Words

My mind plays a sound track while I ride. I'm not sure if everybody does this or if it's just me. I used to sing to the inside of my helmet during moto rides, even when I was racing. On cycling rides I'll ask the crew if they've heard of this song or that song and I usually get a "no, not really" and I figure it's just because they're younger and don't know the huge sound track that I do. But maybe they just don't have one playing all the time. It can get irritating to have a song stuck on an endless loop in my head. Sometimes it's not a song I really like. On a recent ride I mentioned that the tune King Tut was stuck in there then Mingo piped up and said that Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer was currently running on his play list. So you can guess what replaced King Tut. In fact even now that song is starting to play. No! Stop it! There, that's better.

On one of our night rides Steve A. kept reaching down to adjust his shock. So the Van Halen song Panama started playing. You know "reached down between my legs, eased the seat back". Now that should be playing in your head right now. If it's not then you don't have this problem. On a Forest Meadows night ride I had a tune that I don't even know the name of but it has a chorus that goes "and all the girls say he's pretty fly for a white guy" I mean, where does that even come from?

I took my MP3 player to Munson one summer afternoon with some old Who songs I'd just downloaded and even though I'd heard these songs thousands of times when I combined them with the ride on this perfect afternoon they had a new sound to them. Now when I hear "Rain on Me" I picture that afternoon automatically, kinda like a music video.

I know the words to hundreds of songs. I can't remember your name but I can remember all the words to "Closer to Home" or "Tangled Up In Blue". This makes the mental sound track thing a little easier to explain. It also drives Rupe crazy. When I'm listening to the classic rock station on XM I can (and do) sing along to all the songs. Not only is my voice irritating but he can't believe I know all the words.

So, can you or do you play the mental song game? I bet W.B. does. I've done it for so long I just assumed everyone else did it. Maybe that's not right. Oh well "King Tut" is starting to loop back around again, I've got to go.

Long Ride

When it's 104 outside you can't imagine what it would feel like to be cold. But cold it is. Our night rides started out in the 50's, then the 40's, and on the most recent ride crept into the upper 30's not long after we started. Every time I leave the house I think "this is as cold as I'm going to ride in". Yet I show up the next ride thinking "it doesn't feel too bad". By the time we are 30 minutes in I'm warm and even sweating a little bit. The more of these rides I do the better understanding I have of what I need to wear and not wear.



The up grade on Stumpy is going well. My new Mavic wheel set made a huge difference in how the bike rides. The Crank Brother's carbon bars didn't make as much of a difference but then again I really didn't think they would. I went with a flatter bar with less sweep than I had in the stock bars and along with the Ergon grips the numbness I was getting after 30 minutes of riding hasn't come back. Now I'm shopping for a new drive train (do cyclists call them that?), cranks, chain, and rear cassette. I'm sure before I make every purchase that this is the part that will make me faster and give me the confidence to tackle some of those obstacles that the rest of this crew just floats over. But alas, there has been some progress, just not as much as I was hoping for. The biggest progress is in the money leaving my bank account.



The long paved/graded road ride called the Dirty Ron was last weekend. We finished with a little over 60 miles in 4 plus hours of pedaling. The weather couldn't have been any better and the views of the south Georgia farm land never got old. You see so much more from the bike than you do out of the window of a vehicle. The after ride party at the goat farm was amazing. Even though I was too chicken to try the sheep/goat chili the hospitality of our hosts went above and beyond. I do wonder how I was the one who got stuck with starting the hamburger cooking fire and got out of the truck to open most of the gates on the tour. At my advanced age you'd think some of these young whippersnappers would have given me a little slack. Not this group. They did let me tag a yellow sign though.



While we were sitting by the fire enjoying some brews after the ride it reminded me of all the times my old moto crew sat around smokey camp fires while on our many adventures from Colorado to Kerr City. I am very fortunate to be able to have done the things I've done and even more fortunate to still be able to do them.



I'm sorry I don't have any pictures to post with this little blog. The only camera I have that works is too big to carry on the bicycle. I have asked Santa to bring me one for Christmas so we'll see how good of a boy I've been.



Speaking of Christmas now that Rupe is 14 I can't just go to the store and pick out gifts for him like I used to. Everything he wants just about has to come from Best Buy or Higher Ground and nothing in either of those places is cheap. I guess I have only myself to blame. He didn't get to ride with us this past weekend but he went both days the weekend before. The night rides are difficult for him because of basketball practice plus he doesn't have as much cold weather gear as I do (and I refuse to share). On our last ride I was huffing pretty hard to stay in front of him in the trees and only able to gap him when we got on more open stuff. The day is coming.



Not much cycling wise on the calendar until San Felasco on January 8th. We've got a lot of time off around the holidays so I hope to get some bike time in during the daylight. Maybe even a couple of rounds of golf to break things up. Life is good!

It's Dark!

I took last week off and cycled somewhere every day except for Thanksgiving and the Friday after. Some days I just went for a ride by myself. While these were enjoyable and I felt like I was getting away with something since I was riding while everybody else was working, it's really more fun to ride with someone else.

Take for example last Tuesday's night ride with the crew. We met at a parking lot behind some office complex which would make a good set for a sci fi movie. There was a good crowd going and I assumed we were just going to ride out to Tom Brown and take a couple of laps in the dark, which had me a little nervous anyway since I had never ridden there with lights. We rolled out on Fern and I immediately took a wrong turn and ended up in the back yard of some type of construction company. I bushwhacked back toward the railroad tracks, found the trail, and caught the group at the road crossing. On a whim I had mounted a little red light that I had won at San Felasco to my seat post that afternoon and as we turned onto the busy road I was glad I had it flashing at all the cars piling up behind me. I avoid riding on the road if I can and I have never ridden on the road at night and certainly not in Tallahassee and definitely not in rush hour traffic!

We weaved through neighborhoods, back yards, driveways, and gravel roads. BW was in front of me as we rolled down hill into a cul de sac. I watched as he hopped the curve then disappeared. I found him at the bottom of a concrete ditch which I had no idea was there. If he hadn't been where I could see him I'd have gone into it head first. Well maybe that's a little dramatic since I don't ride where I can't see and was slowing down but still it could have been ugly. He wasn't hurt but I would have screamed like a girl if I'd have ridden off in it.

Through woods, over trash piles, a wrong turn, barking dogs in back yards as we rode behind houses, I had no idea where we were until we came out at the Alford Greenway parking lot. I was thinking "I'm 54 years old, riding through these streets like I'm a kid late for dinner, what the heck was I thinking, where are we going?" But you know what? It was FUN! I did feel like a kid. I remember riding my Sting Ray bicycle home from Paul Huffstetler's house after dark through my old neighborhood in Jacksonville, trying to get home before my Mom got mad at me for being late. How cool is that?

