its been awhile.............

No posts lately due to my PC crashing. I have to use Angies. BUT....... I have a brand new Toshiba on order (ouch expensive) and I should be up and running sometime next week when santa in the brown truck brings it to me. I sold my old laptop 4 days before my PC crashed too, that sux! But I get a bright shiny more capable one now! Can't wait! I don't like spending money like that unless it has two wheels and a chain! Weird? Not really if you know me!

My weeks rides have been at a moderate pace, nothing really hard. Tuesday I went with a bunch of folks t Steele Creek Park in Bristol. I have not ridden there in about 6yrs or so. After riding there I remember why. I really never liked the place then. I heard that it had some new trails so I had to check it out! There was some new stuff but there was also the old stuff too. Lots of burst climbing and not too much "flow". The 1 mile power line climb was still there and I really like it (thats about the only trail I liked). Looked like you still had to ride through the goose poop over near the golf course also. Anyway it was just a moderate ride nothing in the race or training status.

Wed. night Angie and I went to El Torrito's near the house. The only thing we had that was similiar was the salsa. Thursday I was sick to my stomach all day! It sucked bad. I managed to get through the whole day and get back home at a descent time. I was sitting around started feeling somewhat better so I decide to do the TNR ride (road). MISTAKE!! I got there suited up and got a lagging start. There was about three of us got together and pressed our way to the front. It wasn't a super fast pace but enough to keep your heart rate up. We did pretty good, there was about 15 or so of us. We held the pave until we turned up buffalo then my gut felt like I git kicked by a mule! It was grumbling and making some NASTY sounds. I dropped off the pace and Rob waved to me to come on so I tried. I got back with them and BAM! It hit again. I was ready to blow chunks......... I slowed way down,got my heart rate slowed and just eased along about 15mph. At the start of the climb up buffaloI had slowed to about 5mph. My head was very light and I stopped sweating too. I felt like I could have just laid in the bathroom for days at that point. I rode back down the hill to get some wind in my face and that helped so much. I got my bearings back and turned around and finished the climb and headed straight to the car. I was sick yo! Today came and Im much better. I wanted to ride but since I'm going on a long mountain bike tour this weekend I decide one more day to recoup.

Tomorrow I'm going to go to Panther Creek in Morristown to get a couple of laps in then head down to Tsali to ride with Greg, Melinda and Rob saturday afternoon. Have a few beers and just relax. Sunday get up and hit the trails on the other side and then if I have time stop by Bent Creek and buzz off a few miles there too. Nice relaxing week of riding. Angie is in Denver with her skydiving buddies to hop out of a plane for the weekend. Austin is at his mom's so I'm by myself. Seems like a plan to me. I'm not looking for any hard training rides just some time on the bike,alot of time on the bike! Cross season is coming up and I think my running I have put in place will help me cope with the wide a$$ open pedaling that it takes to do these. I dont have the ability to ride hard and fast like I did last year but I'm working at it. I have a rider in my sights this year to keep me focused on how hard to ride. I never beat them last year at all. I would really like to finish ahead of them in at least one race. Last year my goal was to beat a friend of mine in at least one race and I did. I'm not the majorly competetive type but if I'm challenged personally I will beat you eventually. It might not be soon,but I will train as hard and as long as it takes to win eventually. I love bruising egos, its so fun. Theres ALWAYS someone out there thats bigger, better and faster. Some peeps tend to forget that and you can see alot of it on the road. I get my but handed to me on a regular basis, I'm glad I do. It tends to keep a person humble. Although I like what time I get on the podium(which isn't much lately since I changed venue from BMX to more Mountain Biking). I'm already looking at what I can do next year to be better prepared for the MTB season. This year I was more into the endurance events, I think I made the wrong descision to do these races. I should havebeen in the SERC races. Although the ORAMM is alot of fun,painful but FUN! A more focused plan is on the radar for next year. Having a plan now is definately a step ahead for next year.




Later G....................................