Yaking and MTB

Got up this morning at 5:30, had breakfast loaded the car and headed to Findley for some yaking and a couple of laps on the mtb. Looked at the weather channel and it looked like it had rained overnight there but when I got there everything was nice and dry. Put in around 7:15 for about an hr under cloudy skies and a few drops here and there but it really never rained.

Finished yaking and put in 2 laps on the single speed, no, my geared 29er is not in yet. Ordered it in April and I'm still waiting. Anyways, the trail was in excellet shape with a few muddy spots easily avoidable. Put in a 49:40 lap not even trying to go fast. I'm pretty sure I can do a sub 48 close to 47 without falling, dropping the chain or burping the tires. Did a 50:13 at the TT with all those mishaps. Not complaining, it is what it is, I'm just happy I can ride my mtb.
Be happy, ride your bike.

Pool time

Was getting ready yesterday to go to Reagan park in Medina when I took a look at the weather channel and what was coming in from the west didn't look good. Opted for the pool instead. I've been trying to hit the pool at least once or twice a week as a way to rehab and stregthen my shoulder and upper body. 30 laps in and when I got out a raging storm was going on outside, good choice, although I don't know if it rain in Medina. This morning was the usual for Thursdays, get up at 4:20am get ready, head to the rec for the tri spin class we offer to the people that are doing the rec ctr. tri. We just spin for 30 minutes and I mix some intervals in for a better workout. The bike portion is on the spinning bikes, 10 miles as fast as you can. This is a great tri for people that have never done one. The swim is 1/2 mile in the pool, 10 miles on the spinning bikes and a 5k around a Strongsville neighborhood. The rec does a great job putting this on. The 40 spots filled up in less than a month. I'll probably just do some upper body weights tonight and finish painting and caulking the computer room. Have to keep the wife happy.

Good ride home

The commute home last night went without any troubles. Nobody trying to run me off the road, no honking no yelling. And it is a full moon out, maybe it shuould stay hot and humid it seems it makes people slow and lethargic.
I left work at 5pm and right away I could feel my legs didn't recover from the morning commute. Normally I do 3-5 intervals of various distances and or time, I got through with 2 and decided to switch to a slow strength ride. That didn't feel that much better but it felt better than the intervals, so it was the big ring all the way from Solon to Strongsville and I can feel the ache in my knees this morning. 1:50 in the morning, 1:41 in the afternoon, same route same distance. Time to go raid the company first aid kit for Ibuprofen.

Almost road kill

Rode to work today for the first time in over a month, I'been to lazy to get up at 4am. Have been riding in the afternooon but if I'm doing this ride in Georgia I need hills and plenty of miles in my legs before I head down there. Anyway it was for the most part an uneventful ride in to work with plenty of fog by the train station and very little traffic all the way in. Just as I'm going across the last intersection in Solon a car shoots out of the corner gas station and swerved at the last time coming within inches of hitting me and it would have hurt, I was going well over 20mph on a slight down grade. First off, I'm glad nothing happened because just like it always happens the cops would probably be blaming me before getting all the facts and if nobody stops that witness the accident and I'm toast. The worse part about it is that it was an old beat up car and the dumb jackass probably doesn't have insurance.
Here's looking for an uneventful ride home in the afternoon.
Let you know  later tonight.

Raystown Lake Trails, PA

Loaded the car and headed to Raystown lake for the second time in less than a month.
It's a 5hr drive but it's worth it. Made it Thursday afternoon and quickly set up camp and headed out for a ride. The first night was great, I chose a campsite that had only 8 more campsites and it was very quiet except since it was at the top of the mountain you could hear the motor boats down by the lake. Friday night was different, a bunch of guys showed up and talked and listen to music until midnight. Not bad, the music was good and they weren't really loud plus they were across the road from me. The people next to me showed up at 9:30pm and at 1:30 in the morning I had to go there and got on the guys face (literally since he was standing) and told him it was time to be quiet. He quickly apologized and sent everybody to sleep...jackass.
Anyways, Friday I put in 2 hrs plus a couple more on my kayak early in the morning.
Saturday got up at 6am and was out by 7. 3 hrs later I was back had breakfast  and laid on the hammock for a while. After a couple hrs. got ready and headed out for another 2 hrs. When I got back I dismantled everything and headed home. I had enough, 7.5 hrs all on my single speed, I was beat but happy. The place is just single speed heaven. I have to admit I had a grin on my face every time I asked to pass on the hills by asking people to let me pass because I was on a SS. It wasn't easy and I worked my butt off but I really enjoy riding the SS. There was times were I thought I was going to walk the bike up a switchback but I found enough energy to haul my but around it.
Anybody wants to go and camp, I'm all for it, I can't get enough of that place.
In all, 7.5 hrs and almost 70 miles.

