Turtled it big time on Saturday - too low speed, strong pedal to try and get up and over a janky rock. Back tire stopped dead, and I flipped over backwards like the wheel was tethered to the ground. Broke the nose of the bike seat with my ass, landed onto a thankfully flat but protruding rock with the right side of my mid back, handlebars or stem smacked me in the jaw, and right hip/thigh caught a rock. Scraped up and hurt my pride more than anything, but neck is hurting pretty good. I was able to hold my head up enough to keep my helmet from smacking the ground when my back landed flat, but still hit hard enough that my helmet visor came off and I've got whiplash pretty good. Thankfully nobody around to see it until Mrs. Supe and Junior came up the trail, seeing me sitting in the dirt on a hill sucking wind and looking dejected. Looked even more dejected when I saw a guy come through at average speed and ride right through the feature like it wasn't even there.
That ride REALLY sapped the life out of us. Plan was to ride two loops and the connector trail between them. One loop takes about 30 minutes on a good day, the other about 40 or so on a good day. We greatly underestimated the length, amount of climbing, and terrain on the connector trail, and the effects that the heat/humidity would have on us mid-day. It was a slow, torture-laden grind to finish that ride. I probably rode the last 1.5 miles in granny gear exclusively. Took us just under a full three hours to finish, and we were all out of water. Mrs. Supe had three spills along the way and is pretty beat up herself.
Needless to say, we rewarded ourselves with beer and ice cream after that one. I can't remember the last time I pushed myself that hard physically, if ever. But, I'm glad I finished it - I feel like if an asthmatic is going to survive COVID, I need to do whatever it takes to make my lungs as strong as they can be.
