You Get What You Give

 

I improved!  Not by much but it's something.  The OMTP has me testing every 6 weeks with a 20 min. time trial.  I use the same route, same bike, same time of day, and record the results.  I was almost scared to compare it to the last one, what if I didn't improve, did that mean I was actually getting slower?  The results didn't exactly make me feel like I'd hoped.  I even asked my coach if it was real improvement.  She then made me feel silly for even asking.  In the end though she said that yes it was improvement and to stop sweating these little details.

After the test I met my lovely wife and Jim (who according to him had just destroyed the Saturday Charies Ride) at Momos for some tasty beers and pizza.  Apparently Momos had just won some type of award for their own brewed beer called Squirrel Nut Brown.  It was as good to drink as it was fun to order.  And yes, I know beer and pizza is not a good recovery meal, but if Big Jim can do it, I can do it.

Demo

 

Felt had their demo deal at Higher Ground Wednesday so The Kid and I got to sample some carbon fiber toys.  We both rode a 29" hard tail and a dually.  The dually was the Edict Nine One, this was my first extended time on a high end 29er with good suspension and I was very pleased with the way it handled.  Keep in mind I am a goob when it comes to bike set up but I do know what I like.  My only complaint was the pedal bob, even with the shock on pro pedal it was noticeable.  Plus the bike had some big heavy knobs on it so the weight was up.  The hard tail was the $5000 Nine something and I soon realized my butt is too old to ride a hard tail on Overstreet.  I'm still sore today.  Funny thing, the hard tail didn't seem to turn near as well as the dually for either of us.

Race Weekend

It's here.  Individual Time Trial on Saturday and the XC race on Sunday.  Last year at this venue it was 98 degrees so the promoter let the 50+ Sport class go 2 laps instead of the usual 3.  It should only be in the 70's this weekend so it'll be 3 laps for us old guys.  The trail at Macon is not very technical but it does have some steep climbs that came towards the end of the lap last year.  It hurt doing 2, it's going to be interesting doing 3.  Plus I don't know who the players are this year.  The top 3 from last year should have all been promoted to expert so I don't know who to watch for.  We had that all worked out by the end of the season last year which made it fun. 

I'm so excited!

Are We There Yet?

It's a little over a week until the first race of the Georgia XC Series, I'm on Scratch and Endurox, and  I followed the plan (mostly).  I've lost some weight and I've worked on my skills.  I would have loved to update my ride but other things have dipped into my bike pool so that will need to wait.

 

So when Jim asked me last week if I thought I was ready I had to pause before I answered.  To tell the truth I'm not really sure.  That's what makes the first race so interesting.  It is what the plan calls a "B" race so I'm not supposed to be in peak form just yet.  I don't know who will show up or how much work my competitors did during the year.  Did I do enough?  Did I go hard enough on the hard days?  It may seem silly for an old guy to prepare and plan for a sport level bike race, after all, why spend so much time, money, and energy chasing a little plastic medal.  But look at it this way, worst case, I am in pretty awesome shape.  I look amazing in my kit, and for the most part, I've enjoyed the training.

It's Cold

 

Which brings me to last Sunday's ride.  The motivation level was low on Saturday night.  Zac, the Kid, and I had ridden Tom Brown that day (high in the low 50's with a 20 mph wind), then gone by Higher Ground for a couple of beers (just Zac and I, not the Kid).  Afterwards I succumbed to the aroma of Momos and got a slice to go.  I built a fire when I got to the house and devoured the pizza.  The wind was still blowing hard outside after I finished a hot shower and had settled in on the couch.  There were two rides already planned for Sunday one going off at 9:30 and another forming up at around 12.  I was having a hard time committing to anything.  I figured rather than ruin someone else's ride I'd just do my own thing after church.

Sunday morning dawned cold and cloudy.  I had three cups of Jumping Goat coffee down when Jim hit me up to see what I was doing that afternoon.  After some hemming and hawing I agreed to meet him at 1:45 and we hauled the bikes up to Amsterdam Ga. to go on a 3 hour (planned) CX ride.

Yes, I mislead Jim, but not on purpose.  I had mistakenly assumed the plan called for one thing, but when I checked, it called for something different.  I figured somebody who is in as amazing shape as Jim is wouldn't have any trouble with an hour of hard effort.  After all, I'm 10 years older than he is, he should be able to cruise along while I labor.

