Treeman

Chattahoochee, I'm Not Crazy

2012-03-13T07:54:00.026-07:00

I had been waiting anxiously for this ride. It was a Silk designed route that was supposed to take in "every hill in Chattahoochee twice". We did not achieve that goal, but I didn't hear any complaints. After 88 miles, which included some dirt roads and an aggravating return trip head wind, I think we were all glad to see beautiful downtown Havana again.

You know where Chattahoochee is right? Or rather what it's famous for? It's the home of the Florida State Mental Hospital and a correctional institute. The city is located in West Gadsden County on the banks of the Apalachicola River and sports some serious elevation changes (for Florida at least).

Urban sprawl has missed it, no new subdivisions or strip malls. With Lake Seminole on the North, the river to the West, and an abundance of rolling hills I could never figure out why more people don't live here. Oh yea, jobs, if you don't work for the state there's really not much to do here to earn a living. Still, it's a pretty place.

Not as pretty as beautiful downtown Havana though and that's where we met at 9:00 on a cool Saturday morning. There were the regulars plus a couple of faces I didn't recognize. The trip started with some slight mechanicals on one of the bikes, I won't mention whose, but after BW got it tuned up there were no problems.

Unless you count BW's flat.

On the way out we had a good tail wind. BJS got pissed because I took us off route and it messed up his Garmin, I assured him it wouldn't be the last time, and I was right.

We stopped for a water break in front of the hospital, then rolled through the grounds to get to the first clay road section.

I love clay roads. The sandy spots got my attention and I still don't trust that skinny tire at any kind of speed but I smiled the hole time we were on dirt.

Heading back into the wind everybody was getting tired. I was trying to remember all the roadie rules I had just read the day before. I kept hearing "Norman, get on that wheel!" As well as other less polite insults. Every one took their turn at the front and when BJS pulled over and let me pull we were just outside of Havana. I kept my eye on my speedometer and tried to keep the same pace as BJS was running. I had thought about sprinting for the city limits sign but BW got the jump.

Right after we got into town one of the new faces rode up beside me and gave me a little grief for my excessive pace during that last pull. Really? After 88 miles you have to do that? I don't know that guy very well so I'll reserve that rant for another time.

Anyhoo after we got cleaned up we met at Joanies for beers and food. This ride set a new personal mileage mark for me by 10 miles. I want to do more of these. All the roadie rules aside I had a great time.

Thanks Silk!

A Rainy Day In Georgia

2012-03-05T07:27:00.024-08:00

Ah, the Tour of Amsterdam, we should have used jet skis, not bicycles.

I really thought we could get it in before the rain started. I was wrong, so very wrong. I had so few entries I decided to let riders roll when they wanted to. The earlier starters got to do at least 80% of the trail in the dry. The later ones weren't so lucky.

Anyhoo we got to socialize in the cabin while we waited for the lunch to cook. Since we had such a small crowd we were able to eat in the dry at a real table while the ATV riders stood around in the pouring rain trying to eat baked beans off of paper plates. It pays to know the promoter.

At 1:00 I still had 3 riders out on the course. By this time it must have rained 6" and was still coming down in buckets. They were pulling the food vendor's truck up the hill with a tractor while I sat there in the cabin watching the show. I finally called and got one of the rider's cell phone number and gave him a call, thinking they were huddled under a log somewhere waiting for someone to come and get them. I just didn't know who I was dealing with. They were still riding! I had to tell them to cut it short and come in on the road! They came down the muddy road to the house squealing like the Geico pig. Big smiles on all three muddy faces. They danced around hosing the red Georgia clay off of body and bike. They were having a great time!

Thanks to those who braved the almost biblical rain and wind, and to Todd and Mike at Higher ground for providing the prizes. We had fun playing poker for them while we waited for lunch. I seriously doubt I'll try this again. I have a long list of moto racing, and now cycling events, that have not gone quite as expected.

On the up side we managed to raise some money for a really good cause. No body got hurt. And I had some beer left over to take home with me.

Oh, and Mr. Anderson, you're an animal!

I Feel A Smile When the Pain Comes

2012-02-28T05:27:00.011-08:00

It was supposed to be a light week, only 6.5 hours on the bike, according to the OMTP (old man training plan). So I did the gym thing Monday and Wednesday, rode the Higher Ground ride on Tuesday, and rode the north side with B and Big Worm Thursday. Easy pace, knowing the Stomp XC race was going on Saturday I figured we'd do a little light ride Sunday. Things don't always go as planned though do they?

Saturday was 48 degrees with a 15 mph wind and cloudy. I couldn't get B out of bed, I couldn't blame him, so I went to the race solo. Odd how riding the same trails I've ridden a lot seemed different when someone says "race". The event was well run and I got a good workout. I also got some revenge for the beating I took at the CX race last year, he had a good excuse though. It was still cold when we finished, especially after standing around in wet riding gear. So after I got home I built a fire and took a snooze on the couch. Hey, it's what old men do. Little did I know what lay in store for Sunday.

It was still cold Sunday morning, with a good chance for rain. I figured there was no way we were riding so I pigged out on the donuts my family had gotten me for my birthday and planned on spending the day on the couch. Then the phone rings, it's big Worm leaving me a message about a ride Silk's planning, so I check my email. Sure enough, another exploring type of ride, starting at the St. Marks trail head, heading who knows where. Big Worm, Big Jim, and B are the only ones mentally unsound enough to take Silk up on his offer. I check the radar, it shows rain. Silk says "it'll just be light". He doesn't know anything about predicting the weather. It started raining on us an hour into the ride and didn't stop for what seemed like 2 hours. And no, it wasn't just "light".

Big Worm did a better job describing the journey in his blog so I won't rehash the details.

Silk has some sick fascination with riding to the Ocklocknee River on his mountain bike. The best I can figure at our closest point we were still 18 miles away. He didn't bring a map, in fact if BJ hadn't had his Garmin we'd probably still be down there. The only thing that turned us around was a creek crossing deep enough to have to swim.

On the way back we stopped at Trout Pond for water, we had eaten all of our food. We were cold, tired, wet, and hungry. But we all had these big stupid grins on our faces. How could that possibly have been fun? Why does suffering make some people smile?

Anyhoo, after almost 5 hours of pedaling we made it back to the trucks. It was starting to get dark, it was still cold, but the rain had stopped. I had brought some of those birthday donuts, we each devoured one. Still smiling, it was a great birthday.

Thanks to BJ for the pictures!

Let's Go Exploring

2012-02-22T05:12:00.009-08:00

Silk uttered these words as we met at the St. Marks trail head last Sunday afternoon. Like music to my ears! It was a spur of the moment ride, I had other plans for the morning and was hoping someone else would want to go in the afternoon. B is getting to the point where just riding with his dad isn't as fun as it used to be, imagine that.

The previous nights rain had made the other trail options a little damp so when Silk mentioned Munson we jumped at the idea. The fact that he wanted to go exploring and not just ride laps made my day. I just wish we had planned it earlier in the week so I could have looked forward to. Anticipation can be part of the fun. I know that's weak but at my age, ya know, you take what you can get.

Anyhoo, we turned right at the bench at the intersection on Munson and began our exploration ride, and what a ride it was. I hesitate to tell you exactly where we went. I know that's rude but some of the ride was on, shall we say, less established trail. But I had been there before. Many years ago in another incarnation, on a different vehicle. As we rolled I had flash backs to a less regulated time, when you could ride where you wanted. Before the days of the dreaded four wheeler. Many dusty, sandy, Sunday afternoons were spent on these trails. I could even remember certain turns and what I was riding the last time I was there. I hooped and hollered like a kid as we pedaled. I had figured B would never get to see these trails since they became unavailable before he was able to ride. When I asked him if he was having fun he replied "I'm finally getting to ride these". Like most old men apparently I talk a lot about "back in the day" so he had heard stories about this area before.

We got a bit lost towards the end but came out right where we needed to. Three hours for B and I, Silk had ridden to the trail head, so he still had another hour to get home, so we called it a day. I could have ridden till dark. I was so excited about the ride I had to call Big Worm the next day, not to gloat, (although that's what he thought I was doing) but to share my excitement. The best part about this is there's more down there that we didn't ride, a lot more I think. We'll be back.

All Clear

2012-02-14T10:52:00.018-08:00

Big Worm in an earlier incarnation.

Sorry about that last post being so morose. For those who asked everything seems to be working out.

That was Saturday, now I want to talk about Sunday.

28 degrees and we were loading the CX bikes in the truck. Every time the wind blew I wondered if this was really a good idea. Sunday was the collegiate crit. in Monticello, Fl. and we were headed over to watch and then ride clay roads. I'd missed my ride the day before plus I had been off the bike earlier in the week with that damn cold so I was determined to ride, even if I froze.

Big Worm, Lil Ball, Mingo (?), and B were all crazy enough to saddle up. Watching the kids race around the streets in downtown was scary. I learned quite a bit about race strategy on a road bike, it's almost like a chess match, only you might get hurt. After the race we gobbled cookies and energy bars in the parking lot of the old high school, then worried over how much stuff to wear or not to wear. It had warmed up to the lower 40's by this time. We picked up BS on the way out and headed North.

The Worm had plotted a route which was 70% dirt. The first section of pavement was ridden at a moderate pace. As soon as the road turned to clay we hit our first little hill. I was warm by then, at least on the inside. My nose however kept reminding me of the words from the Jethro Tull song Aqualung "Snot is running down his nose, greasy fingers......". It seems the leftovers from my cold combined with the cold dry air had my sinuses flowing. I haven't perfected the snot rocket yet so I ended up with it all over me by the time the ride was over.

The pace on this trip was a bit quicker than my first clay road ride. Some of the roads had just had the ditches pulled and were rough. So rough it rattled my teeth and made it hard to see. The short sandy sections got my attention real quick as I headed for the ditch. After some coaching I was a little better prepared for the next spot. I still have trouble trusting that skinny front tire in the dirt.

B was riding a CX bike on loan from Higher Ground. He had a couple of water bottle ejections. Plus his tires were on the slick side so the sand really had him pissed. But by the end of the ride he was trying to figure out how to save his money for a CX bike. By the way he beat me on the yellow sign sprints despite my best efforts at the end as we came into town. The rest of the crew blocking me and telling him I was coming just wasn't fair though.

The ride worked wonders for my mind. At the end I felt dirty on the outside but cleared out on the inside. We stopped at the Jr. Store on the way home and bought bags of popcorn and drinks. The sun had the cab of the truck warm as we headed west. B and I started picking at each other about the yellow signs, telling stories about the sand, the dogs that chased us, and smiling.

Outside

2012-02-13T12:08:00.002-08:00

The waiting room had surgical masks and hand sanitizer at little stands placed all around the room. Even though it was a Saturday evening in a big city it wasn't crowded. I tried not to touch anything, going so far as to not even sit down until I realized I would be there awhile. Outside the wind blew hard, it was cold and getting colder. I looked longingly out the window wishing I was anywhere but here.

Hospitals are a scary place. I've only really needed one myself once when I got stung by yellow jackets. I've been lucky so far. Unfortunately as you get older you tend to spend more time in contact with them. Friends and family members have issues that require you to visit or take them to one. I use every rationalization I can think of to stay away. I am so weak and self centered. Damn I wish I was outside right now. See, it's all about me.

As the time passed it became clear that the issue we were there for would not be cured that night so we left. As the door hissed open I took a deep breath. Finally outside. I felt guilty leaving, even though she had told me to go, she'd be alright, she needed to rest anyway. I looked back at the tall white building as the wind screamed around it. Just so damn glad I was headed home.

Back at our house I made a fire in the fire place and fixed myself a Jack and Coke, a double. I took a shower so hot it made my skin tingle. I just wanted to wash the day off.

Is this how it will end for some of us? Staring up at fluorescent lights in a strange place. Breathing that disinfected air. God I hope not, just wheel me out in the parking lot. Outside!

Sick Days

2012-02-08T04:11:00.000-08:00

I spent the last 7 days feeling like someone had stuffed cotton up my rather large nose. It's amazing how bad a simple cold can make you feel. I haven't had a good one like this in a year. According to my training book once you start to increase the hours you become more susceptible to catching something. I had just finished a 12.5 hour training week when I felt that little scratch at the back of my throat. It's disappointing to find out that I'm not above these kind of things.

After 7 days off the bike last nights ride was like being let out of a cage. The roots seemed smaller and the trees further apart. The full moon over Piney Z lake was just a bonus.

I've got over half the course arrowed for the Tour Of Amsterdam on March 3rd. I hope I have made it easier to follow than last year. I used some different trails and hit some of the same stuff only from the opposite direction. The poker run format adds a little fun plus a chance to win some swag. You can just hammer and ride it like a race or put it on cruise control and enjoy the scenery.

Please help me pass the word about this event. It's not every day we get to ride on something completely different and it's for a good cause.

Registration is at http://www.shandsgiving.org/

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

My First Time

2012-01-31T05:08:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy Big Worm

On a road ride, and I liked it. We rolled from Zone 5 in Tallahassee Fl. on a clear Saturday, temps were in the mid 60s, perfect. Big Worm was to be my teacher in the ways of the roadie. I have to admit I was nervous. Stories of being yelled at for the slightest error by a bunch of testosterone fueled cyclists had me gripping the bars like it was a race. I did get yelled at but they let me go awhile before they started the corrections.

"Mr. Norman! Get on that wheel!" Was the first thing I heard as we tooled along two abreast while cars impatiently zipped past. The white line was to my right and BW was off my left handlebar, about 4 inches off. It seemed like I was already too close to the rider in front of me, what, you want me to get closer? "You have to trust the guy in front of you." I don't even know the guy in front of me, if he sneezes I'll be on him. Just relax I told myself, you'll never make the end of the ride like this.

Speaking of the "end of the ride". No one but Mr. Silk knew how long we were going to ride. It was a surprise to everybody when we headed for Monticello, which would end up being about 70 miles and 4 hours round trip. Steve A. and Lil Ball both stated that they wouldn't have signed on if they'd known. Sissies! I thought to myself early in the ride. I could go like this for days! Of course that ended up being soooo wrong.

They told me I didn't have to "pull" on this ride. In roadie talk this just means be in the front. Well Silk and I were discussing some up coming rides and before I knew it we were "pulling". I could immediately feel the difference, especially with the head wind. So I got down in the drops (isn't my use of roadie talk impressive?) and pedaled harder. Silk and I continued our discussion unaware of the turmoil my blistering pace was causing behind me. I heard BW holler "Norman, move over!" I assumed I was going too fast for them, but that wasn't it.

Seems I was weaving all over my side of the road. Truth is I was so glad not the be hemmed in on both sides, I was like a dog off the leash. Unfortunately that made if difficult for the rider behind me to stay in the draft. I asked Silk what was wrong to which he replied "Just some roadie sh#*." Indeed.

About that time I started to get tired, my butt hurt, and my arms were getting a little numb. Then the Shankanator got on the front. I quickly learned why I needed to stay on the wheel of the guy in front of me. Man it was like I couldn't get close enough! Finally he pulled off into his neighborhood and the pace dropped back to almost bearable.

We got split up near the end of the ride with people doing their own little sprints. Lil Ball herded me close to Zone 5 and then went his own way home. I still managed to get turned around but ended up seeing Mo Mo's Pizza so I knew where I was.

After the ride my lovely wife T and I ended up at Oscars in beautiful downtown Havana. Sitting outside in front of the fireplace. A cold Peroni beer, a plate of chicken Parmesan with hot bread, under the stars, what a great way to end the day.

I'm ready for the next one!

Tour Time Again

2012-01-24T17:30:00.000-08:00

March 3rd is the date this year for the second annual Tour of Amsterdam Mountain Bike Poker Run. I'm planning on a full 30 mile route this year with some different stuff and some stuff run in the opposite direction from last year.

The ride is held on 14,000 acres of privately owned land just outside of Attapulgus Ga.We will have 50 entries that will include the Dancing Chickens for lunch, if we get more than that we'll cook burgers and dogs if folks want them. Unfortunately we are limited on the Dancing Chickens due to the fact that Mr. Boatright can only cook so many. He donates his time, expertise, and food. So we can have as many bikes as we want but first 50 will get the Chickens. I hope we get more than 50, if we do please understand about the lunch. Your money is going to a good cause.

All the proceeds go to benefit the Children's Miracle Network at Shands Hospital in Gainesville Fl.

I spend a lot of time on this property but it's still a treat for me to be able to ride it. There's nothing technical and no real single track but it's a different place to ride.

I'll arrow it better this year so Carol won't get lost again.

I will also go 5 deep on the poker run prizes instead of 3 like I did last year.

I think everybody who entered last year had a good time. Some got lost, some took a while to do the route, but I didn't hear any major complaints.

Please help me spread the word. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

The address for entering is: shandsgiving.org

The Hammock

2012-01-17T04:41:00.000-08:00

Yea, I wimped out on the 62 mile option at the San Felasco mountain bike ride last weekend. The split was at the top of a power line climb at mile 45, I had been working hard, and just caught Lil Ball (LB) and Big Tony (BT). I just couldn't make myself do it, but I have a story as to why.

My plan earlier that day had been to conserve my legs (and butt) by stopping at every sag to eat a little and stretch. At the sag after lunch at about mile 38, but before the 50/62 split, I stopped for another half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, as I took my first bite I noticed Big Worm (BW) and the rest of the crew had kept on rolling. The chase was on.

I caught Wrecking Ball first then Derwood (pushing his bike, cramps). I could see Big Worm and Lil Wrecking Ball (LWB) across a field as they started into the woods. I had left B on the dusty trail after lunch and was just wondering how he was doing when my cell phone rang. As a parent you never stop worrying about your kid, I heard it go to voice mail. I wondered if I should stop, then I looked up just in time to see the life flight helicopter go by. Aw crap. It was about this time I passed BW and LWB. As I came out on the power line I ran into LB and BT. We climbed up to the 50/62 split sag together. It was there I yanked out my phone and listened to the voice mail. BW rolled right on by and onto the split that headed for the 50 mile finish.

Well B was just calling me because he had gotten confused at the last sag about which way to go but he figured it out. At that time I was tired, my elbows were sore, and BW was just ahead. I let BT and LB go on the 62 mile split and took off after BW. I told myself to remember how I felt at that moment so later after a couple of beers I wouldn't beat myself up for bailing.

