So 3 years later we meet again.  Hello old man.  I missed this writing process, it seems to have become a forgotten form with all the quick social media platforms.

Let's see, the last time we were together Blake had just graduated from UF.  He stayed with H2 for almost a year and right at the start of the virus they let him go.  Tough times.  He took a walk about touring the west and finally landed a job as a contractor with Leidos in Durham NC.  He contracted for a year and they just added him as a full time engineer this week.  He likes it up there, I miss him down here, but it's working out like it should.

The lovely Wife has been retired from teaching for a couple of years now.  It was killing her.  She substituted for a while until the virus hit then decided to wait till it passed.  You know how that's turning out.

I hired a cycling coach from CTC.  It's expensive and I can't really say it's been completely worth it.  I've enjoyed it, just not sure it's helping me that much.  I'm in it for another year then we'll see where we stand.

We have really been enjoying the van.  Great to take to the races.  Fun to just travel in.  Too many trips to list here.  We have a lot more trips planned in the coming year.  I expect to double our travel time once I retire.  

Speaking of retirement.  That's both scary and exciting at the same time.  I'm looking forward to it like a kid looks forward to summer vacation.  Wrong?  We'll see.

Fail

My favorite trail system.  It wasn't raining.  I felt good.  What could possibly go wrong.

GSC and SERC race, Winder Ga.  Fort Yargo State Park.  Cool and clear.  Saturday's practice lap went well.  The Lovely Wife didn't make the trip this time due to a stomach bug so I was solo.

Warm up on Sunday went good.  We had a big class with 11 50+ sports showing up.  At the whistle I did my planned one minute full gas off the line then settled into a race pace.  I was able to lead most of the first lap, getting passed by a local just before the scoring chicane.

Traffic was bad during that first lap with groups of 4 going much slower than I was.  I'd work hard to get a gap only to run into the back of these slower groups letting the chase group in my class catch back up.

Anyhoo, after getting passed by two I settled into third on the last lap, close behind second.  As we approached the first long up hill we got behind a slower rider, first and second got by quickly.  I knew we were going to cross a gas line with a metal bridge on the other side so I let the slower rider know I'd be going by on his right.  As soon as we cleared the trees I moved right, he didn't move, just accelerated.  Here's where I got stupider.  Instead of just backing off I tried to go around him right before the bridge, not picking up on the rear tire when it hit the metal edge.  Burp!

The tire didn't go completely flat, just squishy.  I pulled over, tried to hit it with CO2, wouldn't inflate.  See, I knew the valve core was sticking, had been all week.  But it wouldn't have made any difference because as I learned later, the inflator was out.  So I was screwed.  I could feel the tire wobble and squirm on every corner and bottom on every root.

I watched as my season went down the drain, all for the sake of a CO2 cartridge.  Finishing 8 out of 11.  I could only be upset with myself.

Not About Racing

Well, maybe just a little.  I skipped the race at Dauset the following weekend due to a major life event.  

Which was, Blake graduating from UF!  It was a moment I had been looking forward to ever since he told me he had been accepted.  I expected it to be more emotional but it went off quickly.  It was a challenge getting Mom at 87 into the Oconnell Center.  Tim (my brother) went also.  The Lovely Wife almost missed him walking across the stage trying to take a picture.  I was clapping and just caught a him for a brief moment, then it was over.

It seems like it was just yesterday we watched him pedal off after dropping him off at his dorm 5 years ago.  We had quite a few "talk him off the ledge" phone calls.  It wasn't easy for him by any means.

To say we are proud of him would be an understatement.  He has been great kid and has turned into a fine man.  He starts a job with H2 in Tallahassee in June.  It wasn't his first pick of places to live but it will turn out to be the best thing for him.  I'm looking forward to seeing where he goes in life.

I am truly a lucky man.

A Couple of Races

Madison Ga.

First time at this venue.  Rain was predicted for Sunday morning so I worried about that all week.  It only sprinkled and the trail was perfect.  Such a fun place.

Not knowing my competition I led into the woods at the start.  It was a touch slick in places so I kept the pace safe.  Second and Third passed me on the first road section so I got on the end of that train until second blew up near the finish of the first lap.

