What a season!

Wow! The official 2018 season is over now. As I look back, it seems like both a long time, and almost no time…simultaneously. We have covered so much ground (literally and figuratively) and now we get to look back at it all, and wonder, “What happened?”, “How is it over already?” and “What was all that effort about?”

“What Happened?”

You might not know it from the photo Galleries posted below, but it rained relentlessly in 2018. Most practices had weather issues. Every meet had weather issues. Just wet in the early days of the season, then wet and cold as the season progressed.

But the team endured. Like in life: we pressed onward (we all know how I like to equate mountain biking with life, and here is another opportunity). We put our best face on difficult times, and we found ways to have fun, learn and laugh our way through the season. They say, the strongest bonds are forged in adversity.

“Strength through adversity. The strongest steel is forged by the fires of hell. It is pounded and struck repeatedly before it’s plunged back into the molten fire. The fire gives it power and flexibility, and the blows give it strength. Those two things make the metal pliable and able to withstand every battle it’s called upon to fight.
”

— Sherrilyn Kenyon, Devil May Cry

“How is it over already?”

Well, that’s a good question. If look at the photos here, and in our gallery pages of this website, you’ll know that we’ve packed a lot into this season between June and November. Starting at Hess Field to get our Riders the basics. Then “earning our turns” up to Hopewell (the most amazing practice venue in the league), then to venues around the area (like Geisinger and R. B. Winter) for our Saturday rides.

Practices

We are really bad at taking photos at practice. But here are a few photos of our annual Scavenger hunt day, followed by a short video of everyone’s favorite drill: Pursuit!

Meets

So, meets aren’t mandatory. The team is not about competition only. Mountain biking is something different to every person. From “shredding the downhill” to “gravel grinding” back country roads, mountain biking covers a wide range of interests.

That being said, the meets give the team an event that we can use to focus our training, and goals and betterment in the sport. And the meets are a festival of all things mountain biking. From vendors and swag, to food trucks, to awards, podiums, cheering crouds and excitement of the race. And there is also the logistics that come along with the meet. Camping and pizza parties, and hotel pool swims all are part of the experience and all those things are part of being on this amazing team, for those who choose to take advantage of the meets as an option. Below is quick movie of the Granite Hill meet. It shows the mud and the festival that were characteristic of this year’s events.

Rides

We are terrible about taking photos at our rides. I wish I had more to show here, but I don’t. But we know we went to Geisinger Stewardship Forest, Weiser and some of us went to other places to bike…because now we are mountain bikers. Below is a video of our pre-ride morning at Gettysburg. The “extra” things we do, are every bit as important as the “sanctioned” stuff. Rides are more free form, and that’s why they are usually magical. The Hammers are a fun bunch!

“What was all that effort about?”

I’d like to think that the EFFORT is all that mattered.

Did we “win” all the meets? No.
Did we get the most Team Trail Corp hours? No.
Did we set any records? Not that I’m aware of.

But we did improve in all those areas above, and I’d offer that we improved or at least maintained in a lot of other areas in which we already excelled.

We got outside a lot.
We made new friends. Some of which you might have for life.
We built things that other people will enjoy.
We took care of our bodies and minds a little bit. You can’t be living your best life, if the fuel you are running on is garbage.

And…my personal favorite:

The stuff in between.

“in between” is where things happen that matter.

A moment of talking or listening to one of our riders when they need it most.
Working out the logistics of how to make the most of our team with another Coach.
Sitting a Dunkin, sipping a coffee, waiting to assemble the team for a ride.
At the campfire, hearing the kids tell ghost stories that all end with, “And then I pooped my pants”…and then the laughing.

It’s a magical team, and I feel honored to be a part of it. It legitimately hurts my soul when I have to return from a meet weekend, and then attempt to assimilate back into the “real world” for a week of work. I feel like a better person, for being allowed the privledge of being involved with the team and our riders. Not to overstate it; but this is how life SHOULD be.