Weekend Wrap Up

I should use my basement as a barometer of trail conditions. If water comes in, there'll be standing water on my fair trails.

This was the case Friday. We had heavy showers Thursday night, and the basement was wet. After 8 humid hours the trails only dried enough to get slimy.

I fumbled through my training loop, loosing confidence with every rocky, and slippery turn. I soldiered through it to get an accurate mileage. Turns out it is shorter, and thus I am slower than I thought. Rats!

Saturday my body needed a break. Great day for the fixie, which proved to be the perfect choice. One of those days where you get to your turning spot and decide to go further. But duty called at the shop and on the home front, so I had to succumb to reason and turn for home.

On the way back I caught up to a group from Central Wheel. Twice. First time I caught them, I went an alternate route to get some more climbing and distance in. Second time was only 4 miles from home so I sat in for a couple of miles. Spoke with the owner who was very friendly and enthusiastic. Sounds like they have a good program of group rides if that's your bag.

Sunday I woke to a wrench in the works. Rain.

The plan was to go riding early, go to church, and then Celebrate (the fleecing of) West Hartford, then family swim at the gym.

I guess my ride will be pushed of to a later time.

In looking at the schedule for Celebrate (the fleecing of) West Hartford, I noticed the road race would be at 9:30 Am. Getting off our street would be next to impossible for Mass.

Sorry God,I'm going riding!

First sign (well second if you count the puddle in my basement)that a road ride was the wiser move were the steady streams running to the storm drains. But I felt great, and wise moves would be out of character for me. The fixie had given my upper body enough of a break to get me back on form.

Friday I was questioning my bike as I rode like a small child on his first ride without training wheels. Must be the bike, it couldn't be me! Started considering giving up the Karate Monster project, and making the Karate Monkey my race bike again. But today, the bike was great. Flickable, and fast. I don't think the trail dried enough for the slime to start to form, and I didn't feel beat up from fighting the trail and my bike.

Riding rigid you need to attack somethings, and if you or you confidence isn't all there, you're going to have a hard time. Finesse is great sometimes, but aggro has it's place too! You need to keep that momentum going to smooth out the rough stuff.

In the end I got over 11 hours in, which is good for me, and all part of my top secret training plan.

Refreshing drink?

Happy girl above West Hartford

Kim and the kids on the "Scrambler"