First and I had a great race, never more than a bike length apart.  He asked me on the last lap if I was tired so I felt like he was on the edge.  As we approached the finish I heard him click down a gear and I knew it was on.  I stayed seated and pushed hard, passing him with a bike length to spare for first.  I will admit to some antics as I crossed the line.  I was pumped.

Little did I know that I would slide from that lofty perch on the next two rounds.

Hells Trails

Ah the lovely lime rock crap that is Gatorback.  I've raced here since my first dirt bike race in 1974 and have grown to hate this place.  This MTB race was no different.  The course is hard enough as is but this time the promoter (who doesn't race anymore) put in a tricky off camber turn in the first section.  I fell trying to clean it in practice.  Just a scraped knee and pissed of was the end result.

On the bright side I was glad to see I could crash without breaking something.  Still, it put a damper on my race.  

The Race

Got off to a good start, hit the above mentioned corner, walked it, and was immediately in last place.  So fun.  I caught and passed a few eventually ending up 4 out of 7.  I had a problem with the steep short climbs which was kinda a surprise.  I've been working on my leg strength but it didn't seem to help.  

Conyers

One of my favorite courses of the series.  It was dry and perfect for the pre ride Saturday afternoon.  Not so much after the soaking thunderstorm Saturday night.

Eight of us line up in the 50+ sport class.  I of course am the eldest.  Two have just made the jump from 40 sport to our class so I've got 13 years on them.  Boy that's weird to type.

Off we go up the long muddy start straight, 4 of us bar to bar heading into the first section of single track.  I back off and end up in 6th.  We freight train most of the first lap, just trying to feel out how slick it is.  The real race starts on lap 2.

By this time first has blown up and fallen back, second has become first and put a gap in, and I'm dueling with 3 and 4.  We pass each other back and forth.  Sometimes I'm in second then back to fourth.  They are all gaping me on the two big climbs, I mean like 10-15 bike lengths by the time we get to the top.  I am fully gassed by the time we clean each hill.  

As we complete 3/4 of the last lap second attacks and manages to take 3rd with him.  I get caught behind a cat 1 women with no place to go around and they manage to pull away a little.  I catch back up to them on the last climb only to be dropped at the top.

I came out onto the open field leading into the finish, I could see 3rd but didn't have much hope of catching him.  Still I tried, missing his wheel by 10 seconds.  So fourth again.

I was unusually frustrated after this race.  I whined to The Lovely Wife and anyone else who would listen.  I am embarrassed by this lack of zen on my part.  I didn't leave anything out there so I should be satisfied.  But I'm not.

Maybe I was tired.  My HRV4T was low all week, telling me to take it easy, which of course, I did not.  So I'll recover this week and see how it goes in Tsali.  It's supposed to rain all weekend up there, oh joy.

Heartbroken or I'm Never Going to do this Again

I bought the Twin 6 steel gravel bike not long after I broke my hip.  The thinking was I'd just be a happy old cripple riding a touring pace at the back of the group.  It worked for a while.  Friends would wait on me.  The bike is comfortable and looks good.  But, it's heavy, really heavy.

So Now It's 2019

And I take the bait and decide to do the Heartbreaker.  It was my birthday weekend, we hadn't seen The Kid for a while, it might be the last time I get to do this with him, Dr. Sworks was going, and the Gators were playing basketball that night.  Oh, and it was 92 degrees. 

It is a pretty bike

"I'll just run it zone 2-3 for a training ride" I said to myself.  Yea, that didn't work out.  I would have been by myself all day.  Turns out it took zone 3-4 with an occasional trip to 5 just to stay in the back of the trailing group!  The soft sandy sections were hard but the bike handled them better than some.  I made it to about mile 58 out of 67 when the wheels came off.

Bonked

I had noticed I was running into middle zone 4 and not moving forward very fast.  My little group was leaving me behind.  I didn't want to eat, I knew the bonk was near.  I let them go and continued to plow into the warm headwinds along the paved roads leading back into Gainesville.  I was miserable.  I just wanted to be done.  I finally made it into town after taking a wrong turn, then cramping.  I had my magic cramp sauce with me but was unable to get the top off.  I was soooo done.

Anyhoo, I arrived back at the car and proceeded to have a class 5 hissy fit.

"This is the last one of these I'll ever ride!" among other thing I don't remember.