The single track through the Greenway and TB wasn't as hard in the dark as I'd feared and we finished up at the sci fi parking lot after 1.5 hours of riding. It seemed like we had been riding for hours. As I listened to them talk about the ride I realized they had been riding this area for more than 15 years so to them it was just another night ride. But to me it was quite an adventure.

Conquistador

I recently read that the main reason people don't race bicycles is that it's hard. Duh. But when you think about that it makes a little bit of sense. If you don't enjoy the suffering or get that feeling of accomplishment from doing something difficult you probably won't be back after the first race.

This past weekend at the FSC race at San Felasco the woods were perfect, the temperature was perfect, in fact everything was perfect. I had just picked up a leftover 2010 Epic for Rupe the Friday before and he was ready to roll when we got there Saturday morning. We pulled into the big hay field in the back under blue skies, unloaded, and set out for our first sight in lap. Other riders told me the layout was completely different from last year and that Gone Riding had used the new Conquistador section as part of this year's loop. We had ridden this trail this past summer and I knew it contained some pretty big climbs for Florida. Even with that in mind I was so excited to be riding I hammered up the first two. About half way up the third one I started feeling a little queasy and I noticed I was breathing really hard. I told myself "hey old man this is practice" so we backed it down some and I was glad we did because we climbed that same hill another 3 times. After we took a second and even slower lap we were tired but still looking forward to the race the next day. In fact I was feeling pretty froggy since I knew New Steve wasn't coming and neither was Flyin Frank and with virtually nothing really technical on the course I thought, dare I say it, I had a chance to stand on the top step.

Race day we lined up for the 11:30 start time under the same perfect conditions as the day before. I noticed a couple of new faces in the old slow class but most of the pre race chatter was about surviving the hills. Yea I was feeling downright confident, so confident I grabbed the lead heading up the two track only to lose it on the power line before we hit the single track. No problem I thought, I'll just hang here in 5th and wear them out when we hit the hills. Just then 4th cross rutted and stopped right between two trees completely blocking my path but not the next three riders who just went around both of us. Now all that confidence was quickly replaced by complete panic. I said something rude to the offending rider and set out after the quickly disappearing conga line.

I learned one thing, passing riders on an uphill is hard. Some just let me by others I had to coax out of the way. The sick feeling from yesterday was coming back, I started to get a stitch in my side, and I knew I couldn't keep that pace up for long. I was on 3rd place's wheel coming out of the woods and let her (yea her) break the head wind across the field and through the scoring chicane. This lady is very popular, people were cheering her, telling her "he's right behind you", and I thought I heard some boos when I passed her. I was even afraid to take a drink until I put a little distance on her and by the time I did my throat was so dry I almost couldn't swallow. I kept watching her and figured if I could maintain that distance until we hit the hills again I at least had a spot on the box. That's when I saw 2nd place not that far ahead. I slowly caught up to him and when he slipped on some rocks at the base of the hill I thought YES and went around.

I figured no way he could get clipped back in and get on my wheel but he did. As we heaved and panted up the hill he told me"first place is long gone". Turns out it was one of the new faces I had noticed at the start but I didn't care because I just knew I had this guy beat, he even slipped on a root and spun around, but was still able to stay on my wheel.

I did all the self talk I could to get my body to go faster. I knew that Monday I would tell myself that all I had to do was just dig deeper. But on that last hill, on Sunday afternoon, I just couldn't keep him behind me, and he went on to get second less than 45 seconds ahead of me.

Team Stormin Norman did pretty well for the day. Rupe got a third in his class and I was happier for him than I was for my results. We had some good race stories to share on the ride home and that's really what it's all about anyway isn't it?

"It's a beautiful day" U2

Frost Already?

It's sure been great weather this past couple of weeks, even had frost one morning which is unusual before Thanksgiving. With it being so pretty I figured it was time to take the Fam for a bike ride. We loaded up Sunday morning and headed for Forest Meadows. It had been awhile since Bunky had been on a bike so I planned an easy route and promised not to run off and leave her like Rupe and I normally do on these rides. She wanted to try the new Silk trail toward the end of the ride and she really enjoyed it. We ended up riding for about 2 hours at a very sedate pace but all of us enjoyed the day.

Earlier in the week we attended the premiere of Race Across the Sky and that had Rupe all fired up to do some long distance events. He said "I'm going to ride that race someday, maybe when I'm 30". I did the math in my head and figured I wasn't going to be doing it with him. But I did enjoy seeing his enthusiasm for something like that. We have the Tour of San Felasco coming up this January so he'll get to see how a longer distance feels. I remember when I worked out west as a young man I puked all over my boots every day I spent much time working over 10,000 feet so I know how the altitude effects me. I can't imagine what it's like to race a bicycle at that altitude.

This weekend is the FSC round at San Felasco and we're both looking forward to racing. Although I did enjoy the Spaghetti as much if not more than these cross country races.

I took the dog for an off road run the other evening. We did about 3 miles on our hunting lease which has quite a bit of elevation change for Florida. The dog had a fantastic time, if only I could just enjoy my runs like that dog does.

"Come hear uncle john's band by the river side" Gratefull Dead

A Rude Awakening

I like to read stories about long distance cycling. Trans Rockies, TNGA, the Leadville 100, all spark my imagination. I sometimes wonder if I could do something even close to that kind of mileage. Well at about mile 55 of the Dirty Spaghetti this past Saturday I got my answer.

It was a perfect day with temps in the 50's when we rolled out of the parking lot. Of course we didn't go to the check in like we were supposed to, or the mass start, so we got out ahead of most of the off road crowd. In fact I was the only one who put on their assigned number in my little group of outlaws. The graded roads had just had the ditches pulled so they were a little soft and still damp from the previous week's rain but other than that conditions were perfect. We played a new (to me) game of yellow sign tagging and basically just rolled at a pleasant pace.

The lunch stop in Boston came up just in time and we were almost the first ones there. It was a bigger pack leaving lunch as we had gotten in with a faster group that was riding the 85 mile option so I got to experience getting my elbows rubbed and my front tire almost taken out as they passed me. Since we were early for the 60 mile group we missed the sag stop after lunch. I hadn't refilled my water at lunch so at mile 50 my camel back went dry. It was about then that the stronger, faster, younger, and more experienced riders started to pull away from me. I told my legs to pedal but they wouldn't listen. I watched three of them disappear over the hills. I dropped down to the middle ring and sat up to enjoy the scenery for the last 10 miles.

So I got my answer. I finished the 62 mile option but I don't think I could have gone much further. Part of the 85 mile group came in just after I did, 20 more miles and in almost the same time. Oh well; the sky was blue the sun was warm, the beer was sweet, the spaghetti was excellent, and we all ate it on the porch like so many dogs after a long hunt. My knees were sore and my sit bones tender but other than that no lasting damage. I know I won't take that honkin back pack again.

