As Ready as I'll Be!!

My last ride was 65 miles on Monday after work.
Legs felt really good!
I used my commute to work and back as a leg stretcher during the week.
I feel pretty damn good. 1/2 way bag packed, food for the last 1/2 done.
i only tweaked with the air pressure in my tires, other than that I'm good to go.
Packing up the truck after dinner for an early start in the a.m.
I'm kind of nervous about doing this racing thing again. In the past I've gotten really turned off by the racing scene, but this seems to be a really cool crowd to break back into it!!?
As someone said, it's just a ride, treat it as such!! Thanks Man, you know who you are.

Peace

101.74 GRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

Well, my day started at 4 a.m. I woke and looked outside, and couldn't see our garage!!!

Damn fog!!!

I laid back down til 6:30.................6:45 i was out the door, and pedaling my way to Gheen.

one good thing about the thick fog...........I did not see one vehicle til i hit Hwy. 5...... 18 miles into my ride

By the time i got to Side Lake the fog was just starting to burn off.

I told myself I'd take a break at the Viking bar, (at the junction of hwy. 5 and 22). So i rested for 15 minutes and then made my way to W. Olson Rd. and the final push to Gheen.
This is my favorite part of this pedal!!! Nice rolling hills, river nearby, and just plan relaxing!!! also a nice bridge to take it all in.

So by this time I'm just getting into the pedal............odometer is just showing the time, and I'm not thinking about too much.

after this bridge there's a couple of good climbs, and then it levels out until you come to pavement again.

So, i check the odometer....HUH?? what's this 55 miles......... and i still have a bit till i get to the Mayor of Gheen's house!!!

at this point I'm more than a little cornfussed.

Is my computer working right? i pull out the GPSr and ride them both for a mile, yup right on.

OK, enough monkeying around lets get to the Mayors house already.

So I pull into the Mayor's front yard and i have 66.5 miles.................... way off of what i thought it was going to be.

I text my much better 1/2 and she says "Ride Baby Ride"....you got what you wanted, and you need the miles, (yes i do, but not that many), I'm thinking who I could call to come pick me up. Na, Nope, and NO WAY!!! lol

I give myself 30 minutes with the Mayor and Larry, and i grab some H2O.

do you notice what i didn't take???

Yes........... I didn't take any food for the return trip home and i PAID for it big time!!! What a stupid stupid move!!! Can you say DUMB ASS???? Believe me i did!! many number of times, and very loudly at one point I started yelling at myself when i took a break at the side of the road by someones house. so much so they came out and asked me if everything was OK!??

I started laughing as I said i was fine, and just yelling at myself.

They walked back to their home shaking their head, and i contiuned on my way.

By the time I got back to the really nice bridge, I was near the end. So I sat and calmed myself down and tried to text Cindi again.

NO SERVICE!!! GRRR...

I started in on myself again for a bit. Hey........... i had it coming!!!

I made it back to Hwy. 1 and was able to get ahold of "THE LOVE OF MY LIFE" and asked her and the kids to meet me at Bimbo's for pizza and wings. She say's we'll see you there, and that was my 101.74 miles.

All I kept telling myself was you know better.......... you know better you...... DUMB ASS!!!

until the next time..............................

Peace

"Ride Baby Ride"

Cindi gave me the ok to "Ride Baby Ride" in the a.m.

I LOVE YOU my dear!!!!

I've been working 5 to 3 everyday this week so I'm gonna keep that going in the a.m.

So.....rain or shine I'll be leaving by 4:45 a.m., and making my way to Gheen and back!!
Hopefully I'll get some good pictures on the way to share here.

I have all next week off, so i can hammer the miles before the 24 hour adventure race in the Duluth area next weekend http://www.wildadventurerace.com/

Cindi and I are looking forward to meeting everyone at the "Heck" on the 26th!!

Until then........................



Peace

Life Happens....

Uncle Larry's artwork!!!

Good morning!!!

Well, i made it half way to Gheen, and then life happened with our youngest child, and i had to high-tail it home, i had a total of 55, with my average right around 12-13. ride time was just short of 4 hours.

no bad, but not nearly enough, and time is getting short.

I'm reading other's blogs and seeing them doing 100+ miles/13-15 avg, in around 6 or so hours.

I'm asking myself if i even belong doing this kind of race, and then I say why the hell not!!!

Until next time..........................

Peace

Dirt.

Onward to more dirt.

Early dirt....................

Work...............

Well, after my last post i got a call to go back to work. YUCK!!
yes i know, a job in these times is a good thing. i was laid-off for 3 months, and my training for the Heck of the North was moving right along.
The company i work for has 6 branches, (http://www.irproducts.com/), I've worked for 3 of the 6, so by saying yes to the Iracore job i now have made it 4 for 6!! lol

They've treated me very well over the years, so i'm not worried about a thing.

A big thanks to Rian, and Joe!!
We are very busy, and I've been working 10 to 12 hour days, so my training went from 40+ miles every other day, down to 20 miles a day, with my average just under 15.
I haven't made it to Gheen yet, but it's on the calender for this Sat.
When i do make it to Gheen I'll post up some pictures of my day of riding to get there.

Anyway, until next time...................

Peace