Well we did the easy hour, then I picked it up a little.  Jim started asking what zone I was in (like it really matters to him).  He then proceeded to half wheel me at every opportunity.  After about half an hour he started acting like he was getting tired and maybe the pace was more than I had advertised.  He had "done the Chaires ride the day before bla bla bla."  He was getting hungry so he started fumbling around in his new roadie vest for food.  I just kept on pedaling.  All of the sudden I hear "All right you son of a bitch I'm fed now, let's go".  Why all the hostility?

We finished the hour of pain (for me) and started rolling down the road toward the truck.  Jim was still accusing me of all kinds of sneaky things.  I had planned on doing another hour at an easy pace, but as we turned into the north wind, it seemed to go right through me.  I lost all my will to continue.  My hands were suddenly freezing and I just wanted to get to the warm truck.  Fail.  I just did not have the spark to keep riding.  Jim was willing to do whatever I wanted to do but I just could not face another hour in that cold.  I guess that's what separates good cyclists from the rest, the ability to suffer.  I was bummed.

Is That All There Is?

 

Anyhoo, that's the first ride I've just quit in a long time.  Should I be disappointed?  Is that a barometer for my fitness?  We'll see on the 17th.

But You and I We've Been Through That

And this is not our fate

But let us not talk softly now

The hours getting late

Sorry Bob, I like Jimie's version better.  I hope that's the right words.  Whadda ya think Terry?  Oh why am I asking you, you didn't even get the words to New York State of Mind right.


Anyhoo, that's one of the songs on my play list that keep me entertained during my gym time.  I catch a glance at myself every now and then in the mirrors and I'll be dancing.  Not really all out, but you know, just a little shuffle.  I wonder what the other patrons must think about that. 

Speaking of my fellow gym users, pleaseeeee get off the station when you're done.  DON'T sit there and talk with your friend, girlfriend, mother etc.  If you have to have a freaking social hour stand along the wall or better yet go outside.  I got an hour to do my deal here and I hate to wait.  Besides, my workout is so much harder than yours, plus it's more important.

You do that don't ya?  Those of you who use a gym.  Compare your level of workout against the others.  Really?  I'm the only one?  Fortunately for me, in my gym in Beautiful Downtown Havana, I do one of the hardest workouts.  Believe it or not!  It could be because I'm younger than most of the other customers.  Surprised huh?  Didn't think folks that old went to gyms did ya?

Scotland

 

Saturday I pedaled the "Roads of Scotland" while listening to the Drive By Truckers and watching it flood outside my garage.  The OMTP called for an hour and a half on the trainer.  Screw that.  I was watching the clock at 57 minuets.  As soon as I hit an hour I was off.

Sunday

Who likes to talk while they ride?  "I do, I do"

Sunday Cliffy and I did a CX ride in the ANF (again).  We varied the route from last week.  The roads were like riding on carpet in spots but it was sure a good workout.  I've said it before I know, but I love riding in the Forest.  No traffic, nothing but trees.  And of course Cliffy's constant dialog.  I'll admit to a certain amount of hate at around 35 miles.  Not for Cliffy, well maybe a little, but mostly for the soft sand which seemed to only occur on the rollers.

Dog Bone Lake in the ANF

 

 

One of a few hike a bikes due to water

When I got home all I wanted to do was have a beer and take a nap on the porch.  Alas it was not to be.  I was informed that my presence was required at a Prom Committee Meeting.  I can't think of anything more dangerous than taking me to something like that hungry and tired.  The only way it could have been worse is if I'd had that beer.  I didn't think parents had anything to do with the prom.  Since when did this start?  I managed to get through it without opening my mouth and aside from a small rant in the truck on the way home I stayed out of trouble.

Birthday

I reached a personal milestone this week, I became another year older.  Steve A. asked me last night after the ride what I was doing for my birthday.  "You're looking at it" was my reply.  At 57 I'm just glad to still be having birthdays.  And I'm also happy to be able to celebrate it with a ride.

There are many here among us

Who feel that life is but a joke

The 88 Store

The 88 Store Today

 

It sits on Forest Road 88 in the middle of the Ocala National Forest, hence the name.  The first time I went there was in 1969 on my Honda CT 70. 

 

Honda CT 70

I usually had $.50 in the pocket of my jeans which was enough to fill the tank of my little Honda since gas was a whole $.25 a gallon, plus have some left over for a honey bun and a Coke.

