2008 MTB Goals Part II: General Goals

Welcome to Part II of my post on my 2008 MTB goals. Part I dealt purely with what specific trails I want to do in '08. Here I'll discuss some other general goals I've developed for myself.

1. Ride Noble Canyon: This trail gets its own general goal because Noble is the only SD County trail on the IMBA's epic trail list. For 2008, I actually don't care whether I shuttle Noble or ride it some other way, I just want to experience this much talked about trail for myself.
2. Do a ~50 mile/all day-type ride: I want to do at least one all-day ride. It doesn't have to be exactly 50 miles, but I want to do one ride that starts in the morning and goes until late afternoon/evening on one trail or multiple connected trails.
3. Do a Multi-Day ride: This goal may be combined with the one below, but not necessarily. I want to do one ride where I all day one day, then camp or stay in a hotel, then ride all or most of the next day.
   
4. Do an Out of Town Ride: I want to do at least one trail outside of SoCal this year. I have some general ideas of places I want to go, but nothing concrete yet. Maybe I'll have a chance to ride somewhere in Sacramento when I go up for Adam's graduation in July. Or maybe I'll go somewhere with friends when Rachel goes back to visit her family.
   
5. Do a Ride in the OC: There are several trails I'm aware of in Orange County that I could drive to, ride, and get home from in a day. It could be Aliso, SJT, San Clemente Singletracks, or something else.
6. Do a Night Ride (w/Light): I read about a lot of night rides, and have always been interested in doing one. They seem like a great idea for both winter, when it gets dark really early, as well as summer, where it can sometimes be too hot to ride during the day. I don't have a light, so I'd have to borrow one for my first ride. But if I like night riding, it could open up a whole new world to me.
7. Clear all of Martha's: I want to get to the point by the end of '08 that I can ride down all of the techy section of Martha's Grove at Sycamore without dabbing or walking. I've only been down it once, and had to walk two spots. This is the spot where Joel demolished his knee, so I have some added psychological incentive to clear that section as well.
8. Clear all of "the ****": There is a section of trail at LPQ that I enjoy that has a scatological name that is not fit to post. It's not that tough of a section, but I've ridden it a couple of times and have not been able to clear a 2.5 foot waterbar near the end. I want to conquer that before the end of the year.
9. Climb Bernardo Mountain: Lake Hodges is basically a neighborhood ride for me, and I've never climbed Bernardo Mountain on the North side. In fact, I really don't even know how to get up there. But I know there is a way, and by the end of '08, I want to climb all the way to the top.
10. Improve my climbing skills/general fitness: I saved this one until last, because while it is the most general, its also the most important to me. I'm saving the whole, "why I love to mountain bike" discussion for another post, but suffice to say that physical fitness is NOT one of the top three reasons. It's a nice by product, but not a driving force in why I bike. That being said, my general lack of fitness and climbing ability greatly impedes my overall enjoyment of biking. Right now, when I come to a section with a big hill, I'm intimidated and stressed. I get enough of those feelings at work, I don't want them on the trail. I want to get to a point where hills and long climbs don't scare me, and even if I don't fly up them, I can manage them without wanting to die. This may be my most important overall goal, because if affects my overall enjoyment of biking in general.

If I ever get to a point where someone reads this blog, I'd be interested in knowing your MTB goals for the year if you have any. Feel free to post a comment.