I caught BW and we rolled back to the finish together (well almost). Everybody else made it in in one piece. The Magnificent Big Jim rolled most of the 62 mile ride at a blistering pace and therefore did not have any bearing on my story. If he keeps this up I'll stop mentioning him all together. LWB did a great job on his first 50, dropping back at 42 miles out but still finishing not long after BW and I. When you look around you don't see too many 14-19 year olds riding this event. I'm proud of both of our juniors.

Anyhoo 50 miles wasn't bad for an old man and I still had a little in the tank for a road ride the next day. This years San Felasco seemed so much easier and much more fun than last years.

It's hard to imagine but both the juniors could drive down by themselves next year. Wow, and it was just last year I felt I had to follow B in from the lunch sag when it was his first 50. Time flies, but it's these kind of days that make the flight worth it.

I'm Excited!

2012-01-11T07:16:00.000-08:00

Good rides this past week. Rolling through Weems Plantation with Big Worm, Wrecking Ball, and Lil Ball.

Wrecking Ball looks way too happy about the flat. He wasn't as happy at the end of the ride.

After I stopped and lent him a tube he complained about my bike smelling like dog crap. Bad Karma.

This is him around the 2 hour mark. I wish I had video. The grunting sounds he was making were interesting. There wasn't any dog crap on his bike, I think he just felt like crap.

Big Worm rolls up his sleeves in preparation for the butt whipping he would soon apply to us. Not really, it was a light effort for the most part.

Big Jim is noticeably absent from these rides. What's up with that?

We ate lunch at Monks. The hardest part about the day was finding a place to park when we got there. I was probably the oldest person in the place.

The new trainer is up and running in my garage. I haven't used a light on the bike so far this year. I have a TV and an old DVD player hooked up so I can watch cycling movies while I pedal in one spot for what seems like hours. Not what I'd call fun but it beats driving an hour round trip to Tallahassee to ride in sketchy weather. Ask me how much I like it in a month.

I pulled the trigger on a new Felt F55X CX bike. It's in town but hasn't been built up yet. I feel like a kid at Christmas. Isn't new bike day fun? I'm planning all kinds of long paved and graded road rides. Maybe something across the Apalachicola National Forest before it gets too hot? 100 miles on graded roads? Pretty big plans for an old an who's never ridden more than 50 miles huh?

The Tour of San Felasco is this weekend. 50 or 62 miles of great trails just North of Gainesville. I hope to do the 62 mile option but I fear I'm mentally weak and when presented with the option at mile 45 I will head for the beer and pizza at the finish. That's the finish at mile 50. We'll see.

The TOUR OF AMSTERDAM 30 mile mountain bike poker run is scheduled for March 3, 2012. The course will be slightly different than last year and I'll spread the prizes out to the top 5 poker hands. The first 50 entries for the MTBs will get a lunch ticket, if we get any over that you'll just have to hope someone will share. That sounds kind of harsh but we can only feed a limited number. We had 32 riders last year so I'm optimistic we will fill up quick.

I gotta go. My phone's ringing, maybe it's Higher Ground calling to tell me my bike's ready.

Back At It

2012-01-03T11:42:00.000-08:00

2012, sounds like something out of a science fiction movie. But it's here, like it or not. My mind's still back in 2004 or there abouts. I keep thinking 1986 was just 10 years ago. I know; it makes no sense to me either.

I was fortunate enough to be able to take the last two weeks of 2011 off. When you've worked at one place for 25 years you should get some perks. Anyhoo, except for a rest day, T's birthday, and a couple of days for Christmas, I pedaled my bikes every day.

It started with a ride from Piney Z to Munson using an old paved driveway that at one time led to the Piney Z plantation owner's house. For the next day my journal just says "off- bourbon and sugar cookies". The day after that was a single speed ride on clay roads where I learned how hard it was to outrun dogs on a single speed, that night I did the Higher Ground ride. Then it was on to the sewage and trailer park ride, again with BJS and others. That had me and my precious Felt hanging from a chain link fence over Munson Slough (which carries the treated waste water from the city of Tallahassee) and wondering how I would tell T where to come pick me up after I popped. We capped that day off with pizza and beer at Zone 5.

The week after Christmas was much of the same, sleep late, make waffles, and ride. I did borrow a CX bike from Higher Ground and convinced BJS to go with me on a road ride to Quincy. I was hooked and after buying him a very expensive beer at Joanie's in beautiful downtown Havana he rode home, while I made plans to buy another bike.

The last weekend of 2011, and it was time for something special. I have no idea where we went. I know I carried my bike along the edge of a ravine, climbed through two fences, climbed over one fence, trespassed, and went under I-10 using a concrete culvert. Good times!

The first day of 2012 was spent at Forest Meadows on our bikes, trying to run each other off the trail, throw moss, and just generally acting like children. My side hurt from laughing.

I have no idea what BW is doing to Lil Ball in this picture, but it looks like he likes it.

I'm begining the route lay out for the Amsterdam Tour. The event date is March 3, 2012. I need to limit it to 50 entries due to the food deal. I think the 32 riders we had last year enjoyed the ride. I know BW liked the food. I have the option of making it 50 miles this year; what do you think? Did 30 seem like enough? Do you think there's enough interest in doing the event again? I plan to arrow it better since it seems some folks have a hard time following ribbon. I can even make it a race if there's enough interest.

Ain't life grand?

Early Hibernation?

2011-12-13T06:42:00.000-08:00

Did I sleep through the Fall season? It's been like 50 degrees and cloudy for the last 3 days. I like cold weather but not seeing the sun has got me going into hibernation mode. I just want to build a fire in the fireplace and read a good book instead of getting in the suggested 6 hours of weekly training the OMTP calls for.

With that being said I did manage to log almost 8 hours of training last week. Some of it in the gym but the majority was logged on the bike. Long rides with the crew the weekend before and a relaxed ride with WB this past weekend meant 5.5 hours pedaling for the week. That combined with the weather and another damn house fire at 3:30 am Sunday morning has me on the lazy side this week.

The Higher Ground Christmas party Sunday night was a perfect way to start the season. No family pressure, just friends enjoying free pizza and beer. Looking in the mirror behind the bar I realized I was one of the few "mature" folks in the crowd. Doug's dad who's in his 70s was there, as well as Mike's dad who just has me beat by a couple of years. I'm not sure how old Roger is but I suspect we're close to the same age. So in a room with probably 50 people, old guys were a minority. Of course in that crowd there were quite a few "different" characters. Some men with ear rings, some dressed very GQ (Gentleman's Quarterly), some short and loud, some with funny hats. I wish I had taken my camera.

Speaking of cameras, the latest issue of Outside magazine came in the mail yesterday and had an article on the Heroes of Iron Man. No, not the movie, the Hawaiian Iron Man. Along with the requisite pictures of skinny, hairless, 30 year olds there was a picture of a gentlemen who had finished the last 10 Iron Man races. He is 81. Now that's what I'm talking about! Who gives a crap about somebody in their 30s. Heck at that age you should be able to do that kind of stuff. But a dude in his 80s finishing an Iron Man? Now that dude is in a minority!

Oh, and after I finished typing this the sun came out! You're welcome.

Disclaimer: any reference to any persons living or dead is a coincidence

Reading

2011-12-07T04:42:00.000-08:00

I love to read. I can tell just by talking to a person for a while if they're a reader. I'll read most anything. If you blog, I'll read it, I don't care if you can write or not. You're the same way. You want proof? You're reading this aren't you? Daily I look forward to reading the blogs that I follow, even though most of them only get updated occasionally.

I guess what brought this to mind is my recent purchase of two books, the first is titled "Sh*t My Dad Says" which has got to be the funniest book I've read in years, and the other is the new Stephen King novel (I can't remember the title right now). I already finished the first book and lent it to Big Worm last night. He's a reader, I could tell by his deep personality.

The Stephen King book is huge and I've just gotten into it. It's about time travel, I know, that's hard to get your mind around, but King is a master at it. He takes you from the present to 1958. A place where everybody smokes and the air in the cities smells bad, but if you wanted a job you had one, the public school system was working, and the country was riding a wave of prosperity. Am I (he) looking through rose colored glasses? Probably, but you have to admit it sounds good. Heck I was only 2 years old in 1958 so what do I know?

The Old Man Training Plan (OMTP) is off to a rocky start. I'm supposed to be doing lite effort rides except for one moderate effort on the weekend. The last 4 rides have been at a moderate to hard effort. I blame all the crew, each has had his turn trying to see if they can blow the ride up, then complaining because it was too hard. They'll be sorry when I have to start riding by myself.

According to my training guide older athletes (yes, that's me) should spend more time building and maintaining strength, which means more time in the gym. So far I'm enjoying my workouts. I'm the most buff person in the gym most of the time. Remember, this is in beautiful downtown Havana, so the clientele may be a little different than in your local gym. I've started back running and hope to get back to 5k shape. It's amazing how quickly it goes away when you stop using it.

The Havana Health and Fitness Center.

The hard rides combined with two back to back structure fires have left me sore. I'm the Assistant Chief of the Havana Volunteer Fire Department, and unless you've done it, you don't realize how much work pulling hose in 50+ pounds of bunker gear is. Both fires took us 3+ hours to put out. Anyhoo it's just something I do for my fellow man. Feeling pretty good about myself today aren't I?

And So It Begins

2011-11-30T11:42:00.000-08:00

The down hill run to Christmas. I have a friend who says "the best time of the year is ruined by Thanksgiving and Christmas". I'm not that cynical (yet) but the older I get the more I

see where he's coming from.

Contrary to that statement Thanksgiving was perfect this year. Lil Ball, BJS, Blake the Snake (BTS), and another Junior who's name I can't remember, met at 8:30 Thursday morning at Forest Meadows for a 2 hour MTB ride. I thought it was going to be a hammer fest but it turned out to be mellow. I got back home in time to enjoy the obligatory dinner and after a glass of wine I fell asleep on the back porch. Ah, my kind of day.

I did something that afternoon that I hadn't done in a while and that's walk 9 holes of golf. It's usually a disaster and destroys my normally calm demeanor but not this time. I had the whole course to myself, yep just me and my PBR. I actually didn't play that bad either.

Friday I got on the cross bike that's living at my house while Big Worm is in Africa and rode for about an hour. It was frustrating at first but after awhile I started to enjoy it. I can see the attraction. I feel my R.A.S. starting to focus.

Anyhoo we did the fam thing over the weekend which didn't include any two wheeled entertainment so it was good to get back on the bike Tuesday night for the Higher Ground/ BC ride. The Wrecking Ball family managed to destroy their lights, as did Big Worm, which led to much shouting and squealing in the dark.

The Old Man Training Plan (OMTP) that I'm developing is off to a slow start. Can you imagine that? I've got my average training hours for last year, set up my race schedule for next year, and upped my gym time. I'm bad about getting on these little kicks only to get tired of fooling with it long before it does me any good. We'll see how this goes.

Misc.

2011-11-22T05:19:00.000-08:00

Only 2 work days this week then I'm off. This is good.

During a 2.5 hour MTB ride last Saturday it felt like I was pedaling in peanut butter. I wrote it off as just having wimpy legs. But, while cleaning the bike later that day I found what looked like black hair wrapped around my axle, my cassette, and both my derailleur wheels. Nothing was spinning freely. It took me an hour to clean the mess out and get things turning again. It was some type of moss (has PP been near my bike?) that had the strength of fishing line. No telling how long it's been in there since I hadn't washed the bike since a week ago Friday. In defense of my sloppiness it was very hard to see, being black and all. Anyhoo I expect to be able to easily stay up with BJS now that I have fixed that problem.

Oh, and look at my new green grips. I am such a slave to aesthetics.

I am currently reading a book which will surely turn my cycling into a form of torture. The Cyclist's Training Bible is like a text book, complete with suggestions about taking notes and making lists. I'm so confused right now I'll probably just put it down. Is it really worth all that just for a ribbon with a little medallion hanging on it? If I do well then I just get promoted to the expert class and have to do another lap. I can already see my motivation slipping away.

I hope we get in some rides over the Thanksgiving holidays. I'll see ya on the downhill slide to Christmas.

Cold Showers

2011-11-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

Finally we were able to do the camping/ riding trip I have wanted to do since last year. BW and BJS were the only two brave souls who signed up for a weekend with me in the woods. B caught a cold the week before so he was out (and mad). Everybody else had some reason or another not to attend. You know who you are, and yes, you missed a great time.

Three grown men shopping in the Ingles Grocery store in Thomaston, Ga. must have been a sight for the locals. We loaded up on fried chicken, white bread rolls, and anything else we could find that wasn't good for us. The pastry aisle got quite a bit of attention also. BW kept riding the grocery cart up and down the store. It was like traveling with a child.

Camp Thunder Boy Scout Camp is located in the Pine Mountain Range along the Flint River. It must have 500 canvas tents set up on wooden decks, each group of tents arranged around a central fire pit. It costs a whole $4 per person per night to rent one of the tents. I was worried we might have to share a tent (BJS snores and looks at his phone all night) but we each had our own, in fact we had our own section all to ourselves.

Friday night was cold and I was glad I had bought a new sleeping bag.

The showers at the camp were an experience. You had to hold a string to keep the warm water flowing. So the dance went like this: 1. Hold string and try to stand out of the way of the ice cold water splashing on you while you waited for it to warm up 2. Jump under the flow of warm water 3. Let go of the string to grab the soap 4. Soap up 5. Grab the string again 6. Scream when the first burst of water is cold again 7. Repeat. Keep in mind the shower stalls were about 10 degrees warmer than the 28 degrees it was outside. Refreshing to say the least. But the tents were comfortable and the woods around the camp were in full fall color. I did feel sorry for the Atlanta dads that had to camp out with their Cub Scouts. It sounded like a small war at the bottom of the mountain.

Saturday was the Thunder Mountain trail ride guided by BW. They told me it was old school mountain bike trail. They had me kinda nervous. Turns out it was great trail. I managed to ride quite a bit of it. We did 13 miles and averaged 5.1 miles per hour. I'm not going to try to describe the trail. I will say that despite my whining at the beginning I ended up enjoying the ride.

Sunday we packed up and headed for Dauset Trails for some new school MTBing. Once again I can't think of a way to put these amazing trails into words. It was a different type of ride from Thunder Mountain and after 19 miles we were tired and had had enough. This remains one of my favorite trail systems, I can't believe we only saw 5 riders on the trail all afternoon.

You tend to forget about the adult problems that normally go through your head when all you have to do for the day is eat, ride, and sleep. On the way home I could feel the weight of my normal world slowly settle back on my shoulders; funny, I hadn't realized I had left it behind until it started creeping back. I guess that's just what goes along with being a grown up. But for 2 days I got to be 17 again.

Go Hawder

2011-11-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

We got there at 9:15 on a cold, clear, windy morning last Saturday. B was going to race the Juniors class which was supposed to start at 10:00. I expected to see cars lined up at the gate to get in, I was nervous we might be late to get signed up and get him warmed up. When we rolled into the parking lot and only saw one car I thought we had the wrong day. Welcome to our first experience with Cyclocross racing. Race in the front, party in the back. After getting yelled at by the occupants of that lone car for parking in the wrong spot (they were parked under a tree 50 yards from the track) we made our way toward what we hoped was sign up.

Yes, we were the first to sign up, and no, there were no other Juniors. That'll be $64 thank you. Ok, a little steep but that covered two classes for B, one for me, and two one day racing licences. We walked back to unload.

Could we ride practice? Which way does the track go? It all was very low key, so low key in fact I wondered if there was really going to be a race at all. Finally a couple of riders in FSU kits started to ride so we jumped out behind them. The track consisted of some grass field, straight woods roads, a little bit of pavement, and one man made obstacle that you had to dismount and run your bike over. Not very challenging on my MTB but B said it was interesting on his borrowed cross bike.

The promoters let B run with the collegiate Men's B race, that made for three of them in that race. Notice the crowds in the picture below. B finished that close to the leader to get 2nd. I know, he only beat one guy but still. He was worn out but he got a nice stocking cap for 2nd.

Finally people started to roll in about 11:00. My first race and B's second, the Men's C class, started at 12:15. Almost everybody we normally ride with was on the line. I admit I thought I could at least get top 5 out of 17. But I didn't know what to expect as far as suffering goes. At least there weren't any logs to cross.

It was all over in the longest 34 minutes of my short racing career. It reminded me of Zac's dirty thirties, max heart rate from the start, no rest, and no podium. B was wondering why in the heck I had signed him up for two races when I only was riding one. Hey, it was for his own good. I got 6th.

I have a long way to go to get to the level these roadies are at as far as pedaling fitness goes. I can't even play the age card since Mr. A beat me and he's 61. That does give me some hope though that there's still some time to improve.

The best part of the race was listening to the crew yell at other racers (and each other). This, crew, group, pack, or whatever you want to call them, are funny. The crap they come up with is, well, you really have to hear some of it to appreciate it. At the end of the day I had another perfect day to look back on. I've been fortunate to have quite a few of those lately.

We went back again Sunday for more abuse. Not as many crew riders there as Saturday. The course was changed to make it faster. I wasn't as pumped to race as I was the day before and B was showing signs of being tired also. Out of the 12 in the Men's C, B got 6th, and I got 7th. Yea he beat me. He's beaten my times in a XC race before but I think this is the first time he's beaten me in a heads up race. Anyhoo I'm proud of him.

I don't think I'll be buying a CX bike but I do think a couple of road bikes are in our future. I'd race this race again if it comes back next year just for the laughs. Mr A taught me a few things and got me fired up to improve my pedaling fitness.

That should be it for the racing until the Gone Riding Georgia State Series starts in April. Before that there's the Tour of San Felasco in January and the Amsterdam Ride (maybe race) in February.

Yes, that's a cupcake wrapper someone left in my shoe, complete with icing and sprinkles.

Strange

2011-11-02T03:27:00.000-07:00

Halloween's a big time at our house. We've done something like this for the last 10 years. We have people show up early just to see if we're ready. We don't try to scare the little kids, it's the teenagers we have the most fun with. Even though they know it's coming we can still get them to jump. I keep thinking that B will lose interest as he gets older but look at me, 55 and still dressing up. Kinda weird huh?

