tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34373626200690277282024-02-18T21:33:48.888-05:002-wheels 2-kidsritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.comBlogger1137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-58285176470018503162020-07-19T18:22:00.002-04:002020-07-19T18:22:34.920-04:00It's Hot, It's The South,,,,,,,,,So yesterday I actually hit the road before sunrise. For me that's very unusual! I just don't get motivated that early. Even with the early start it was hot! Really hot! I had one goal, a metric century. 66 miles. I hadn't ridden in a week so I figured why not.<br />
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I left the house and found myself headed south like I usually do. Not sure why but that seems to be my favorite direction. Even back in the day 7-8 years ago when the kid was still riding we always went south. The roads are just emptier and I still find plenty of elevation.<br />
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I took the long way down to the state line and had a snack at the store right on the line. My choice was go ahead and head back north or cut across on the line and do my loop with a big climb into Pageland and then circle back to the same spot I was already sitting. I chose option 2, big climb and all. It was 8:15. 9am and I was going right by the same store.<br />
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Didn't stop but kept coming toward the house. 20 miles and 3 loops of Oakdale mile a little later I was home. Right down the street there is a neighborhood, Oakdale. It is one street in one circle and it's exactly one mile. I was down to 63 miles and needed 3 more for my Strava metric century medal for the month.<br />
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Three loops later and I was home. I got my medal, digital medal! Now it's done. It's amazing how Strava can dangle a worthless digital medal in front of you and here I am going three extra loops around a neighborhood to finish up!<br />
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Today, Sunday I took the grand-baby and went to the golf course at 7 am and did a three mile walk. Came home and nobody was even stirring yet. She and I could have been gone for another hour and nobody would have known. We were in the pool and having fun before anyone woke up.<br />
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High noon and I hit the road for 30 miles. After yesterday and the walk and the pool for a few hours this morning and the wind! It was rough! Felt good though. I know where I stand these days and I know my plans for the next summer. Now it's a matter of putting my head down and making it happen. I need to be able to at least be able to ride a 100 miles a day two days in a row.<br />
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Yes a solid 100 per day! Tomorrow is Monday and I plan to hit it again. Of course I know it's not gonna happen overnight but this weekend was a good start. I am literally a year and one week out. A long time but not that far off when you have a goal! ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-50313935827208262762020-07-17T21:42:00.000-04:002020-07-17T21:42:06.334-04:00Yep, still alive!Been over a year! Honestly had no ideal it had been that long. So life kicks on, I'm a grandpa now, Pa-Pa is what I go by! Love every minute of it! Life is good, everybody is healthy and seem to be happy.<br />
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The main reason I checked in is I still ride and try to ride a lot. It's been two years since my Colorado mess and I plan to go back. Next year is gonna be the date. I plan to go in the best shape of my life, so now is the time to start.<br />
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I plan to start using my blog to track my training and my feelings over this. I am now 52 and life is getting short. I've lost almost 30 pounds since I last went and plan to loss 10 more. It's hard to do but I can!<br />
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For now that's about all I have to update. I plan to head out in the morning before the sun comes up. Be back soon.ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-53780641562633070052019-02-24T08:56:00.001-05:002019-02-24T08:56:03.878-05:00One Week Later, Still Raining,,,,Enough said!ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-90216732489028595672019-02-18T21:19:00.001-05:002019-02-18T21:19:18.811-05:00Still Raining,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,So I got to ride all weekend, I just had to drive an hour each way to do it. I could have done Uhwarrie but it's still an hour anyway. Plus it would have been really muddy. Cheraw is perfect for a rainy day. The sand is at is's best when soaked. Saturday I even got rained on. The weather was right though! It was about 63 when I started but like 53 when I finished.<br />
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Had the privilege of meeting officer Webster with the South Carolina highway patrol on the way home. I was cruising along paying no attention when I saw the front end of thee approaching car take a dive. That's when I realized I was meeting a state trooper. He did the flip and I was already sitting on the side of the road waiting.<br />
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He asked the last time I had a ticket and I told him. It's been 18 years. He checked and then wrote me a warning ticket! Made me really happy, Sunday when I went back down I had the cruise set both directions. No need to test my luck, I'll take a break once and awhile, but you don't get that lucky too often.<br />