My Excuse

It is the bike.  Really.  The thing weights at least 28 lbs.  I know I'm in decent enough shape to ride with the group I was with while putting out that kind of effort.

Basketball

We went to the game.  Gators won.  I only cramped once.  Then it was off to dinner with The Kid.  The Lovely Wife drove home while I napped.

Sunday

Interestingly enough I felt great Sunday.  Tired sure, sore, yea, but good still.  And surprise surprise I am ready to do it again.  Just going to try a different bike this time.

As a P.S. I turned 63 today.  I am super grateful I can still do what I do.  I'm glad to still want to do it.  I know how it feels not to be able to do it and that sucks.  When you're at the bottom things don't look so good, but sometimes you just need to go there, you know, so the climb back up can feel so good.

In A Van Down By the River

We did something different a few weeks ago.  I rented a class B van from a local guy just to see if I'd like it.  I've had a crush on these things for a year now and I figured it was about time I figured out if it was something The Lovely Wife (TLW) and I would like.  Just picking it up turned out to be an adventure.

For starters the renter wasn't very well prepared for our arrival.  Seems the awing didn't work right, the generator wouldn't start, the low tire pressure light was on, and his wife had unplugged the shore power so the chassis batteries weren't fully charged.  Add all that to the fact we were under a tornado watch and it got a little tense.  TLW wanted to bail but I was hearing none of that.  I had taken the following week off and by gosh I was going camping.  I rolled out in a driving rain with my phone alert going off to seek shelter immediately.

On a positive note the van was clean.  I made it home in one piece and spent the next day getting familiar with the different systems.

The River

After the imprompt shower.  That's the river in the background

The next morning we headed to our first camp site reservation at Ochlocknee River State Park.  We arrived just in time for an afternoon rain shower.  I knew the awning didn't work right but I extended it anyway.  We set up chairs and watched it rain.  It was then I noticed water building up in the middle.  So I just pushed the awning up to let it drain, which it did, but it curled around the end and landed on TLW who rocketed up out of her chair with a very mad look on her face.  Fortunately I didn't laugh, at least not then.

Later that evening we discovered that the owner had left a quarter of a tank of gray water in the van.  Maybe the gauge wasn't working right but the tank filled up in the middle of TLW's shower. 

The campsite was right on the river with good privacy.  Really a beautiful place.  We hiked and biked, leaving around 10 the next morning headed to Gainesville to have lunch with the kid.

But first we had to perform our first tank dump.  All went well, no problems, and not near as bad as I envisioned it.

Salt Springs

The lake house my family used to own.

After lunch we headed to Salt Springs, getting there about 5.  The springs were deserted and the campground only half full.  Not as private as the river but still nice.  TLW didn't have any issues thank goodness and we finished up the day by a nice campfire.

We rode the bikes to a restaurant across the road for breakfast the next morning.  I had eaten here a lot in a previous life.  So with full bellies we made a driving tour of my old stomping grounds then headed for Ft. Clinch.

The Fort

We had a late lunch at a seafood restaurant on the way up.  This was something that worked well for us so we didn't need to cook or eat a big meal in the van.

This was by far the best park we visited.  With a long shore line just up the road from our camp and beautiful weather we were happy.

I did have an issue with cranking up the heat too fast and having the system shut down but was able to reset and get everything going again.  Watching old Star Trek on the TV was a treat.  The music system was something I didn't think we'd use but was pleasantly surprised how much we enjoyed it.

The next day we went for a long hike along the beach and through the trails, then met my brother and sister in law at the van.

We grabbed lunch on the way home at a great little place we'd have never been able to get a larger vehicle in.

Conclusion

I want one.  TLW was in by the time the trip was over.  Maybe not as in as me but still in.  It was very easy to drive, the beds were comfortable, the bathroom deal was doable, and the campgrounds were great.  We didn't try boondocking.  So I didn't get to run the generator.  I hear making the water and power last is a skill.  

It's a lot of money for something that will depreciate like crazy but I believe we will enjoy it.

Now That'll Age You

I had just finished the XC race in Gainesville.  Not my best performance.  6/13, no power, heart rate not responding.  On my way home I felt like I had a fever.  When we were unloading I got the chills.  I had other symptoms but I won't go into detail here.