I now have even more respect for those long distance riders. I can't imagine doing something like that for a couple of days in a row while sleeping on the ground, and climbing mountains. Once again I have been humbled.

"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need" The Rolling Stones

Tour of Amsterdam

It went well on the site in lap of the Amsterdam trail. We came up with 26 miles total and were able to average 10 mph without pushing it. That includes a couple of breaks so that works out to about 2 and a half hours on the trail. Fortunately it got the Big Jim seal of approval. I needed an outside opinion of how the route would work and wanted to make sure it was entertaining but not overly difficult. I know Jim would have liked 26 miles of single track but he seemed pleased with the two track and graded roads the land offers. It has quite a few gently rolling hills, my Garmin showed 3500 ft. of climbing which is not bad for south Georgia. Rupe went along for the ride even though these long non technical rides aren't really his thing he was glad he went. I believe this will be a fun event and an excellent fund raiser for the kids at Shands. The date for the ride is tentatively set for February 26. I'm excited and am looking forward to seeing how this all works out.

Saturday night I attended a little get together for WB at a local Mexican restaurant with other members of the local cycling community. I know I've mentioned it before but this is really a nice group of people. I just wish I wasn't always the oldest person there. I know there has to be other riders out there closer to my age and I can think of a couple but I don't see them out riding very often.

In fact I don't know many people of any age that do what we do. Right now think of the people around you. What are they talking about doing over the past weekend? Let's see, I hear some football talk (watching not playing), deer hunting, yard work, golf, and some church activities. All of these are perfectly fine ways to spend time but they aren't really conducive to an active life style are they? I quit telling them what I do years ago. When I did talk about it they'd just give me a strange look and say something like "why would you want to do that; ride 26 miles on a bicycle, in the woods?" Well, to each his own, as John Prine says "I could have 1000 friends and all I'd have to change is my point of view". Well, maybe not 1000.

Fun Run

Well the one mile fun run on Friday night here in Havana was interesting. I arrived early to warm up and scope out my competition and was surprised to see quite a few people with dogs. Since the run benefited the Gadsden County Humane Society I figured they were just there to let the dogs socialize with each other; until they called for us to line up for the start and they brought the dogs with them. It really wasn't a very big crowd, maybe 35 people and 10 dogs, and I noticed that I was the only one wearing real running clothes. I lined up way on the outside since everybody with a dog had gotten to the front and I didn't want to get tangled up in all the leashes when they blew the start whistle. I had spotted the only 2 people in the crowd who even looked like they could run a mile without passing out and one of them had a dog. When the start whistle blew it was kaos as dogs and kids spread out over the whole street. I stayed behind the top two until the half way point when the one who had a dog took a sudden turn as the dog pulled him off the course and the other runner just lost steam. Once again my superb pre race planning and my awesome physical ability allowed me to win the thing overall with a time of 6:38, and further boost my local reputation as the old man who runs.

I had volunteered to work this run but they insisted (because of my local celebrity status) I run the race instead. As for all the people with dogs, children, and mothers with strollers, they never saw me coming. I almost couldn't breathe at the finish. It was harder running this mile than the 3.1 mile races I normally do. At least in those you can pace yourself, here it was just flat out from the start. In the prize bag was a new pair of Red Star sunglasses, a $500 gift certificate from them (must be a catch), and another gift certificate from a local restaurant; Oscars for $40, not bad for a little local run. We put the Oscars prize to good use right after the race with a couple of frosty Becks and some great Italian food. It turns out they also had a class for runners with dogs so they got some goodies also. Oh, and I got this cool first place medal.

Saturday was a record day at the Pumpkin Festival with more kids than I have ever seen running up and down the streets. We stayed busy at the fire truck the whole time we had it set up.

Sunday I took an old friend of mine from the moto days, who just got into cycling, on a tour of TB. He was impressed and I resisted the urge to pound him on the ride as he had done me when we rode moto. I did put in a little extra there at the end so he'd feel like he had had a workout. There is that temptation to do that to newbies isn't there? I know the first time I went cycling years ago with another moto friend who rode MTB a lot I came home and fell asleep on the porch I was so tired (thanks DD).

I'm trying to get a small group together on Saturday to pre ride the Amsterdam trail to see if it's suitable to hold the poker run on in February. I went over some of it in my pickup this week and I think it'll be a nice ride. Nothing really technical but nice views and it's someplace different. I need to know if it will work before we start having committee meetings next week and I'd like to get it done before Thanksgiving since that would make the hunters happier.

October

Last Tuesday I caught some of the BC gang at Forest Meadows for a moderately paced loop of about 15 miles then met Bob Marley at TB Wednesday for a pleasant roll of 9 miles. Saturday Rupe and I stopped by Higher Ground to pick up some new jerseys and get a little work done on my bike before we hit TB for another 10 miles. Then back to TB again (solo this time) with the BC group on Sunday for a little over 11 miles. Throw in a fire department meeting on Thursday night and I was getting a cold stare from Bunky when I left the house for that Sunday ride. When the weathers like this it's just hard to say no to a ride.

The guys at Higher Ground do a great job getting to my stuff quickly and putting up with my mechanical retardation but I'm still surprised how much money I'm spending on cycling. I know I'm buying for 2 usually but it seems like it was almost as much money to run a moto program as it is cycling. Once again I'm not really complaining cause I wouldn't spend it if I didn't enjoy it but still. After breaking the 5th nipple/spoke on my rear wheel I added a new wheel set to my wish list. This goes along with the other 7 things that were already on there. I get the feeling this list is never going to end. This doesn't even include Rupe's list which now includes a new bike since he's convinced he's out grown his.

I wonder when I'm 85 (which is closer than I want to admit) and living out of a trailer in the woods if I'll regret the money I've spent on our two wheel toys? I know people who seem to have built quite the asset base with lake houses and property but those folks don't have hobbies that cost as much as mine either in terms of time or money. Ah but there's no guarantee about tomorrow is there? At least that's my rationalization. As a line from one of my favorite movies goes "rationalization is more important than sex, try getting through one day without a juicy rationalization".

I hope to get to the gym this week, I do miss my routine and I can tell when a week goes by that I don't go. I plan to start putting some running back onto my regime. I have the 1 mile Pumpkin Run in Havana this Friday and that should be a wake up call on how weak my legs have gotten. Saturday is the Pumpkin Festival and I've got fire truck duty from 10-3. We set up the truck downtown and let the kids go through it and then let them pick out a Halloween prize. We've had 200 kids go through that truck in years past and I still get a kick out of it. This is really a great time of year isn't it?

