A Tired Jen

Let's see, got out on the road bike this morning for a 25 mile ride. Discovered a few things as I went along. 1. It's been a while since I rode this bike and it was hard. 2. The wind hasn't been around in a while, that too made it harder. 3. Our new teamshorts do not match our jerseys, nor are they very comfortable. The comfort part made this ride harder. I guess the non-matching quality didn't help either in some sort of abstract way. I'm supposing when I race, I might be wearing something more comfortable. I hate to do that, but comfort is a necessity. If I have time before the 10th, I'll give them another chance.

Yea well anyway, the ride was good. I planned to just ride around the valley so I stuck with the plan. I think it took me 1 hr 45 min, so my pace wasn't so good. It seemed like I had the eternal headwind today. Saw a few interesting things during my ride - a huge tree that had fallen into someone's house, an injured teammate, a chicky pal, their awesome pup, new Greenway construction in Salem and crappy roads in Salem (wow, it's not just Roanoke). I saw a lot of bikers out today and everyone seemed friendly and waved. I guess we all had cabinfever from the day-long deluge yesterday. Even the drivers around me today seemed like they cared. What a switch that is.

Anyway, so I got home - did a few things here - ate a snack. Assisted my mom outside for a walk. She hasn't been outside in almost a week. She had knee surgery last Monday. Today though, she was able to make it down the steps and outside with ease. Even walked up and down the street a short ways before seeking refuge back in the recliner. GO MOM!

Since I hardly get to go to trailwork days at the Cove, I wanted to do something useful. I decided to take my dog who has been an absolute angel in the past week out for a bit. And, figured I'd do some trail work on Mill Mountain while out. We managed to weedeat a good section of trail which has caused more than a few issues for riders lately. Many people thanked me for the work and that was cool. After the weedeating was done, Sergei and I walked Big Sunny to the Riser intersection and back. Then we moved the car to the Monument, cut some tree branches there then headed down the trail a bit before bushwhacking to the road then up to Ridgeline. The dog was having a blast. It was good to have him out and to also be productive! Now we're all tired.

Gotta fix some dinner then it's TV NIGHT!!! YAY - Amazing Race and Cold Case!

I give up.

With the wacky weather we are constantly bombarded with, I am ready to give up on trying to race this year. I was going to go race beginner class at Douthat on Sunday, but since Mother Nature seems to want to piss on everything I want to do anymore, they've postponed the race two weeks. Now it is Sunday 10/11, one friggin day after Kenny's race in Montvale. SIGH. Now what? Maybe it's an omen....

Anyway, here's Kyle's update:

Middle Mountain Momma postponed!!!

Plan B

Just enough rain to be annoying, and tomorrow is Monday. Boo!

Glad I'm a Hokie fan...

I think if I were a UVa fan, I'd have to turn in my gear after this...

FDNY 343

Where did Fall go??

Dern, I left for a few days to go be amongst the 74,934 who were at the Georgia Dome Saturday night for the Alabama/Virginia Tech game. Fall was here when I left, but summer came back. OOF! I wanted to ride in some cool, crisp air. Please come back!!! Anyway, after getting a hundred things done this morning, I snuck out to get in a ride on Mill Mountain. Had specific route in mind, so time would be what it was. I parked at the Star Trail lot, headed up to Woodthrush (climbing was a goal today). I climbed Woodthrush with fairly good effort. Had to climb over the tree that's down (missed the go around on the way up) and walked about 10 feet after I lost my balance on some rocks otherwise rode it without stopping – haven't done that in a long time. Took a left, went down Virginia Pine to the old road, rode up it to Woodthrush then onto JPFish, rode up it to Riser, down Riser, across Big Sunny, down Sylvan, UP Monument (again good effort – had to yield to some hikers). Took Ridgeline back to JPFish so there was that bit of a climb. Rode back down Woodthrush as quickly as I could just for fun. Stopped at the fallen tree to give directions, took the go around and headed back to the car. All in all about 8.8 miles in around 1.5 hours. Need to get in more riding, but time was not on my side today. A bit more to do tonight – back to work tomorrow. BOOO!!!

Trail names…

This post is dedicated to Brian G. from Michigan. =)

Yes, we name our trails. I was thinking of you, so I decided to make a list. Here goes (you could almost sing it to Billy Joel's "We didn't start the fire"): buck, hotel, hideeho, trough, the gauntlet, hemlock tunnel (clownhead), araminta, comet, tuckaway (girl scout), four gorges (connector), enchanted forest, songbird (mad cow), arrowhead (skillet), schoolhouse, littlebell, easy street, beale's treasure, cliff hanger, coyote ridge, ridgeline, yellow drum (HA HA I'm still laughing), moto x, beaver dam, bluebird path, creekside, deer trail, fat albert, ledge, lower deer trail, piney ridge, ridgeloop, ridgeloop extension, sleepy hollow, turkey hill, white rock, hot tamale, camelback, plummet, broken arrow, the bern, eagle scout, riverside drive, anglers ridge, little pisgah, gravity hill, crooked stick, the mesa, ridgeline, riser, monument, woodthrush, Virginia pine, fern park, big sunny, star, crystal spring, outback, upper piney, lower piney, ivy ridge, slalom, bottom out, cyclone, tombstone, squeeze, tomcat, roller coaster, rock pile, steves bowl-a-rama, slickrock, ridgecap, grapevine, a trail too far, candlers climb, lake trail, raptor run, the looney, alternate flight plan, cutem off pass, deer trail, raccoon alley, gonzo, trainwreck, spit decision, 1971, monorail, pyschopathe, peak 2 peak, z – trail, luge trail, upper dam, lower dam, horton's loop, the playground, great escape, bobsled, papaw's, doc's trail, a walk in the park, the lasso…

These trails are at Carvin's Cove, Montvale, Bedford, Danville, Mill Mountain, Peak's View Park and Liberty Mountain. All of which I've ridden. There are a bunch more trails out there…