Tuesday Afternoon

A week ago today.  It had been misting most of the day and I was jonesing for a CX ride.  I'd just bought a new training plan from Training Peaks and I was anxious to get started.  It called for 1.5 hours on the bike followed by a .5 run.  I was almost done with the bike portion of the ride so I decided to cross Meridian and roll the multi-use since I was planning on doing my run there.

It All Goes Terribly Wrong

The face you make when the drugs go in.

I have probably ridden this section of multi-use hundreds of times, I wasn't even going fast.  It was just a little slicker than I thought it would be.  I lost the front end so fast I didn't even have a chance to take my hands off the bars.

As soon as I hit I knew I had screwed up bad.  I couldn't move my right leg so I just grabbed it and threw it on top of my left.  I got out my cell phone and started dialing.

The first person to answer was Big Jim, I told him the deal and asked him to head toward TMH so The Lovely Wife would have some company.  I called her.  Then I called 911.

May I Have a Cross Road Sir?

I'll admit to being more than a little stressed out.  By this time people had stopped and I was making some progress toward getting out.

I call Leon 911:

"What is the nature of your emergency?"

"I've fallen off my bicycle and have either broken or dislocate my hip."

"Where are you located?"

"On the multi-use trail at Overstreet, across from Forest Meadows on Meridian."

"Ok sir, please stay on the line with me.  I'll need a cross street."

"Mam, I'm in the woods and getting real shaky.  There's not any other streets out here.  Just send EMS and Fire with an ATV to the flashing light on Meridian and I'll have someone meet them there."

By this time I had drawn quite a crowd.  I was having trouble holding my phone. I told her I had to hang up. I finally heard sirens.

Rescued

I could hear the Rino/Mule/Gator easing its way down the path.  I was wet, cold, and dirty and had been on the ground about an hour.  I was sure glad to see those guys.  They gave me some meds and with much screaming on my part loaded me up and we began the long slow bumpy ride back to the ambulance.

Another Tuesday Afternoon

I'll stop here for today.  I have broken my hip, gone through surgery, and am at home convalescing.  We are over the hardest part (I hope).

So much changed in such a small amount time.

I'm looking forward to getting this all out.

You Know You Got It If Makes You Feel Good

Tom Brown from the air

Well I just didn't have it.  I knew something was off last Saturday before the Florida State Championship Race at Tom Brown in Tallahassee Fl on Sunday.  I was looking forward to racing, I had done the work, but I just wasn't excited.  And it showed.

Saturday Lap

The trail was as perfect as I've ever seen it.  I was a little disappointed that they took out Gun Range and didn't use Kudzilla this year but it was still fun.  I rode easy except for an opener toward the end then went to Cabos for lunch.  No beer was consumed.  Maybe that was the problem.

Race Day

The Kid finished 7th  after dropping a chain on the first lap, not happy

Clear and 66 degrees!  I got the tent set up and headed out for my prescribed warm up.  I was a little nervous but still not excited, and it showed in my heart rate during my intervals.  I just wasn't getting through the pain and into my higher zones.  I had planned to hang back at the start and move up on the multi use going out so I just figured I'd get into it during the race.  Not the best of plans.

If you're gonna be slow you should look good

We sat on the line for a while so the promoter could sort through some stuff.  Then I heard "5 seconds".  At the whistle I clipped in first try and proceeded to casually roll down the hill in the very back of the pack.  I didn't mean for it to be casual but it sure turned out that way.  I moved up a couple of places before we hit the single track but was still bringing up the rear.

I made a pass on an alternate line and saw a rider ahead of me who I knew had the ability to get on the box.  On the last climb I got a little closer.  I was breathing heavy but not in trouble, yet.  As we came around to start our last lap an expert women passed me along with the rider I had passed earlier who was in my class.  Both he and the guy I'd been chasing kicked it when we got on the multi use.  I stuck behind the lady thinking I could draft and save some energy.  I got lazy and let her pull while the other two started to gap us.  By the time I woke up and went around her I could just barely see them through the trees ahead of me.

It's Never Happened Before

So if I was going to make any kind of kick now was the time to do it.  I went into a left hand turn before a small climb, dropped a couple of gears, and promptly popped the chain off to the outside of the big ring on the front.  It's so rare that this happens, I was spinning my legs like crazy thinking it would catch.  Then I rolled to a stop and looked down.  It took two tries plus getting my glove caught in the chain ring to get the thing back on and going.  By the time I got back on they were out of sight. I lost what little mojo I had and rolled in for a 13 place finish.  Not my best race.

The After Party

The old man in the orange shirt was a little slow today 

I enjoyed the race, maybe that's one reason I didn't do so well.  We all have those days on the bike sometimes.  Fortunately Higher Ground had brought beer and was grilling chickens and that helped put a good spin on the day.

The Next Race?

I wonder if I should cat down to the 60+ class?  I wouldn't need to work so hard.  After all, I will be 60 next year.  I kinda feel like that might be giving up though.  I still enjoy racing and I enjoy the training also.  So it boils down to riding for a spot on the box with less competition or staying where I am and working harder for a spot at the bottom.  

