What an interesting holiday weekend! The weather was pleasant which for Florida in July is saying something. Breezy and 85 is almost unheard of this time of year.
It started out with the Greensboro Fl. 5k foot race Saturday morning. The unusual part of this run is the ride out to the start in an old school bus; they drop you off on the side of the road and you race back into town. Turnout was around 50 runners but some of the fast old guys from Tallahassee must have made the trip because I won my class last year and got beat by a good margin this year even after setting a better time. Rupe ran also but it seems his feet are growing so fast he's already outgrown his running shoes and at the finish he was complaining of sore feet (at least that's what he blamed his time on).
That afternoon I decided to take Clever up on his offer to join him for some quality dirt bike time at Fastrac. This was my first time on the bike in 3 months. The longest I've been off a motorcycle in 20 years except for the time I broke my wrist. The first laps felt strange but by the second session I started to get a little rhythm and enjoy the ride. The track had 4 times the number of double jumps it had last time I rode there, I think I'll go back to riding in the woods.
Sunday I took Rupe and a friend fishing and did the 4th thing.
Monday I got up early and headed for the St. Marks trail head to do my big 40 mile loop in the ANF. I really should plan better as the gray skies reminded me I hadn't brought a plastic baggie for my electronics and camera. Then after just 20 minutes my MP3 battery ran out. I did my best not to get pissed but I had really been looking forward to a soundtrack for this ride.
Most of the route was forest service roads some of which had been graded and some that were sandy and rutted. I noticed old motorcycle enduro trail that I had ridden so many times. It seems a shame they keep the bikes out of that area now.
After Silver Lake I rounded a corner on a graded road only to see a large black fury butt sashaying back and forth in the road about 50 yards in front of me. Aw crap a bear! Do I turn around? Yell? What if I yell and it gets mad? So I just stopped and took out the camera. I've worked in the woods most of my life but this was the biggest bear I'd ever seen. My hand was shaking so bad I couldn't even take the picture. It finally waddled off across the ditch and into the palmettos never even knowing I was there. As I started to ride again I hollered, whooped, and pedaled as fast as I could.
The end of the route was on 5 miles of paved road which was the worst part of the ride. I don't see how roadies stand it. I hit exactly 40 on my GPS when I got back to the truck and the bottom dropped out of the sky.
My knees and sit bones were (are) sore but I am planning another long haul before the summers over.
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