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Sunday was just cold, low 40's but still righteous. So now we sit and watch it rain again.ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-66461545367283794472019-02-17T07:06:00.002-05:002019-02-17T07:06:34.622-05:00Never enough,,,,,,,,,,,Enough time on the bike anyway! I might have mentioned, we seem to be having one of the wettest winters ever here in the southeast. It ain't helping my riding at all. But I guess were all in the same boat.<br />
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Best thing to happen around here as of late, we are grand parents! Little Miranda has joined our family and she is about as sweet as you could ever imagine! Yes I will be buying her a new bike really soon! Got to start her early.<br />
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Makes me want to actually pay the few bucks to google so I can start posting pictures again. So I can show the world how sweet she is.ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-44071143130164090742019-01-20T07:37:00.001-05:002019-01-20T07:41:00.669-05:00Plans,,,,,So I am now doing night rides by myself regularly on a few local trails. The trails close to home, trails that I know someone else will probably ride the same night I do. That way someone will at least find my body in a timely fashion, that's if I get taken out by my imaginary night monsters that live in my head. Bastards!<br />
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It's been a good winter so far for me, lots of riding, no snow LOTS of rain. It's the south, just the way it is here. Although I probably ought to be glad if we did get a lot of snow I would have to buy another bike, a fat bike. I don't need another bike!<br />
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So I came up with a plan. I am now signed up for the Vista 300/420 bike-packing race in Tennessee. It's in early May and the logistics are just what I need. About a 4-5 hour drive start and finish in the same spot and I need no planes trains or help to make this happen.<br />
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I just need to keep pedaling and get over my stupid fear of the dark! This week is a big week for that part of it. I am heading to Uhwarrie after work this week by myself and gonna finally do a remote ride in the dark all alone. So far we have been riding there all winter and have yet to see anyone else night riding. I say we because I have only gone when my side kick Kelly has been able to join me.<br />
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This week will be the big test! Stay tuned....ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-21654037971620521662018-12-24T07:08:00.002-05:002018-12-24T07:08:42.263-05:00Getting Braver ,,,,,,,,,,Yep, been riding at least a few times a week by myself in the woods. Not that bad at all to be honest! Still haven't tried to go to Uhwarrie yet but I am making progress. My biggest discovery this night riding season has been my light set up.<br />
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Up until this year I have always used the million lumina rechargeable lights. This summer for my total failure of a ride in Colorado I had to do something different. Since I wasn't gonna be able to charge them, I bought battery lights. so I had them I decided to try them the first ride.<br />
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They are only 200 lumina each and I have one on my helmet and one on my bars. Guess what? Works out great! Plus I have'nt had to mess with charging a light all season. That makes a big difference. I now can go at any given time whenever the time becomes available, no excuses! I don't have to worry about charging my lights, just go.<br />
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Makes life a lot easier, I'm all about making things simpler. So now we are on the door step of Christmas and new years is a week away. Next post I will get to my new plan, Colorado is a gonna be 2020 instead of 2019. 2019 is gonna be a couple of east coast bikepacking events. Within a few states away radius and probably the training I should have done before last year.ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-28835564600506520722018-11-17T16:27:00.002-05:002018-11-17T16:27:16.428-05:00Do You,,,,,,,,,,,, Ever have something that just sits in your head. Right now I do.<br />
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Lost a week, rain everyday. I did get out today for a 42 mile road ride but thats been it for the last week. Tomorrow will be my first mountain bike ride of the week and hopefully next week will be back to normal.<br />
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Gonna start with a night ride Monday night. By myself! Have ridden by myself as in far enough gap between me and the group it felt like I was all alone. But never just went by myself. Gonna start with Steve's trail and hopefully work my way up to Uhwarrie trail. If I can make that happen I will be a stud!<br />
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As I have said before I am scared of the dark!ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-7493940833133841842018-11-11T07:11:00.001-05:002018-11-11T07:11:17.038-05:00Just Wanted to See If I Could Remember My Password,,,,Wow, it's been 2 years! In that period of time it seems Blogs have lost their status, like very few still get updated. Everybody had this idea they where gonna get rich and make money just talking about what they do or have done. I never really had that illusion, I just enjoyed the writing aspect of it.<br />
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Then i just quit!<br />