 

At that time we called it the Little Old Ladies Store.  It was run by two women who were probably niether old nor ladies.  It was quite the adventure for us to even ride the five miles from our lake house to the store.  Since none of us had a license we worked out a series of trails which brought us so close to the store we only had to ride a short ways on the pavement.  Riding on the road illegally was a big thrill at 13.

I had a friend, Mike, whose parents owned a lake house close to ours, and had inherited an old step through Honda 90 from his older brother.  We pushed and pulled that thing up and down the dirt road behind our lake houses trying to get it to start.  It was never very reliable and was a real hand full in the soft Ocala sand but that just added to the adventure.

We would leave the house in the middle of the morning, head up the dirt road to the store, fill up with gas and junk food, and be gone most of the day.  Unlike today our parents had no idea where we were.  We would spend hours finding trails and exploring that end of the forest.  No maps, no GPS, no cell phones.  Protective gear was limited to tennis shoes, blue jeans, helmet, and a flannel shirt.  We never knew what might be around the next corner whenever we ventured onto new trails.  At 13 that forest seemed bigger than the whole state of Florida.

The World was Much Bigger Then

We eventually upgraded to full size motorcycles, me a 1971 Honda SL 125 (I still have one in my garage) and Mike a SL 70.  I had my restricted license by then which made it legal to ride my bike on the road.  The first place I rode it was to the 88 Store. 

 

My parents, being scared of motorcycles anyway, didn't want me on the pavement, so we still rode as much off road as we could.  But what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them though so we extended our range beyond the 88 Store.  Somewhere along that time I found an old map of the Ocala (which I still have) and we began to explore even further from the house.

Sure we had a few mishaps.  We got lost a lot.  I still have a scar on my leg from the heat shield on that 70.  Mike got hit by a car one day while riding by himself right behind the house.  He lived but it changed his life forever.

 

I did learn to hate Sunday afternoons when we would roll the bike onto the back porch of the lake house and head back to Jacksonville, to school, and my other life.  But there was always the next Friday.

Back to the Present




Different Crowd at the 88 Store and no I have no idea who this is

The 88 Store is still in business.  They have it set up like a small saloon and there's a different crowd that hangs around there now but you can still buy gas and honey buns.

Now adays I do most of my exploring by pedaling, at almost 57 I still like to wander around in the woods.  I have a son who is 16 and every time he leaves the house to go for a ride I ask him if he's got his phone with him, where he's going, and when he'll be back.  I'm not as brave as my parents.

One thing that hasn't changed though is I still don't like Sunday afternoons.

Before I Pedaled

Unfortunately for you big Worm posted a video about a group of guys doing a dual sport trip out west.  I say it's unfortunate because it reminded me of some of my moto trips, so now you're looking at poorly scanned vacation pictures from 14 (?) years ago.  In the Worm's video the group all had matching jackets and ate grilled fish while sipping wine.  We, on the other hand, bought our food at the Jr. store every day on the way out, and ate most of our meals at the Hungry Logger in the evening.

Looking through the photos I am still amazed at how beautiful the Rockies are.  The dirt bike was the perfect vehicle to cover a lot of ground on.  This was back before the days of GPS, when you had to use paper maps, and it took some degree of talent to find your way around.  We did have some sections we had to push up, and we managed to get lost a few times.  We got caught in the snow and the sleet in June.  We lost people and back tracked looking over the edge of the road for a wrecked bike, only to find him zipping down the road later.  Of course we were almost all out of gas by then and the nearest store was already closed.  On one trip, the first day on the trail, one of my com padres broke his leg.  We were such a compassionate bunch we let him ride to the hospital by himself, after starting his bike for him of course.  They splinted him, gave him some pain medicine, and sent him on his way.  I have no idea how he got his bike started in the hospital parking lot but we found him at the cabin that evening, leg propped up, and seriously self medicated.

On another more annual trip, we used to spend five days in the Ocala National Forest, riding dual sport bikes, staying in basically a fish camp, and attending the festivities surrounding the Daytona Supercross.  No wine on this trip either, unless it had a screw off cap.  Food came from the Salt Springs Grocery and usually consisted of tater logs, rolls, and one night of steak.  The riding wasn't near what it was out west but the campfire stories were just as funny.  By the end of the trip there was a certain amount of hate amongst the group, which is only natural for a bunch of guys together for that long.