Tree Hugger

At the Gone Riding XC race at Hailes Trails this past weekend they ran us through a culvert that had a low hanging limb before the entrance and another one after you came out. Frank F. was close enough behind me that I could see him through the trees so I'm sure that and my blazing speed had an effect on what happened. I knew the limb was there because we had ridden the trail the day before and it was the second lap of the race. I ducked for the first limb, stayed low for the culvert, then raised my head just in time to catch the second limb with the front of my helmet. That knocked me off the back of the bike but not before turning me to the right and straight into a large oak tree. It's funny what a full grown man will do when faced with the possibility of loosing a $3 medal. My only thought was to grab the bike and get up before Frank got there. I don't even remember checking to see if I was bleeding. My gosh man I could have lost 4th place in the 50+ base class! By all means get up quick!

There were so many other places on that course to further show off my remarkable abilities on a mountain bike what with all the rock climbs and descents around the quarry it was stupid to make an error in that simple culvert section. I mean the first hill after the start was like watching puppies on a tile floor. I knew we weren't going to make it because the class in front of us was still on the hill when we got there. I know I know I should have been in the lead then I wouldn't have had a problem but I had a different strategy in mind. Unfortunately that strategy didn't include Steve A. and two other riders (including the lady that hugged me last weekend) blazing by me while I struggled to get around stalled and floundering riders. I never saw them again.

All in all it was a great day. The weather was almost perfect. Rupe got a 5th in his race so he got one of those precious little medals. The swag from Super Cool Bike Shop was, well, cool even down where we were in the standings.

As I sat on the line waiting for my race to start I could see the Gatorback MX track next door. I thought back to my first dirt bike race there in 1974. Had it really been 36 years since two buddies and I drove into those pits in a green Ford van with green shag carpeting and Grand Funk blasting "We're an American Band" on the eight track? I won a trophy in that race, which was my first race, and my first trophy. From that day on I have been hooked on two wheels. And I never hear Grand Funk without thinking about that day. Life is so cool!

Kawasaki 175 sometime in 1974

Sandy

This photo has absolutely nothing to do with this blog except I find it hilarious.

It was hot and sandy at Ft. Clinch for the Gone Riding race last weekend. We went over on Saturday to get in a few laps of practice and were surprised how dry the course was. I had been told by smarter, faster, charismatic, and more experienced riders that the trail was mostly hard pack and flowed well with just one sandy hill that would present a problem. I knew something was different this year as soon as I slid down the first little sand dune on the single track.

On race day the yellow wave got to stir up the sand even more before we lowly white wave riders got to it. The start on pavement was different and I clenched up as we all went for the same small space on the entry to the single track. Tires slid and I heard "oh shit!" as someone came across on the inside and almost took us all out. FF crashed in front of me 3 times in the first section, SA had seat issues and pulled off (he had gotten a first Tallahassee), and a rider named Dr. Ric (who had gotten 2nd in Tallahassee) hit the first log and flatted. I knew FF couldn't run up the first sandy hill with his bum ankle so we freight trained along till we came to it, I out ran him to the top and was feeling pretty froggy. The top four of us swapped places in the next section as we all struggled with the sand hills that I had no problem climbing the night before. FF got back by me before we hit the pavement but I still had visions of greatness.

Once we popped out on the road headed for the scoring chicane I got a lesson in pavement tactics as third and fourth place drafted by me while FF pulled away. I don't know why it was so hard for me to go faster on the road I just seemed to want to rest and couldn't get into any kind of pace. Anyway I was able to catch third once back on the single track just before the sand hill, after he had some tire problems, and once again settled into my "hey I'm on the box!" pace where I spend more time looking behind me than looking ahead. I was happy finishing third and once again I tried to imagine how another lap would have felt.

We have had a lady riding in our class this year (she may always ride it I don't know) who likes to keep the trail chatter up making us all smile while she comments on how we look from behind. She apparently got 5th so when we were posing for our podium photo she grabbed my leg! Take a look at the picture and you can tell she's scoping me out! Maybe this kind of stuff happens all the time in these big time bike races who knows? Even though this photo shows me in all my glory with the big medal and standing on the box and all, I really just put it up to show her. No really.

Rupe had a tough time on his last lap with two crashes but was still glad to be there; finishing just out of the gold in sixth. Instead of attending my podium deal he went and sat in the ocean. He keeps that up and we'll just have to see about that 9er he's been drooling over.

The End?

I let my subscription to Motocross Action expire this month and now I hear that Cycle News has quit print publication. That leaves Dirt Rider as my only moto magazine and I have never really enjoyed reading it that much. The weekly delivery of Cycle News used to be a big deal before the Internet and all of the TV coverage that moto now enjoys. It seems like I am in the minority but I like to hold my reading material in my hands, flip through it, and look at the pictures. It's just not the same as clicking on the pages on this screen.

I have a framed first edition of Dirt Bike Magazine that I purchased at a news stand in Jacksonville Fl. in 1971 and a stack of later editions from the 70s into the 80s. Some of the articles are 2-3 pages of text, written with an easy style, and a sense of humor. That was back before the days of motor homes and enclosed trailers. I liked it better when it was kind of a niche sport, not so Nascar.

The MTB races and rides remind me of what moto was like in the early days. You have a few who are taking it serious but most of the riders seem to be just in it for the fun. The pits (do you call them that?) are relaxed and it's hard to be too aggressive out on the trail with another rider when they can talk to you while you ride. Not all disciplines of moto have gone glitzy. There is still enduro racing which draws a more relaxed and friendly crowd. Unfortunately land to have these events on has gotten hard to come by so they end up using wet areas or trails that have been beaten to death.

Maybe it's not the end of the moto deal for me. I still have a bike and some good places to ride. People who know me will tell you that I do this every so often, quit riding one type of moto and get hot on something else, only to go back to the first thing eventually. But I am happily stuck on this bicycle deal right now.

We rode FM Wednesday, TB Thursday, and again on Saturday. Sunday afternoon we rode FM again and I expected to get tortured by RS and Charismatic CS but it turned out to be a moderate pace (for me) and a nice way to wrap up the weekend. Rupe and I are looking forward to the race this weekend and now that I have some idea how it all works I am not nearly as nervous as I was before the first round.

The new Specialized Sport shoes I purchased last week are much lighter and don't soak up water as my Shimano MT 41's did so I'm looking for at least another minute off my lap times.

Toe the Line

I tried not to let the bicycle thing get competitive. I really did. I kept telling myself and any one else who would listen that I was just in it for the fresh air and fun. But every now and then I would catch myself looking at race articles on the Internet, asking questions about pacing, and getting advice from more accomplished riders on clearing certain obstacles. I would ride behind people and measure my speed (mostly lack of it) and stamina then tell myself that "I was just curious". All of the while repeating the mantra that racing didn't matter, that I was not one of "those types" when it came to bicycling. You see in the past I had let the urge to compete taint my motorcycling to the point where it just wasn't fun anymore and I didn't want to head down that path with this new hobby.