Everything came in pairs

First mtb race of the year yesterday, the "Thorn TT" at Findley State Park. Got up early watched the TDF for an hr and heade dto Findley. My 29er geared bike is not in yet so I took my SS 29er with a smaller 18 tooth cog for all the flat longer sections of the course. The night before the park got some heavy rain and parts of the course were muddy with all the roots and rocks wet and slippery when I pre-rode at 10am. but drying fast and by the time I started some of the mud holes had almost dried out. I went out with the thought of just going at a safe pace since this is only my 6th time off roading since I dislocated my shoulder and I don't want to go through that again. Pretty soon I found myself going as hard as I could hold the pace and fall number one came at one of the benched turns that was a little slippery. While I was trying to get up and pop the chain back on (number one) Ray which had started 20secs behind me went by. I quickly re-mounted and took off but this time being more careful on the turns and trying to make up the time on the straight sections. Going accross the first road section and back into the woods I see the roots coming and for some stupid reason I take a different line that I always take through this section and slipped on the roots and went down hard (number two) the chain popped again (number two) I popped the chain back on re-mounted and plop, plop, plop both tires had burped the air out when I went down. I have never seen this and I thought, my race was over I only have one tube and could see myself walking out of the woods pushing my bike. I quickly pulled my 16grm co2 out of my pocket tried it and to my luck neither tire had come of the rim and both inflated enough where I was able to finish the race in 50:13. Not bad considering I haven't been riding of road, fell twice, chain popped twice, both tires burped. I have some harder training to do for the next TT, I had to back off my pace a couple times or I would have exploded.At the end of the day  I was happy to be off roading again.
Happy trails...

Bored out of my mind

When a wedding shower is at your house..what is a man suppose to do?
Shut up and go out to the garage and start working on the picket fence again. That only lasted about an hr. because I was listening to the... I'm not saying anything that may incriminate me. So, I waited for the mailwoman, got the mail, nothing interesting, no bills, thank you. Next step, the computer to read todays Velo News TDF articles. While sitting here, it came to my mind that I have neglected the blog for too long. So here I'm trying to write while listening to all that... I'm not saying it, I'm not saying it. I'm staying to help make the coffee and it's been over an hr and nobody has asked for any, I should have gone to Findley to test the smaller cog I put on my single speed for tomorrow's time trial. I had a 20 and last week I was spinning myself brainless at 15 miles per hr. I installed an 18 and this time I'll spin myself brainless once more at 16 miles per hr. It is the smaller one I have so that'll have to do. I know I'm going to loose some time on the straight aways but who cares, I'm doing it because I want to have some fun. I'm not going to be taking chances, I don't want to slide on one of the turns put my left arm out and hurt myself again, I've only ben off road 5 times since the crash. I have been riding the road most of the time putting in 2-3 hrs  rides. Did the Twinn Sizzler and finished third, again for I think the fifth or six time in my age group. This year I had good position sitting third wheel but didn't have the legs so I just watched that nobody would pass me on the sprint. Last year I had the legs but forgot where the turn was and had to chase and took third again and got beat by half a wheel and a bike length respectively. Can you tell I'm bored out of my mind? I'm going to go watch the TDF again and watch Vino "I didn't dope" Vinoukourov win the stage. Maybe if I turn the TV loud enough I won't hear all the... Maybe I should just go to the basement to put all my things together for tomorrow...nah, I'm watching the TDF again. I'm really proud of myself by holding back saying cackling, darned it, I said it. Well' it's the truth and nothing but the truth. Tie me up and flog me ok. This thought just came to me, why is the house so hot?