On the cycling side we did a fam ride last Saturday at Forest Meadows. Then on Sunday B, TC, CC, and I rode Tom Brown. We just happened to run into a skills class at Piney Z and spent some time hanging out there. When TC goes and you run into someone to talk to your gonna spend a little time. It looked like 10-15 people came out for the class. I know I need a skills lesson but that was a little too basic even for me.

We then headed over to the Hill of Death so TC and the boys could try to climb it. It seems BJS had ridden up it before he had his most recent "issues" and TC was determined to give it a try. All three of them spent some time attempting to get to the top but never made it. I did hill repeats on the Jr. hill. It was good to watch the boys just mess around on their bikes. We tend to get into the habit of grinding out miles and don't spend near enough time playing.

The Higher Ground ride is growing. I thought when it got dark people would stop coming but just the opposite.

This weekend is the Cyclocross race in Tallahassee. B and I are tempted to race it. We'll see how the practice laps go tonight. It might be more fun just to watch. Even though every time I've done that I ended up wishing I'd raced.

I love this time of year.

It's already November. It'll be Christmas before you know it.

FSC San Felasco

2011-10-26T03:32:00.000-07:00

Four of us went down to the San Felasco State Park near Alachua Fl. for the 5th round of the Florida State Championship Series promoted by Gone Riding. Four of us finished the race. Four of us did not win any medals. In fact we kind of stunk it up. Oh, I was happy with my performance. I'm always ready to accept mediocrity when it comes to my racing but the other members of the group must have had higher expectations.

PP, PJ, B, and I drove down on Saturday for a couple of laps of practice. The weather couldn't have been better. The hilly section called Conquistador had been removed and more open field added. While this made the trail easier it also made it faster. When you got done it was like, yea, that was fun, but a little boring. The downhills in the woods got sketchy at race pace with all the roots but other than that it was easy. We went back home Saturday night.

Sunday was another perfect day. 45 degrees in the morning but warming up to the low 80's by the afternoon. B and PJ raced the white wave which went off at 9:30. As PP and I waited for them to make their first lap I could tell by B's position (near the back), and the expression on his face, that he wasn't having a good ride. He finished 6th out of 9. Seems his rear brake was dragging since right after the first downhill. We later found out he had not installed his rear wheel correctly. Ah the lessons we must learn.

PJ finished 10th out of 13. He rides faster than that when he rides with me. I think it has something to do with the camo kit.

PP and I raced at 11:30. I got off to a slow start, right behind SteveA. I thought if I could just keep him in sight for the first lap I had a chance to get into the top 5. He put a rider between us on the first climb in the fields, then on the downhill side he got by another one. I settled in behind a guy I raced against in the base class last year and just tried to get my heart rate down.

As soon as we got to the first single tract the lead group disappeared. I just wasn't ready to go that fast in the trees. Yes, I was chicken. So much for following SteveA. I have trouble when I get behind someone, I tend to tell myself that his pace is as fast as I can go. In other words I just get lazy. I followed this guy the whole first lap then dropped him after the finish line.

Midway through the second lap I caught a glimpse of an orange Niner ahead. This guy had finished ahead of me at Tallahassee. The chase was on. The chase didn't last long. I got on his wheel on one of the climbs, he turned around, saw my number, and dropped me. To add insult to it another rider in my class had been sneaking up on me while I had been sneaking up on Niner. He went past me and managed to put a couple of 40+ guys between us. Once again I followed them like a lost dog.

I rode most of the last lap all by myself. It's hard to push when no ones around. I finished 6th out of 9. SteveA got 3rd again. I'm really starting to hate that guy. On the bright side I felt good after the race.

PP came in after the finish with a scowl on her face. Seems she had picked up Spanish moss in her cassette, twice. Now what are the odds of that? 300 bikes rode over that trail before her and she finds the only two pieces of unattached moss? Really? Anyhoo she finished 5th out of 6. The "Moss Princess" has had this problem before. She could have easily gotten 4th if not for those evil trail gnomes that keep throwing stuff in her cassette.

Even with the poor results we had a good weekend. Super Cool bike shop fed us burgers and dogs both days. After riding, sitting in the shade, in the middle of that beautiful pasture, eating my burger, listening to the music, I realized just how damn good we've got it.

2.5 Pounds

2011-10-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

Man, the weekend started out great As a matter of fact, the whole weekend turned out great. I got a good checkup from my doctor on Friday. I was feeling sooooo good I just had to go to Oscars (located in beautiful downtown Havana) and reward myself with a Paginolia (sp?) sandwich, with pasta salad, and pound cake for dessert. Of course I started it off with a couple of Rolling Rocks and added a Peroni with the meal just for good measure. I know that was a little bit much but I thought I'd burn it off the next day at the Dirty Spaghetti.

Saturday morning I had my usual pre race bagel, then nothing but gels and water until we finished the 62 mile ride. A couple of Rolling Rocks after the ride and I was very relaxed as we rolled down to the community center for the after ride meal of spaghetti. I piled the noodles on, dumped a shovel full of sauce, two pieces of bread, another beer from PJ, and the end piece of red velvet cake. You know, the one that has the icing on two sides. I don't know how you make a meal for 400 people and still get it that good.

I don't want to do a ride report. Suffice to say I had let my mouth get away from me earlier and had to eat a post ride meal of crow to go with my spaghetti, courtesy of BW. The after ride antics were worth all the pain though. It was pretty plain that we had more fun at our table than any body else.

Back at the house, after a little nap, I settled in for some college football. Of course I had to have some wings and onion rings to go along with the game. And damn if somebody didn't buy a bag of Reeses and leave them where I could see them in the fridge. I waddled off to bed.

Sunday morning I was sore but believe it or not still hungry. Coffee, juice, and a bacon bagel started it off. Then the same person that bought the Reeses baked some kind of a creamy cheesey pastry. I devoured three slices before we went for an easy ride with the crew. After the ride we did the mandatory lunch at Tropical Smoothie. Then grilled scallops for dinner. Oh yea, I left out the half bottle of wine I drank while cooking the scallops.

You see where this is going? You know where it ended up. Yea, 2.5 pounds up from Friday morning. I'm lucky it wasn't 5 pounds. If I hadn't burned those 4500 calories at the Spaghetti it would have been. I started cutting back Monday and managed to drop a half of a pound. That means by the weekend I just may be back to normal. But it's a lite riding week due to the FSC bike race next weekend in Gainesville. Plus it's raining Tuesday night so I'll miss my regular ride. That means two nights in the gym. You just can't burn much off in there. So before you know it it'll be Friday.

Just in time to start all over again. Ain't life grand?

The Mature Rider

2011-10-12T16:03:00.000-07:00

That's what I ought to call the blog. I'd read blogs from other mature riders (if I could find some). I search magazines for articles on training and diet for older....., well what should I call us, older athletes just doesn't sound right. Older riders only covers some of us. How about active older people? Nah, that's really lame. Ok, how does mature active person sound (M. A. P.)? There are magazines dedicated to MAPs but I've found them to be uninteresting (Geezer Jock comes to mind). My regular cycling magazines have articles on diet and training but rarely focus on the MAP. Hey, we have special needs. Don't giggle.

Rarely do I see articles showing somebody who is older than 30 doing the prescribed exercise. I know most readers don't want to look at shriveled up old farts doing push ups but there is a segment of customers who would like to know that people over 45 can and should be doing this kind of stuff. I just finished reading about the Governor of New Mexico, he's 55 and just finished his third Iron Man. He's also an avid mountain biker having done the Leadville 100 this year and finished. Then there's Ned Overend who continues to trounce riders 20 years younger than him in the XC nationals. How do these guys prepare? What mistakes have they made?

Seriously, I think this is an overlooked demographic. We (MAPs) have a little more disposable income at this stage in our lives. For some the kids are out of the house so they have more time. Cycling is the perfect sport for MAPs. Once you get over the initial learning curve and build up some fitness you should be able to do it for years (at least I hope so).

Take the 50+ expert class in the Gone Riding races. Those guys have to be dedicated. I wonder what their training regime is. I'm pretty sure you don't train the same at 55 as you did at 25. I need to find a coach who specializes in MAP training. I wouldn't necessarily do what they said but it would be interesting to know what I was missing.

That's another question that often pops into my head. How much am I willing to give up to improve my riding? How about you? I could stand to lose 5 pounds. Should I give up beer? I already eat very few sweets but I love potato chips. Oh and fries. And Mexican food. Vodka, well of course. Nutter Butters, but they give those out at the Tour de Felasco so they must be ok. See what I mean? That's just the diet; how about the extra hours I should be on the bike? This doesn't even begin to cover my immense lack of skills. Would it all be worth it to have the chance to beat SteveA? Then, on the off chance I started getting on the podium, I would just get promoted to the expert class. That would mean another lap at the races.

Is it even possible to improve very much once you pass 50? Or am I just titling at windmills.

Oh the heck with this, I'm going to get another beer and watch Mad Men on the DVR.

Hell's Trails

2011-10-05T04:21:00.000-07:00

The first lap is always scary. Steep drop offs, short runs to climbs with little lips at the top, and rocks every where. Hailes Trails outside of Gainesville is not my cup of tea. B loves this type of technical riding so we picked up PP and PJ on a cool (finally) breezy Saturday morning and headed South. You would have thought it was 30 below by the coat PJ had on. I mean really, this guy's from the great white North and he's wearing a parka suitable for snow.

As we turned in the gate to Hailes I could hear the roar of the moto tribe next door as they practiced on Gatorback. Just hearing it made me nervous. I had first ridden that track way back in 1974. Back then we turned in the gate in a green Ford van with green shag carpeting listening to Grand Funk "We're an American Band" on the 8 track. It's hard to believe that 37 years later I'm still torturing myself on these rocks.

Anyhoo, back in 2011, it was what you'd call a perfect day weather wise as we unloaded the bicycles. B and PJ took off in front of PP and I. I knew when PP unclipped and walked the first downhill we were in for a long lap. It went like that for the next 45 minutes. Either she walked a section or I did. On the next lap things went better. I got to see PJ do a little endo in a section I had been walking and I was able to clear most of the stuff I'd walked over the first lap. When we got back to the EZ-up some more of the Tallahassee crowd had arrived. Gone Riding had set up the sound system, the temperature was 70 degrees, someone popped open a beer, the songs were something I liked, so I just sat in my chair, and enjoyed the afternoon. I wish days like this would last just a little longer.

Sunday we met BW at the Lines Tract trails over on Lake Talquin for a spirited 18 mile ride. I keep saying this but it bears repeating. This is a fun trail system. Not to mention scenic. There's even a fish camp restaurant within riding distance right on the lake. TMBA camped here a couple of years ago and I suggest we do it again.

Fall is finally here. So many places to ride before the holidays get here and swallow up time. I have a friend that says the best time of the year is ruined by Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'm not quite that cynical (yet) but I'm getting closer.

The Vineyard and Miccosucki

2011-09-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

I like it when rides start lining up early in the week for the following weekend. I'm a little O. C. D. when it comes to planning and like to know what and where by Friday night so I can relax knowing I've got plenty of pedaling lined up.

With a few of the regular crew out of town the trail Yoda/ BW was kind enough to call me and see what we had planned for the weekend. I'm usually at the bottom of his invite list and feel honored just to be allowed to tag along. So imagine how surprised I was when he actually called me to see if we had plans for Saturday. He had a route in mind starting from Joe's and heading east. I was hoping we would go over to the Lines tract but like I said it's so rare I get a personal invitation I jumped at his offer.

I let PP and PJ know what our plans were and we agreed to meet at Joe's at 8:30. I question the sanity of going to what I consider downtown Tallahassee to begin a MTB ride but I had never been on this particular route so I was looking forward to it. A local rockstar decided to grace us with his presence not to mention his amazing wheelie skills. So we set off through the sleepy neighborhoods over to Fern, through Tom Brown, over to the vineyard off of Mahan, then onto the Miccosocee Greenway, back down Blairstone, onto Fern again, then back to Joe's.

The only sketchy parts were the four lane road crossings. PP decided to use the middle of Blairstone as a bull ring and cut me off, forcing me to unclip and almost dump it on the concrete median. I'm pretty sure she did it on purpose as I could hear her laughing as we crossed the Digestive Disease Center parking lot.

We ended up with 27 miles for the day and grabbed lunch at El Jalisco. Unfortunately for us and any patrons sitting close, PP and PJ wore their riding kits to lunch. But in a Mexican restaurant the smell just kind of blended in. PP, that's what you get for the take out maneuver.

Sunday we joined a large group for the Dirty Spaghetti (which takes place October 15th) pre ride starting from the school in Micosuckee and going to Thomasville Ga. and back using mostly clay roads. I got to ride with a lot of people I don't normally ride with. I don't remember much about the scenery since most of the time I was just looking at the wheel of the rider in front of me. 38 miles at 15.5 mph average may not seem like much but I was pretty whipped at the end.

Neither Blake nor I got all of our chores done around the house since both days we just came home and fell asleep on the couch. I'm lucky to have such an awesome, beautiful, and understanding wife who doesn't mind letting me feed my cycling addiction. When I got the first "how was your weekend?" question at the office Monday, all I could say was "awesome". To which she replied "wow, sounds like it was better than mine". I'm pretty sure it was.

P. S. no, I don't know how to spell Micosocee and I'm too lazy to go look it up.

Unfounded Fears

2011-09-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

I'm a wimp, I admit it right up front. I'm scared of pain, scared of crashing, and even scared being scared. On a recent ride I fully exposed my list of fears to my fellow riders. The only response I got was something to the effect of "you'd think somebody who used to race moto wouldn't be afraid of a little root or log". Another kind piece of advice was "you'll be fine, you just need some more confidence" or something along those lines. They just don't understand.

It was the same in MX when it came to clearing new obstacles, mainly double jumps. I'll assume you know what a double jump is, the name's kind of self explanatory. They would build them just far enough apart so if you backed off just a little you'd nose dive into the landing jump. Not fun. Or if you did clear it, maybe you'd clip your rear wheel on the landing jump, thus sending you head over heals. I thought about these things every time I lined up to do one. In fact I'd wake up early on race day in a cold sweat imagining the approach and what would happen if I failed.

I know that's negative thinking. I should picture myself flying off the take off and landing perfectly on the downslope. But I always thought about the crash instead. The root of all these problems goes back to my very first attempt to clear a double. Waaaaaay back in 1983 I entered a MX race in Milton Fl. I had a Yamaha 125 and absolutely no business racing MX. I'd only raced a couple of off road races before, how hard could it be?

This was the first double the track owner had ever built. I remember it being not much of a gap but deep, kind of like jumping a ditch. It was hard to roll it and dangerous since you ran the risk of getting jumped on. On the first lap of my first moto I was in the back of the pack as I came around to the jump. The only thing I remember is twisting the throttle and pulling back on the bars. The next thing I know track workers are gathered around me while I tried to breathe. The flagger said I looped over backwards and landed on my butt from about 6 feet in the air. I walked away eventually but it was weeks before I could take a breath without wincing.

Anyhoo, there you have it. I went on to clear some doubles but I never got comfortable with it. It's really amazing I participate in anything remotely dangerous. The point of all this old man rambling is that I have 2 obstacles that have buffaloed me when it comes to MTBing. If you know me you know what they are. They have both been cleared by almost everyone I know. But that doesn't help my fear. I can picture rounding the corner, gathering speed, lining up for the best line, pulling up on the bars, annnnnnnnnd plowing face first into the ground. I tell myself "this is the day I hit it" and then find some lame excuse to back off.

The only positive side of this is I've been able to enjoy some fairly dangerous sports for a long time (I raced my first moto off road race in 1974). I can still get out of bed in the morning without groaning and my list of broken bones is very short (so far, I don't like to tempt fate). But still I have a little panic when I think about that spot on Cadillac or that section on Red Bug. Some things never change. But you know what they call somebody with no fear? An ambulance.

Edict

2011-09-14T05:22:00.000-07:00

My first sport class Florida State MTB race was hard. I know I say that after every MTB race and I guess that's because every race is hard. This one had me almost passing out at the finish. Poor hydration (again), pushing too hard at the beginning to keep Steve in sight, and riding the 3 days prior to the race all contributed to my list of excuses. I had hoped the new bike would magically enable me to stay on Steve's wheel, but alas that was not the case. Plus the seating position on the Felt is more aggressive than my Stumpjumper and this caused some back and hand discomfort that I was not accustomed to. Wow, I do have a lot of excuses don't I?

Maybe it wasn't a good idea to ride the new bike, but how could I not ride it? I should have taken a few days off before the race like I normally do but could you really just let that brand new toy sit in the shop?

Anyhoo enough with the whining. I got 6th out of 17 in the old man sport class. I didn't leave anything on the trail. The bike handled flawlessly. I dropped my Endurolyte pills while trying to open the bottle on the second lap. I almost crashed twice drinking from my water bottle. In the future I'll run a Camelback and some sort of liquid electrolyte mix in a bottle. I cramped on the last lap and almost didn't make it around the BMX track at the finish. The heckling from the BC gallery helped me ride through the pain.

I know that's not much of a race report. I could go into a little more detail such as I was on 4th place's wheel until we climbed out of Kudzilla on the second lap, then I lost touch with him. 5th place didn't catch me until I sat up on Magnolia on the last lap. I guess since it was our home race and we ride that trail all the time there doesn't seem like there's that much to say.

Blake had a good ride. I try not to brag on my kid but I was proud of the way he went after this race. In the 15-18 class there's not any distinction between base, sport, or expert so they all race together. He came around on the first of his two laps in second place. He lost two spots on the last lap and ended up 4th. Since this class is the future of MTB racing I had hoped they would trophy back to 5th, however they only went to 3rd. Higher Ground stepped up and gave him prize money anyway.

Speaking of Higher Ground they treated us like factory riders for the day. Donuts and bagels for breakfast. After race hot dogs. I saw them fix all kinds of bikes for free and they worked all day Saturday on the skills track.

Even with all my excuses it was still a great weekend.

Rain

2011-09-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

I don't sit around very well. After a great ride at Tom Brown and getting to watch the college kids race on Saturday I was hoping the forecast for Sunday was wrong. It wasn't. I finished a book, cleaned the shop, and then stared out the back door as it flooded. Is it the endorphins I'm hooked on? Why do I crave riding my bicycle? I watched another episode of Mad Men.

