Sore Legs

My legs have been pretty wiped out for the past week or week and a half. The past couple of days were no exception. Both days I was really tempted to skip a ride in favor sitting on my a** and having a few beers. Both days I summoned the motivation to head out for a quick hour before sitting on my a** and having a few beers. Both rides were excellent, and my legs felt okay. Not great, but certainly strong. Saturday I hit up the Loop on the singlespeed. I'm so lucky to have such a killer trail starting in the backyard. Yesterday I rode the road up to Island View Rd. and back. It started out as a recovery ride, and I rode an easy pace on the way up. The weird thing is that yesterday's "easy" pace was wicked fast. I made it to the turnaround point in under thirty minutes. All of a sudden, setting a new personal record for that ride was possible. I cranked up the pace a bit on the way back. I rode the last climb on Stutsmanville Rd. in my big ring. When I stopped the clock after cruising up the driveway, it read 54:47. I've never done that ride in under an hour before. My legs weren't feeling super or anything, and my heart rate for the ride only averaged 141 (if pressed upon I can sustain a heart rate somewhere in the mid 160's for up to three hours). Drawing on my decidedly unscientific background/knowledge base, I'm hoping this means that I'm getting faster. That's my story for today anyway, and I'm sticking to it. Matt and I are supposed to do 30 on the dirt this afternoon. WNR @ Boyne. Hope everybody had a good weekend.

WNR #15

Attendance: Myself, Sarah, Keri, Keri's Friend, Sheri, Doug, Rob, Kurt, Benson, Seth, and Scott.

Trail Conditions: Excellent. They've bushwhacked most all of the trail, so you don't get too scraped up from the berry bushes. They've also installed some nice bridges over the wettest parts of the section between Stutsmanville and Lark's Lake Roads.

Weather: Muggy and hot, but it didn't rain on us.

That was the biggest group we've had in quite a while which was nice to see. Next weeks ride @ Boyne. Have a good weekend.

It's Finally Raining

This is what's going down right now with the weather. After a cool, dry summer so far, the weather forecast is calling for a chance of rain every day for the next week and a half. How does that saying go? When it rains, it pours. While this may cut into the riding/commuting, it really will be good for the trails and the trees.

Also, the Pisgah Stage Race in October has fallen off the radar. The campground is already booked and staying in a hotel for the duration of the race would more than double the cost. I think I'd rather spend the extra dough when Sarah and I are in California for a couple of weeks in November. Instead of the race, I'm starting to plan out a bike intensive vacation/tour slated for sometime in October. Stay tuned as details get hammered out.

WNR #14

Attendance: Myself, Hugh and Denise, Benson, Rob, Jake (employee at the store on his first WNR), and Johan (his buddy visiting from Denmark).

Weather: Windy, but hot and humid.

Trail Conditions: Perfecto. Sammy has raked to perfection all of the trails near his house on the south end of the Loop.

I had a really good night on the bike. I went out for a hard 50 minutes before escorting Jake and Johan at a more leisurely pace. After leaving them at the bottom of Five Mile Creek, I rode at full on race pace back up to the house in a little over 20 minutes. I ended up with just under two hours and 15 miles, and my legs finally came around after a couple days of feeling a little off. Next weeks WNR at the NCT Trailhead off of Brutus Rd. heading north.

In other race related news: Sarge, I know you've requested a race schedule. I haven't put one up because other than the Ore to Shore and the Lumberjack, I wasn't sure what other bike races I'd be doing this year. While I'm still not ready to fully "schedule" the rest of my season, this race has reaapeared on the radar. I've got a few logistics to work out before I send them my dough, but so far it's looking good. Take care and have a good weekend.

O2S Prep.

Preparations are under way for the O2S next month. I'm pretty much recovered from the Lumberjack/Fourth of July Extravaganza, and so I'll do a good three or four week build up for the race starting tomorrow. We're also fortunate enough to be upgrading our accommodations at the race this year. Rod and Joellen have graciously agreed to let us take their camper with us for the three day weekend. Yesterday, I went over to their place after work for a lesson with the camper, and then I towed it up and down Stutsmanville before depositing it in our driveway for the night. We spent the night in it, and it's an amazing upgrade from the REI two person tent we've been using in the past. In other race related news: Hugh and Denise bought the tandem mountain bike that they were trying out a couple of weeks ago, and they'll be toeing the line of the 48 miler aboard it come Aug. 8th. So far, we've got quite the contingent heading up to Marquette for the race.







WNR @ HQ this week. Over and out.

WNR #13

Attendance: Myself, Benson, Doug, Sherry, Kerri, Rob, Matt, and Scott.

Weather: Sunny and warm.

Trail Conditions: The trails that they haven't logged are in really good shape, but there is a fair amount of sand here and there. We could really use some rain.

The ride was nice, and we had a good time hanging out afterward with some cold beverages. Next weeks ride is back at the HQ, and I'm hoping to talk Sarah into making some homemade pizza crusts for us. I'll be in touch early in the week with food assignments for the regular riders. Part timers that wish to contribute can give us a call on monday. Have a good weekend, and don't forget to get out and ride your bike.

The Calm After The Storm

I've endured my 16th fourth of July holiday extravaganza at the store. It cut into my ride time a little last week (I only clocked three days in the saddle); and while I'd like to think of it as extra recovery time after the last race, my legs don't feel a whole lot better than they did the day after the Lumberjack. It must have something to do with running around like a chicken with it's head cut off and carrying heavy boxes to and fro. Anyway, I got back in the saddle yesterday. I rode the old commuter in to work at 6:30 yesterday morning, and it actually felt really good. Traffic was light at that hour, and I saw an abundance of wildlife on my trip in. After work I needed to run some errands in Petoskey, and so I rode my bike around the bay. I hit up the hearing aid lady, and found out that my unit is fu**ed. On the upside, I do carry a rider on my homeowners policy for it so I'm not out the $1200 for the new one. Then I stopped at the RiteAid for a few odds and ends. My last stop was the AT&T store for some new headphones. By the time I rolled up the driveway just before six, I estimate my days mileage at a hair under forty miles (for free). Today I'll be driving (boo) south to continue my NCT exploration along the Jordan River Valley. Riding new trails is fun. WNR @ Boyne tomorrow. See you there.

WNR # 12

Attendance: Myself, Hugh and Denise (on a tandem mtb.), Benson, Rob, Matt, Brian (Matt's buddy from Chicago), Scott, Mitchell, and Bruce.

Weather: Cold. 54 degrees and cloudy.

Trail Conditions: Things out on the Loop are just about perfect. If I can get down to the creek for a little more raking, they'll be 100 %.

Good ride, and a good dinner afterwards. Thanks for coming out.

Next week's WNR @ Boyne. Have a happy 4th. I'll be working.