Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Camped Out 2013 - Part 1

I need a vacation.  From my last vacation.   Man Camp is always more adventure than I remember from the previous times, the good memories and time really dull the annoyances, that at times leave many individuals ready to pull out our hair.  Regardless it was a great weekend of riding, hiking, living, and in general behaving badly. 

I left early opting to skip Sherando on Friday by scooting out early Thursday morning.  But I was late leaving, and 10,000 bathroom breaks put in me in Pisgah at 3PM'ish.  After a brief consult of the guide book I opted for a shorter ride of Gumstead Gap.  It was a great ride even with a missed turn down an old out of use trail section.  Ran into a local named Rick who guided me to a great overlook of an amazing waterfall.  Finished up the ride, hit the local Holiday Inn Express (tons of bikers) and then went to Jordan Street Cafe.  Ran into Rick and his lady Heather and a bunch of other biking locals.  Great pasta dinner and beer.  Sacked out by about 10/10:30. 

Up at 8 and out to Dupont by 9:30.  Rode a bunch of the Northside trails I hadn't fully explored on my last visit.  What a workout and ride.  Back down to The Hub for some beers, some maps and a jersey.  Hit arby's at 3 and back to Asheville for a visit to The Wedge brewery.  Enjoyed a fabulous Porter and an Iron Rail IPA.  Damn.  Now it was about 5 and I took the Northern route back up 26 and east on some country roads to Banner Elk. 

Meanwhile Team Man Campers were just hitting Roanoke after Sherando.  Oy.  3+ hours behind.

Eventually I hit Boone a bit before 8.  Walked around and called the campers they were between Roanoke and Wythesville I think and had eaten dinner.  I went off in search of food.   Some good looking places but I didn't feel like anything bar'ish and I didn't want fancy or Pizza so I hit Our Daily Bread and had a great sandwhich and beer.  Messed around a bit more and decided to move up close to the route the Campers were coming in on near 105 off 421.  At the Lowes Market (grocery not HW!)

2 Hours later the Campers arrive and we spend 45 minutes raiding the store for food and b33r.  Eventually after a missed turn we hit the cabin at about 11:45PM.  Oy.  And it's near 2 before we're all settled and ready'ish for bed.  A few hit the hot tub.  I think it was 3 before I sacked out.  Ahead of use we had a EPIC ride awaiting. 

Monday, April 22, 2013

Moving along the trail

Back on the trusty volpe for the first time in 2 weeks and it feels different, a good different.  A steel CX bike is a different pony than a CF roadie.  2 Totally different arrows in the same quiver.  Flat Blade versus a point tip.  I can easily see the difference in the ride the 2 have, though the carbon bike is impressive in how well it does soak up road roughage. 

Getting on the MTB after the roadie is always a huge change, it felt positively.....lumbering?  Slow?  I dunno at first.  But as the night rode on, the fun returned, the quick hard turns, the power slide to trick around a bend, the bounce and push over a tree pile or two or three.    The swooping fun.  The horrid sucking climbs.  It was all good as the temps dropped.  The chill of your sweat on a fast downhill.  I eeked out probably 14'ish miles with 11 miles with the group.  Lots of fun.  20 plus riders out in the whole group, our small group of 2 made it a blast.  Even did the shitty end climb back from the damn of Accotink.

One more big ride this weekend and then Tuesday I'll bike in and that's all she wrote for pre-trip riding.

Saturday was an errands day since I worked late.  Sunday I did more chores/cleaning in the AM and hit CJ in the evening followed with a visit to Hard Times for chili, wings and beer post ride.  Damn good!

Monday morning it was sooo damn cold, 35 when I left the house!  I was way tooo tired and it was way to cold to ride in.  Now I'm left with a conundrum:  Tuesday.

Opt 1 - Ride to work 15 casual miles round trip
Opt 2 - Ride WF/Accotink after work - 10 or so semi-casual MTB miles
Opt 3 - Xterra Training ride at WF and 3 mile run. 
Opt 4 - 1&2
Opt 5 - Fuck it, go drinking.