It was too wet to do any yard work. Blake had a loud game going on the PS 3 and I hadn't seen him in hours. I stared out the front door. I watched a little football. I really wanted to ride. In the past it never failed to rain the weekend I brought home a new dirt bike. I expect the new bicycle won't be in till later in the week so I hope fate just missed it by a weekend.

I went back out to the shop and decided to put some of the old moto trophies away. Why I didn't just throw them in the garbage can I'll never know. They're just cheap gaudy plastic trophies that take up a lot of room. I can't even remember the specific race where I won some of them. Sometimes I would get a trophy for first place even if just 3 riders showed up. Such is life in the moto 45 plus world. Wow, you actually rode motocross old man, here's a trophy. I stuck them in the rafters.

I threw away a whole box of Honda parts. Grips, brake levers, and assorted stuff I couldn't identify. As I was digging through the box I found a couple of pictures from the Alligator Enduro that took place in Daytona during bike week every year. One was dated 1996, man 15 years ago? That race was cool, kind of like a national. All the pros were there, it ran on Thursday and had a 500 rider cap that sold out every year. It wasn't a very fun trail but was always a challenge. We usually rented an old house in the Ocala National Forest for most of the week so all I had to do after the race was drink a margarita and head for the woods. Good times!

It was still raining. I was feeling old.I grabbed a beer and turned on a little music. Maybe it won't rain tomorrow.

Lust

2011-08-30T04:48:00.000-07:00

I want one and I know it makes absolutely no sense at all. I went through the same thing every year in my moto days. Trying to rationalize the purchase of a new toy. My current Stumpjumper bicycle is fine. It does everything I need it to (except hop the root on Cadillac). It may be a little on the heavy side compared to what the other guys in the crew ride but not by much.

Still the seed has been planted.

First a little science lesson. There's a part of our brain called the Reticular Activating System, RAS for short. Once your RAS gets focused on something it has the ability to convince the rest of your brain that you really need it. It's amazing the rationalizations you can come up with once you get your RAS focused. Of course you can get focused on good things or bad things so be careful. As for me, I'm focused on a new bike.

I will admit it's a wake up call to think about spending money and how it will effect retirement. Really, am I at that point already? I tell myself all the usual things, you only live once, this may be the last chance to have a bike like this, just delay retiring for a couple of years, and what's wrong with community college for the kid. Then my RAS speaks up,"Think how much fun it will be to ride, how amazingly fast you'll be, you might even be able to stay up with Steve if you get one". Oh it's all so tempting to believe.

When you're young you just do these things. Time stretches out in front of you so far you don't even think about it ending. Ahh but sometime in your 50's you wake up one day and realize there may not be that much time left. "All the more reason to buy it NOW" my RAS says. Will you just shut up!

I've got the bike in my sights and my finger on the trigger. "Pull it!" says RAS. I'm so weak.

Humbled

2011-08-23T04:28:00.000-07:00

After Saturday that's how I felt. Humbled and tired. As I stood in the pouring rain, having just finished the Fools Gold 50 mile mountain bike race, in Dahlonega Ga. I didn't think I'd ever want to do that again. That was hard, one of the 5 hardest things I've ever done on 2 wheels. Even sitting here in my nice cool office I can close my eyes and see those trails going up, and up, and up. Then down, so steep my arms almost cramped from gripping the bars so tight. To top it off it was 53 miles instead of 50. Which doesn't seem like a big deal unless you've been watching your odometer for the LAST 10 MILES, thinking you only had to ride 50! Of course the last 3 were all up hill, on pavement, and in the rain.

Does it sound like I didn't have a good time? Quite the contrary, I had a blast. The crew I went with were perfect traveling companions. Except for not setting up the tent like they were supposed to and then sitting in the warm dry truck while I stood, shivering, muddy, and wet, in the driving cold mountain rain. I can still see Jim's smiling face through the windshield every time the wipers went "swish". But you know, they were faster than me, (much faster) so I guess they deserved to be comfortable. You'd think an older gentleman like myself would catch a break every now and then wouldn't you? I've been called worse; but "Mr. Norman" by the people you've just been riding with? That doesn't seem right.

I love road trips where somebody else tells me when and where we're going. I like big groups at dinner, beers and margaritas, funny stories, and of course, being in the mountains. I knew that by today I'd be ready to do it again. The pain has a way of fading from memory and the good times surface. I learned a lot about hydration and eating during events of this length. I had not been doing it right and the Endurolyte (sp?) pills really helped with keeping the cramps away.

Jim gets carded at dinner.

Only 28 old guys (50+) started the race. I finished 13th. I don't think I could do much better. I could walk Sunday and felt fine. I like only having to think about racing my bike, where we're going to eat, and the way the first beer will taste after the ride. You can feel the adult responsibilities slowly settle back on your shoulders when you get home. That's when you start looking forward to next year.

I Don't Know About This

2011-08-17T03:16:00.000-07:00

Steve A. looked skeptical as I told him I was going out for another lap of the Silk Torture Loop at Forest Meadows last Saturday. We had both done around 36 miles and, of course, he had completed his a half hour faster than I had. "It's awful hot to be doing this the week before a 50 mile race" he cautioned. Mark, Brian, Don, and Paul had already packed it in by this time. I should have listened to Steve A.

We were preparing for the Fools Gold race in Dahlonega Ga. which is this weekend. The temperature was 97 degrees and the loop had about as much elevation change as you can get in Tallahassee Fl. Jim, Steve A., and Rick had left us behind quickly after the sight in lap and after the first full lap I was riding alone. I had decided to run water bottles instead of my usual Camelback even though I knew from experience I didn't drink enough with just bottles. I had my heart monitor plugged in so I could watch my heart rate and not go out too hard. I had gels and other space type eats stuffed in my jersey pockets. I had let the faster guys go and so I didn't get sucked into their pace. I thought I was prepared.

At that 36 mile mark I had stopped at my truck to refill my water bottles. One pair of gloves was soaked and I was working on another. I had drained 2 full bottles that lap compared to only one the first lap. I was tired, but I have to admit that seeing Steve A. had stopped gave me a little inspiration to go on. You see, Steve A. is a very competitive rider. He's beaten me at every event we have entered and he's the only one in the crew who is even close to my age. So I'll be damned if I was gonna drop out.

As you finished the first half lap of Red Bug there was a little hill you had to climb to get back to the multi use. It was only two miles from my truck; 38 miles into the ride. As I got to the top of the climb both thigh muscles cramped. And I mean they locked up. I should have turned around and gone back. Heck I should have listened to Steve A. and not even started that lap. Instead I figured they would work themselves out on the down hill. Wrong again. By the time I made it back to Red Bug I was pushing up some of the climbs.

When I got back to the truck everyone else except Blake had gone. He rolled in a half hour later, no cramps, and having done a full 50 miles. We had missed the planned after ride lunch as I think everyone else had.

After I got home I started re hydrating, elevated my legs, and cramped so bad I couldn't get up off the couch. Blake thought it was sooooo funny as I yelled and hopped around trying to get the muscle to let go. The next day I could barely walk.

With some good advice regarding supplements and post cramp rides I am feeling much better (I know you were concerned). Maybe just maybe, I'm not as awesome as I think I am. After all I'm not 45 anymore. I really thought I had ruined my Fools Gold trip. They say there's no fool like an old fool and I usually prove that right.

Temperature in the mountains this weekend looks like it will be at least 10 degrees cooler than here. I have bottles and packets of pills to ward off the evil crampage. I will take my Camelback and drink all the time. I will take it easy on the big climb after the start. I'm sure there will be a few rock gardens and shelf trail that will cause me to squeal like a girl. I will have a good time. I am so pumped!

On the Way Down?

2011-08-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a 65 year old XC racer at the last Gone Riding event about what it would take for me to stay in the saddle for another 10 years. The first thing he said was "good parents". He said he trained as hard and rode as much at 65 as he did at 55. "At about 58 I noticed I was using just as much energy, riding just as hard, but going slower". "Nothing I did made any difference in my speed".

So there it is. I have three more years to try and improve until I start the slide back down. I know everybody's different. I know that what happened to him has no bearing on my future. Still it got me thinking. If you're under 50 you probably have never thought about not being able to improve. Heck, maybe you don't even want to improve. Yea, maybe that's the attitude! Just enjoy the ride. Why do some of us think we have to always get better? Do more? Go faster? Can't we just enjoy the simple pleasures of riding through the woods? What possess me, when I see a rider ahead, to try and catch him? Most of the time he (or she) is at least 10 years younger than I am. In the grand scheme of things does it really make a difference? Apparently it does to me.

We had another Dirty 30 last Sunday morning. I should have been in church like BJS was. Instead I lined up for our "group ride" at a secret location. It was hot and muggy. LiL Ball said "go" and off we rolled. Just like in the paragraph above whenever someone passed me or lapped me I tried harder. It hurt, you know how it feels. Why would I put myself through this? The only person who was there that was anywhere near my age was WB and he's still 7 years younger than me. What makes us want to do this to ourselves? When it was over there were smiles all around.

Last night at the Higher Ground ride only the fast guys showed up. It was red lined from the time we crossed the rail road tracks. They dropped me like a hot potato. Why do I care? I shouldn't. They're all younger, faster, and just plain better cyclists than I am. So why at 55 do I even think I can keep up?

I have an answer. It's because when I ride, I mean when I'm really into the ride, I don't think I'm 55. All I think about is the ride.

So should we try to mentally prepare ourselves for the downward spiral? Will we even notice it? It will come to all of us eventually if we do this long enough. Is acceptance the healthiest way to go? I guess you would never have to worry about it if you didn't participate in any type of physical sports.

Anyhoo try not to look at me so funny when I pull up and complain about how fast you've gotten. It may not be you. I just might be on the way down.

The Fifty

2011-08-02T04:18:00.000-07:00

I had done something similar to this route in July of last year but only ended up with 40 miles. I really wanted to see how 50 would hurt and I HATE riding around in circles. So I got on Google Earth and mapped out a mostly off road ride in the Apalachicola National Forest. Since this isn't B's type of ride I coaxed him out of the notion of going by talking about all the sand and long graded roads this ride would have; in truth, I kind of wanted to do this alone anyway.

After our mountain trip I had taken Stumpy to the shop to solve a squeak that had been driving me crazy (they call it Normanizing). Unfortunately they came back with the dreaded "couldn't duplicate the problem" so within a mile of me leaving the St. Marks trail head at 7:30 am, of course, it started squeaking again. What? I have to listen to this for the next 5 hours? I tried to remain calm and convince myself this was all part of the mental test. So I plugged in my MP3, turned up the volume and continued down Munson.

I had filled my Camelback, plus a bottle of water, and had planned on filling up at the Trout Pond trail head. Two Stinger Waffles, a pack of gel, two packs of Shot Blocks, and a Cliff bar was all the food I took. Since I'm planning on doing Fools Gold in a couple of weeks I thought I would see how much I needed to eat over the 4-5 hours I'd be pedaling and I assumed this would be plenty.

After riding a portion of Munson, I took a FS road across the Crawfordville highway, and stayed on that until I came to a power line I recognized from my moto days. There I picked up an old Enduro trail which even after not being used for at least 5 years I was still able to follow. In fact, it looked like it had recently been marked and some of the downfall cleared. It was sort of single track, not soft at all, and was headed in the general direction I wanted to go. After a little bushwacking I popped out on LL Wallace Rd., turned east, crossed Springhill Rd., picked up Tom Roberts Rd. and started wiggling south toward the old Helen Guard work center. Here I started noticing how soft the roads felt, even on the little downhills I had to pedal to maintain forward momentum. It looked like it had rained on this section the night before so dry sand wasn't a problem but wet sand was another issue.

At the south end of the Trout Pond trail, at a place we used to call Brown House, I ran into a couple of my old moto buddies getting ready to ride. The USFS has been particularly crappy to motorized users lately and they have been forced onto less and less trail. To add insult to that they couldn't even get on at their regular trail head due to a bunch of horses unloading that morning. Why the horsey people go to a moto trail head to ride is beyond me. Anyhoo I left them trying to get a two stroke 250 started (no I don't miss it) and turned up the brand new, fully paved, aluminum barriered, Trout Pond hiking and biking trail. This trail is an excellent example of how the USFS wastes tax payer dollars but I don't feel like hashing that out right now. At the trail head there were new bathrooms, covered picnic tables, paved parking, a traffic survey, but no people. I ate my Stingers, checked my map, but didn't think I needed to refill my water. You do know that was a mistake don't you?

Once I started heading west it started getting hot. No shade, soft roads, and a sore butt were making me a little ill. My water in my Camelback was bath water hot by now and it seemed like all the roads were up hill. This was about 2.5 hours into the ride so I made a mental note to expect a little wall at about that time and hoped it would get better.

I rounded the northern most section near Silver Lake at 3.5 hours. I was averaging better than 11 miles per hour which I know is slow but hey, I'm old ya know. Anyway, it was hard to set a faster pace by myself. At 4 hours I was hungry. I had eaten everything except the Cliff bar, drained my Camelback, and started on my water bottle (which was also hot). I sat on the side of the road and stared at that Cliff bar, then at my water bottle. It's not like I was going to starve to death so I figured it would take more water to get the bar down than it was worth.

I went east along the same path I had started out on. When I got back to the Munson trail I continued around till I got to the Tall Pine cutoff. I had 48 miles by this time, I was hot, and out of water. I took the shortcut.

When I got back to my truck I had 50.16 miles on my Garmin, had ridden 4:28, and averaged 11.2 mph. Not that much of an adventure but something different.

I learned:

That whether you feel good or bad it will pass.

I need more food and more water for that amount of time on the bike in 97 degree weather.

I like these kind of rides.

50 miles in the mountains is going to be very difficult for me.

I got cleaned up, went by the shop, and dropped Stumpy off (it was the shock squeaking I think). There I grabbed a Monster energy drink and sat on the couch. After I figured I had tortured them enough I headed over to Tijuana Fats for a couple of tacos and then home. The rest of the day was spent in that pleasant haze of having done something (for me anyway) that was kind of hard.

I'd like to take more folks with me next time if anybody would like to go. Or maybe you know a route in the ANF? I know the scenery's not great and the single track isn't challenging but there's not much traffic and it's almost all on dirt. What do ya think?

Because I Can't Help It

2011-07-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

I guess the bear stands out more than anything. We got to our cabin Monday evening and just chilled out on the deck. The wind in the pines and the view were unreal. Sometime around 5:30 am T said "something's outside". I went to the plate glass windows in the front, turned on the flood lights, and I heard T say "oh my gosh it's a bear". Sure enough, roaming around like it owned the place was a large black bear. It checked out the hot tub and then walked up to the front door like a dog that wanted to be let in. I grabbed the camera, took it's picture, and then yelled at it. It just looked at me. Finally I guess it had had enough and lumbered to the edge of the porch, climbed over the railing, and dropped off. It had managed to violate the "bear proof garbage cans" and had scattered trash all over the back porch. Needless to say I always opened the door and looked around before I went out to have my morning cup of coffee.

Tuesday morning we rode the Thompson and Mouse trails at Tsali. They had recently been redone and were in excellent shape. T and her new Cannondale did great on Thompson and held up till about 3/4 of the way through Mouse, then she bonked. We ended the day with dinner at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) overlooking the river.

Wednesday we were back at the NOC for our rafting excursion. It seemed harder than last year. This is usually a laid back float but we were working from the launch. Not more than 5 minuets into the trip I hear a splash and look around just in time to see T swimming back toward the boat. B and I didn't laugh (at least not right then). The rest of the trip was uneventful. I have gotten to really enjoy that float. Thursday we drove up to Newfound Gap in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park to hike the Appalachian Trail to Charlie's Bunion and back. It's an 8 mile round trip with plenty of climbing. I got a little freaked out on the actual rock overlook but it was well worth the hike. I had brought rain coats for T and I. B being 15 and smarter than I am elected not to bring one. I remember hearing something about "only a 30% chance of rain". Well guess what? It flooded. It was cold. Some of the best lessons in life are learned the hard way aren't they?
I love the mountains.

Later That Day

2011-07-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Led Zeppelin's Black Dog played on the Gone Riding sound system as I stood looking at the mountains and waiting for PP and Dan K. to finish their race. I had pilfered one of Paul J.'s PBR while he wasn't looking and had a pleasant midday beer buzz going. Ah, nothing like the first days of vacation. I was PUMPED! Not really just because I had won, though that was nice, but the feeling of being done with something I had been working on for a while.

We were staying at the lodge just up the mountain from the race site so we didn't have to drive to the awards banquet that was being held there that afternoon. Plus we had the whole rest of the week off and were staying in the mountains until the following Friday. Can you feel it? Yea, it was good to be me.

We got cleaned up and headed to the lodge's banquet hall. I had asked Paul J. to pick me up a six pack of PBR on his way back from Helen but unfortunately they don't sell beer on Sunday so we resorted to plan B which involved a flask of Jack Daniels and a couple of Cokes. Hey I've done this awards thing before.

I did notice we were the only ones drinking alcohol (at least that I could tell). The food was good. PP and I even went back for seconds. This was the beginning of my 4 pound vacation weight gain.

The awards went quickly. David and Terry Berger do a great job. We got some good swag and were out of there by 4:30 pm. Dan K. was a little reluctant to put on his hoodie and pose for pictures but PP rather forcefully convinced him he should participate.

I had hoped the party would keep going but the cumulative effects of alcohol, food, and racing took their toll on me and after a quiet stroll around the lake we all headed back to our rooms and crashed.

Paul J., Dan K., and PP headed back to Tallahassee the next day while we messed around Helen. After lunch at the Troll restaurant next to the river we drove up to N. C. and checked into our log cabin. I have vacation stories and pictures. I almost can't help myself, I have to post them. Yea I know, it's like a bad joke.

The End

2011-07-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

It's over. I know it was a short series and maybe the competition isn't as tough as Florida but it was still fun. Much better than most of the moto series I have run.

The trail in Helen Ga. was hilly to put it mildly. When we got there Saturday afternoon it was a pleasant 75 degrees and was even cooler when we finished an hour later. I just thought I had ridden hills before, but this was real mountain biking (at least that's what Dan K. kept saying). Nothing technical at all. Well maybe a couple of switch backs with roots but I managed to clean everything so they must not have been that big of a deal. There was one hill I don't think anybody in our crew cleaned but that was just because it was steep. I couldn't decide on my race strategy for the next day. Should I hit it hard right from the start or pace myself? I had no idea how I would feel after an hour of climbing because we had never ridden this much slope in a race before. I decided I'd ride with Robert (my nemesis) and let him set the pace. I needed to beat him plus put somebody between us to lock up the championship so I thought if I could push him at the beginning he might burn out. The fact that I might burn out never entered my mind. It probably should have.