So it turns out I had a urinary tract infection.  Yes they are rare in men and yes I had had one 30 years ago.  Went to my GP and got some antibiotics and figured it would run it's course.  The evening of the next day, after forcing fluids all day, I suddenly couldn't pee.  Nope, not at all.  So to the emergency room we went.

In case you haven't experienced it a catheter is something you should avoid if at all possible.  But it was mandatory for me at the time.

Kept that bitch in for a couple of days then went to see a Urologist.  He said I should come in Friday morning and they'd take it out.  But I had to pee out the water that was in my bladder within 4 hours or they would put the catheter back in.  Talk about pressure.  I made it, but barely.

Thought I was on the road to recovery.  That lasted a week.  Back to see the Urologist on Friday, says my bladder is still full, wants to put the catheter back in.  "Nope" I say, "not gonna happen.  I'm going to a football game in Gainesville tomorrow."  He says "Well they have emergency rooms down there too."  Funny guy.  I went to the game anyway.

This is the FSU/UF game but you get the point

I had an appointment to get scoped on Monday morning already.  Doc said he'd just perform a "procedure" on me while I was out.  Said it should clear things right up.  Mentioned some possible side effects but acted like it was no big deal.  So they put me to sleep and I woke up fixed.

And I had another catheter in me.  Kept this fun thing for 3 days.  Went back, same deal as before, pulled it out (which is not near as bad as in but still not pleasant) and had to pee before 4:00 pm.

I never thought the sound of taking a piss would bring me to tears but it did.  Finally.  Doc said to stay off the bike and out of the gym for a week until my next appointment.  At that time he said to stay off the bike another 10 days and out of the gym another 5.  Sigh.

Anyhoo, that put me at 6 weeks off the bike.  The longest I've been off since THE CRASH.  I was angry, depressed, and scared.  Mainly because this type of stuff isn't supposed to happen to me.  I know in the grand scheme of things this is a little blip.  I am ashamed to say what a whimp I was (still am). 

It aged me.  Really it did.  I actually look older than I did before.  I gained a couple of pounds and lost any muscle tone I may have had.  But I'm back on the bike and back in the gym.

Our tradional Thanksgiving golf game.  See how old I look?

I wonder how many "comebacks" I have left in me. 

Another Race Story

I finally got the guts to enter the 50+ sport class in the first race of the Florida State Series.  And guess what.  I had fun.

I had hoped for a top five finish, at least something mid pack.  After all it was my home track.  So this is how it went:

The Race

I had planned to sit in and see what the rest of the class had in store so I got off the line near the back.  After the water crossing on the multi use it seemed like we were out for a trail ride.  I saw a rider I'd raced with in SERC make a move so I followed him up to third.  Then I got to feeling froggy.

I made a move to get in front and the "gentlemen" in the lead just moved over and pushed me off the road.  Being just a little pissed I got by him just before we went into the single track.  And suddenly I was in first!

We managed to gap the field until he got around me at the dog water.  Then he slows down, way down.  The rest of the group catches up.  I am starting to wonder what's going on.

Second lap, I sprint to get in front of him after the start, stay there until he passes me again, then he crashes big time.  "Well that should be enough of that" I think.  But knowwww, I hear (in a Latino accent) "On your left", and around he goes.  Then he slows down.

The Clydesdale's start to catch us, I trade places with third in my class a couple of times, then first place crashes, again.  This time he holds up the clydes and the rest of us while he gets up off the trail and gets back on his bike.  I don't pass him again.  At the end of the second of three laps he puts in a real effort and drops me and third place.

I hold third back until half way through lap 3 then have to let him by.  HR was in a good place but I just wasn't making any power.

Anyoo, I was pleased with 3 out of 10.  If I can get to the point I can hold that pace for the whole race I should be in good shape in SERC.  Maybe not in winning shape but at least competitive.  And that's all I can ask.

Jack Rabbit

The 3 hour race in North Carolina is this weekend.  It's currently flooding up there right now.  I'm going anyway.  I'm not in the series so it's just for funzies.  Maybe it will drain off.

Then it's Dirty Spaghetti and one more XC race and I'm done for 2018 as far as racing goes anyway.

I'm thinking about hiring a personal trainer during my base season to try to get some more strength in my core and hips.  I do strength training but I'm never sure I'm doing it right.

Looking forward to some fall weather.  This has been the hottest September since 1945.

I'll see ya on the next page.