I really miss those trips.  Like so many other things in life if you knew it was going to be the last one you'd have savored it a little more.  I'm not in touch with a couple of guys from this group, time and distance has a way of doing that.  I'm the only one who got out of moto entirely although none of them ride as much as we used to.  I do admit watching that video and looking through these pictures awakens the moto part of me I thought I had buried.  I'm thinking about a Honda 250.  I must be crazy.

Jambalayla

I have no idea if that's how you spell it and I'm too lazy to look it up.  What I do know is my lovely wife made an amazing meal of it last Friday night. 

I had ridden Red Bug by myself that evening, it was cold and clear, the way February should be, not like this week.  I ended the ride at Higher Ground and had a few beers with Silk.  We stood out in the parking lot shooting the bull after they ran us out of the shop and I managed to get cold.  I cranked up the heat in the truck on the way back to Beautiful Downtown Havana but never managed to get the chill off.  When I got to the house she had just started cooking so I built a fire in the fireplace (yes I use real wood, not some sissy gas deal), had another beer, and took a hot shower.  The Jambalaya was ready when I got out and it was just spicy enough to make me sweat a little.  Some days are worth living twice.

The Bug

Speaking of Red Bug, I love the new trail.  Thank you to the City of Tallahassee and all the volunteers who worked on it.  It's like having a new toy.

Gorilla Sunday

We did a modified version of the Urban Gorilla ride on Sunday.  I get a little nervous with that many people on the trail, especially people I don't know, but all went well, and it ended up being a good ride.  I certainly had all I wanted by the time we hit the 4 hour mark.

That night went got together to watch the Cyclocross Worlds from Kentucky.  Somewhere in the house some kind of a football game was going on.  We consumed cold protein units and copious amounts of food.  I laughed so hard my ribs hurt the next day.  I really like my new cycling friends.

Testing, Testing, Is This Thing On?

Saturday was test day.  A 20 min. time trial on a flat course after 30 min. of warm up.  I chose the Bloxham Cutoff as it was the flattest long road I could find.  Plus I figured traffic would be light.  Parking at the Trout Pond facility in the Apalachicola National Forest wasn't a problem, I've never seen more than 2 cars there.  That's kind of a shame as the place is set up nice with bathrooms and good drinking water, not to mention picnic tables and a lake with a dock.  The paved "trail" that leaves from there makes for a pretty ride.  Unfortunately it just goes about 2.5 miles and stops.  Could be why the parking lot is empty?

In that 2.5 miles you won't have to worry about running off the "trail".  Five foot high aluminium barriers separate you from certain...well...let's say scratches.  This would be soooo much more interesting if they'd made some kind of loop out of it.

Anyhoo, I did the test which was about as much fun as it sounds.  Then rolled back to the truck easy, thinking about how un believable it was to be riding in 72 degree weather in January.  If it didn't get blisteringly hot during the summer we'd be up to our armpits in people down here.  Sometimes I think we already are.  I had the urge to get off the bike and roll in the pine straw like a happy dog but fear of chiggers kept me from indulging.

                                                         

Night Time

Saturday night we went to Johnny Ringo's to watch Terry's band Neil Alday and Further South perform.  The music was great.  It had been years since I spent that much time in a real bar.  Even longer since I saw so many cowboy hats.  I thought I had been zapped back to the 80's. 

Sunday

I rode alone Sunday also.  That's the problem with the OMTP  it doesn't always match the crew ride set up for the weekend so I end up solo, which isn't always a bad thing.  Riding by myself doesn't necessarily mean I had the trail to myself.  Being as it was another pretty day walkers, joggers, dogs, and other cyclists were out in force on the north side.  I almost wore my bell out.  How (or why) they get those foo foo dogs way back in the middle of Cambodia I'll never know.

Don't Want to be a Fat Man

I'm a little frustrated with my weight at the moment.  On the days after the OMTP has me in the gym I mysteriously gain a half a pound.  No, no Big Meat pizza or extra beer consumption.  In fact I am taking in less calories (starting after last weekend) than I normally do.  Maybe it's all this awesome muscle I'm building?  Zac seems to always notice how tight my shirts are.



"Wow, doesn't the old man look buff!"

 

 

 

 

Zac's dog seems to have issues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amsterdam

I'm thinking about a long clay ride around the Amsterdam property now that hunting season is over with.  Maybe some kind of a race?  Unofficial of course.  No money.  Sometime after the 4 wheeler event the first of March?  Interested?