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Why am i here today? not really sure, maybe i just need to talk. This summer i really trained and spent a lot of money getting ready for something that was so far out of the normal for me that I was honestly scared, scared of the what if. Then after a 2 day drive and a few days getting ready I hit the start and within 3 hours all that planning and training and money was over. I feel like I failed! Failed miserably!<br />
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I lined up for the Colorado Trail Race, a fully self supported multi-day endurance event. I had a mechanical, my rear cassette broke. 20 miles into a 500 mile bike race I was done! Long story short, after back tracking to the last road I had crossed and by the grace of god I ended up back at the same hotel I had left that morning.<br />
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I don't think people understand when I say I cried. Hell it still upsets me now! You see during this race you are tracked via satellite through a spot beacon. Everybody I know who had a interest in me was watching from 2000 miles away. I still feel like I let them down. Really i didn't let anyone down but it sure feels that way.<br />
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Overall it was a great trip I got to spend a week with my wife in Colorado and a week with my youngest son out west. I got to see a lot of family i hadn't seen in years and it was awesome. Colorado is amazing and western Kansas still holds my heart.So what do I have to complain about, not much beside the fact I didn't get to do a bike race.<br />
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Willi go back? Not sure yet, I want to I need too. It's all in my head, but I aint getting any younger! life is short and it gets shorter everyday. If,, if I go back it will be for me and no other reason.<br />
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<br />ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-82364158280768575082016-11-04T09:01:00.001-04:002016-11-04T09:01:16.707-04:00Why-Not............ Another post! <br />
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In the last couple months, while I wasn't blogging. I managed to break the frame again on my Cannondale, no surprise this makes the 3rd time. Yes every time the warranty kicks in and they send me a new frame. Then I have to pay a 100 bucks to the bike shop to rebuild it and it will last another year. <br />
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Not a bad deal, unless it's your 100 bucks and it's the 3rd time! And once again, I have a 6 year old Specialized that I am riding "again". Will I ever buy another Cannondale? Nope! Not gonna happen! I now regret buying the road bike from them. I wish I had purchased something else. No it hasn't given me any problems but the mountain bike has given me enough that I just feel that way.<br />
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The Specialized has been bullet proof. You think Cannondale could build a bike that would be just as reliable.<br />
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Yes I can do the frame rebuild myself, but to keep the warranty in tack I have to let a bike shop do it. Total BS!<br />
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So anyway I have spent so much time in the mountains riding this year that it's kinda killed the mood to ride around the house. The local trails are just not the same, I like the mountains. Sometimes I get to the trails here and I have to make myself get out of the car and go. The only reason I do it is to stay in shape to go back to the hills.<br />
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I have ridden the Olympic course in Conyers several times lately, I like it a lot too. Forks Area Trails in Augusta GA are ok. I have been there several times but besides having a lot of mileage they are kinda boring. Every trail there looks and rides the same. It's nice to have as an option but I seem to drive right by it a lot. <br />
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Now that it's November time will change soon and night riding will start! Looking forward to that..<br />
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<br />ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-59207174216056444652016-10-31T09:53:00.000-04:002016-10-31T09:53:53.976-04:00Still Here,,I know it's been awhile, yes we are still around. I doubt I will ever update the blog like I used too. I have kinda lost interest. I still stay as active as ever but the whole blog thing has lost it's "in" status. It's not just me, but across the board. Blogs have started to drop off. Is that an excuse for me to stop, not really but I just haven't had the motivation lately.<br />
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Over the last 6 years I have had upwards of 40,0000 hits! Not a lot in the blog world but to me and my little world that number seems huge! considering I haven't even put pictures on here in the last 4 years I am very humbled by the visits. <br />
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I don't lead the most exciting life on the plant but I try to stay active and do different things constantly. I know I have said it before but life is to short to stay inside and watch TV. Get outside and play, play early, play hard! Your never to old to start if your already a couch potato! If you ever got anything out of reading this I hope that's it.<br />
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Right now I am actually doing more camping just so I can go more! A campground is a whole lot cheaper than a motel or dragging my camper somewhere. I get 35 miles to the gallon in my car and I have a ther-ma-rest! Take the heater and we are snug and warm in the tent. If that's what I have to do then that's what I will do. It ain't the Hampton!<br />