We had dinner in Helen that night on the front porch of a steak house and watched the bizarre parade that is Helen on a weekend. The crew seemed pumped to be there. Good times.

Sunday was cloudy at first with clearing forcasted for later in the morning. Still almost fall conditions compared to what we had left behind in Florida. There were 11 old farts in my class, including the SERC series first and second place riders. I had a bad case of the nerves. The start went down a grassy hill, across a bridge, then immediately started climbing. Robert got to the bridge just in front of me and we stayed like that for the first 2 miles. I noticed he was taking longer and longer to recover after we crested the hill tops. When I took a chance to look behind us I could see another rider coming so I went around Robert on a nasty climb and never saw him again until the finish.

I managed to fall on BOTH of the switch backs with the roots. Traffic was terrible with riders walking on almost every climb. I had to tell myself "just 5 more feet, just 5 more feet". On one hill I almost just said the heck with it. It was hard. I don't look foward to doing 2 laps next year and I'm impressed with PP and Dan K. for doing 2 and 3.

To get to the finish line we had to cross the same grassy field and climb the hill we had gone down at the start. It was a steep bugger. I looked behind me when I got into the field and didn't see anybody close. I wanted to make sure I didn't have to push up the the finish so I rolled easy across the field, shifted back into granny, and crossed the line in first.

I pulled off to the side to see where Robert was. I was sure he was right behind me. He had been close at every race this year and it never occurred to me he wouldn't be right there. Then one of the SERC riders came in, then another. Wow, I had won this thing!

Robert eventually finished around 8th. Still good enough to lock up second in the series.

Like most things you accomplish that you think are a big deal the actual winning wasn't as much of a rush as I had imagined it would be. Don't get me wrong I'll brag about this for years but the fun was in the hunt, not the kill.

B got a 7th in his class. He beat my time by 4 minutes which put a big smile on his face. PP got a fourth. Dan K survived on a single speed. Paul J survived.

The banquet and series awards presentation was scheduled for later that afternoon. I'll cover that tomorrow.

Summer Time Is Here

2011-07-12T04:48:00.000-07:00

When I walked out onto the back porch this morning to feed my dog I could hardly breathe it was so humid. The thermometer said 81. Really? At 6:00 in the morning? I love the long day light and the fact that everybody in my house is out of school but I'm ready for summer to be done. Maybe it's the constantly wet gear. Or the way my truck is starting to smell. Or the half gallon of water I have to drink every morning before I have my coffee just so I can start to re hydrate. Or, maybe it's the pictures of France from the TDF with all that crystal blue sky and cold creeks. Anyhoo, if it didn't get this hot and ugly down here there'd be more people living here than there already are. So, I'll quit whining for now. And yes, my dog lives outside, and yes, she's happy about it.

Let's see, we did a semi crew ride Saturday morning from Zone 5. It was almost a repeat of the ride we did Monday only at a little harder pace and with some different faces. Then there was the dirty 30 of ZB's Sunday morning. Uh, that was fun? I guess it was really. It was a 2 minute lap of two track that we rode for 30 minutes plus 2 laps. It seemed like we rode for an hour. Round and round like a hamster in a cage. It was hard but when I finally stopped I realized I had kinda enjoyed it. I'm sure I won the over 50 class since I was the only old guy left riding at the end (there were no classes). I got lapped at least once. B made the mistake of listening to BW and HWB and blew up about midway through, but even he said he had a good time. We rolled some easy single track after the "race" and then headed to Los Amigos for tacos. Ahhh, there's nothing like XX's beer and tacos at 11:00 on a Sunday morning. We giggled like school boys. Good times!

Munson Monday was weird. We had a big group that got broken up pretty quick. B and I were on the single speeds and were only up for a mellow ride. Somehow we managed to get sucked into the lead group and went out on Twilight. Another hard ride, but I didn't have as much fun on this one. I'm starting to see a pattern with regards to how much enjoyment I get out of certain rides. Interesting.

This weekend is the last GSC race of the year. It's been fun and I hope B and I get to do it again next year. This series has the best trails (in my opinion). Not having a race to prep for will be different but we have the Fools Gold in August then the Florida series starts in September in Tallahassee. My first race in the sport class; I can't wait. I'll send in a race recap on the GSC in Helen when we get back. I know, you just can't wait.

I'm starting to get the urge for a new XC race bike. Who am I kidding, I always have the urge for a new bike. Maybe sometime in September? The shopping and the dreaming is almost as much fun as the buying isn't it? I'm hung between big wheels and regular ones. Suspension is a must due to my advanced age. I like the way my 29" SS sits but something 25 lbs. or less with 26" wheels might be the best bet. Or it might not. Oh well, I've got plenty of time to decide.

July

2011-07-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

Lots of riding over the July 4th weekend. We started with a San Felasco trip on Saturday morning. BW, BJS, B, and I loaded up in BJS's truck and after a stop for bagels and coffee hit the early morning road to Alachua. We got to the trail head around 9:30 but due to some other type of head BJS and BW had to hit we got on the trail closer to 10:00. Man the way those two have got to time their toiletries you'd think they were older than me.

San Fan is nothing but fun single track. You don't have to do loops of the same thing over and over to get a decent amount of mileage. I recorded 5700 feet of climbing and 26 miles by the time we got back to the truck. Nobody wanted any more, we had had enough. The pace was steady and we didn't stop very often. It's was so hot and humid that stopping was torture anyway.

After the required stop at the Conestoga Restaurant we pointed it towards home and B and I were back in Havana by 4:00. I got cleaned up, opened a PBR, and hit the couch to watch the TDF. Air conditioning is a wonderful thing isn't it?

"Well, no good times go unpunished" I thought as I did the yard work in 97 degree heat Sunday afternoon. We did get away later in the day for an easy ride at FM. T is really enjoying her new ride. It's amazing how big a difference 7 lbs. makes in her ability to ride and enjoy the bike. Oh that's a 7 lbs. lighter bike by the way. I would never make the mistake of discussing my wife's weight.

I had planned a long forest road slog for Monday morning but when I didn't get any interest for any company I pulled the plug. I wasn't too pumped to do it alone again. I rode this route last year on the 4th of July solo and while an adventure, it just isn't as much fun doing long distances by myself. Fortunately a Zone 5 crew ride came together at the last minute Sunday night so B and I met the gang at 8:30 (which must be early for them) and did a calm pace for 26 miles on the north side trails. Then I took the fam to see the new Transformers movie that afternoon, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Not a lot of miles when you add it up but I was tired after every ride. The heat makes it seem like we rode twice as far as we did. We're into dog days now so when it doesn't rain in the afternoon I feel like I should be on the bike. Maybe I shouldn't say "should be"; that should read "want to be".

As a side note my main competition in the GSC went to the make up race in South Carolina a couple of weeks ago and managed to get 2nd. That was taking a chance since that was a SERC race and a long way away. But it paid off for him as he now has a 2 point lead over me. I now have to not only beat him but hope somebody finishes between us. Anyhoo all I can do is pedal and hope for the best. I could whine about it, I could point out that I beat him heads up every time we raced. I could complain about the 5 points he got in a time trial that he didn't even ride. Never mind that this is my last chance at a year end award before I move up to sport. At my age I'm not sure how much "better" I can get. Crap, this may be my last opportunity at glory now that I think about it. But after all it's just two old men racing bicycles in the base class isn't it?

Georgia Fools Prep Ride

2011-06-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

It was just the right distance, I only got turned around twice, it wasn't unbearably hot, and the company was entertaining. It wasn't even muddy! The Fools Gold Prep ride last Saturday went pretty well if I do say so myself. I'm sorry more folks couldn't make it but I understand. The route and terrain were an unknown plus I didn't give much notice. I'm not very fluid on the social networking sites and took my Faccy Book invite system instructions over the phone. So I might have left a few people out that I meant to invite; sorry.

Anyhoo Big Worm and the always amazing BJS honored me with their presence. We met at the Subway in beautiful downtown Havana at 8:00 am and proceeded to my super secret hunting lease (no, I don't hunt anymore) which is just North of town. I was excited about the route I had mapped out on Google Earth and was eager to share it with somebody. I figured we could get 40 miles out of it and only use about 12 miles of pavement. Some of the route was used in the Tour of Amsterdam but most of it had never been ridden before. We rolled out of the parking spot onto mowed rolling two track roads and made a loop of the lease. There are some pretty good hills on the lease and I had my heart rate up before having to bushwhack a little to get to the first paved section.

A nice country lane, .5 miles of US 27, another winding black top, and back into the woods at the Georgia state line. At the first gate I offered to unlock it but BW just chucked his bike over and started climbing, BJS followed suit while I went around. This little show was repeated every time we came to a gate or a tree down across the trail. It was almost a little competition to see who could get around or over the quickest without getting off the bike. Naturally I lost every time and had to ride hard just to catch up.

A climb across a blown out culvert (yes they played the little game) and a steady up hill grade took us across the tract known as Booger Bay. We then picked up a county graded road, turned onto some more two track which ran next to one of the many ponds on the property. Out onto old 27, a short sprint on new 27, and back in the woods.

At mile 19 we stopped for a snack next to a corn field which other than the above mentioned gates was the first time we had stopped. After a twisty fire line trail we came out on a two tract road at mile 23 and we had a decision to make. Should we take the North loop which was another 6 miles, or head toward the cabin and water. BW only had 1/4 bottle left so we headed for the cabin which we hit right at 25 miles. Exactly as I had planned.

I was having a great ride. It's not the kind of trail that makes you go weeeeeeee around every corner but it's still a good ride. I like to see something different every now and then, plus I'm beginning to like to do longer rides. But I don't like riding around in circles doing laps of the same trail.

After watering up we turned it South, made it back to the trucks, and with a little lap around the lake ended up with 40 miles. Again, just as I had planned.

BJS won the yellow sign game, BW came in second and yes, I was shut out. Such is the awesome talent of the people I ride with. I went home, took a shower, gathered up the fam, and headed to Tallahassee. At the shop it was like coming into the little bar where everybody knows your name. It was almost standing room only and the B. S. was deep. My beautifull bride has wanted a new bike for a while and she's shopped it to death so we finally pulled the trigger, she's happy. I finally got some tacos from Tijuana Flats which, except for the Cliff bar at lunch, was the only thing I had eaten since breakfast.

What a great day! I knew my Sunday was going to be rough so it was good to have such a day. They don't always work out like that. But it was just as I had planned.

Living In the Moment

2011-06-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

The 50+ base class does the wave on the podium at Flat Rock XC race.

I was listening to the podcast from the Tour Divide the other night. Sitting in my comfy study, sipping on an adult beverage, and thanking God I wasn't on top of a mountain in Colorado sleeping in a snowstorm when one of the riders said something that made me think. He was cold, tired, hungry, and missed his family but he was reminding himself to "live in the moment". It was so beautiful where he was he said that it made the suffering easier to take. He wasn't thinking about his house payments, job, or any one of the thousand things we all think about every day. His future was just getting through the moment. Which was bringing him a certain joy. Many religions teach this very principle as a pathway to inner peace (hang with me here I'm not going in too deep on this), the art is remembering to "live in the moment". I've found that racing does this for me better than anything else. I don't think about all the superfluous debris that usually seems to clutter my mind when I line up on race day. I don't think about how old I am, retirement, or what I need to do at work Monday. It usually starts falling back on my shoulders after we get home on Sunday night and then I realize that I hadn't thought about that all day long. Gosh if we could just teach ourselves to enjoy the time we're in RIGHT NOW instead of waiting until some time in the future wouldn't life be much more pleasant?

Now that I got the Kumba ya crap out of the way I'll get down to telling about the XC race in Columbus Ga. last weekend. It was hot and muggy but that's not really a surprise is it? The trail was weird, it's located in the suburbs of Columbus Ga. and it looks like it's an older park. The open sections were just a ribbon of trail through mowed grass, but when it hit the woods it got tight with rocks in a few spots. At about half way there was a nice section that had some flow to it but all in all not my favorite trail.

At the start I had trouble clipping in and got out in third, passed first and second before we got into the first section of single track, and tried to check out. My arch nemesis Robert was right on my wheel though, maybe he read last weeks blog and had figured out my strategy but anyway I couldn't shake him before we got to the "Rock Garden". The entry to this section had a sharp, off camber, rocky, rooty, downhill. It was there that I caught a rider at the tail end of the 15-18 class. I had been awake the night before worrying about this very turn and now here I was. I went wide while the kid went inside. I was trying not to follow him in case he did what he did but it was too narrow. "I knew it!" I said as he went down, taking my front wheel with him. Robert just unclipped and rolled around the outside. He hollered "don't worry you'll catch me" and I picked up my bike and began to run down the trail. Such is life in the base class.

I kept Robert in sight and managed to catch his wheel in the open section. I was really doing all I wanted to do but I figured I'd try and break him while it was open. I went around but every time I looked back he was still there! The bile started to build in the back of my throat and it felt like I needed to burp. I was breathing so hard though I was afraid if I burped I might puke and that would be bad. As we came out of the last tight single track before the feed zone I looked back expecting him to be there. He was nowhere in sight. I kept the pedal down until I hit the flowy section. I could see a ways behind me through the trees and never caught a glimpse of him. Turns out he had burped the air out of his rear tire twice and was just trying to keep 3rd place behind him. He did and I only gained 1 point on him. I now have to beat him at Helen on July 14 to secure 1st in our class. Is there anyway to improve in just a month?

As far as the rest of the Tallahassee group goes DannyK got a first in his class, Blake got a 5th in his, Paige took 2nd after leading the first lap (sorry about the picture Paige but it was too good to pass on), Parker got a 2nd, and we all had a good time. The sponsoring shop gave out money for prizes this time which was nice but I'd still rather get a bag full of goodies. It's kind of like Christmas when you peek in the bag.

We did the Higher Ground ride last night on the single speeds and I'm planning a long ride for this Saturday if I can get some interest. I'm ready for something different.

Oh Yea, That's What I'm Talkin About!

2011-06-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

I know it's a little hard to read, I can get you a better copy if you're interested, I've got quite a few of them. It's funny, I raced moto for years, won state championships in my classes, and never even got a mention in any mainstream media. But win a couple of bike races and I get this in the Tallahassee Democrat. Of course, instead of heartfelt congratulations all I get from my crew is "why did they write about you?". Do they really have to ask? Apparently a 55 year old man racing bicycles is news?

I am now aware of how few people actually read newspapers anymore. Only one cyclist (thanks Jim) called to rib me about it. However my neighbor yelled "congratulations!", a couple walking in my neighborhood asked for an autograph, and when B took up collection in church Sunday one of the members stuck a copy of the article in the collection plate for him to give to me. I just hope "my nemesis" Robert Ham, doesn't read this, I don't want to give him any excuses to get stronger. I'm was just kidding Robert! And yea the picture sucks.

The TMBA (Tallahassee Mountain Bike Association) had their summer social this past Sunday and I found another beer that I like, PBR! Thanks to Todd from Higher Ground for providing me 3 cold ones.

We gathered at the BMX tract and rode for a little while then sat down to enjoy burgers and dogs. It looked like about 40 people enjoyed the summer evening. Terry was a hoot in the bull ring, they should pay him just to show up. The ride back to the truck with a little buzz was a good way to end the weekend.

B and I are racing the Columbus round of the GSC this weekend. It's going to be 99 degrees so I expect some riders in my class to have a few problems with the heat. Old guys and hot weather don't go together. I feel like I am fairly acclimated to it. I really shouldn't have said anything, watch, it'll be me that falls out. I have a race strategy in mind but I'm open to adjustments after we take a look at the trail on Saturday. I'm starting to get kinda nervous after all this publicity.

At the social there was a lot of talk about the Fool's Gold race this August in Dahlonega Ga. Sounds like they'll be a big group going if everybody who's talking about it actually goes. It's on my list but I'm going to wait until the week before to enter. I've seen the pictures from last years event after it flooded and I want no part of that.

I'll have another thrilling race report next week.

Thanks for the "diva" tag Benny. I know you read this.

The Rules

2011-06-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

Since I'm relatively new to cycling I've had to learn the basic etiquette of riding with a group. Mind you every group has a different set of rules so the learning curve has been steep for me. Mountain Biking, I assume, has less rules than road riding but that's not to say it isn't without some guidelines.
Since I'm so easy to get along with and constantly worry about offending my fellow riders I have kept mental notes of the times I have made certain transgressions while riding on different rides. I can think of 10 of them that I've learned in just the past 2 weeks in no particular order. This is for fun so please don't take any of this personal. I'm just KIDDING! Gosh some of you are sooooooo sensitive.

1. I don't get to say where we go or how fast we go.

2. If I'm more than 2 minuets late to the trail head I'll get left. Unless someone who is a long standing member of the group is also late then they wait till he gets there.

3. If the rider in front of you drops their water bottle, stop and pick it up for them. Even if they have been hammering your ass for the last 5 miles. It's not polite to holler at them and then ride by as they turn around (they will give you a dirty look as they go past).

4. Don't correct inconsiderate riders who cut the trail, then pull out in front of slower riders. They will just ignore you and keep on being rude.

5. Some rides have post ride beers, some do not. Some rides are more about the post ride than the ride. That's not a problem I just like to know before I go so I remember to bring some beer.

6. Some people like to talk while they ride, others don't. It's getting easier for me to tell them apart.

7. For a few folks it's a race from the time you leave the trail head and I don't mean just riding hard.

8. Some people will jump out in front of you on a group ride after every rest stop, even though you have to pass them almost immediately when you get going again.

9. You should not ask the riders in front of you on the line in a race if they'll let you squeeze in. I did once and got chastised for it.

10. 98% of the people who ride mountain bikes are the nicest folks I've ever met.

You'd think that since I'm a little older than most of the people I ride with that they'd cut me some slack. Not a chance. In fact, even after learning all of the above, I still seem to be the brunt of more than a few long running jokes. Riders I don't even know very well picked at me just last weekend about my inability to clear certain sections of trail and this "traitor" theme has gotten a life of it's own.