But, catting down, could that be the beginning of the end?

Anyhoo, if that's all I have to worry about I don't have too many problems do I?

Time As I've Known It

How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?

Dr. Seuss

Man he got that right didn't he?  Dr. Seuss, I can remember my mom reading Pale Green Pants to my younger brother while he ate scrambled eggs.  I still have that book somewhere, it still has stains on the pages.  That had to have been 50 years ago.  Sneeches?  Too Many Daves, Green Eggs and Ham. We read them to The Kid, plus so many others.

Does anybody read to their kids anymore?

I love to read, and not on a Kindle, but a real book.  I love the way they smell, I like turning the pages.

I bought a book on Amazon, it arrived Friday, I was finished with it by Sunday pm.  The Fifth Wave, it's a teen book but I don't care.  I couldn't put it down.

What got all this started?  I just got back from a movie made from a book A Walk In
The Woods.  Have you seen it?

The Movie

The theater was filled with old people.  Yea, people my age, I know.  Sad.

Robert Redford was the lead character.  He's 79!  About the average age of the other theater attendees.  The lady beside me must have been 80, she was bouncing and swinging her legs like a school kid.  She giggled every time Mr. Redford said anything and screamed out in laughter at any type of a joke.

The characters were supposed to be hiking the Appalachian Trail.  They didn't look like they could get out of the parking lot.  I mean if you're going to make a movie about old guys hiking the A. T. why not cast someone who at least looks like he could walk to the front door.

Not my favorite movie.

Race Time

Enough of that whining. And speaking of old guys.  I'm looking forward to the Florida State Championship round at Tom Brown next weekend.  It'll be my last race in the 50-59 expert class as I will turn 60 next racing year and can move to any class I want.  Should I go to sport?  Maybe all the way back to base?  I even think there's a 60+ class now.  It won't matter, I'll still get my butt beat, just by a different bunch of people.

Then there's cross season coming up.  Plus the Dirty Spaghetti.  I just love this time of year.

But I Like It

The Flint River somewhere below Albany Ga.

I'm finally getting settled in after vacation.  It seemed to take a while this time.  The south in August can be trying.  But there was this:

The Social Event of the Season

Big Worm had a party, everyone who was anyone in the cycling community was in attendance.  It was an eclectic group.  Roadies sitting down with mountain bikers!  Next thing you know cats and dogs will be hanging out together.  I must have behaved since I didn't hear any stories to the contrary.

Wrecking Ball had told a story about beer and a bath robe so I modified a bottle of Sailor Jerry's Rum especially for him.  He couldn't resist.

A bottle of Sailor "Terry", specially modified for WB

The Kid Leaves (again)

Just when we'd gotten used to having him around he moved back down to Gainesville to start another year of school.  

The outside of The Kid's cabin in Gainesvile

Bikes were the first thing to get moved in

He was only down there 2 weeks, then he was back for:

The FSU SECCC Race at Tom Brown

Collegiate mountain bike racing starts early, like after the first week of classes early.  FSU hosted the first round this year so it was like a home race for The Kid.  He brought the whole team with him (all 2 of them) and they stayed with us.  It was fun to have that many young people in the house.  So much noise!

An unknown FSU rider negotiates the hairpin turn onto Cadillac 

They had a time trail on Saturday, then four cross (downhill bikes on the BMX track), and finally a short track.  Rain most of the day made for some slippery going, especially the four cross, which saw a couple of crashes.  They all got together at Tijuana Flats afterward.  And by that I mean all the teams got together.  There must have been 20 of them.  But they didn't invite me.

All I did was course marshall all day.  Glad to do it, but not much fun.

Alex leading the race

Sunday was the cross country.  UGA, FSU, Clemson, Auburn, UF, and Ga. Tech were represented.  It's a very relaxed atmosphere, no ya ya, just a bunch of kids having fun on MTBs.

Once again I was stuck out in the woods making sure the hikers and bikers didn't get run over.  I was as nice as I could be but some of those folks just wouldn't listen.  They have no idea how fast a MTB can go.

The Kid leading the Men's B

As I was directing traffic an FSU student says to me, "Man your grandson sure is fast" then he saw the look on my face "Oh, is that your son?  Sorry man, hey my dad looks old too, awww, you know what I mean".  It's those kind of comments that make you feel soooo good.  And yes, I did feel old among all those kids.

A young lady from Ga. Tech finds Cadillac a little difficult

It was all over by noon.  When I got back to the house it seemed so quiet.  Just The Lovely Wife, the cat, and me.  The night before those guys were so fired up about racing, so excited, telling race stories, laughing, eating garlic humus with garlic chips.  I'll admit to a certain level of envy (well for everything except the humus, it's still in the fridge).


I really have no business being envious.  I got to race moto for 40 years with a great group of guys. We traveled to races and trail rides with the same amount of enthusiasm as these kid have.  After I got into cycling I figured it could be the same with this sport.  But cycling seems to burn people out faster, or maybe it's just a function of getting older, or it could be me.

Anyhoo.

I wonder if the kids know how good they've got it?  Did we at that age?  When I was in college my roommate said "My dad said this would be the best time of my life.  If it gets any worse than this I'm gonna kill myself".  Of course, looking back, it was a great time.