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I can take a dirt nap with the best of them! If you sit around waiting till you have the money to book a motel before you plan you next trip, I will have at least 1 more trip than you in the same amount of time. My desire to be in cool places and do cool things and see new things has started to out weight my desire to be comfy in a motel.<br />
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For the price of 2 nights at the Hampton I can go two weeks in a row. At 35 miles to the gallon I can go far too! In the last 3 weeks I have slept in a tent in NC and TN. I will be in the mountains of NC this coming weekend and 2 weeks after I will be in West Virginia! The new river gorge has a lot of premier mountain bike trails that are calling my name.<br />
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We found a camp ground up there that we can ride from and hit the trails. My youngest son and I are going and I can't wait! Maybe I will update shortly after..<br />
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Thanks for checking in.....<br />
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<br />ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-92190298335188252852016-09-19T13:13:00.002-04:002016-09-19T13:13:29.128-04:00I Made It !!!!!!!!!For the last few years I have been riding a loop around the Saluda NC area. A road bike ride. It's got a crazy downhill around a valley and a crazy long climb back to Saluda. It's really pretty fun and I enjoy riding it. The only problem?<br />
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On the climb side of the valley there is one section that I had never been able to pedal up! Yep that's right, with a 34x32 road bike gear, my smallest! I couldn't make it! I had to stop and walk about 50 yards of it. No shit the paved road is that steep! I had tried and had failed. It's been a goal for a while now and Saturday, I made it!!!<br />
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I was about 18 miles into a 35 mile route and knew it was coming. I tried to think positive and give my self the pep-talk. I rounded a turn crossed the one lane bridge and dropped to my lowest gear. I still had a good 1/2 mile to the really steep section but I wanted to pace myself. I finally turned the corner and there it was!<br />
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The steepest section of paved road I have found yet. You see most of the time you have switchbacks in the mountains. on really steep roads you just go back and forth up the hill. When that is the case the really steep spots are really short and on half of them you are on the outside and that is the flattest way around anyway.<br />
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This section goes straight up! Not a single turn, it goes straight up the hill. No relief! So I got there and just looked down and stood up. All I concentrated on was turning over the next pedal stroke! Finally I looked up and I was close, so close I couldn't stop! I knew if I didn't make it over this time I was missing my chance.<br />
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I hurt and it was slow but when I came over the rise and the road was only about half as steep. I knew I had done it. From that point it's still a climb and you only up shift maybe a gear or two but I still turned around just to take a look. I finally made it. I almost stopped just to stare, it felt that good.<br />
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I might be getting stronger or maybe I just did it. Not sure, but I own that hill now. I know exactly what I need to do to make it up every time from this point. I just need to pace myself better, before I just did the usual same thing. Starting at the bottom I would just stand and crank and downshift till I ran out of gears. Then try to just hang on, this time I started slow and stayed slow.<br />
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Never changing my out put until the steepest part. I got this!ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-9707238376151386072016-09-15T10:55:00.001-04:002016-09-15T10:55:22.912-04:00Some More Words.......When you where a kid did you ever get up on a Saturday morning and say "I can't wait to go to the gym".<br />
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No. You bolted out the front door and did your cardio and strength training running through the neighborhood, climbing trees, hurdling fences, making rock dams in the local creek and doing a host of other things you probably didn’t tell your parents about. And that night, you slept 12 hours straight.<br />
That’s what exercise should be like today, as a grown-up: maybe not climbing trees and hurdling fences, but doing things that don’t feel like exercise. Things that are fun!<br />
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I found that statement in an article somewhere. I Love bicycles! and Hiking! and Canoeing! and being outside.ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-10721524112098053052016-09-14T07:57:00.002-04:002016-09-14T08:08:58.332-04:00"Words"Not my words, but I like them. I copied this from another blog.http://drunkcyclist.com/<br />
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"One final paragraph of advice: do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am – a reluctant enthusiast…a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much; I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men and women with their hearts in a safe deposit box, and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this; You will outlive the bastards.”<br />