Anyhoo we rode TB Saturday on the SS's, then FM on Sunday with the Green Bean crew, I did Munson Monday again on the SS, and tonight is the Higher Ground ride. I'll hit the gym tomorrow to work on my already awesome upper body. Then we plan to do a little technical riding Thursday which should have a horrible effect on my self esteem. I know it's a tough life but hey what can ya do?

Dauset

2011-05-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

In all my years of racing I've never won a bottle of champagne. I haven't tried this yet to see how it tastes but I don't imagine it's very good. But that's not the point is it? This past weekend was the South Eastern Regional Championship (SERC) race in Dauset Ga. And yes I won the slow old man class. The trail was rockier than the other two rounds I'd ridden, more technical, and not quite as fun.

It was hot. 96 degrees when we finished at 10:30. So hot that 3rd place didn't even show up for the podium deal. The only guy who doesn't look like he shouldn't be in a nursing home is the guy in second.

B got a poor start and finished 7th out of 15 in his class. They started behind us this time and the top 3 caught me before the finish, fast class.

Speaking of the start, it was narrow, on pavement, down hill at first, and then onto fresh gravel. I knew I wanted to get on the front line with 14 in our class. It was then I may have made a cycling faux pas. I politely asked the two guys who had just jumped in front of me if they were racing the series, to which they responded they were not. "If not", I said"would you mind letting me in front with you since he(here I point to the guy next to them, Rob, who's first in the series ahead of me) and I are racing for points". I didn't mean for the whole line to hear this and it must have sounded like I thought I was special (which of course I am but they didn't know it, yet) because one of their friends at the other end of the row said something along the lines of "yea, you two go out hard, I like seeing guys like you blow up as I go by". Turns out at least 5 of the guys in the front row were locals, only riding this one race, and didn't take kindly to me asking for a little courtesy.
One of them did move over for which I thanked him profusely. The whistle blew and we were off. I hit the woods third behind, you guessed it, two of the locals. As soon as we got onto the single track they sat up. What the hell? I tried a couple of times to get around but it was tight so I just fell in behind them. At least I wasn't burning much energy. I suddenly remembered a place to pass I had scouted out in practice the day before just after a bridge that was coming up. As soon as we crossed the bridge I stood on the pedals, only to be pushed off the edge of the trail into a rut, then into a tree, then the dog pile started. After taking a handle bar in the side and piling up every body behind me (bet they were glad they let me in front now huh?) I managed to get going in 6th. I could see the points draining away as Rob was now 2 places in front of me.

With the adrenaline pumping I passed the two in front of me at the same time using an old moto move. I was right behind Rob and he was on 3rd's wheel. Then I got lucky as Rob clipped a tree, went "oofhhhh", and rolled off the trail. I hollerd "you ok?" but didn't take the time to stop. He got back in right behind me. He and I had talked about the first little rock climb earlier. We had both cleared it and had even discussed which lines we were going to use. It was coming up. I had about had it with blue shirt and creaky seat in front of me. Every time I made a move they moved over. When we got to the rocks they both stood up, one went in one line, one took the other, and they stopped. I could hear Rob behind me "@#%& guys!". We all piled up again.

Now during the previous week Wrecking Ball had showed me how to do a cycle cross dismount and remount. So I grabbed my bike, ran to the top of the hill (really more like a mound), elbowed 2nd place out of the way, jumped on my bike just like WB had showed me, but couldn't find the pedals. 2nd pushed back by me. I was pissed. The first opening creaky seat (2nd place) gave me I went inside, hit the brakes, and did a SteveA* on him. 1st must have heard the commotion behind him and didn't put up much of a fight.

I managed to put a little gap on Rob who had followed me around blue shirt and creaky seat. The rest of the race was fairly uneventful except for some guy in one of the classes in front of me who must not speak English since I must have asked him 5 times for a little room. I had to SteveA him also.

That's blue shirt checking out a kid in B's class before the start.

The only other excitment was close to the finish as a red and white jersey was all of the sudden catching me. Rob's jersey! When the rider got behind me I started to ride a little wide thinking if he wasn't in my class he'd ask to pass, but he never said a word. When we got into the clearing before the finish I could hear Rob's friends yelling "go,go!". I came out of the seat and made it through the scoring chute in front of him. Turns out it was Rob's son (next to B in the picture above) and they both wear the same jersey.

I worked for this one. Was it fun? In a way. I don't look forward to the sport class which did 2 laps in that heat. I hope the locals forgive me but it's a RACE! Oh, and I never saw the guy who said he was going to pass me after I blew up. See, told ya I'm special.

I am fixing to go into the kitchen and get that bottle of champagne out of the fridge and try a little bit, maybe more than a little if it's any good.

*The SteveA is a take out move where you take the inside line away from the guy in front of you, hit the brakes, almost take his front wheel out, then laugh about it so they can hear you.

The SS

2011-05-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

No, not that kind of SS. I'm talking about single speed bicycles. Still, I like the Nazi Zombie look. Oh, and if you Google Nazi SS, you'll get some very disturbing images.

It all started when the Worm lent us his Voodoo and we were able to borrow a Niner from Higher Ground. Both single speeds, both fun. I had to have one. Of course as long as B is in the house I would never get any peace if I just bought one so using the "found money" from the sale of the dirt bike I bought 2. I know that's a little extravagant but I'm at the stage in my life where I am acutely aware of how quickly time passes. I know that's a weak rationalization for buying two bikes but just you try to get through the day without a juicy rationalization. Anyhoo that's a topic for another time, back to the new SSs.

They are both Specilized Rockhoppers, normally a geared bike, 29" wheels, and hard tails. The shop converted them to SS for us and even though they are a little heavy they're still fun. If you already have a SS you already know how different they are from a geared bike. They are quiet, no chain slap, the big wheels help a little with not having a rear shock (well that may be a stretch), and not having gears makes the ride both challenging and relaxing at the same time. They are a perfect bike for rides to the restaurant on Friday nights, fam rides, beginner rides, and solo rides when I just want to poke along and enjoy the woods. I've found that SS riders are like vegetarians, if there's one in the crowd all you have to do is wait and they'll let you know that they're there. Now I kinda understand why.

I'm getting to like the way my shop looks now. I think I have room for a couple more. By the way I have a huge dog, a security system, and a retired cop for a neighbor so be forewarned. Not that the 5 people who read this would do anything like that but you never know.

Oh, and by they way, did you happen to notice all the trophies discreetly placed in the photos? No? Well here's a better look. Just don't focus on the dates. Yes, I was a legend in my mind.

No Race Report

2011-05-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

I'm sure it will be better covered by other local bloggers, both those who finished in front of me and the few that finished behind me. The Redbug Challenge was fun even though I didn't do as well as I should have. If you'll look at the picture above you'll see I am standing with the women's class. I mean no disrespect to the ladies but it was not the place for me to be at the start. Suffice to say they got out in front of me due to my timid starting procedure and their urge to crush each other. I had listened to my "friend" BJS when he said "a 25 minute lap time should be about right". Of course he went out and turned 23.66 minute laps and blistered the whole class. Oh well it was a blast anyway. It was a "C" race for me since I'm the only one in my class WHO IS ACTUALLY RACING A SERIES. There, that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it. By the way I'm proud of B, he bumped up to the older class and had a good ride. He actually showed some emotion when he crossed the finish line. Most of the time he reminds me of Dr. Spock on the old Star Treck series. Must be a teenage thing. Of course it may not be as wonderful to be my son as I think it is.

Local races are so different than out of town events. Here everybody yells at you as you go by. Even though it's not always complementary (not when I go by anyway) at least it takes your mind off the suffering. There was a good vibe after the race since most of us know or have at least seen each other before. A large group ended up at Moe Moe's Pizza after the ride. We ate and drank outside under the trees. I was sorry to see the day end. I went home and fell asleep on the back porch like a happy dog.

I got the stitches out the other day so for the first time in maybe a month I don't have anything to complain about when I ride. It was a relief to walk out of the doctors office knowing I was free of that crap for at least a little while. Whenever you get two or more guys over 50 together the conversation invariably turns to medical issues. Don't think you'll be like that? I didn't either.

Seven Days

2011-05-10T04:10:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's how long I've been off the bike. It seems like much longer. From a career in the sunshine I get these little presents that pop up on my arms almost every year. My dermatologist seems to get a kick out of slicing and dicing these things off of me so with 6 stitches I figured I better not ride till it got closed up a little. On a positive note the time off allowed me to do some things I had been putting off. I cooked more, cleaned the kitchen, and even slept better. But I found myself looking out the back door wondering if this is how the rest of the world lives their days.

I went to Munson Monday this week and was surprised how good it felt to be riding again. I am addicted to cycling at the present time, in the past I've been addicted to running and to motorcycles, but it's bicycles now.

It left the house in the back of a black Ford F-250 pickup. I have had one since I was 11 years old (except for a 4 year break for college and marriage) and this is the first time in all those years that I'll be without one. The guy who bought my Honda 450 got a good deal. I knew he was leaving with the bike when he saw it and said "wow" as he walked into the shop. After he left I had a beer and just stood in the empty space the bike had just occupied. All those years, all those miles.

We've got a busy summer coming up. The Red Bug Challenge is this weekend, then we have 3 more rounds of the Georgia State Series, plus Bump and Fools Gold. We made a commitment to do the Georgia Series and with gas at $4.00 a gallon I don't know how many of the other over night events we'll be able to do. Heck, ya know, maybe we should just do them all, you only go around once right? They say they only regrets you'll have are the opportunities you missed. Besides I'm tired of staring out the back door.

Race Weekend

2011-05-03T06:02:00.000-07:00

It was a solo adventure this time around as B came down with Strep Throat the week before. I'll admit some trepidation about going by myself since the race was 5 and a half hours away but I had made a commitment to this little series so I headed out Saturday morning. The trip up was pretty uneventful except for a traffic jam on I-75 and not being able to find Yargo State Park when I finally got to Winder, Ga. I stopped at a Walmart (of all places) to get directions and then had to stop and ask again when I got into the park. I had a nice headache by the time I got registered and unloaded my bike. Two other riders from Tallahassee, Dan and Paige, had already made their practice lap before I even started mine so I made sure they knew I was there just in case something happened. You begin to think about those kind of things more often after you turn 50, things like: where my insurance card is, and who could drive me home if I couldn't drive. Anyhoo the practice lap was relaxing, the course was beautiful (the local club had swept the trail), and I was able to find the Jameson Inn without too much trouble.

I found Paige and Dan again at the hotel and we went across the street to a Ruby Tuesdays for dinner. Other than the waitress forgetting Paige's order it was about what I expected for Winder, Ga. on a Saturday night. The Jameson Inn was, well, let's say different, than the Hampton Inns I normally stay in. I remember hotel rooms looking like that in the 80's when I was racing FTR hare scrambles. In fact my room probably had the same furniture in it that it had in the 80's, including the bed. The train tracks ran right by the hotel so 3 times during the night I got jolted awake by the horn as the train crossed the highway. My fear of bed bugs kept me thinking I felt something crawling on me but when I turned on the light I couldn't see anything. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

We made the trip into Athens, Ga. after dinner to see the Twilight Crit. Just finding a parking space was an adventure. With 55,000 people, most of them drunk college kids, the race was fun to watch. I did get a little tired of hearing "oh mygod!" and "hey man let us across the street" while they chain smoked cigarettes. I have no idea who won, I had to call BW and find out how the format worked. I'd like to watch it sometime when I didn't need to get up the next morning and race my mountain bike. We got back to the hotel around 11:00.

Race day was a cool 60 degrees with some light clouds. After a "breakfast" at the hotel I left for the park. I just don't sit around and wait very well. I missed not having B with me. He enjoys these races and it just wasn't the same without him along. I warmed up and went to the line. 16 old guys in my class! We were lined up two deep. Fortunately I had a spot at the front and got off to a 3rd place start. I knew the riders in first and second had finished behind me at West Point so I settled into their pace until we got to the first open section and I went to go around. Just as I moved left another rider came by me, pushed me back in line, passed second, then first, and put me back to fourth. Crap! We freight trained through the next single track section and as soon as we came out onto the gas line climb I passed third, then second, and got onto first place's wheel. Unbeknownst to me I had brought another rider around with me and he was right on me as we started the climb. Now I thought the rider in first had introduced himself to me on the line as being 68 years old. So I thought "he can't keep this pace up, he's gonna blow soon". Wrong. I was the one who was gonna blow up if I didn't back off. I never saw the guy again and no he wasn't who I thought he was. Third place had finsihed just behind me at West Point and he kept me honest until about the half way mark where I was able to get a little breathing room on a couple of climbs.

I managed to stay ahead of third place and had a comfortable margin at the finish. I won some neat stuff and didn't feel as guilty (now why would I feel guilty?) about racing the base class as I did after West Point since I had gotten beat soundly by first place. I stuck around and handed water to Paige and Dan who no doubt have their own race stories to tell. I left before they finished as I was itching to get on the road to home.

The promoters wife asked me "where are all the other Bikechain guys?" to which I could only shrug and say "I don't know".

It was another great weekend. I love the trails we've ridden so far. They are so much better than some of the stuff we ride in Florida. I hope everybody is healthy for the next one.

It's Just Too Much Trouble

2011-04-26T04:55:00.000-07:00

I pulled my dirt bike out of the shop for the first time in a year last weekend. I'd been putting this off for a while but the time had finally come. I cleaned it up, put some air in the tires, checked the air filter, and gave the kick start a good whack. Much to my surprise after about 7 kicks the thing fired up. This was going to be harder than I thought. It settled into a steady idle, looking all clean. I felt a twinge of regret. Maybe I should just keep it, you know, just in case I get the urge to ride. But that hadn't happened in over a year, which is still hard for me to accept.

Well just load it up right now and take it up to the track I told myself, go ahead, it's running great. Maybe you don't really want to take the pictures, write the add, and put it for sale on Craigslist. Then I thought about loading the gear, the gas can, the pop up, and pushing it into the back of the truck like I've done thousands of times in the past, and I just sighed. It seemed like too much trouble. Is this how things end? After 41 years of moto will I just go out with "it's too much trouble"? Come on man, you knew this was coming! My moto friends and I had talked about this day years before. We wondered if we would be forced off the bike by injuries or just get too feeble to ride. One of them suggested we'd just stop wanting to go. I always said they'd have to pry my cold dead hands off the handle bars, looks like I was wrong. I shut the bike off, pushed it in front of the garage door, and took the pictures for the add.

It's amazing all the stuff I've collected over the years while pursuing my moto hobby. Until I started listing it for sale I never realized I had so much junk. I'd kept records of every race, how I finished, and anything that happened that was worth remembering. As I read them I could picture the day, who was there, whether it was hot or cold, and even how I felt. Most of these events no longer exist. Public land for riding has disappeared and the places that are left are no fun to ride on. I have pictures on the wall of my shop from the 80's and trophies from races located on land where you can't even ride a motorized vehicle today. 4 wheelers and just too damn many people moving into the state eventually killed the best places to ride. So I typed the add, uploaded the pictures, and pushed the post button. When will your last ride be? Will you enjoy the last day you swing your leg over a saddle? Will you go out with a bang or will it just be "too much trouble"?

Enough of that melancholy crap! B and I borrowed a couple of single speeds last Friday just to see what all the excitement is all about. Now I get it! It was fun, different from the geared bikes, and so now we want one. Only problem is we couldn't just get one, we'd need two of them. So we're shopping around.

In my beautiful little town of Havana there's a restaurant T and I enjoy called Oscars. It's no big deal, just a little Italian food and a nice courtyard. We rode the bikes up there the past two weekends and after a couple of Becks I had a great idea. I should get a group of local cyclists together for a Friday evening tour of Havana. We could start at someones house for drinks, go to another house for more drinks and maybe some snacks. Then on to a restaurant for well, more drinks, and maybe something to eat. Sounds like fun huh? Would be great except I can't think of more than 8 people in town who ride and of those 8 only 4 of them could ride more than a few blocks. Anyhoo it was a good idea while it lasted. Maybe I could recruit some folks from out of town. Interested?

Not Talking About It

2011-04-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not going to mention my horrific crash. There will be no gruesome injury pictures (even though I could provide some). I will not recount my childish display of temper as I rolled around on the ground in almost inhuman pain. I know I called up the bad mojo by mentioning earlier that day that I just didn't push hard enough to crash. Anyhoo I'm not talking about it so on to other things.

After last Tuesday's "incident" I felt compelled to take it easy for a couple of days. So when Sunday rolled around I still hadn't set up an afternoon ride. I had been wanting to go back to the Lines Tract Trails on the Gadsden Co. side of Lake Talquin for some time but for some reason most of my regular crew is afraid to leave Leon County to ride. It was such a perfect day I just had to get out, so after church I loaded up by myself, grabbed my music, and headed toward Quincy.

I wasn't surprised that there was nobody else at the trail head. I do question the logic of putting this system way out here, don't get me wrong, I appreciate the DOF building and maintaining the trail, but it appears to be very underused. The covered picnic tables, the grill, and the chemical toilet (I didn't really look at the toilet I just assumed) all looked like they hadn't been used in a while.

Yes the trail is there somewhere

The beginning of the trail is across a sandy hill that reminds me of the old Munson. I saw little evidence of bike tracks and in places the vegetation had grown across the path. After it dropped off the hill into the pines it was a little easier to follow until it started down into the hardwood hammock along the lake. I could see the blue blazes every now and then so I never really got lost but I admit I had to stop every once in a while to make sure I hadn't started bushwhacking by mistake. The views of the lake and the huge hardwoods made this my favorite section. If the trail had been beaten in it could have been a fun ride as well as scenic.

I was (am) still a little skittish from the "incident that I'm not talking about" plus being by myself made me ride even more conservative. But that was alright. I had good tunes, the sky was blue, and the woods were free of other people. After 9 miles I was back at the truck. It had taken me a little over an hour and I was wishing there was more to ride. After I downloaded the route onto Goggle Earth I could see plenty of room to expand the trail, the mileage could easily be double what it currently is. But why put in more of what nobody rides. It's a shame. There is so much underutilized state land on that side of the lake, if it were all tied together it could make epic trail system. But I don't know, maybe it's better this way.

West Point

2011-04-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

It didn't feel as good as I imagined it would. I got more of a rush getting third place at the Tom Brown race in last year's Florida Series than I did getting a first this past weekend in Georgia.