So it was with a certain amount of dread and anxiety that I toed the line Sunday morning for the first round of the Florida State Series. I had been waking up at 3:00 in the morning visualising laps around Tom Brown every night the week before and despite all my self analysis I had no idea how I would stack up against the 16 other 50+ base riders. Would they just leave me in the dust? Would I be fighting for last place? Would I puke?

Then the starter said "5 seconds" and I almost peed my pants but when the whistle blew and I started pedaling I felt almost calm. Almost. I had listened to TC when he told me to go hard at first but these guys (and one lady) seemed to be just cruising. So when Steve and Frank went by I took off after them. The root section on Cadillac that TC and CS had helped me with went by like it was nothing. The pace felt good and I was pumped to be in third. Before Kudzilla I moved into second and stayed there the rest of the first lap. On the multi-use after the rock creek crossing I lost a place just before going onto Cadillac. At this point I was getting tired and started having trouble passing people. Then two riders collided on the approach to the roots after the bridge right in front of me and there was no where for me to go. I watched second place disappear through the trees.

By the time I started the climb on Magnolia my back was hurting and I was getting a little queasy so I decided to settle for third. Which really wasn't much of a choice since it was all I could do just to pedal.

I don't see how anybody could do 3 laps or more! I have raced off road motorcycles for 28 years and this was one of the hardest things I've ever done on two wheels. But it was one of the most fun. I'm embarrassed by my little fist pump when I crossed the line, an old man getting excited about getting a third in the oldest and slowest class in a little bicycle race, but I couldn't help it.

I had a blast and Rupe and I could easily get hooked on this. He also finished third in his class and I've never seen him enjoy a competitive sport so much. It was cool both of us getting on the box in our classes in the same event. Gone Riding does a great job making the event fun and the Higher Ground guys added to the festival like atmosphere. We're planning on going to the second round in Fernandina in a couple of weeks and try some trails we've never ridden before.

In retrospect I guess not everybody wants to line up and race and there's certainly nothing wrong with that. There are a lot of people who didn't race Sunday that are much better riders than I am. I guess in the end once a racer always a racer and no matter how old or slow I get there's a certain thrill that goes along with lining up with other people and having somebody say GO!

Holiday

When people ask how my holiday weekend went I just shrug and say "I went to my wife's family reunion" and they understand. Rupe and I did get to run the Fallen Heroes 5k Saturday morning before we left so that at least got things started out nice. I struggled on the hills leading up to the finish but overall I am happy with my time. Rupe cut a little off of his last run time and said he enjoyed the run. I'll leave out the details of the trip to the reunion so I can stay married but I was informed I didn't have to go next year so that gives you an idea of how well I behaved.

We got back Sunday evening so Monday was open for a round of golf in the morning and a short but fruitful ride at TB in the afternoon. We just happened to catch TC and KW at the trail head and they were kind enough to escort us on a lap in what we assume will be the direction of the race this coming weekend.

TC even took the time to work with Rupe and I on a section we have been struggling with. After some examples and brief instruction I still couldn't get the nerve to clear this particular root section. Rupe however cleared it on his first try. He stopped at the top, dropped his bike, balled his fists, and said "yesssss!". I was glad he cleared it but more than that I was glad he was so stoked about it. It's a good feeling when you finally defeat something that has scared you. You get that little adrenaline high, it can be very addicting, and it's a part of what makes this sport so fun. I mean if you miss a par put in golf what's the worse that can happen? I did manage to get over the other part of the section but not until after Rupe had done it first. On the way home I had to listen to him tell me how I should set up for the one he did that I didn't.

There will come a time when he'll be able to do lots of things I can't (sounds like it's already here) and that's a little hard for me to get my head around. I guess it comes to all fathers eventually but for me it's both a proud and slightly scary moment.

But hey, at least I beat him at golf.

Don't Worry Be Happy

It started last Sunday with the Green Coffee Bean ride at Forest Meadows. While not as big of a crowd as we had last time the 15 riders split up into two groups with one planning on riding a more aggressive pace than the other. I had invited a friend along whom I was hoping would get bitten by the mountain bike bug so he, Rupe, and I went with the more mellow group.

We all made it back to the parking lot in one piece, no crashes, everybody made it up all the hills, and there were grins all around. My friend had had enough so Rupe and I planned to go on a little less mellow ride. We should have quit while we were ahead. My buddy wanted to ride my bike before he went home so he hopped on, clipped in, rode 10 feet, and fell over like a ton of bricks. Fortunately he was out of sight of everybody else as he rolled around on the ground like he'd broken a hip (which I thought he might have). He recovered but I doubt he got bitten by anything other than red bugs.

After my fallen comrade loaded up Rupe and I hooked up with three other guys and went on some illegal single track which was a blast. I'd never ridden this trail before. I know, I know we shouldn't have done it and I don't have a good excuse but it was really a good ride. What you've never done it?

Tuesday I went on the Higher Ground ride to TB and met another group of nice folks. Todd even offered to buy us all ice cream at the end of the ride. That guy knows how to run a business.

Wednesday was at TB again with Rupe. It was the first week night he'd had off since school started and he was anxious to ride. I had to work to stay with him he was like a bird dog that had just been let out of the pen. We had to cut our ride a little short as I developed mechanical issues and could only ride in granny.

TB again on Thursday with Terry's Kids. It was great to see him on a bike and the ride was enjoyable. That group has some impressive skills or is it just that I don't have any skills, anyway I kept asking "did you ride up that?" To which they would smile at me like you do a kid who just asked about Santa Clause and say wise things like "just pull on the front end and let it roll over" or while looking at my cassette say "looks like you've still got a few more gears to use". I do appreciate their help and patience as I tag along.

It was actually 69 degrees this morning. It's a cruel joke that as the weather gets better the days get shorter.

Sore

My thighs are killing me. I can hardly walk down the steps in the garage without wincing in pain. Since I started riding the MTB I haven't taken much time to run. I used to do at least 15 miles per week and a 5 mile run wasn't that unusual.

I have been looking forward to the Miller Landing Madness 8k since I missed it last year due to catching the annual cold my wife seems to bring home from school. I really like running off road and this year I was healthy, the weather was perfect, and I hadn't run more than 2 miles a week in months.

At the start I lined up close to the front even though I knew I was going to be slow. I'd set my Garmin for an 8 minute mile pace and I waited anxiously for the starter to sound the horn. As always seems to happen two older (than me) women got right in front of me just before the horn and as soon as it went off they did the little shuffle, talking all the time, laughing, going so damn SLOW! Don't they know this is a race? Can't they see I'm some kind of running machine? Alright, alright it's a long 5 miles so be cool. I noticed a lot of people going out hard but I held my pace, my little Garmin beeping whenever I went under 8 minutes.