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By: Edward Abbeyritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-17759609845511598522016-09-12T09:43:00.000-04:002016-09-12T09:43:49.576-04:00Things Workout,,,,So I went to the mountains Friday and spent the weekend. Two friends of mine where doing a 70 mile gravel ride that I drug my feet on entering. I had plans and then they fell apart, by the time I tried to enter it was sold out. I tried Saturday morning to get in but the permit was full. When they have a race in the national forest they can only have so many entries. You snooze you lose!<br />
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Since I couldn't race I loaded up and headed to DuPont State Forest. I get there and gather all my stuff up and head to the woods. I am starting to know my way around but with a 100 miles of trails I still have a long way to go. I take off and do my own navigation until I finally come to a point I need to consult the map.<br />
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Guess what! I forgot the map! So now I have no ideal where to go and I sure don't want to ride the same trails all day. So me being me I decide the heck with it and just start riding. At first I start taking all rights and then I start doing lefts. Of course I am lost and don't really care. I knew sooner or later I would find someone with a map.<br />
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Sure enough I did. I guy from right here in the Charlotte area. We seemed to hit it off pretty good and I spent the next 2 hours riding with him. He finally had enough and we parted ways. From there I had a small ideal where I was and where I was going. Before long I meet up with another couple who seemed to move along at the same pace I did and we rode for another 3 hours.<br />
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He is the president of the South Carolina S.O.R.B.A. chapter. Southern Off Road Bicycle Association. He and the wife both where really strong riders and we had great time. He even took me on a few trails that haven't even been added to the trail maps yet. They are brand new! <br />
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At the end of the day I had 7 hours of riding and 3 new friends. I got to see new trails and I had enough climbing to get me over Mt. Everest! I was beat! We finished the evening off with a low country boil for dinned and it was a good day. <br />
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Sunday came and after loading up I headed over to Bent Creek and spent 3 hours before I headed home. I got home at 4 and the weekend was done. They don't get much better than that..ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-86549453034496784592016-09-02T10:07:00.001-04:002016-09-02T10:07:00.813-04:00I Am Still Around...........I've just been lazy for the last few weeks. I meant to sit down and write something but just haven't done it. Yes we had a great week at the coast! It was hot but we enjoyed it. No rail so that was really nice. Plus the wife found a ton of full conk shells. You would be shocked at the size of the sea shells you can find out there.<br />
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Then I went to see the kid in Atlanta a few times. He has the Jeep fixed now and we got to use it. He's happy and drives it every where now. I prefer air-condition, but he's the one driving it. Also Chase is now driving! We got home him a Jeep Liberty. Somehow or another it just worked out where I got both my kids a Jeep product for their first car. Weird!<br />
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Obviously I am leaving out a lot of the "happenings" as of late but at least I am back. It's Labor Day weekend and we have an extra day to play so I look forward to that. Fall is right around the corner and the temps will be dropping before long. I look forward to the change.ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-671591400926810312016-08-11T13:02:00.001-04:002016-08-11T13:02:18.852-04:00Almost Here ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,We leave Sunday at 5am to catch the ferry over to the South Core Banks at 1 pm. We come off the island Friday at noon. Five full days of nothing but sun sand and peace and quite. I can't wait! I need to finish gathering up all our stuff so we are ready but that's about it.<br />
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It's been about 5 years since the last time we spent any time out there so it's gonna be cool. The kid isn't to excited to be gone and "unplugged" for so long. But it will do him good! He is looking forward to driving the truck on the beach, but that's the highlight for him. Although I know Chase and he will be fine.<br />
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I will do a little swimming and a lot of fishing! Other than that it will be picture taking and relaxation! ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-25056360018097781482016-08-06T18:46:00.005-04:002016-08-06T18:46:48.935-04:00New Habit ,,,,,,,,,,,Lately it seems I might have a new "habit", I get up and get moving on Sat. moving! Usually I won't even commit to an early AM start for a ride. But it seems this summer I have turned over a new leaf. I am getting up and getting going.<br />
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This morning I set the alarm and Glen was here at 6:45 we where in Pageland at 7:30 and riding in the fog. We made the trip to Kershaw and I got my favorite chicken tenders! Back in 95' I used to drive a truck and hauled soy beans down to Kershaw. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I might be pedaling a bike down there just to get chicken!<br />