The trail at West Point (which is just outside of La Grange Ga.) couldn't have been more perfect for me. And I'm not just saying that because I did well in the race, in fact I commented Saturday afternoon after our practice lap how much I enjoyed the ride. It has a hard clay surface with quite a bit of elevation change. There was a brand new section about a mile in length that looked like it still had rake marks on it. No it didn't really flow that well, it was like Red Bug without all the roots. The thing that made me the most relaxed was the fact I didn't need to get off my bike any where during the lap. I know you're surprised that a rider of my caliber needs to push once in a while but it's true.

Truth be told any little bit of scary looking technical stuff sends me to my feet so I was confident and happy after Rupe and I finished our lap on Saturday evening.

Aesthetically it would be hard to find a prettier place for a bike trail. It's situated on the edge of West Point lake, they had just done a control burn so there was no underbrush on the edges of the trail, and it had just enough roll to it to make the climbs a challenge. I took the whole fam up with me since most of the crew had elected to drive up Sunday morning. We got a room at a very expensive Hampton Inn in La Grange (I have a fear of bed bugs from lesser establishments) and after getting cleaned up we found a Long Horn Steak House and proceeded to consume mass quantities of red meat. The big meal combined with a couple of beers meant I didn't watch much of the movie back in the room before I was sound asleep.

Sunday was cloudy at first and a very pleasant 58 when we left the hotel after eating breakfast with all the folks at the Hampton. The Hampton Inns do seem to attract an older (yea than me) clientele that really do like their breakfast bar, they get a little aggressive if you get between them and the bacon. Scary.

The white wave (us slower riders) were scheduled to go off at 11:30 so we watched the more talented Rick, Tim, Danny, and Paige ride in the 9:30 race before we started warming up for our start. This would be Rupe's first race in the Junior 15-19 class and the first time he would line up right behind me, or so he thought. Somebody in our class hollered "let the juniors go first" so Dave took a vote, nobody seemed to mind so he moved them in front of us. I just knew I'd be able to catch him even with a 2 minute lead. Or so I thought.

"15 seconds" my mind goes blank. "Go" and then I spend 5 cranks of the pedals trying to get my other foot clipped in while everyone else gets in front of me. Fortunately it was a quarter mile dirt road before we hit the first single track. I was surprised as I moved to the front that nobody challenged me. I hit the first turn with only 1 other rider close on my wheel. My plan had been to go at almost my maximum pace for the first couple of miles then back off a little in the new tight section. My "plan" didn't take into account my thighs getting a good burn going so at the second road crossing I let the guy behind me go by.

Okay, seconds not so bad I thought, BJS and SteveA said I should be able to win easily but what do they know? I couldn't see anyone behind me as I started to catch the Clydesdale's, then the Juniors, then all of the sudden I was on first place's wheel. How did this happen (he told me later he just went out too hard and popped)? He let me by right before the new section.

Every now and then I could see Rupe through the trees way ahead of me and every time I started to catch a black and white jersey I thought it was him; but I never caught him. On the last big climb from the lake the locals call suicide hill I got a little queasy at the top of the power line. I knew it was only about a mile of tight single track to the finish so even if second place managed to catch me I planned to just ride wide until we hit the paved road to the finish but he never got that close.

So I won. Rupe beat my time by 30 seconds, which is the first time that's ever happened. He finished 6 out of 11, just one place away from a medal. That's the first time I've ever finished first so I don't know why I'm not more pumped about it. Anyhoo, I enjoyed the ride and we're both looking forward to the next round in Winder.

Barbarians!

2011-04-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

As I chased after a couple of faster (although younger) riders the other night at Munson I had an epiphany. Racing through the woods along trails is something that's rooted in our distant past.

First on foot as we chased after food. Then on horses chasing game. The fastest got the kill and therefore the first or largest piece of the meal. So we all want to be the fastest. I can just imagine tearing through the primal woods whooping and hollering. Dodging back and forth along the trails. Then celebrating at the end of the hunt with a meal and some kind of manly (or womanly) drink. Sound familiar? What do you think? Don't you get some kind of deep seated pleasure at the end of a particularly hard ride? How about the urge to grab something hearty to eat? I've heard the celebratory hiss of an adult beverage being opened at the end of a long day as we toast our successful "hunt". So we really can't help riding in the woods. It's a part of us.

Ok let's take it a step farther. Look how we separate into tribes when we ride. This was one of the first differences I noticed when I left moto and started cycling. We all get along but we seem to settle into groups and tend to ride with that group most of the time. Kinda like tribes see? We even wear "colors" (well some of us do) sometimes to identify which tribe we're most closely associated with.

I don't ride road bikes so I wonder if they get the same thrill as those of us who only ride in the woods. From the outside it all looks so clean, civilized, and orderly. Do their tribes get along or do they just try to kill each other? Do they have the urge to howl at the moon while they ride? Do they even drink post ride beers?

Both Rupe and I have hit the ground pretty hard this week. Me getting over a large (to me) root on Cadillac and him clipping an unseen stump with his pedal also on Cadillac. It was scary to watch him launch into the air, perform a 180, then hit the ground with a thud. He got up and walked it off but it took the edge off of him for the rest of the evening. I'm almost embarrassed to tell about my little ordeal. See, I have this one root that has terrified me since we started riding. Almost everybody else clears it without even thinking about it but not me. So I decided I was going to do it. The first time I sailed right over it. Ha! Nothing to it. So I turned around to make another run, pulled up on the bars too early and plowed right into it. My ankle found the chair ring about the same time my shoulder met the tree and I ended up in a pile. Being both stubborn and untalented I made two more runs at it and even though I didn't fall again I never made it all the way over clean. Maybe I'll take up road riding.

Six Days

2011-03-30T04:54:00.000-07:00

I know cycling off road for 6 days in a row isn't any big deal. The longest ride was 2.4 hours with BJS and Rupe last Saturday and the shortest was the hour and 15 minute ride last night at TB with the crew. The week also included a family ride at a very sedate pace and a Felt test ride where I thought I had to pedal at race pace the whole time to get the most out of the different bikes I was riding. It must be wearing me down though.

Last night I was trying to stay with Lil Ball on his single speed when all of the sudden my legs just said "enough" and try as I might I couldn't make them continue to push. But that didn't bother me until I looked over my shoulder to see Rupe and DB catching me. I forgot all about Lil Ball who had already gotten out of sight and started marking their progress. Much to my dismay they were gaining on me. DB is so far above my skill level he could have caught me on a big wheel but Rupe catching me from behind is a different story (later Rupe told me DB said "let's catch your dad"). I commenced to trying to get my already dead legs to do something; snot and sweat started running down my face as I tried to reach the dog fountain at the MOAPG before I was overtaken. I made it but not by much. I tried to control my breathing so it wouldn't seem like I had been working but I still sounded like a cat choking on a hairball. Anyhoo that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it; 6 days in a row is too much for an old man.

Don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge Rupe his new found speed. I'm proud of his performance and glad he enjoys cycling. It's my performance that's sometimes frustrating. It seems like just last week he was having a melt down on that very same trail because he couldn't even climb the hills.

I did find out I love bike demo days. I really like the way the Higher Ground crew runs them. Having someone hand you a carbon fibre bike to ride one after the other in all kinds of different configurations isn't a bad way to spend a cloudy Sunday afternoon. With me these kind of things usually end with me wanting whatever expensive model they have. This time was no different as the Felt Edict has gone to the top of my never ending want list. I know an old base rider on a full carbon frame doesn't make much sense but then what about cycling and our toys does?

Oh, we made the right call on the GSC race last Saturday. It rained all night, quit right before the start, and turned cold. I hear bikes were ruined. Not my idea of a fun ride.

Picture not from the GSC race but good none the less

In A Funk

2011-03-26T05:52:00.000-07:00

I have been looking forward to the start of the Gone Riding Georgia Series since I first heard about it last year. The trails sounded like something I'd want to ride and Rupe was excited about racing his first full series. I had pre entered, made hotel reservations, and packed when BJS called and gave me the weather report. 80% chance of rain and thunderstorms for both Saturday and Sunday. That would mean being in rain all weekend. We pulled the plug. Now I sit here looking at the newest forecast for the race site it and doesn't look as bad as it did last night. I knew this would happen. I've done enough races in my life to know that the feeling I get from backing out is usually worse that the punishment I'd have gotten if I'd have just gone ahead and raced. Oh well there's 5 more in the series surely it won't rain at all 5.

As part of my "training program" for the Ga. races that I was going to attend SteveA and I did the torture loop at Forest Meadows the week before. I followed that with a little vacation to the Ocala area which didn't involve anything physical at all. Then a couple of more days off with some very easy rides so I wouldn't have tired legs because I was going to be racing this weekend. All of this resulted in a gain of 2 pounds. My little non-cycling vacation was pleasant enough. We did some fishing and a little snorkeling (very little). The place we stay is a throw back to the 50's. By that I mean the house we rent looks just like it did in the 50's and 60's. The lake is beautiful and the land surrounding the house is one of the prettiest places in Florida. Unfortunately once you get outside the Ocala National Forest this part of our state has become a dumping ground for poor Yankees and seems to have attracted an excess of people who either don't know or worse don't care about the land or the water. They treat it just like they have treated the rest of the state South of here. When I first started coming here in the 60's it was hard to get here. You had to have a 4 wheel drive to launch a boat or get around in the forest. You could actually get lost on the lake or in the woods. You rarely saw another person in the woods and nobody had booming stereos on their boats.

The perfect example of all of this was presented to me when we went to Silver Glen Springs to do some snorkeling. The picnic area was full of people but the springs were empty. It seems a manatee had found it's way into the spring and it's against the law to harass them. I can see how if all of us had been in the spring it would have scared the crap out of it. Just beyond the rope separating the spring from the run leading out to the big lake was a flotilla of boats jammed bow to stern. I don't see how a fish could have gotten out much less something as big as a manatee. So there it was trapped with people all around it. I know how it feels.

Now I know I can't change any of this. I know I'm just an old man wanting it to be like it was in the "good old days" but damn people, let's show a little restraint and a lot more respect. Sorry for the rant but I warned you I was in a funk.

Is It Just Me?

2011-03-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

I don't corner very well. Even Rupe leans it over with more grace than I do. I keep wanting to stick my leg out like you do on a dirt bike which doesn't work well with clip less pedals. In my defense nobody ever really taught me how to turn a MTB. I watch other riders and read all the articles in the magazines but I still find myself at least a bike length farther back at the exit than I was at the entrance. I keep thinking there must be some kind of a secret that nobody's telling me about.

After a weekend off the bike so I could catch up on my yard work (wouldn't want it to look like a homeless person lived there would I BJS?) I attended the first Munson Monday of the spring. It felt so good to be able to ride without lights. The group was not my regular crew but I was feeling froggy and was looking forward to a little bit of a beat down. I wasn't disappointed. Since there were some new riders with us that looked like they belonged on the FSU cycling team, it became apparent that some of the boys had to establish who was the alpha dog. I watched from the back as they disappeared. When I finally caught up at the stop they all acted like it was just a cruise but I knew better. It was on this ride that I had the revelation regarding my inability to corner. I noticed most of the riders ahead of me (which was all of them) continued pedaling through most corners whereas I would coast. I keep wanting to set it up like a moto turn, plus I'm a little skittish of hitting the pedals on the inside of the turn. When I did pedal through the turn I seemed to lose a little less ground on the exit but I had trouble deciding which turns I could do like this. Am I just retarded or what?

Rupe had elected to sit this ride out and I hate to admit it but it was relaxing not having him along for a change. I know, I know I shouldn't be like that but I still worry about him on rides; even though he should be worrying about me. Don't get me wrong I am overjoyed to have my son ride with us but every now and then it's fun to just have myself to worry about. Besides watching him fade into the distance like every body else gets a little depressing.

It's Over!

2011-03-08T04:28:00.000-08:00

The things I worried about the most never happened. When I checked the radar Saturday morning it looked like it was flooding in South Georgia, I almost started calling around to send out a cancel message. We loaded up and headed to the ATV start anyway only to find it dry and dusty. After collecting some of the t-shirts the cyclists had ordered we went over to the MTB start and began setting up.

We had 130 ATVs registered and ended up with 30 cyclists. I should have had a riders meeting for the MTBs to go over the arrows, and I meant to include instructions in every body's bag but I only had 11 pre registered on Thursday so I didn't expect to need to be so detailed. I just went around to the groups that had gathered and told them which arrows to follow. I however neglected to tell the late arrivals and the one lady in the port o let about the arrows so guess which group got together and followed the wrong color.

There are so many stories to tell about this ride; Big Jim missing the first arrow, Bob Marley's group getting lost within the first 3 miles, SteveA etal following the orange ATV arrows and riding a freshly harrowed fire break for a mile, WB flatting, Mr. Silk and the Ice Berg doing 2 laps while most of us did one, Mickey and the honey buns, the lady who thought WB and LWB were both my sons because we were wearing BC kits, the same lady referring to Cowboy as "that country talking dude", WB, LWB, and Bob Marley getting lost within earshot of the finish, his call telling me "seriously dude I'm having a meltdown here, get me out", and that's just the stuff I saw or heard.

So for just a 28 mile trail ride it turned out to be an adventure. I think most everybody enjoyed it. We raised over $12,000.00 for Shands and nobody got hurt. I learned a few things which if I do this again I'll do different. I enjoy this type of event much more than a race format, even though many of us had little races going on at one time or another.

I was a little disappointed in the MTB turnout. I had hoped for 40. I think the weather had something to do with it. It turned out to be very popular with the ATV crowd as we had 130 vehicles and 150 people. That will be the problem in the future with doing MTBs as slots are limited to under 200 and as the popularity of the event increases the MTB side may get pushed out. We're just not that big of a recreational user which isn't a bad thing.

I want to thank my sponsors and everybody who came to ride. Cyclists are much more low key and appreciative than the moto folks were when I promoted events for them. Thanks to my lovely wife T who signed riders up and did the poker drawing for me. She stayed all day and even helped serve the food to the ATV crowd.

So for my first MTB event I will claim this one a success! I got to ride and had a great time even though I had to stop and answer my phone every now and then. Oh, and I lost the drag race to the finish to SteveA by a wheel. But the beers and food at the finish were excellent. All in all another perfect day.

Happy Day!

2011-03-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

I had a whole lot more fun this past weekend at the local Stomp race than I did last weekend at Santos. There's a lot to be said for sleeping in your own bed and just driving 30 minutes to get to the event. It was a well run and well executed race which for everything that was going on at Tom Brown that day was saying something.

Big goofy grin, can you tell it was my birthday?

The 50+ class was the biggest of the day with 8 riders in it. SteveA took it to me and everybody else after making a block pass on Frank. I was content not to strain myself too much and rode to a conservative second. It must have been an "easy" day for me, yea, that's what it was. Really I had nothing for SteveA; he's at that Sport level now and has left me behind. But hey it was a great day anyway. Rupe won his class and finally got to ride with someone close to his own age. The weather was perfect and after a few Blue Moons T and I watched the sunset from the patio of Oscar's Italian Restaurant in beautiful downtown Havana.

They're Coming, Watch Out!

When you think about it it's the people that make the racing fun. The jokes and bench racing are icing on the cake of a good day. Going to big races where you don't know many of the riders is a thrill but to me it's not nearly as much fun as racing with folks you know. Even if the butt heads beat you it's still fun.

AMSTERDAM

The first of what passes for single track

Sunday afternoon T and I went up to put the finishing touches on the Tour route. By this time next week this project will be over. If it all goes well and the turnout is decent I may do it again next year but I'm ready for it to be over right about now.

Not My Cup of Tea

2011-02-24T04:52:00.000-08:00

The Santos 12 hour race (or in my case 4 hour) wasn't what I was expecting. Yes it was hard, I didn't think they'd use so much of the expert only Vortex section, yes there were a lot of riders entered, and yes trying to ride 6 hours solo was tiring. But what really got to me besides these things was the bordom of riding the same loop 5 times. The temptation to stop as I rode by our sag was too great. I would have much rather just ridden the 38 miles in one big loop.

To add insult to my weak performance the kid managed to put in one more lap than I did. This is the first time he's ever beaten me in a straight up race and now he never fails to rub it in whenever the subject comes up. So there it is, the trail didn't really beat me, bordom did. Anyhoo that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it. As BJS said when I was whinning to him about it "well, now you know".

It took me a couple of days to recover from my little mileage. I can't imagine how it felt for those riders who did the 12 hour solo. Let me say I am truly impressed with the effort I witnessed, epecially as it got dark. IF I ever try one of these again I think the team thing would be more fun.

Amsterdam

I don't know why I do some of the things I do. What on earth possesed me to want to promote this poker run on Amsterdam? I've arrowed 27 miles of trail and worried about the logistics of this ride until I wake up at 4:00 in the morning thinking about it. Clever reminded me after listening to me complain that I've done this all before. Taken something I enjoy and made a job out of it.

Cemetary Hill

Oh well it's too late to worry about it now. If you've ever attempted something like this you understand the pressure to provide your customers with an enjoyable experience. Even though there are many variables such as weather, other events, and just the economy in general that you can't control you still hope everybody has a good time. That being said different people expect different things from their riding experience and with the diverse range of talent that I'm trying to appeal to it's difficult to make one trail fit everybody.

Just After the Old Railroad Headed Toward the Cemetary

After all it's all for charity, the meal at the end is great, and the scenery is beautiful. So what if the fast guys happen to catch the ATVs, or somebody gets a little lost, or if it's not challenging, or if it's too challenging, or it gets a little muddy, I hope everbody just sits back, takes a look around, and is just happy to be in the woods.

A Year Ago

2011-02-15T04:33:00.000-08:00

The last time I raced MX was a year ago this weekend at the Vet Nationals in Reddick Fl. I have only ridden my dirt bike once since then and that's really hard for me to believe. I once thought I could never give it up, that they'd have to pry my cold dead hands off of the handlebars. But alas, I just stopped wanting to ride it.

I started out in 1981 racing enduros which is a timed event run over single track through the woods. Back then it was mostly new trail at every event and we only made one pass over the trail. The events usually lasted 3-4 hours and were run rain or shine. Man I was so unprepared when I first started but over the years I learned the ropes and ran the whole FTR series until I got tired of enduros and starting racing MX, then I got tired of that and went to Hare Scrambles, then back to enduros, and then; well you get the picture.

