More More More, with a rebel yell!

 Greeting Netizens -

Ultimately this blog is more for myself at this point, really to track the ups and downs of my cycling and food consumption lifestyle of a rockstar in training.  

My weight-in tomorrow will hopefully be positive, though I admit I totally broke last night and went with the SLF and Kid-1 to grab some tasty IceCream.  The salted peanut butter with chocolate flakes was amazing.  210  for a 2nd week last week was a bummer, but still better than 216,000,000 a few weeks before.

 Cold AF on my 2 bike commutes, almost needed to pull out the bigger Woolie's for Wednesday morning, it was somewhere between 27-29 as I bottomed out in the leadup to Georgetown water front.  Brrr.  I was layered up in a mid-weight smartwool technical with a club ride short sleeve then my pearl wind/water shell.  On the way home the sun was out and it felt WAY warmer than the 52!  

Thru Mar I was a bit ahead of where I was in 2024 in total logged activities and in mileage.  It's kinda interesting as until the start of April when I started with GDub, I was not working other than applying for jobs and while working I'm ahead of that period?  Guess the general 2x weekly commutes for 4 rides is pumping things up.  And January wasn't the strongest month of riding either.   

Spring is here and now I'm looking at Trailwork, I've got some angry beaver work to do at WF for sure in the next week or so, was originally planning today but with potential rain, my beaver doesn't love being all wet (Silly Beaver!) so it stayed home.  I did sharpen it's buck teeth on Tuesday.  And a new airfilter.    I might even put a new sparker in it tomorrow.   Also finally got some new wedges after the crazy tree ate 2 of my 3 wedges last fall/winter on upper Phase 1.

Oh well, time to make the donuts, as they say.   

Happy Trails and Great Rides, to all!

Winter Slump is for REALZ

 What its almost April?  in 2025?  WTF?

I knew from previous years my steps take a hit in January and February.  I had one weight in, in early January that was 208.9 that I didn't love.  And then I forgot my scale.

Till a week or so ago.  After a quick battery change I hopped on and WTH??? 215.8!  Damn it!   Thats my heaviest hit in at least 6 years!  Last year I flirted with 213 around the summer and in 2023 I was at the high 214 area for a brief bit.   Well we'll see how things are tomorrow or Friday AM when I do my next weight in.  Start of this week I was at 212.  I'd really like to see 210.   

Riding wise I did slow a LOT over Jan and Feb due to MTB in the shop for most of January and then sometimes too much snow a few times and some work schedule changes.   I'm at my 42'nd logged activity of the year and I'm at 360'ish miles of cycling this year with commuting, versus about 300 at same point last year before I started my new job.  

Step/walk wise I just need to commit I guess to pushing to get my 8-10K a day a bit more regularly.  

The real culprit?  We've had a ton of AWESOME shows we've seen in the last 3-4 weeks and we've been eating out at some fun places.  Too fun.   Shows and food include:

• George Thoroughgood and The Destroyers - Immigrant Food in DC - Amazing cocktails and some really good food.
• Brass Against - ST James - Really good cocktails and amazing Carribean Food
• Alton Brown - Ala in Bethesda - Amazing tapas and good cocktails also.  
• Dream Theatre - Up next this coming Friday.

Time to ride more and eat a few less fun things.

Also I in the MOST unexpected thing gave up Soda now almost 4 weeks ago.  I emotionally miss it at times, but I also know it is better for me.  In another week or so I'll let myself have maybe 1 every 2 weeks.    Honestly, I probably haven't gone this long without a soda since MAYBE before moving to Arizona in the 80's when I had to ride to the convenience store 1.5 miles away to get a Nehi or a RC Cola.  

I'm back, again?!?!? Nani???

 Wow, it's another post in less than 6 months.  Shocking.

October was a good cycling month.  November has been a bit MEH.  A bit of rain.  A bit of Meh. :P

With a tad over 200 miles it was my best month in YEARS.  Though I haven't weighted in, in a few weeks.  I'm due.  Maybe Friday.  Damn sweet tooth.  

The election results were honestly a shock.  But I guess it's the economy.  And scared folks.  Sigh.  

We also went from 3rd Summer with 70-80's last week to today's high was 52 and I hit a low on my ride in of 30.2 on GPS meaning probably 35?   The good news is I felt well layered in general.  Though I just realized now at 437 that my socks are on inside out.  

Saw Iron Maiden and The Hu last night.  Really good show.  Both bands were excellent.   I've now seen Maiden 2x, and I'm shocked how I enjoyed it.  Though maybe it was also the people watching.  Loved the set and the sound was good.  

Now I'm debating MCR show in summer in Philly.  Uhg.  Philly.  Sigh.  Feeling Emo, so it fitz, I sitz.  

Another half year - Fall 2024.

Wow, again another half year since my last Blogh post.  A busy half year for sure between a new job.  Moving.  Again.  A vacation.  Back To School for my partners kids.  Back to School at work (insanity the first 21 days).  And now the fall rush has started.  Jeez.

