Bout Time!

I finally had a chance to hit the trails last weekend. I've been unable to ride for the past month due to a cracked ankle and a nasty cold. Sunday morning Curt and I headed up to Alafia. We warmed up on Sand Pine and then rode Rock Garden, North Creek, and Bridges. The ankle felt good. It was a bit swollen afterwards but that was about it. I was most concerned with the "clipping out" motion as this seems to utilize some muscles and tendons that are still quite sore. I left my pedals pretty loose so I didn't run into any issues. The other issue concerning me was my cardio. I haven't done anything cardio wise in about a month so I was prepared to be completely out of shape. To my surprise I was actually able to maintian a descent pace. I did stop here and there to rest but overall I think my cardio is still fairly descent. Now it's back to the usual schedule of one or two week day rides and one weekend ride. All I need now is a light for the bike as it's starting to get dark earlier.

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My Riding Goals

Since I've just recently decided that I want to get serious about my riding I figure I should publish a list of goals. Hopefully some of you will help me keep on track. Here is a list of things I would like to accomplish within the next year.

• Participate in my first SWAMP event - I don't think the riding classes count. I need to go on a group ride and participate in some of the other events. I would love to go to the AFTF but unfortunately we didn't make it in. I'll be sure to make it next year though. 
• Start riding with more experienced riders - I have been riding with riders that don't challenge me. I need to start riding with people that can challenge me. 
• Improve my climbing skills - My climbing skills leave a bit to be desired. They have improved in the last couple moths but they still aren't where they need to be. 
• Improve my carido - This is a big one. If I ride any difficult or intermediate trails I get very winded very easily when I get to the "technical" parts of the trail. I can't let this happen if I decide to take a difficult trail at the Croom 50. Riding cardio seems to be completely different than running cardio for me.
• Complete IDIDARIDE - I want to complete the entire thing...just not in last place.
• Complete Croom 50 - I wan to complete all 50 miles without killing myself. Oh yeah...and I don't want to finish in last place.
• Find more endurance rides / events - I would like to give Dauset a shot next year. Probably only the 6 hour though.

This is just a quick list of things I would like to accomplish with the next year. I'm sure I'll be updating this as I go along. If anyone thinks something is missing please let me know.

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Figures...

Just about the time my ankle is getting healed up enough to ride I get hit with a nasty cold. It's pretty much knocked me on my ass. I missed work yesterday and still feel like crap today. I was planning on hitting up Boyette this weekend but I'm not sure I'll be up for it now. If I do go it'll have to be easy going. Not only is this effecting my riding but it's also hit my marathon training pretty hard. I was planning on following a training program that would get me up to speed enough to run the entire thing. My chances of that are pretty slim now. I was able to complete a half marathon earlier this year without any training but 13 miles doesn't even compare to 26. I think I'd kill myself trying it without any training. 

Maybe I'll just forget about the marathon and put running on the back burner for now. I have some riding goals that I'd like to meet this year anyways...well...maybe not this year but within a year. Then again...the running might help me reach some of my riding goals. 

What do y'all think? I'm signed up for the Disney Marathon on Jan, 11th 2009. Should I continue training for it and try to finish it? Or should I just forget about it and concentrate on riding?

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Damn this kankle...

It's been 3 weeks to the day since my little spill at Boyette and I'm going stir crazy. I've only ridden on roads and on shell trails since. I would love more than anything to go tear up some trails at Alafia but I have a feeling I'd screw my self up more than I already have. My kankle seems to swell up like a balloon every time I spend more than 20 minutes on it. I've never broken or cracked a bone before so I don't really know how much I can push it. I'm planning on doing IDIARIDE and Croom 50 early next year. It's going to take a lot of riding to get me in shape for these as I have never really done anything like it before. Theresa and I did the Croom 35 last year and almost died. I realized that if I'm going to do the 50 miler I'm going to have to get a whole lot of riding in before then. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what the doc says. One more week...

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I Had A Dream...

I had a dream...not a vision type dream though. I was definitely asleep when I had this dream. It was a very strong and memorable one. So strong in fact that It has prompted me to do something a bit extreme. It has prompted me to get another tattoo. A bit strange, I know, but it was so vivid and stuck with me for days. I still can’t get it out of my head.  