The crowd thinned out at the 5k/8k split which was just after the first good hill. We did 2 loops of the same course and on the second loop I started seeing all the people who had started out so hard; walking. I began picking off small groups and by mile 4 I only had one runner that I could see in front of me. I hadn't looked back but I couldn't hear anyone behind me. Here's where I got stupid. For some reason I thought it was 6 miles instead of 5 so when I came out of the woods and saw the finish line I still had some gas left in the tank. I passed the guy in front of me, and as I got closer to the crowd along the finish chute someone yells "you've a big pack coming behind you". What? I started sprinting and some gray haired dude caught me at the line.

It's not like it was for a trophy or anything but still I hate to loose a place right at the end. I finished 56 out of 158 and yes the guy that got me at the line was in my class. Rupe ran the 5k and felt good at the finish. Bunky joined us for the traditional after run trip to Waffle House. It was a great way to start the weekend.

A Taste?

It was almost in the air last night. On the back side of Twilight following two other riders I noticed it didn't feel as hot as it had last time TC and I rode this stretch. Could it be? Has summer lost it's death grip? I wasn't the only one to notice as others mentioned it when we got back to the trail head. I'm almost afraid to hope.

I saw something out there last night that I'd never seen before. At least I think I saw it. At first it sounded like geese honking and I thought, "now that's not right there's no geese out here in the wiregrass". I asked the other guys if they'd heard anything but they didn't answer; we just kept pedaling.

I looked around and across the gas line I saw at least 5 people dressed in gray camo running in the same direction (away from us fortunately) and I swear they were making that honking noise. I again hollered at the other two riders but got no response.

As we crossed the gas line a solid black Dodge pickup came out of the woods fast and headed into the woods on the other side of the gas line. This area is vehicle restricted so I have no idea what was going on out there. Nobody else seemed to think any of this was strange as if people run through the woods making goose noises all the time.

Anywhooo it was a good group to ride with, a good pace, and plenty of mileage. We got back to the trail head just as it was getting too dark for me to see easily. We even enjoyed a beer together before we headed home.

But I know what I saw out there!

School has started for the kid so he missed the ride last night at FM. We did get to go to TB both Saturday and Sunday for some short but very enjoyable rides. We played around on the qualifier to the big drop on Magnolia and never could get up the nerve to ride it. The drop was fun though. On Cadillac we messed around with that rooty section that gives us so much grief but never got through it clean either. I kept thinking something about an old dog and new tricks.

FM last night was a workout. Nobody from the regular moto crew could go and since I'd not ridden since Sunday I was in the mood to ride. I rode by myself at a pace where I was winded but not gasping except on the lake climb and was headed back to the truck after completing the lake loop and Red Bug when I ran into the BC group unloading.

They graciously asked me to tag along and we went back out on RB at a moderate (for me, slow for them) pace. Now I have no trouble on these hills with my regular group so when we started up the first one I looked down, made a couple of cranks, looked up, and these guys were gone. They even had to circle back to look for me. Humbling, but I did enjoy the abuse.

The days are getting shorter but it's not any cooler. Well maybe a little, it's 93 instead of 99 but the humidity seems worse than I remember.

We're planning on running the 8k/5k race at FM this Saturday. I haven't been running regularly so this should be another opportunity to be humbled.

Munsoned Out

The youth ride Tuesday was at Munson and it was just as dry as it was the last time we were there. It rains everywhere but on my yard and on this trail. We had a new father son team with us. The father I have known for years though distantly. He's now an expert level MTB racer and is trying to introduce his 8 year old son to the sport with all the fun and frustration that entails.

We made a short slow loop with Rupe and CF leading and it seemed the 8 year old had had enough when we got back to the benches so they peeled off and we then went on the CF chosen path which was the regular TT route. Both Rupe and I are getting a little burnt on this particular loop but CF hammered it harder than I've ever seen him hammer and we all finished up panting and sweaty. It poured rain as we loaded up.

Wednesday I had trouble deciding where to ride as showers had hit most of the trails sometime during the day and I just couldn't face Munson again. It was Rupe's first day of school and he wanted to get out and ride so we just did the default ride at FM even though it was wetter than a frog's back. Giant and another father/son duo were the only other participants so we headed out onto Red Bug for a short wet section then down to the Lake Loop.

We dropped the duo (not on purpose) and they went back by a different trail so just Giant, Rupe, and I went across to the McClay side and did Silk then around the lake. Giant and I weren't hitting it very hard but we were still dropping Rupe off the back and I turned around to see him as we passed the dock by the lake. After we climbed the hill I turned around and rode back down to see how far back he was. I couldn't find him. Any one who has been a parent knows that feeling when you can't find your kid, even if he is 14 and 5"8" and has ridden this trail 50 times.

It was getting dark so I doubled back all the way to the dock, hollered his name then turned around and climbed up the hill to the only place he could have turned off and headed down that trail. I ran into a couple walking and they said they had seen him behind us earlier but not since. That meant he was still on the bike and I had missed him. Another jogger said he had passed him a good ways back and he was headed up the hill. I pounded back up to the trail head at FM and found him talking to another couple apparently asking them if they had seen me.

After I vented my fear and frustration in front of everybody we rode back to the truck. Rupe had not really done anything wrong except scare the crap out of me. That is the first time I've ever lost him while riding. I could tell it scared him too and he had a funny look on his face on the ride home.

Oh well alls well that ends well. We will take a couple of nights off and see what next week brings.

Wet Ride

Hot and damp at 8:30 Sunday morning when we pulled into the trail head at Magnolia. Rupe had some new MTB shoes he wanted to try out and I had just had my crank bearings replaced (already?) with a set that was guaranteed to make me faster. This bicycle game is just like the dirt bikes when it comes to spending money, it's always "just a few more dollars and it will be perfect".

We were invited to join a group of much faster riders and after I pleaded that we would only slow them down we fell in behind them. Right off the truck they started hammering and had me gasping in just a couple of tenths down the trail. They did slow up when they hit multi use but as soon as it got technical they were gone. I struggled with one root section that they had no trouble cleaning and we didn't see them again till we got to the bike wash at the MOAPG. Rupe's face was red and I was panting as we rolled up to find what must have been 20 riders going on the TMBA Panera Bread Co. ride. We found some familiar faces in the crowd and since the fast group had already left we decided to join the new group and explore some trail we hadn't seen before.

That many people on single track is a study in frustration as we crashed and stalled our way down Fern over to the Bread Co. where we filled up the grass lot in front. I liked the look on the faces of the patrons as 20+ sweaty bicyclists sprawled out on the grass. Rupe was complaining of stomach pains until he let out a belch that sounded like someone had run over a bull frog then he felt better.