We had a good group from this area that would go to all the events so that kept the interest up. Running a series where you race whether you really want to or not isn't always fun. I can remember sitting on the starting line in a torrential downpour at Daytona and not being able to see dry ground as far as I could see. Or hearing the driving rain and thunder in a Charleston S. C. hotel room while trying to get to sleep the night before the Swamp Fox Enduro. Wow I can think of a bunch of them now that I got started; waiting to get into the Crooms State Forest while the sun beat down at 7:00 in the morning and knowing it was going to be 95 by 10:00, the way the van smelled filled with bikes, gas, and old Wendy's bags when you first got into it the morning of the race in the hotel parking lot. How damn nervous I would get waiting for my row to start!

So I've done the race thing for a long time. I never made a dime doing it; in fact it cost me thousands of dollars and untold years chasing little plastic trophies. While most of the people I knew outside of moto started families and did the "normal" thing, I couldn't be bothered with all that stuff. I just wanted to ride. Well, over the years the land to hold events on went away and the enduro trails became crap. The Hare Scrambles were mostly south of Ocala on land that was flat as a pancake and usually a swamp. The MX tracks just had to put in more supercross style obstacles, run shorter motos, and have a class for everybody who came through the gate so it took 12 hours to get through the program. At that last race a year ago, after I finished my second moto, I rode the bike back to the truck, got off, and threw my gloves in the truck bed. I knew then that was the beginning of the end.

I squeeze the clutch lever every now and then when I walk by the bike in the shop. I still haven't put up my helmet and gear bag from that last ride; in fact the bike still has Reddick mud on it. I rarely look at it as I pass by on my way to load the Stumpjumper and the Epic up for another ride. When I started this cycling thing my moto friends said "it's another one of his phases, he'll be back" but I don't know about that. It's been a year and I'm more enthused about my bicycle now than I was when I started.

Isn't it great to start something new at 54? My point in all this old man's rambling is that unless the ride puts a grin on my face I'm not going to be doing it. Life's too short to spend much time worrying over your hobby.

Gorilla

2011-02-08T04:50:00.000-08:00

I was too tired to even lift the massive burrito I'd ordered at Moe's. Perry Mason was talking but I wasn't able to follow the conversation. I didn't even order a post ride beer and that's really rare. We'd just finished the Urban Gorilla ride which started from the Tallahassee City Hall and hit most of the single track in the area before returning to downtown. A little over 55 miles at a pretty steady pace with very little stopping. In fact I got left behind every time I stopped for nature's call or needed to grab something to eat. These guys just don't understand what it's like to be 55. Yea I could'a gone with a more sedate group but I wanted to ride with Perry and the rest of the crew. I think we were the first to finish at the actual start and do the whole route, yea, we're bad.

The day started off with driving around trying to find a place to park near City Hall. Being from Havana I'm really not familiar with downtown Tallahassee, so I parked at the Civic Center and rode up the hill. I estimated the number of riders at around 20 when we rolled out at 8:00 and we collected more as we went through town. It was quite a site from the back of the pack as we weaved down side streets on our way to the first single track section of Fern.

I was surprised at the pace and it wasn't long before riders were on the side of the trail waiting for another group who would ride at more comfortable speed. I kept my customary position at the end of the conga line which worked well until we go into a little more technical stuff in Cadillac and the riders in front of me failed to clear so we had to push some. Then we'd peddle like hell to catch the pack. Once in Alford we managed to stay together pretty good until someone in the front took a wrong turn, BW hit the brakes, Perry Mason hit BW, and the chain reaction started. I used the stop to take off my winter gloves and a layer of clothes which was my mistake because by the time I was ready to roll most of the pack was gone. Fortunately a couple of guys had stayed behind so we all began a chase that didn't end until we caught the main group at the Miccosukee Greenway. Where I once again tried to grab a bite to eat. No sooner had I opened my pack of Shot Blocks than we were rolling again.

Along the way we had started to drop a few who were not feeling it that day and we continued to loose riders until we got to Forest Meadows. Here the leaders had planned to do torture loops around Phipps, some decided they'd had enough and turned back, so only three of us headed out on the lake loop. Someone had made a call to the slower paced group and they were at least an hour behind us. Three of us made the loop and started back towards downtown. Somewhere on Thomasville Rd. Jason cut out and headed for home hoping to get in a metric century. That left Perry Mason and me to climb the mountains that seemed to make up the paved ride back to City Hall. We were so blown that we resorted to pushing our bikes across the streets that had uphill stop signs. I didn't take my camera which was a good thing because I would have never had a chance to use it. I had to change in the Civic Center parking lot to the amazement of a throng of people all dressed up in their Sunday best and headed for some kind of event.

That's how we ended up at Moe's. I went home, took a shower, and fell asleep. Perry Mason was having second thoughts about doing the 12 hour solo at Santos since we had just done 5.5 hours and we were both cooked. Well he may say he wasn't but I know better.

Amsterdam Tour

I trimmed a lot of trail and put up flagging to mark the route. I'll wait until a couple of weeks before the ride to put up the arrows. I found some more interesting trail we didn't ride when we did the Big Jim tour. Even with all the rain I can lay out a course that will be enjoyable. I've collected some good prizes from our local bike shops for the poker run so now all I need is for somebody to show up and ride.

Poaching

2011-01-31T17:06:00.001-08:00

Ah Friday afternoon, cool temperatures, clear sky's, slip out of work early, and poach the hiking trails. I can't help it! I mean just look at the pictures! It's some of the best trails in our area. I would never have started this but someone in the crew introduced me to these little gems and I keep being drawn back. I never planned to ride them when I left the house. I was just going to do my regular route with maybe a hill repeat at the end to get the blood flowing. But at the intersection I told myself "I'll just roll down here a little ways". I should have know better.

Yea the mountain bike trails are fun and I appreciate the opportunity to have a place to ride. And no I can't come up with a good rationalization for disobeying the rules and poaching. Hey, they do hike on our trails don't they? I even ran into some horse riders on Red Bug! But still, two wrongs don't make a right.

I rode slow, well, slower than normal. I tried to be real quiet and I stopped every now and then. I admit I've ridden these trails before but I've never really looked at the woods we ride through. I guess that's one reason I don't have the urge to ride a road bike I just like the woods better.

I almost got busted toward the end of the ride, man that would be embarrassing. I eased out of the woods and onto the multi use just in the nick of time.

I'm going to miss this time of year. I do look forward to longer days and riding without lights but I know I'll miss just this type of afternoon.

To top the day off we ate at my favorite restaurant that night.

Sometimes Fridays are the best, even better than the rest of the weekend. It's the anticipation of things to come that make it so fun.

Snake Boots

2011-01-24T13:11:00.000-08:00

If you look real close you can tell the guy not on the bike is wearing boots. It was a cold clear day with temps in the mid 40's when we headed out to do the Munson/Twilight thing. The gentleman in the boots, let's call him Cowboy, is a relative newbie to the sport of mountain biking and had agreed to join us on a slow paced lap. This was only his second time on single track and his first trip to this trail system. He got out of the truck with these boots on and I thought he was joking. Turns out the place he normally rides (he's not from around here) has a lot of water and areas he has to hike a bike so the boots come in handy. He just assumed we'd all be wearing them. Not that we all didn't look odd in our cold weather gear, well they did, I looked as perfect as I always do. If you notice I'm not in any of these pictures.

I didn't know what Cowboy's fitness level was and after seeing the boots and heavy jacket he was wearing I was concerned he might have trouble doing the loops we had planned to do so we headed out easy. At 4 miles we lost our first rider who was getting tired, it wasn't Cowboy. He was hanging on just fine, boots and all. Bob Marley was missing the gaggle of women he's been riding with lately and Jwheel was huffing and puffing by the time we got to the 15 mile mark. Cowboy never complained.

I've known Cowboy for a long time, in fact we raced the FTR motorcycle enduro series for years starting in the early 80s. He has always been tough and a much better motorcycle rider than I ever dreamed of being. I can remember riding for 2 hours at a time during the spring part of the series back before we had Camelbacks. The only water on the course was at the check points and it consisted of a trash bag lined trash can that you dipped a paper cup into. It worked out good for the early riders but the later rows got to dip through a layer of spit to get to the dregs at the bottom of the can. At one particularly brutal event down in Crooms I got back to the truck to find Cowboy curled up under it like a dog. He would eat ham sandwiches at the lunch stop with extra mayo. I can still see the mayo sticking to the dirt on his lips. I could barely choke down a cracker.

Oh, sorry about the trip down memory lane, you tend to do that as you get older. Anyway back to the bicycle ride last Saturday. We didn't stop much, it was too cold so we really went faster than the usual beginner pace and finished up the 20 miles in a little over 2 hours. Cowboy was hooked. Even though he was tired he was glad to see his fitness was up to riding that long. In fact the longest ride he'd ever done before Saturday was 12 miles. Even in the amazing shape I'm in I could tell I'd ridden.

We stopped at Moe's for burritos then went by the shop where Cowboy bought pedals and shoes. He'll be back again.

Amsterdam Trail Ride

I've figured out the trail layout for the Amsterdam ride so the bikes won't catch the ATVs. I'm just going to put in mostly separate trail. This will result in a little more pavement and some two way bike traffic but should make the ride experience better. I've already collected some good prizes. I'll post some trail pictures as I lay it out.

Poncho and Lefty

2011-01-19T05:41:00.000-08:00

I knew something was wrong when I first heard the little squeak from my shock as it bottomed out on the rollers on Twilight. Then there was the little bit of oil on my rear tire. And finally after riding Kudzilla Saturday, I reached for my water bottle, and my hand slipped off, it was drenched in oil. Stumpy had blown a seal. I know my massive legs deliver a lot of power but I am surprised how quickly these bicycles wear out components. Stumpy will be down for a while.

I won't get into how I came to possess this trick Cannondale. Suffice to say if you spend an exorbitant amount of money locally, and cry and whine enough, things can happen. Lefty is only mine until Stumpy gets a new rear end but I have enjoyed riding something different. It's made of carbon fiber, has only one fork, and is pretty to look at. No it hasn't made me any faster or better (I was secretly hoping it would) but it has opened my eyes to how different bikes handle and ride.

Somethings missing here.

Nice to look at isn't it?

We attended the Trek Demo last weekend, got to ride some very exotic bikes, and eat free pizza. I discovered that $9,000 mountain bikes are wasted on someone of my skill level. It was good to see some faces I haven't seen in a while, the shops should do this more often.

T. C. has the ability to always make me laugh.

For some reason the regular crew has been hard to get up with lately so I've been forced to find some new folks to ride with. Fortunately they have allowed me to tag along even though I have the habit of insulting everyone withing the first few minutes of meeting them. It's a talent I have honed with years of practice.

All of these different groups have their own ride rituals, their own trail selections, and a preset pecking order in the conga line. I usually take my place at the rear unless it makes someone else uncomfortable. Some like to talk while we ride and sometimes I get the impression they wish I wouldn't. Everybody has been friendly and we're fortunate to have so many fun people to ride with.

The Tour of Amsterdam is shaping up. I already have one large sponsor and there's been some interest generated from the Facebook posting. I found another section with some serious hills and feel confident I can get the mileage to 30 with the addition of more trail. The single track will be short but the additional ATV trail should make up for it. My only real concern is that the faster bike riders might catch the slowest ATVs. They know it's not a race but I saw the pace at San Felasco.

I'm toying with the idea of doing the 12 hours of Santos and maybe the Adventure Race scheduled for Tom Brown in April. Isn't it great to have so much to look forward to?

Perfect

2011-01-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

What a great day. If you wanted to write a perfect prescription for the weather you would have prescribed a day just like last Saturday. We have been looking forward to this event ever since we got into cycling a year ago and we were not the least bit disappointed. In fact I may be spoiled. I'm having trouble getting up for our local trails after San Felasco and Santos.

SteveA, Rupe and I headed down Saturday morning, getting there with very little time to spare before the crew was scheduled to leave. I had no idea what the pace might be and I was a little concerned about Rupe following the lead crew and blowing up before we got to the lunch stop.

It's different when you have your kid along. Mingo and Little Mingo were going to ride to the lunch stop and then come back in so I figured if Rupe lost the main group he could fall in with them and at least make it back to the truck. He had only planned to ride to lunch anyway so we headed out into the cool clear morning.

It was congested at first but we soon cleared most of the traffic and were into the first section of single track. The pace was a little faster than I had anticipated and since I had never ridden 50 miles off road I didn't know if I could maintain it and still enjoy myself. After some arrow confusion and a flat tire the main group stopped so Rupe and I went ahead. It was the last time we saw most of them until we got back to the truck.

I'll let someone else tell that story but anyhow we hadn't been at the first stop long when Mingo and crew came in along with Bob Marley. We rode with them for awhile until we got separated by traffic and then we all met up again at the second sag. Rupe and I rolled out together so we could be at the lunch stop at the same time and managed to catch BJS and Lil Ball there where we learned of the groups uh, shall we say, adventures.

At lunch we sat on the ground, stretched, and munched. After a little rest Rupe decided he didn't want to bail and wanted to finish the whole 50 miles. BJS and LB were riding faster than we were so they headed out. I knew the Mingo crew was finishing at lunch and there'd be no one behind us so I decided to ride in with Rupe.

The trail before lunch had used the new Conquistador section which runs up and down the side of a large hill. Beech and oak bottoms with pine on the hilltops. Ground conditions, like the weather, were perfect. They threw in a few freshly cleared sections which were tight and soft in places but even these put a grin on my face. I should have stopped to take pictures and was telling myself that as I rode but I was just having too much fun. I remember a single track along the edge of an old field that had brown broom sage in it and large oaks. The oaks had moss hanging from them and against the deep blue sky would have made a perfect shot but I had just passed 5 riders and hated to stop and have to pass them all over again. And so it went all day.

After lunch the trail opened up and we ran through some large pine uplands then a section of hickory hills. For state owned property this place has some amazing views. It's a shame we can't ride these trails all the time. The single track toward the end flowed and I kind of got into a trance or a rhythm; pedal, coast, brake, lean, and pedal again. Rupe had no problem keeping pace and my worries that he might have trouble finishing were for nought. I was pumped to be able to ride our first 50 miler together. I couldn't help but think how fortunate I am to be able to do this with my son.

What a day!

Santos! and A New Year

2011-01-01T06:48:00.000-08:00

Wow, two weeks off is a long time to be away from work. It makes me a little uneasy not having to get up and go somewhere every morning. I miss that routine. That's not to say I didn't enjoy my time off I just think that two weeks is enough for me.

We started out the week cycling at our usual trails then on a beautiful, clear, and cold Christmas eve I rode with the crew on the Grapevine loop which took us from Forest Meadows to Tom Brown and back again. It was one of those perfect winter days and the XM was playing all of my favorite songs on the way to the trail head. Mr. Silk led the ride and we were able to stay off of the busiest road sections plus the pace was easy but still consistent for the 36 miles.

We had Christmas at home then spent some time at my brother's lake house. Of course it snowed and the wind blew at 40 miles an hour so the fishing we had planned to do never happened but we still had a nice visit.

On Wednesday we headed for the Santos trail system near Ocala. It was cold and partly cloudy when we arrived that afternoon but I figured we'd warm up as we rode so none of us packed a jacket, we wore just arm and leg warmers. Steve A. just happened to be in the area so we met him at the start but decided that we would split up since our pace was likely to be slower than his. Did I mention Bunky was with us on this adventure? She's on a 32 pound 26" hard tail and hadn't ridden more than 12 miles at one time in her life plus she hasn't ridden lately due to the cold weather. See where this is going? Steve A. mentioned that they were going to the land bridge and said something about it being about 24 miles round trip. I thought that was a little far for my crew so we rolled out behind them on the most perfect single track.

Santos has 3 trail options; easiest, more difficult, and most difficult. Well there's a fourth option that has black diamonds called expert only and the free ride area which in my opinion is for crazies only but most of the trail falls into the first 3 types. I had imagined the easiest would be like our multi use but fortunately I was wrong. It is winding, flowing, single track which weaves through a scenic forest. Before I knew it we had gone 9 miles and were looking at the parking lot for the land bridge trail head.

Here's where I made my mistake. Rupe and I were amped by the trails and not the least bit tired. I knew we had ridden for 45 minutes and still needed to get back before sundown and that our pace was less than 8 miles an hour however I neglected to take into account that Bunky hadn't been riding that kind of mileage lately but I figured we had an hour and a half to make it to the actual land bridge and still get back before it got dark. So we headed off for another three mile loop to the bridge and back. I started to see the error in my plans as we started dropping Bunky even when we got down below 7 miles an hour. She was getting tired and even though she was still enjoying the ride she was unable to pick up the pace.

Okay so I shouldn't have said something about our lack of progress. But it was getting cold plus I had visions of trying to ride in the dark. After 20.45 miles we got back to the truck, no it wasn't quite dark but it was cold. Needless to say not everybody was happy on the ride back to the hotel. The mood improved after hot showers and pizza and I vowed (again) to take everybody's pace into account when I plan a ride.

Thursday dawned cloudy but warmer. We all went for a SHORT ride and met Steve A. when we circled back to the truck. Rupe, Steve, and I headed out for a little more aggressive riding which we found. The clouds had cleared and the temps were in the 70's when we hit the red trails in the Vortex section. This was by far the hardest most technical stuff I had ever done. Some of it scared me but it didn't seem to bother Steve and Rupe who would call back to me "big down hill, watch out" and "steep climb, just keep pedaling". By the time we were ready to head back I had done things I never thought I could do (even though I never did try the qualifier).

We never touched even half the trail on this place. All of it was well marked and taken care of. The Bunny trail was like riding a street bike on a twisty road, perfect flow, you never even noticed you were getting tired. It was well worth the 3.5 hour drive and to quote Arnold "I'll be back". What a great way to end the year. San Felasco is next weekend, sounds like a good way to start the next.

Words

2010-12-21T04:57:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-13T05:25:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-28T05:18:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

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?

2010-11-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-02T04:25:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-18T06:25:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-04T17:37:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-29T07:51:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-09-21T06:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-07T08:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-08-27T06:49:00.001-07:00

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!

2010-08-26T04:07:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-19T05:42:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-16T07:21:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

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.