Thunder!

My MTB skills need work.  I know it's something I should concentrate on yet I'd rather do intervals.  That is until I have a compassionate crew to ride with.  A crew willing to wait while I hesitate on the simplest obstacles.  Willing to offer advice in a friendly manner, and allow me to ask questions while they patiently wait for me to catch up.

Wait, they don't do that.  But they do graciously accompany me while I attempt what I call skills training and they call just riding.

Last weekend it was Red Bug in a direction I don't normally ride.  Because it has three climbs that have either roots or rocks.  I hadn't done the rock one since before THE CRASH so I was looking forward to getting that demon behind me.  On the approach W. B. starting singing AC/DC "thunder!".
I balked the first run but cleaned it the second time.  It felt like a weight had lifted off my shoulders.  I've been back since and was able to ride it with only one freeze up.  Unless you've struggled with this type of thing you don't understand.  I am pumped to be almost 62 and still able to do stuff that scares me.

Not Red Bug, but this is how it looks to me

The Holiday

Too much food and alcohol.  We did go to church.  We also saw family.  I like the time off.  I have a friend who once said "Christmas and Thanksgiving ruin the best part of the year".  I don't go that far buttttt. 

I didn't do my strength training on Christmas day, the first time I've missed since starting base.  I think I handled it pretty well.

The Kid will be home until January 7.  It's a pattern we should be getting used to.  We will be accustomed to having him around then he'll be gone again.  I guess we should be grateful, when he gets a job he sure won't have this much time off. 

Another Year

After New Years it will be a while till I take some time off.  This stretch used to go by slow but nowadays, not so much.  This is also the time I schedule all my annual checkups.  I try to be more consistent about this stuff since my doctor almost culled me from his patient list because I hadn't been to see him in 2 years.  Walking out of his office with a clean bill of health feels almost as good as getting over the rocks on Red Bug.

This is what the section looked like right after it was built