On the trip back we got to see some real acts of balance on some of the log crossings. I could barely walk across what they rode across. We did a partial loop of Magnolia and as it began to mist we called it a morning. We needed to be at Rupe's school for open house that afternoon anyway and this was a good time to quit even though we were tempted to continue with a smaller group we were out of water and I didn't feel like filling up my camel back from the dog spigot.

I can't believe it's already time for Rupe to start school again. It's been a great summer.

The Last TT

I'm sorry we didn't start doing these at the beginning of the summer. Rupe and I just started to enjoy them and now it's over. Last night was at Munson (again) with all the beach sand in all the wrong places it was a challenging ride for me. Rupe cut quite a bit of time off his previous run while I was only able to cut 10 seconds off of mine. He's getting close to my times and there's nothing I can do about it.

After 3 straight evenings of MTB I'm feeling tired today, my pulse rate was up this morning which is a good sign I need to take a night off the bike plus my knee feels weak, man I sound like an old guy complaining about my aches and pains.

It's our normal Moto Guys ride at FM tonight but so far nobody has emailed me about wanting to go so I'll keep quiet and see if they remember. Like an idiot I'll go if they want to, Rupe said last night he was up for it. We shall see.

The Weekend

The Fam and some friends did an early morning boat tour at Wakulla Springs last Saturday. There was a light fog on the water and we got to see manatees, gators, and all sorts of birds. Afterwards we all enjoyed a huge breakfast at the lodge and went snorkeling in the springs. The only downside was the popularity of the springs on a hot summer day, it was crowded by the time we left, but all in all a good trip.

We picked up some athletic gear bags from Sports Authority that worked perfectly for our MTB stuff for half the cost of lesser bags from the bike shop.

By Sunday afternoon I was ready for a bike ride again unfortunately Rupe was not so I headed to TB with my music for a planned moderate pace ride by myself. I cranked the forks down to the shortest travel and had the pro pedal on and it seemed to help cornering on the hard pack. As I was almost done with my first lap I ran into BW and TC and was honored by a lap with BW. The skills these guys have in the technical sections amazes me and with a few pedal strokes they're out of sight.

Rupe and I did Munson Monday last night with a big group. He went on the shorter route while I chased TC on twilight. My tongue was hanging in my spokes by the time we got back to the truck but I like being pushed and was pleased with my stamina. Rupe had tunes and enjoyed the ride.

We are both planning on doing the XC race at TB in September so that gives me something to train for. I hope not to get last place or puke. Not very lofty goals but it's something.

We did pick up the orange beast but haven't ridden it yet. We'll just wait and see how this goes.

We did another junior ride on the Greenway Tuesday and it brought back memories of Rupe when he first started pedaling off road. I can remember the meltdowns "I hate these hills" and "stupid bike!" It took all I could do not to scream at him back then and I was successful (most of the time). I knew he had to get over the learning curve before he could begin to really enjoy the ride and it was (is) my responsibility to keep him stringing along until he got there.

I got to meet a couple of new people on the ride and I am getting the hang of riding and talking. Something you can't do on a dirt bike. I've also noticed a real lack of attitude among MTBRs. Everyone I've met has been friendly with none of the swagger I'd become accustomed to in moto. Heck maybe it's just me; ya think?

It rained out our usual FM ride on Wednesday which meant two days of gym work for me this week so by Thursday evening I was ready for a ride. Me, Giant, Rupe, Bob Marley, and an acquaintance of Bobs rode TB. It looked like rain the whole way to the trail head but conditions turned out to be perfect and we had a short but quick paced ride. That place is really turning out to be my favorite trail.

I have a tough decision to make within the next few weeks regarding a commitment on the moto side. It's both financial and time that's got me worried. I don't know if I really want to do more than I'm doing right now. We'll see.

Sticky

Hard to breathe. My clothes are soaked after just minutes. The air seems heavy with moisture with almost a fog hanging off the ground. Even though the suns not blazing yet it is still HOT!

Rupe and I ran a 5k/5 mile run in the Wakulla State Forest Saturday morning. The trail was sandy across palmetto roots and even ran down to a spring and back. For a description of how it felt see above but I still enjoyed the run. It was a tough 5 miles and reminded me of the enduros I used to do in the Ocala National Forest where I thought my brain was going to fry. Rupe downed a whole bag of energy jelly beans and didn't stretch before the run so naturally he had side cramps and pain in his hip which forced him to walk part of the 5k. He wasn't into it that morning and I appreciate him going along anyway. Once we got home we didn't leave the house until we all went to eat Mexican in Bainbridge that night.

Sunday dawned much the same as Saturday as we headed to Forest Meadows for a group ride. And what a group it was. It felt like a road bike pelaton (sp?). My guess was 20 riders of all skill levels. It was enjoyable to ride and talk. After the big group ride Rupe and I did the lake loop for a good 16 miles total. For the first time in a long time by lunch I'd had enough.

Now here it is Monday and I'm ready to go again. Man I must be sick.

Summer

102 degrees on the truck thermometer last night at 6:00 as I pulled into the trail head parking lot at Magnolia. It didn't feel any hotter than 95 did the evening before at FM but the idea of riding when it's that hot that late in the day makes me wonder if I've got any sense at all.

At the TT Tuesday about half a lap in I began to think about what would happen if I had a heart attack while out there. That's not something younger riders even consider and I don't dwell on it very often but when it's that hot and I'm pushing myself the thought did creep in my mind. Let's see, I'd left my cell phone in my pack back at the start and the rider going off behind me was Rupe which didn't make me feel any better. So I backed it down a little. Still took a few seconds off my previous time but got stomped by a new old guy who stole my (imaginary) 50+ crown. It's fun to go that hard once in a while and Rupe seems to enjoy it even though he's not even breathing hard at the finish I suspect he's got a lot more in the tank that he's not using. Speaking of Rupe he bailed on two of the rides this week and the group asked about him. When I told him he was missed it made him sorry he didn't make the ride. It's hard at that age to know what to do, I remember how it was.

I can't believe it's the end of July already. Everybody complains about the heat but I know I'll miss the long daylight and the evening rides without having to use lights. The year seems to pick up speed after August and rolls fast to Christmas. Bonnie Rait has a song with the line "times seems so precious when you've got less of it to spend" or something like that. Anyway the point is to make the best of it even if it's not always comfortable.

Moonlight

The monthly full moon ride at Munson had a bigger group than last time I think we had 8 show up. The temps were in the upper 80's with a mostly clear sky so we got to see the moon rise. Some of our group were brave enough to ride without lights but I'm too old for that so Rupe and I lit up the world with our helmet lights and enjoyed a casual pace for the 8 mile loop.