I'm leaning towards Opt 6 for sure.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Rolling in the Hills

Went out yesterday on 16 miler and had a nice ride with J.  We rolled up MacAurthur Blvd from Glen Echo to Falls Rd in Poto-mac, then explored one of the huge uber-rich hoods.  Damn!  Big money for sure.  We rolled back on Oaklyn to Persimmon Tree Rd.  On the way we picked up a straggler and he rolled with us that entire section.  54 year old dude who had ridden out from NE DC on Rhode Island ave area.  We split while he took a break at the PT/McA Blvd intersection. 

The rolling hills in the hood were a blast on the bike and I wasn't even trying to power thru.  I did pop on the big climb up from Old Anglers to the end of the first big hill but I recovered quickly but J was struggling so I rolled slow.  So slow my gps thought I wasn't moving except about 14.6 miles vs 16.4 sigh.

Mancamp is 2 week so or less out and I'm not where I want to be fitness wise, but I am better off than I was I suppose a month ago, going to finish strong this next 7 days then back off till the trip.

No Pantera huh.  I wonder about Apocalyptica, I present instead:  Inquisition Symphony. 


Mellow jams aside I'm looking forward to a long weekend the hell outa dodge. 

Gonna try and either run 5 or bike 30 tonight.  Not sure which yet.  May have to work late. 

Trying to also make a decision on the pointless fundraise ride of the year - 100 Miles to No Where.  A 100 mile rd up and down a section of the WOD or  30/40 loops of the neighborhood.  Not sure what I can do and stand before loosing it.  Or is is it already a lost cause??

Friday, April 12, 2013

Carbon in the Now.

We're carbon based life forms.  It's a fact.  There is a dune buggy on mars trying to determine if there is other C based life or perhaps something really different. 

Early April became a bust for riding, though I did do my first trailwork in a LONG time at Accotink last sunday helping with a BIG rock armoring project that we doubled the planned length of.  Turned out super nice after riding it last night, really fun to descend.  A wee bit of a challenge. 

But did 2 days of bike commuting this week and that was good, might ride in tomorrow morning not sure for 3.  Plus I did work from home 1 day so 2 days of driving is not bad.  When I consider I was doing 6 days of near 30 miles thats 180 miles a week versus about 30 miles now.  That could drop 7K off my annual mileage a year. 

FYI - In breaking news the Vuvuzelu is apparently a dangerous weapon in South Africa.

Darius apparently managed to yank the entire seat tube came out of the frame.  The pictures are pretty wild.   I will try and link em here later. 

This weekend I have to do TAXES and pickup a shipment at UPS.  Ugh.  Think I will try UPS after work directly then try and maybe do taxes tonight.  Should get a fed refund.  VA is a mess due to issues with address changes not taking till last march/april versus 2 years ago so I still have to reclaim 3/4 months of md taxes.  I should end up with a bit back from that also.

Riding a  bit more this week, next week needs to be pretty epic then taper into the trip week.  I'm not ready but fuck it.  I'm gonna try and make up for my lack of fitness by loosing a few more lbs.  I'm fluctuating around 200-205 on work scale so I think 195 may be possible with being a good little boy for the next 2 weeks.  I hope. 

Other than the insane 3 days of near 90 degree or more heat I'm ready for spring!

Monday, April 01, 2013

Son of a Lich

Well we all survived day of the Lich aka Easter.  Who doesn't think a guy rising from the un-dead isn't quite kosher.  Bring me a bacon sarnie for sure when that happenes...Again? 

March was a bust for me activity wise.  Weather.  Parents.  Lack of personal motivation.  Weather.  It all came together in a giant conflagration of inactivity.  Maybe February was too much catchup.  I enter April only 3 activities behind pace for 180.  Maybe I'm focusing too much on that.  Shrug. 

Finally some miles back on the MTB in March.  Accotink is back in seaason and we've been riding it the last 3 weeks of the month.  Well 2 for me as I missed the 1st week while in FL.  Using the old giant for even  bar/junk commuting was painful the front fork is so blown out I look at it from 50 paces and it compresses a third.  Getting on the sag is about 50% if I'm careful.  Full body weight isn't good.  And the rear brake has 0 modulation.  Though if I need to stop I can glare at it also and lay down some impressive skids!

April is going to be gonzo.  Commuting to work (1st day tomorrow, I hope) the big trip at the end of the month.  And taxes.

FML.

Well I"m off to finish preping for the ride tomorrow.  My goatee is trimmed at least.