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At this point in life that whole truck driving period seems like it was another life time ago. Back then I thought I was gonna do that for the rest of my life! I miss driving a truck but I only want to buy one to drive back and forth to work. No other eason!<br />
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Back to my chicken! On the street behind the soybean plant there is a gas station, They use peanut oil to fry all there food. It's good! Then throw in a honey biscuit and your good to go. That's what I did, then we pedaled back to Pageland and I had 50 miles and a little less climbing than I planned. It was about 3000ft instead of 4000 but I am happy.<br />
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And ready to go back.<br />
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Early AM.ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-42791601765970009852016-08-05T10:20:00.002-04:002016-08-05T10:20:35.030-04:00Told Ya ,,,,,,,,,,,,I even had the wife along! As I said in the last post, "if it rains I get wet". We got wet! I came home yesterday and talked the wife into going to the golf course with me. First thing she said was "it's gonna rain". I said so, we get wet! That's what happened.<br />
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She didn't melt we didn't get caught in a flood, it worked out. She even found herself having fun. Like I told her, when we were kids we played in the rain. As long as it wasn't a thunderstorm we stayed outside. At what point did we "get to old" to play in the rain. It's fun! <br />
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Now we have rain predicted for Saturday and Sunday and I will be outside. I plan to do a good road ride tomorrow. I haven't been down to the Pageland area in awhile and I need to do some climbing. Hard to believe I go to Pageland for climbing but there are some really big hills down there.<br />
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Park at Pageland and ride to Kershaw, then back. 40 miles and about 4000 ft of climbing! Not a bad training ride!ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-2146769104110439392016-08-01T09:14:00.000-04:002016-08-01T09:14:08.648-04:00Got It !!!!!!!!!OK, first off, we went to Atlanta, the kid and I. We spent the weekend with Cody and got to see another Braves game. I am still amazed they are tearing down that stadium at the end of the season. To me the place looks new! I understand the location part but it's just crazy that the place is about to be gone. It really looks great.<br />
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Yes we had some good food and hung out. Then got home about 5 yesterday. To early for the couch and to late to load up and head out riding. Really I could have went riding but just wasn't felling it. Instead the dog and I hit the golf course. It was so hot nobody was there. As soon as we got there I saw a golf ball and then it was on.<br />
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With nobody there I could hit all the "good" spots looking. We ended up running around in the woods and all over the back 9 with a total of 21 golf balls! That's a lot! All we had to do was go in the woods between any hole and there they were. I had so many, it was all I could do to hold my shorts up. My pockets where that full.<br />
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Then we came home and I washed cars till it got dark. Day done! I can't stand to sit down and do nothing when the sun is shinning. Sooner or later we will have plenty of rain I will still be outside. The only difference is I will be getting wet. Just like I talked about last week, you only have a few perfect days a year, you can always find an excuse to stay inside.<br />
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You got to want to play outside everyday!ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-60894320611743739842016-07-28T11:23:00.002-04:002016-07-28T11:23:44.721-04:00Keep Moving..........That's all ya can do! Yesterday I went riding, I waited till 7 hoping the heat would drop at least enough to feel like it dropped. Guess what! It was still hot! The difference between 100 and 97 ain't much! <br />
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But when you stop, the sweat rolls off! Like a fire hydrant, for the next 20 minutes you probably sweat as much as the whole ride. When the air stops it's like the heater comes on. I know that's probably an exaggeration but it does feel like it gets hotter.<br />
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I did enjoy the ride, I know I have ridden Sherman a thousand times and there are times I don't want to ride there. But then there times I like knowing where the fast line is. Knowing what's coming and what to expect. You get in that state of mind, I know where I can shave a second off and I know when I just lost a second. <br />
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Plus it's fun to see people ahead through the woods and know how far you are to catching them. Or seeing them behind you and knowing you better pick it up! Point is I had a good time riding last night. I like it when that happens, when you ride and have nothing else on your mind except what you are doing. Full concentration!<br />
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Tonight I think I might go to the golf course. The dog needs to travel too.ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-27069361629955875492016-07-25T10:12:00.002-04:002016-07-25T10:12:54.862-04:00Have Ya' Noticed,,,,,,,,,,It's hot! That's about all anyone wants to talk about, the heat! They act like this is the first time it's ever been hot. To me this makes me laugh, every year we go through this. Every summer it's hot and every winter it's cold. Nothing new here! <br />