The feds had just burned a portion of the forest that the trail passes through, some of the lighter stumps were still on fire so the group stopped to roast marshmallows. I couldn't quite get into standing in front of a smoky fire in the middle of July to eat black things on a stick so I just enjoyed the quiet of the woods.

With a nose as big as mine I get to enjoy the different smells of the forest at night something you don't seem to get in the heat and humidity of the day or maybe I just don't take the time. There's something about a night ride that makes you feel good. The music on the way home just sounded better.

Dumb Old Man

My plans to ride 3 days during the week seemed to have come together. Monday I hit the gym for my little old man weight routine, Tuesday I rode with Giant and Blank at Tom Brown, then Wednesday by myself (more on that later) at Forest Meadows, and Thursday with Bob Marley and friends at TB again.

On Monday Rupe had other plans and I had posted that I was riding at Tom Brown but after checking the radar and getting an email from TMBA about going to Munson I switched. On the way Giant called and said they were going to TB so I diverted again.

Giant wasn't feeling up to snuff after a weekend of moto and wanted to take it easy so we rolled at a moderate pace over to Kudzilla and around to Lobolly where we stopped for a breather in the sweltering heat. After a few minutes I needed a breeze so I suggested we roll easy and talk while we ride and for a change to keep the pace low I jumped out in front. This must have been seen as some sort of a challenge even though I had stated my intentions before I started pedaling because the chatter behind me started almost immediately. Something about me not going very fast and not wanting to be competitive which I took to mean they didn't want to roll slow and were ready to ride. Blank keeps telling me he needs a good workout so I tried my best to give him one even if I felt like puking on all the hills. Hey, it's the kind of guy I am.

When I stopped at our normal place to take off my glasses Giant was nowhere to be found and when Blank pulled up he said he had turned back. My mistake! It was just so much fun to ride hard by myself without worrying about Rupe. Yea I know that's a week excuse. So by the time Blank and got back to the truck Giant had already left. To make things even better I had ridden too hard coming back in and didn't give myself a chance to cool down so I was sweating like a pig and having trouble getting my heart rate down while we loaded up. Dumb old man!

After sending out the email for the FM Wednesday ride Blank replied he had forgotten to wash his riding clothes and Giant said he was 50/50, Clever said he might make it which we all know means no way in hell he's coming. I pulled up to the tennis courts at the appointed time to find Giants truck already there along with 3 other trucks that belonged to some very fast moto guys. I realized I had been dumped in favor of a more star studded group, sigh .

I rode our normal route and enjoyed the ride since it was the first time FM had been dry in a while. I had thought to bring my tunes just in case and that was a treat to ride with a sound track. Giant had left me a note on my truck when I finished my first loop and it seems we were riding in opposite directions so I changed gloves and headed out to finish the ride.

The flurry of emails Thursday morning left me no doubt I had been dumped even though Giant said I was pouting. Imagine that! Bob Marley emailed me about going to TB that evening along with Jwheeldeal which would have been unusual because he doesn't really like TB. When I got to the parking lot at 5:30 it was 99 degrees on my truck thermometer. We met a couple who rode with us to the lake crossing then turned around but no Jwheeldeal which I wasn't surprised. BM and I rode across to the Alford Greenway and the jungle that that trail has become and came back on Cadillac. A nice way to finish the work week.

Hanna Park

The Fam headed to Jacksonville this past weekend to visit some more family so we took the bikes along to hit Hanna Park again. Rupe and I had ridden there 6 months ago but stayed lost the whole time. Bunky was going with us this time around and we figured it would be a slower pace so maybe we would't get lost.

The trails there are directional which is nice since you don't have to worry about meeting someone coming the other way. That could easily happen since the underbrush is thick in a lot of spots and the trail is tight. You'd think being on the beach that sand would be a problem but it's not as sandy as Munson. It flows well for being so tight with only a few rooty sections but nothing as extreme as Red Bug. Bunky only had to bail a couple of times while Rupe only pushed once (I counted twice but he denies the second one).

For a city the size of Jax the trail system is short as we only had 7 miles when we finished the main loops. We may have missed a little bit as the marking is slim on some sections but we didn't miss much. It was a pleasant Saturday afternoon and there were only 3 vehicles at the trail head and only one of them was on a real off road bike. The trails didn't look hammered so I assume it doesn't get ridden near as much as Tom Brown.

You can ride out to the ocean in a couple of spots and the jungle scenery is interesting. There was a parade of vehicles going around and around a small lake in the middle of the park which made for heavy traffic when crossing the roads which you have to do to connect the loops.

Would it be worth a trip from Tally just to ride it? Probably not; there are better systems closer to home and you'd have to go all the way through Jax to get to this one but if you're in town for another reason take the bike it's worth that much effort.

Puddles

Rain every day this week. It reminds me of the scene from Forest Gump "one day it started raining and it didn't quit for 3 months" it sounds better if you say it in a real southern drawl. Along with this comes the 95 degree days with 98% humidity oh well that's just summer in Florida it's better than being snowed in for days at a time (I guess).

Our little group went to Forest Meadows Wednesday evening even though it had been flooding earlier in the day. Rupe, Giant, a newbie that Giant had met on a road bike ride, and I sloshed through the puddles of standing water on the multi use trail. It was so humid it was hard to breath both in and out!

We did the lake loop over to Overstreet and down the Silk trail which held up surprisingly well. At the power line we went across McClay and down the power line behind Ricky Carmichael's house to Timberlane, turned around and came back to Overstreet. The short section on McClay was scary I don't like cars when I'm on a bicycle.

I took a look at my totals on the Garmin 305 and so far this year it shows 507 bicycle miles and 170 run miles. That's on the low side as I haven't taken it on all my rides and it conked out on me a couple of times when I forgot to charge the battery still that's not bad mileage for an old man.

We're going to ride someplace really different this weekend I'll let you know how that goes.

BTW if you're enjoying reading this or maybe not enjoying it but just like to watch a train wreck how about a comment or two. It doesn't hurt to follow the blog. Nobodies going to steal your identity or anything.

TT Again

We hit the TT at Munson last night. Thunder rumbled and it was dark to the south but we never got a drop of rain. This was Rupe's first TT and he enjoyed it. We both set decent times at least when you factor in our general lack of skill. It won't be long before he passes me but he's not there yet.

It's a relaxed group with no attitude. Everybody is friendly and encouraging. At TC's suggestion I rode the whole lap in the big ring and did better than last time without the impending need to puke for half the lap.

On the way home at 8:30 going by the airport I pointed out the sunset to Rupe and he looked over and said "I think I like the mountain bike better than the dirt bike" for some reason I've been felling the same way lately. It was a good day.