Neglect,,,,,,,,,

That about sums up my blogging here as of late. I need to get back on the ball! Riding has happened, a lot of riding! I have made a few trips to the mountains the last few weeks and done a few rides around the house. No running even though my legs feel better than they ever have, just no motivation for it.

After going to the mountains on a regular basis riding around here has kinda been boring. I find I really have to make myself go! I know I need to if i want to be strong enough to enjoy the hills. Speaking of the hills I love Bent Creek and DuPont. Between the 2 I have enough trails to keep me happy all summer long!

We have a week vacation coming up and the mountains are where we plan to go. The house in Saluda will be home base. Riding will happen! I plan to take both the road and mountain bike. Although the road bike still sits in the garage with flat tires from lake of use. It hasn't even been of the hook yet this year. For some reason the mtn. bike has been getting all the seat time.

I will be back down in Georgia next week and will do Conyers again. If the weather is right I will stop in Augusta again. I still need to check out the rest of Forks Area Trails.

Plus the motorcycle has been getting a few miles put on it. There are only so many hours in a week and I use everyone to its peak. You might see my yard and say different but to each his own! I do yard work when I have too, no sooner! If that's what you like to do for pleasure then have at it! I will be in the hills playing.

Got My Answer ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The answer I was looking for about the 55k race this weekend. The weather has made my mind up! It's supposed to rain all weekend in the mountains. Last time I did this it was rainy and cold, I got cold! I don't like to get cold, plus I haven't paid my entry fee yet so it's a no brainer. I won't be doing the Pisgah 555k this year.


What I will be doing I have no ideal but it's only Wednesday. Plus if we get all the rain they are calling for the only place to ride will be Uhwarrie or Cheraw. Both are all weather trails and the only choices we have when the weather turns crappy. Although I could always run.


Last night I went to the golf course and walked 3 miles, it beat sitting on the couch. I rode Monday with the weather coming and now I wait to see what it will be doing when the time to ride comes again. Right now my whole weekend is in rainy limbo. Not counting this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon and the following day.


                                                      I hate being stuck with no plans.........

My Own Enemy !!!!!!!!!

You know the saying, "My Own Worst Enemy". Well right now I am on the verge of making that my motto. As I mentioned in the last post I am actually getting a little up on my usual fitness level. With that thought in my head I sat down to the computer the other night and came damn close to entering the Pisgah 55.5k mountain bike race.


Yep the same race that I did 2 years ago and took almost 8 hours for me to complete. The one I came home from beat into the ground and worn slam out. The one I really couldn't believe I had just done. The that I will never forget, the one I had a volunteer at a rest stop tell me I had about an hour and a half climb in front of me when I asked how much further. He wasn't lying either!


On the back side of that climb was another hour and a half to finish. Well the race is about 2 weeks away and for some reason I feel it might be "fun". Why I don't know?

Let's Play Catch Up ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Yes I went running the other day and it was great, I did 3 miles and not one single issue with my shin's. I haven't had a chance to go again the trails opened up, at least Rocky River Trail did. I have been on a phase lately of riding there so I was glad it was open. With the mountain trip last weekend I feel like I am getting somewhere with my fitness so I want to keep it that way.

Actually I had two trips in a row to the hills so my legs are kinda feeling good right now. Plus we are in Atlanta right now and the kid and I had planned to ride when I got here so I wanted to stay in top shape. Yes we did the Olympic race course yesterday, It's pretty freakin' cool too. Also on Friday on my way down here they had the Forks Area Trails open.

I have stopped there twice and brought my bike three times with intentions of riding there only to find out it was closed so that was neat. I rode about 15 miles of it Friday and look forward to riding the rest off it. The place is really awesome, the flow is fantastic and it has like 30 miles of trail.

It's been a good week, I have ridden my mountain bike on three different trails in three different states! First time that has happened. Pretty neat when you think about it. Add in the mountains twice and it's been a good stretch for the mountain bike. Next trip to the hills I plan to do some road biking. I want to do a few loops around the Saluda area.

Bicycling magazine, in there latest issue listed all these great rides you need to do if you ever get a chance. One of them goes through Saluda I plan to do it! lots of climbing but that is part of it.


Now to end this with a laugh! Last night we decided to go to the Braves game. First time since the kid has been here in Atlanta. We got our tickets on line and headed out about 6. As we got off the interstate and headed down through the streets we see this guy on the side looking all official with his yellow "parking jacket" on.

There was several of these guys, like five or six of them. We stop and he sells me a parking pass for the green lot for twenty bucks. He gives us directions to the lot and says it's only a hundred yards from the front gate.

Well guess what! We get to the green lot and it is pretty close, or at least it was when the lot started taking in cars. We are way in the back at this point, a lot farther than a hundred yards. Maybe a quarter mile! But here's the kicker! It was free parking night!! Yep I got scammed for twenty bucks!

The official parking pass I bought didn't mean squat! The lady at the gate got a good laugh out of that. She said I could keep it as a souvenir! Live and learn...........

I am Ready To Run Again,,,,,,,,,,

I have taken the better part of a month off to let my shin completely heal. I haven't ran one time! The last few times I tried to start back running it only took one or two runs before my shin would start hurting. This time I decided to wait till my leg was not even a thought, as in no pain what so ever.


Yesterday as it was raining about 4 inches and killing all the trails I took a look at my road bike and decided I would rather run. No kidding right then and there I realized my shim had not hurt in several days. Next thought was I am going running! Not that I don't like the road bike, I just don't like road biking.


                                                      Big difference!

Options, I Like ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

First of all I need to say thanks to our friend Paula! Because of her I have "options" when I am in the mountains. Yes I do the yard work for her and no it doesn't really take anytime. A house in the mountains you don't have to pay for is like your neighbor having a pool! That's the best kind, of pool or house!


Because of this Saturday afternoon when the rain was coming it was easy to pull the plug and head down to Saluda. I got down there and as I said it was raining. I hoped that for some reason it went right around the campground and the people who where there for the night stayed dry. They didn't!


I got to Saluda took my toothbrush in and my pillow. Went down to the bar-be-que joint ate and had a few beers. By 9 I was sound asleep! I woke up early Sunday morning feeling good, I hit the road and was home about 8:30. Dry! Thankful I didn't have to unpack and dry out all my stuff!

Plans Change........

With that you have to roll with the flow! So all week last week the weather looked like it was gonna be great, great in Asheville. Well on the way up I find out they are calling for heavy rain Saturday night in Asheville. Not the plan I had.

I love to camp but camping in the rain sucks! I mean really sucks! I don't like to deal with wet tents and wet period. So I went ahead and stopped in Saluda long enough to eat and then headed on up to Bent Creek.I hung out with the guys Friday night and road all day yesterday.

About 4pm I packed all my stuff and headed home. I didn't even get to the interstate before the rain was coming down! At times I was rolling down I-26 at 40 miles an hour it was raining so hard! Thankful I wasn't dealing with that and a tent! While I was packing other people where getting prepared for the coming rain. I felt sorry for them as I drove. It's one thing to deal with rain and another to deal with downpours!

As far as the riding goes, knowing I was only going to get one day I hit the trails with the guys at 9 am and they headed for the campground for lunch about 11. I continued on and finally made it back to camp at 1. I had enough time to eat and get some more water. Then we all headed back out for another 2 hours. I ended up with 5 plus hours on the bike. I rode about every trail Bent Creek can offer and some of them twice.

I slept good last night, no doubt about it! Now for next weekend. It's looking like I will be heading to Atlanta next week. The kid wants to ride the Olympic course in Conyers GA again. I'm game for that!