In this dream I found myself with a tattoo on my elbow. I had never seen this image before but there it was, a permanent branding on my arm. Where did it come from? Who did it? Why did they do it? I was asking myself all these questions. Despite my cofusion the dream went on for a while and I seemed to forget about the new strange symbol on my elbow…until I had an epiphany and realized that I had received it from some sort of  “being” after I had been “Taken”, if you know what I mean. These events weren’t a part of the dream but rather understood. Once this epiphany hit me I was rather "freaked out". I woke up with the image burned into my vision.

 I can’t explain the symbol so I drew a few samples of it (Above). I’m going to have my favorite tattoo artist, Tony, put it right on my elbow, just like in the dream. Hey, I never claimed to be normal.

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I fell...finally!

I still remember my first mtb spill. I was riding my GT XCR 4000 on beacon hill in Spokane, Wa. The trail was pretty loose from the motor bikes. My friend Nick and I came flying around a corner and my rear tire slipped out from under me. I slid off the trail and came to a stop when my bike it a rock, actually it was my rear derailleur that hit the rock. I was fine but my bike was pretty messed up. Fortunatley I was able to bend the rear derailleur back into place so I could ride out. That was over 8 years ago and I haven't fallen since...until the other day.I had mapped out a route of intermediate trails at Boyette Scrub Preserve and decided that I was going to go for a long ride...alone (mistake #1). I rode the 2 mile service rode to the trail head and began my route. I rode Inner Loch Ness, West Meadow, Randy's Trail, Gator Pit, Golf Cart, Mt. Boyette, and Canyon. The initial plan was to ride only the intermediate trails, but, when I came across the North Abyss, a "black diamond" trail, I just couldn't help myself. I had to try it (mistake #2). Don't worry though, I made it through with out so much as a scratch. The problem with taking the North Abyss was that it completely wore me out. This should have been an obvious sign to head back to the truck.I, however, decided to make mistake #3 and finish my pre-determined route of intermediate trails. I was most of the way through Sidewinder when I noticed a bunch of branches laying in the middle of the trial and a temporary trail leading out to the service road. I simply figured that some tree branches had fallen there. I proceeded to ride around them (mistake #4) and on to SWAMP Thing. I later discovered that the tree branches were supposed to be a sign that the trail was in bad shape and should be closed. It's a warning system of sorts that mountain bikers use to warn other riders. SWAMP Thing truned out to be full of mud and frustrated me even more. I was getting really weak and the mud just made things worse. I rode down a hill picking up some speed only to have it taken from me when I hit the patch of mud at the bottom. I lost so much momentum that I came to a complete stop half way up the other side. I tried clipping out but there was so much Mud packed into my pedals and shoes that my foot didn't budge. I'm sure you can image what happened next - I fell! Threre was about a 3 foot support wall holding the trail in place. Beyond that there were trees, shrubs and more mud. I encountered them all...with my foot still clipped in. My ankle twisted and turned as I slid down the hill. It eventually clipped out but the damage was already done. I thought I had broken it. Fortunatley it wasn't. I still had to get back up the hill and out of the park. That was another couple miles! Needless to say it was pretty swollen and bruised the next day

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Photos

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About Me

I'm not going to give the typical life story that you find on most "About Me" pages. Instead, I'll list some interesting random fact about me that many people don't know.

• I was born in Helena, Mt.
• I've been a bicycle fanatic my entire life.
• I played the trombone for 7 years.
• Canada is the only other country I've been to.
• I didn't get carded on my 21st birthday.
• I commute to work on my bicycle 12 miles each way.
• I have an A.A.S. in Fluid Power Technology.
• I was introduced to my wive, Theresa, by her father.
• I sit in a cubicle at work.
• I wear size 14 shoes.
• I worked for a veterinarian, daycare, and a restaurant while I was in High School.
• I have 4 tattoos.
• I still have all 4 of my wisdom teeth.
• I was sitting next to my Father in law-to-be when he passed away.
• I can't grow a beard.
• I almost lost the tip of my middle finger on my left hand when I was a kid.
• I have rock hard teeth.
• I sleep with a C.P.A.P. machine (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure).
• I despise Microsoft Windows.
• I have ridiculously high arches.
• I really don't care for the beach.
• I pay my respects to each and every dead animal I see on the side of the road.
• In high school I was 6'4" and only weighed 150 lbs. Today I'm the same height but weight 223 lbs.

Keep checking back. I'll add more every once in a while.

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Events & Results

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