker that it left me reconsidering whether I even wanted to race these endurance events at all, and ORAMM wasn’t far…
Tag: biking
2025 Ride Fierce Women’s Scholarship: It’s Almost Race Day!
For the women of the Ride Fierce Women’s Scholarship, it’s almost race day! Megan: racing ORAMM on July 27Annie: racing The Shed Enduro on August 3Abby: racing Slatyfork Enduro on August 10Nicole: racing Shenandoah 100k on August 30 If you happen to be at any of these events, make sure you give these women a…
Living my best life
Last fall, as I was recuperating from shoulder surgery, I started dreaming about the potential of making a road trip to the Pacific Northwest to ride and race. I knew that the North American Enduro Cup happened in late June in Kellogg, Idaho, and that it was a race I wanted to prioritize in 2025….
Finding Balance
That title sounds like I’m about to write some kind of self-help blog, not a race report, but c’est la vie. One of the mantras (in addition to the ever-present “stay curious”) that I’ve added to my top tube this season is “Balance.” In one of my skills lessons earlier this season, Harlan (of Take…
2025 Ride Fierce Women’s Scholarship: Early Summer Update
The four recipients of the 2025 Ride Fierce Women’s Scholarship have been hard at work, despite the inevitable setbacks, challenges, and obstacles that come with any attempt to reach a goal. Here are some short updates from each of them! The Shed Enduro: Annie Chapelle My journey has had a sidequest of healing. I was…
Transylvania Epic: 5 Days of #EastCoastRocks
It’s no secret that I love everything that is East Coast mountain biking: the rocks, roots, and jank. The 5-day Transylvania Epic (TSE) stage race serves this up in spades. I raced this event coming off of a knee injury back in 2023, and had a blast. Even though I was taking grad school classes…
Mama, I’ve been wormed
Choosing to do back-to-back XCM (cross-country marathon) events on the weekend following Rockstar isn’t anyone’s idea of optimal, but I had committed to both the Wormhole 100k and the Middle Mountain Momma XXC events long before I had planned to have anything to do with Rockstar. In fact, they were part of my original objection…
What if…?
Earlier this year, some friends mentioned to me that they were going to do a “stage race” version of the Rockstar Trail, a local point-to-point ultra endurance event, during the grand depart in April. I was intrigued, mostly because the fact that the Rockstar route starts in Harrisonburg and finishes in Roanoke with 270 miles…
2025 Ride Fierce Women’s Scholarship: Spring Update
In the last two months, Annie, Megan, Nicole, and Abby have been diligently training and preparing for their selected races. All four women are registered–so prepare to see them at The Shed Enduro, ORAMM, The Shenandoah 100k, and the Slatyfork Enduro this summer! Here are some short updates from each of them! The Shed Enduro:…
Ride Fierce Racing 