HDB Members Get Discounts on Off-Season Training: High Desert Team members are eligible for 20% off Winter Fitness or Core Strength classes with the coupon code “HDB20“. Both classes are six-weeks long. For more details on locations and times contact stacyv3@gmail.com or go to nmsportsonline.com.
Wee-Chi-Tah Hotter ‘N Hell MTB Results: North Central Texas is known more for it’s tire-blistering-summertime heat than mountain biking. Nevertheless, the Wee-Chi-Tah Mountain Bike Race – held in Wichita Falls, TX as a part of the Hotter’ N Hell 100 ride festivities – turned out to be an entertaining event.
The Wee-Chi-Tah trail, voted the best urban mountain bike trail in Texas, would make a carpenter salivate. And, there are no gnarly, bone-jaring jumps. I’d be walking if there were. But the course, seemingly a pretzel twisted inside out, offers several long wooden plank bridges, including a suspension bridge, that make the course interesting. A few seconds of inattention and you can quickly find yourself looking up at a bridge 10-feet above your prostrate body.
The biggest obstacle however wasn’t the course, but the weather. I raced the 60+ Cat 2 event against three other competitors. The 10:18 a.m. start temperature was 95 degrees. Estimating a ride time of about two hours the temperature would be teasing the century mark at the finale. The only solace; the course is hidden in the tree-lined bottom of the Wichita River. At least I wouldn’t see much sun.
My shot at first place for the race was lost 30-seconds after we left the start at the Bridwell Agriculture Center. I did a poor job of selecting a starting position and was instantly separated from the eventual 60+ winner, Tim Noble of Wichita Falls, Tx. Tim crushed me by six-minutes. I finished second, 49-minutes ahead of third-place finisher Stephen Tabler of Shreveport, La. The fourth rider, Mark Wygant of Wylie, Tx, did not finish.
Fun Wichita Falls, Tx Heat Facts
- Average First 90-Degree Temperature – April 9. The first 90-degree temperature this year occurred on March 31 (93).
- Average Last 90-Degree Temperature – October 11
- Average First 100-Degree Temperature – June 9
- Average Last 100-Degree Temperature – September 4
- Earliest 90-Degree Temperature – February 14, 1979 (92)
- Latest 90-Degree Temperature – October 31, 1934 (92), 1938 (90), 1992 (91)
- Latest 100-Degree Temperature – October 17, 1972 (102)
- Earliest 100-Degree Temperature – March 27, 1971 (100)
- Most Consecutive 100-Degree Days – 42 (June 23 – August 3, 1980). The temperature reached 117,
Seriously? And you think Albuquerque gets hot?