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Guess what! You can either stay in the house and watch TV hiding from the world, and exercise. Or you can deal with it! If it's hot you sweat, if it's cold you add layers. Believe me I enjoy spring and fall too, but I deal with the rest. Of course I had to hear how crazy I was for riding after work last week.<br />
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This week will be the same. It's hot and life carries on, you can't stop and hide in the AC all summer. Well maybe some people can but I can't. You have to get outside and play. I feel sorry for those "people", that's what I call them. While they stay inside and look out windows I stay outside and look at windows as I ride by.<br />
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Saturday I meet my buddy Glen at Lake Norman State Park and we rode for a little over 2 hours, he-I and all the other outside people who had the parking lot packed! I swear I sweated the most I have yet this summer. Almost to the point that I need to start carrying more water on long rides like that. I ran out and could have really used a drink the last few miles. I was hurting!<br />
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Then yesterday I went to Sherman for a nice easy spin and then came home and got back to work. I know I have mentioned before that I hate to do yard work on a weekend, but sometimes ya got to do what ya got to do.<br />
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My brother and his family are flying in today and are here for the week. Of course I want my yard to look good! So yesterday after I got home I spent some time putting the final touches on it. Did the weed eater and mowed the driveway. The driveway Doesn't get mowed every time so it needed it.<br />
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Now we visit with them and then Friday I head back to Atlanta. Chase and I are going down to see Cody and a Braves game Saturday night. Looking forward to that. Karen has a wedding shower to go too and she will be busy with that. It's a boys weekend..........ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-22900126084296085022016-07-20T09:58:00.000-04:002016-07-20T09:58:33.543-04:00NO Wonder !!!!!!!!So I looked at my truck the other day and thought it looked pretty rough. It sits in the drive way for months on end and hardly gets any love. Yet every time I want to pull the camper I jump in and go! With that thought I washed it.<br />
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Then I started the wax process! A process that lasted the better part of 2 nights! It was a hell of a job, a job I don't want to repeat anytime soon. I will stay on top of it from now on. For the simple reason it was such a job. <br />
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If I had kept it waxed to start with it wouldn't have been such a hard job. But I let it go so long I had to hand polish it before I could even wax it. By the time I did the wash, wax and detail I had 5 hours in it.<br />
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Now tonight I ride my bicycle. No more wash and wax. I am beat...ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-80698271091573412212016-07-18T14:12:00.006-04:002016-07-18T14:12:58.713-04:00Perfect Day..........Yesterday was a "Perfect Day" for a bike ride. As I said I hadn't ridden all week so it was time. The weather was hot but it was overcast so I headed out. I drove down to Rock Rest school and headed south. 37 miles later I was happy.<br />
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I love riding down in that area, no traffic quite roads, you can't beat it. The legs felt good for a week off and I enjoyed it. Then Sunday I headed out and thought I would do about the same. The only problem was my legs. They felt like crap!<br />
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I did a whoping 12 miles and turned around and went back home. Done! Hit the pool and that was it!ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437362620069027728.post-62373458319983448292016-07-14T15:55:00.000-04:002016-07-14T15:55:26.538-04:00It's Easy !!!!!!!!!Easy to get behind! Pedaling anyway! So last week I had a total of close to a hundred miles for the week. Pretty good, I felt like that would be an easy number to start maintaining. Fast forward to this week and it's now Wednesday and I haven't even turned over a pedal yet.<br />
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Monday was the rain all evening, Tuesday was yard work and last night was a baseball game. The triple A allstars game is in Charlotte and we went.<br />
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Now here it is Thursday and I haven't touched a bike. Then add in the fact it's 99 degrees here today and I am might rethink tonight's ride. The swimming pool is really calling my name! When you are this far into a week and nothing has been done why start. I know I need to, but there's always next week.<br />
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Although I do get my 10000 steps everyday. I keep up with that. Not really sure why I do but I do have a decent watch. A watch with a bunch of info, I guess it keeps me motivated. Although tech stuff kinda goes over my head. Some how or another I am supposed to link it to my phone so I can see who calls or texts me.<br />
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Will ever use that? No ideal.....ritchiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08040527849935847243noreply@blogger.com0