Awesomeness:

I'm healthy and regularly biking to work 2 days a week most of the time.   I've done 29 commutes by bike this year.  The now shorter commute 2 days a week to/from MD are way nicer than the 2 days to Vienna.  But I'm sort of missing some of the mileage and how empty the WOD is after you get thru Falls Church.  Hopefully I'm going to start doing some optional riding to get more distance or a better workout in the evenings.   MTB wise....well it's been wet.   We had our first Plan B in a while last week, but this week is looking Plan B.  Bummed but we needed rain.  Trails were dry as flour almost.   In general life is way better than the same point last year and I'm enjoying my new job a lot.  Getting back into work practices after a while out is tough!   

Weight:

Post move I saw 204'ish for a while.  I'm now hanging on around 207.  Need to commit to better feeding stuff.  Please ignore that bacon and bacon and egg sandwhich I had this morning.  Big checkups/health stuff in planning for this year.

Move: 

2 more MAJOR items left.  1 is reduction of external storage from 5x10 and I need to go down to 5x5 this month to avoid a major price increase.  Too much junk.  Or too much camping crap.  Not sure.  A trip to Home Depot for another Rack is necessary I think this week.  Then the CAR.  Tagging stuff in MD sucks especially as VA does Electronic titles and MD still needs physical/printed tiles on Stone.   SUPER hassle.  Plus as my car purchase is less than 6 years ago I get to pay a TAX penalty.  Plus VA property tax for 2024..partial.  sigh.  It's more just annoying.  

 

Life in Gen:

October is just a busy month almost always between MoCo Epic, Membership Drive with the club, a weekend of cabin travel, and other stuff.  Trail work at Wakefield.  BikenetiCX Race.  What a month. 

But then I think about the utter crap fest currently happening to everyone from FL to mid-Central VA.  And I'm thankful for all that I have and all the folks who I know thru those area's who made it safely thru Hell-ene.  Hurricanes suck.  I've known that since I saw the impact of Andrew in the Fall of 1991 when we moved to Orlando then 2 weeks later we had Andrew victims stay in our school auditorium/etc for 2 weeks at least.   We aren't going to kill the planet, ultimately our choices will kill us.  What happens when Kyle turns into a hurricane and repeats Hell-ene next week?

 Ready for this election cycle to be DONE.  

New Things, Old Things

 Wow, almost the end of April   

Been riding more and that's good.  it's honestly been a bit to dry these last few weeks and now high 80's today and 90's for last 2 days of April  Jeez.

207 on the weight in.  Definitely holding some extra lbs post trail work salt and beer fest yesterday.  Keeping my eye on the 205.

Curious on how the commute down and back to foggy feels this week.  The climb back sucked.

Off to meet some peeps for dinner.  Just more of a self check-in.

Time Keeps on Slipping...

 Near 3 years since my last update in Sept 2021.  It's mind boggling how much has changed since then.  And in  , things keep on moving forward.

I've had some steps back unexpectedly.  Family has had challenges.  Love keeps supporting me.  And this year is gonna be SOMETHING else I can already tell in early March.

36 Logged activities for the year so far, though this month I started trying to be more mindful to log longer directed walks.   23 of those are bike rides, lots of MTB and looking to add in more road/cx but we shall see.

Big thing?  Watching the pie hole entrance.    Last May I hit a recent high of 215.  Got down into 210 range3 in Oct/Nov but now I'm finally progressing on the 205 zone.   I hit 206.3 today at pre-lunch weight in.  

For now I'm continuing to focus on a bit less chow in the mouth and a bit more activity.  

And I'm stoked for some MTB rides this spring and early summer!

Sunsets are life

 Today the Sunset on an old Friend.  It's been a while coming, but after 6 months of languishing in my basement and later outback, my trusty old 2010 Trek Paragon has ridden off into the Sunset.   

Hopefully as I donated it to Phoenix Bikes it finds a new home and has many more Sunrises and Moonrises ahead of it with a new owner.  

It was an awesome 2nd mountain bike and it went on adventures from Pisgah and Boone NC, to Rothrock, Rattling Creek and Raystown in PA, all the way up to the craziness of Vermont.  

Dawn Patrols, Night Rides, Day Rides, Races.  The bike has done it all.  Beer trips.  Snow Rides.  Wet sloppy muddy AF Rides.  Short, Long, Slow and Low, Fast and...well semi fast.  It did it all.  29'r was a huge upgrade from my classic 26'r.  It rolled over stuff that I wouldn't believe at first.  It also dumped me into a gully when I couldn't make a turn on it I expected on my first ride at Douthat.  

On the other hand it is too big (elbow issues from the 'Shed years ago still flare up).  No dropper setup.  And old school tech.  Rebuilding it to a modern spec and a new fork and everything even at team costs?  HUGE.  

A future hardtail is in my mind but no specifics, but maybe by next spring?  ZOOOOM!

Got the SLF's boy's out on bikes this weekend and for trailwork.  The younger now fits his 20 inch geared bike which is a HUGE step up.   He can't downshift properly due to the grip shifter being VERY difficult to shift.  Not sure if it's the shifter or the mech/derail.   Nice chill weekend!

Hoping to get out some on Tuesday on MTB as we have crap weather incoming Wed-Friday potentially.  

Keep your eyes on the horizon!