Funny what being called grandpa will do to your head.

Rocky Mountain High

The view of Quandry from 13,000.  Those little dots are people.

Just a little bit more on the 14'r hike if you don't mind.

Before the looooong hike down

These guys wouldn't get off the trail

Keystone Co.

The Kid wanted to do some downhill so The Lovely Wife and I went along with him to the Keystone ski area.  I had no idea what to expect but we were pleasantly surprised.  It's like it's own city, complete with shops and restaurants.

The view of Quandry from Keystone

After watching a rider endo and compound fracture his collar bone I was apprehensive while watching The Kid get on the lift.  After he made a lap down the mountain safely The Lovely Wife and I grabbed a seat at a restaurant call Kickapoo.  They had tables on a deck right next to a creek. You know a beer at lunch always tastes better, add clear blue sky, mountains, and no gnats, and you've got an almost perfect day.

We bought lift tickets and went to the top of the mountain to hike a 2 mile trail.  Riding up was definitely easier than what we did the day before.

The Kid all armored up after his first run

The Kid ended his day with a big grin.  He said I wouldn't like it, said it was too technical for me.  Whatever.

Anyhoo, we had a great day.

The next day we went on the slowest road ride I've ever gone on.  All bike path.  Not the most fun but still an experience.

Headed Home

So much to do out there, so beautiful, so far away from us.  So hard to look at these pictures and not yearn to be back there.  I guess that's why we go away.  I want to try other places, we've been to Breck twice now, I wonder if the rest of the west has got anything better?  I hope we get to find out.

We Might as Well Enjoy the Trip Down

We hung around on the summit for a while.  With all the people on the trail I was surprised how few were at the top.

Proof

It didn't get tricky going back down till we hit the snow field.  There was a path about 2' deep but the bottom was ice over rocks.  Probably no trouble for most of these folks but it kinda freaked me out. People were waiting at the bottom to get up so there was an audience.  The Lovely Wife did a little slide about half way down but recovered quick.

Going back down this was interesting.

I kept thinking tree line wasn't that far down.  But as the rocks kept going, I got a hate going.  My knees were sore, I was just plain tired, and I was ready to get off the mountain.  

Sometimes you just had to stop but that only seemed to make it worse when you got back up.

Finally the tree line and a path that wasn't full of rocks

The Kid comes back to check on us

You see all kinds of folks on the mountain

Of course in the end we made it back to the stinky rental car.  7 hours is a long time to hike above 11,000'.  Some of us were faster so we could have cut some time off, but why bother, the mountain doesn't care how long it takes you.  We were fortunate we had good weather, I'd hate to be trying to scramble down that in a thunderstorm.

We saw people running up and back down, then again, we saw quite a few folks turn back at 13'000'. Some people seemed well prepared, some looked like they were shell shocked.  We saw one girl coming through the snow field in sandals.  Lots of dogs and young kids, those guys are braver than I am.

Would we do it again?  Sure, maybe not that mountain but another 14'r.  I don't think The Kid wants to go with us anymore though.  He tends to worry about the old folks, says we scare him if he has to watch us.

We were so tired we almost didn't want to go out to eat.  Nobody stayed awake past 9 that night.  And yes, we were some other kind of sore for the next few days.  Still, the plan called for a trip to Keystone the next day.  I call these days freestyle days.  We just do whatever comes up.  The Kid wanted to do downhill so that's how we ended up in Keystone.  It was interesting.  More tomorrow.

Hey Colorado

The water tastes better when you're far from home, or is it only the thirsty that hunger to roam?  I know coffee on the porch tastes better when it's 41 and frosty outside in late July.

I had hired a MTB guide along with rented bikes for The Kid and I on Monday.  It was my first time doing something like this, plus it was a little expensive, so I had my doubts.  But it all turned out great. We rode single track from downtown Breckenridge and by the time we hit 3 hours my legs were done.  I did wish for magic legs, or 19 year old legs, because I would to have done it all over again.

Tuesday

We walked out to the car to find this guy eating the grass off the back deck.  We did not disturb him.

Today was 14'r day.  Mt. Quandary, just outside of Breck was the mountain.  We got to the trail head at 6:30 and the parking lot was already half full.  The hike below tree line was like a computer generated landscape.  I hummed all the John Denver songs I knew.

Once we got above tree line things got a little tougher.  All scree and talus, which to start with had a trail through it.  That soon disappeared.

They say there are no easy 14'rs.  I now believe them.

The hike started around 11,000', I started to get tired around 13,000.  We hit the snow patch at 13,500, and the summit at 14,265.

I have to say it was an awesome view.  Very windy and 50 degrees.  Then we started down.

I feel like the guy in Avatar who gets the alien body for the first time when I'm up here. 

It was 3.5 miles to the top according to Strava, we averaged 1 mph (The Kid would want it know that he had to wait on us all the time).  The trip down would prove to be twice as difficult as the trip up.

Funny, it doesn't look steep in this picture, but we were crawling here.

Tomorrow I'll tell you how the trip down went.