Well it is back to work after a great week in Siesta Key. Weather in the upper 80's and lot's of sun. Actually had a good week of riding, some on the single speed in Florida and 2 rides with Bret local. Actually felt great riding, even though some of the rides were a bit windy. Average speed is up significantly. Sure is nice ridding myself of the sinus infection. Now all I ask for is some decent weather around here to keep up the mileage.
No softball or baseball games so I decided to get in a ride at the Kettles after work yesterday. Did a blue and a red loop for about 12 miles. Wanted to get in more but the traffic on the way up was horrible and it took me longer than expected to get there. Still, no complaints, a short ride is better than no ride at all.
This weekend Doug and I made the 6 hour trip up to Cable, Wisconsin to race / ride the Cable Off Road Classic. Friday to warm up we rode the Ojibwe Trail. 13 miles of great single track that starts near the Telemark Lodge. I was interesting at first navigating the 29er through the trees but after a few miles it became second nature. The write up on the trail said that a riders average speed would be btween 4 - 5 miles per hour. We did a whopping 5.41. About 2 miles out it started to drizzle, then the drops got larger and then the heavens opened up as we were looking for my car keys. I had "hid" them on top of the rear wheel but they had fallen and lodged in the shock spring. We got the bikes on the rack just before the rain really started. As we were driving back to the hotel, Doug started to panic, he could not find his wallet. Not a big deal, it is in the trunk. Nope. In the back seat. Nope. Panic was really setting in. OK. Back to where we parked. Nope. Maybe he did not bring it with and it is still in the hotel. Nope. OK. Cancel the cards and write off the $200 that was in it.
Saturday come around and we are greeted with 20 mile an hour winds and balmy 32 degree weather. But wait, lets add some snow in it for kicks and grins. It was quiet as we loaded the bikes on the rack and head off to the start of the race. I ask Doug if he would like to stop one more time to see if some how we missed his wallet. Sure. Well we get back to the Telemark and decide to drive down towards the trail. Whay do we find, a wallet. Doug says its not his because it it black, not realizing that brown wallets look black when the are soaking wet and partially frozen. Yep, it is his. The cash? There was $200 all over the trail, stuck to the grass by the rain. The man was lucky and so was I. I got my $100 back I lent him.
We get to the start of the race and I am really dreading the entire event. I am not dressed to be riding in this weather. Oh well. I ride over to the start line and find a spot to wait for the start. 5 minutes later the starting gun goes off and the entire pack if off like a rocket. As we head down the first fire road I am already hitting 25 miles an hour and can not breathe. Every breath burns. Hit the first little climb and legs complain. Oh this is going to suck. Once we turn on to the first portion of single track I a shaking like a leaf, way too cold. Can be much more left of the race as I look down to the GPS and discover that I have only gone 5 miles. This will be a painful race and it was. I spent the race shivering and finished in 2:32, two minutes off from where I wanted to be. Not to bad for the first race in two years and only the 4th time on the new bike. Good times for all.
Friday turned out to be a glorious day. Doug and I decided to head up to the Kettles for a little mountain biking. I had not ridden there in two years and had not even ridden the Paragon since I bought her over a year ago. So getting my stuff together was a chore. Shoes one place, CamelBack in another. All was found and I even remembered to put 29" tubes in the pack. Put the rack on the car, bike on the rack and off I go.
The hour drive gave me some time to listen to some music and review my first week into a loose vegetanarian diet. I decided to do a semi radical change in my diet why? Mainly because it is because I have been feeling like crap for the past few months and could not figure out why. Some of it is due to my lack of enjoyment of my job. I feel that our whole IT department is spinning out of control. In a normal situation, most employees would be running for greener pastures, but the current economic environment has folks staying where the money is. The other reason for the diet change is that I seem to have hit a plateau in the weight loss plan and thought that I would throw something new at this old body and see whats happens. Now it was only a week but I really feel different. I only had a bit of meat on Wednesday and the rest was meat and dairy free. More to come on this.
At the Kettles Doug and I rode a blue and a green loop for about 17 miles. I was really impressed with the way the Paragon 29er rode. Climbed great and did not bounce all over the trail like the old full suspension 26's did. I actually climbed so well that I could stand on the trail mats with no slipping. It was a great ride, great weather, 80 degrees. Trails are in great shape. Good times. Ran into this little bit on YouTube. Shows some of the trails we were riding...
Stole this pic from Jason. Great shot of the trails.
Saturday was a short 6 miler and the Rig, getting it dialed in. Rides great. I look forward to the maiden voyage at the Kettle. Doesnt look like it will happen soon though, a wee bit o rain. Oh well.
Ran into this video of the 2009 installation of Texas Hell Week on YouTube. Makes me wish I was still there in the 80 degree weather not the snow, rain, snow crap we are having here. Since I came back from Texas I have had one real ride outside, the rest are on the "devils device" doing Spinervals. It just sucks. I am hoping that I can get out at least once this week.
Decided to see the Chiropractor again to get ride of the nagging back pain that has plagued me for the last month or so. So far so good. Seems to have subsided a bit. The true test will be on the first longer road ride. More to come on that though.
Speaking of the Spring Forward Ride, I ran into this video on YouTube. Starts by the train museum in Union, Il and heads out towards Route 47. Check it out.
