VOTE

I'm really afraid I won't remember to vote, or be able to find the way to my designated voting place... maybe the kind annoying campaign people who have either stopped by the house or blew up my cell everyday for the past couple days can come by and walk me to the polls?

If I wait until like 6:30-7pm, you think they will come knocking on my door?

Of course I'll be voting today.  But that's it.  This isn't a political blog so that nonsense stops here.  Well first - make sure you get out and vote!!  Ok, that's it.  Well... here's a message and then I swear it's on to more interesting topics.

(old(er) people should vote too!)

Yesterday my first day of diet/training went... well.  I got a ride in and I'm back to looking at healthier meals and more appropriate portions. Of course the day I decide to start back on a health kick Annie comes home with some Bojangles'.  Cajun Chicken n' Biscuit - insanely awesome.  I'm not one for fast food, but I can't say no to this.  And their sweet tea is freakin phenomenal!!

So, with the unhealthy challenge facing me on my first day "back," it was time to hit the trail and earn the unhealthy goodness I was about to consume.  

For a while I'd wanted to hit up a trail I had been hearing about.  From the sounds of things it was a more natural, rugged trail with some decent climbs.  Perfect, I like a trail that makes me work.  So I hit up Steve's/Rocky River Trail.  It has only recently been dubbed Rocky River Trail, as the trail is on private land and the work of... well.... Steve.  Definitely a labor of love, and the trail was SWEET!!

It is a trail that begs you to go faster, and if you aren't careful you'll find yourself in over your head - or in my case, tumbling over your head.  I guess I was having a little too much fun enjoying some speed on the trail when I came over a little hump and my inner monologue kicked right in, "I REALLY hope my handlebar doesn't catch on that sapling!"  

I think even before the crash happened I was already planning the impending fall and scanning for where to angle my body.  Sure enough the left grip was slammed back at me and I went over the front. My arms over my head I aimed for a mid trail crash.  I was probably mid-air and horizontal with the bike before I got unclipped, my right shin smashing the frame.  I got separated from my bike and braced for impact.  I tucked and rolled and as my helmet hit the ground I had another thought, "I'm not going to tumble into that tree over there, am I?  It would really not feel good to smack my back on that thing!"

Somehow I pulled out some sort of breakdance move and paused as I was on my head (that, or I just didn't have enough momentum to complete the tumble).  I paused there (in reality I'm sure there wasn't much of a pause, but in my brain I was definitely aware of the pause and had time to think how uncomfortable it was) and then pushed myself all the way over.  

I sat up and took stock of everything for a second.  I pulled my helmet off - it was fine.  My right shin throbbed and my left foot hurt (must have struck the top tube on separation).  No real blood.  I stood up and dusted some of the leaves off of me - spotted a Gu that had been ejected from my jersey pocket so I gathered that up and checked to make sure I didn't lose anything else.  Picked up my bike - everything seemed to be in order, wheels spun fine, no dents/scratches that I could see.

So onward I pedaled.  Of course the crash was now in my head and I was scrubbing speed left and right.  Probably a good thing as there were a lot of twists and turns out there, and having never ridden the trail it was probably wiser to take a slower approach to get a sense for the terrain.  

The trail used the terrain very well.  And although the place was twisting, it didn't seem super tight or annoying.  I thought it was a very well planned out trail.  There was a bit of off camber stuff out there, which I can only imagine is a nightmare with any wetness on the trail.  There were three climbs out there, the first one caught me off guard and as I tried to shift down the chain dropped.  I got it back on and continued climbing... it kicked my ass.  I stopped and took a seat at the top to catch my breathe.  

For a second I wondered if the crash really took it out of me that bad.  It may have played a minor roll in my fatigue, but I think the real culprit was dehydration.  In the "colder" weather I've been drinking less water.  A LOT less water.  I haven't been drinking throughout the day like I typically do - so I think my body was ill prepared.  Anytime I did take a drink (it was gatorade) on the trail I instantly felt a burst of energy.  Note to self: get on top of staying hydrated!

Bottom line: loved the trail.  Definitely a place I'll be hitting up again and again.  

How the South is different

I'm not about to get political here, I'm talking about riding.

Well... ok, just two things on this Chick-fil-A business that's been in the news and whatnot.
1.  Way to go Mumbles.
2. Bojangles' is AWESOME.

Done.

So, what I wanted to discuss is how riding in the South has been different thus far.

Humidity.  Yes it's been hot down here.  I think our first week down here it was like over 100 nearly everyday, which I've been told is abnormal.  But, it's not the temperature that is killer, it is the humidity.  It's not really the same humidity that I remember from my days in Georgia, where you found yourself soaked just walking from the comfort of your a/c controlled apartment to the a/c of your vehicle...  no, what I'm finding is the heaviness of the air is an absolute killer on rides.  It's that weight in the air that I've yet to adjust to, so when the lungs start crying for more air I seem to be left stuck sucking on a sponge.

Trail conditions... there are a couple in this category.

Trails here are buff and clear.  I guess that's the difference in riding trails created specifically for mountain bikes (here) versus riding State Forests where trails were originally designed for hiking (New England).  Being designed for mountain bikers, and receiving frequent maintenance, riders/workers seem to be partial to debris-less trails.  Yes, nice derailleur snatchers (branches) need to be cleared, but everything is cleared leaving a nice view of the hard packed trail.

Trail length frequently leaves something to be desired.  I've found a bunch of trails that are sub 6 miles... some being closer to 3.  I'm not used to forced laps to get mileage in.  But again, I suppose this is a sacrifice made to have mountain bike specific trails, as well as utilizing available lands to increase the number of trails to choose from.  I do miss being able to hit Wompatuck or Foxboro and just ride my way through and around the forest with minimal to no repeats of trails and still log 20+ miles.

Building these shorter trails to utilize the land available sometimes means squishing in the miles... lots of twisty and turny bits.  Lot's of switchbacks.  Lots of leaning the bike over on turns.  Lots of stuff I'm frankly not used to!!  Switchbacks, most of the time, were utilized on climbing hillsides in New England... forcing trails to twist back on themselves wasn't considered in the original hiking minded design of said trails.  So, my experience on switchbacks was on tight technical climbs where speed would probably be low anyway.  Here they are utilized to pack the trails into small places so I'm having to relearn how to ride in a sense. It's kinda neat to take on a different style, but man is it a process to get your mind wrapped around trying to keep speed up as much while getting the whole turn thing down perfectly on some sharp turns (outside pedal down and weighted - get off the damn saddle, inside hand press down into the turn - get off the damn saddle before you wash out!!).

The technical aspects of trails here - yes there are some roots and some rocks - are far outweighed by the buff fast stuff.  There are trails here and there that can keep you honest with a mixture of tight turns, ups and downs, and some roots and rocks thrown in for good measure.  But these trails are definitely not the trails I learned to ride on when I got back on the mountain bike a couple of years ago.  Is that an advantage or disadvantage?  Maybe I learned some skills up North that you might not (be forced) to learn down here... but does that help me here?  There are no rock walls to cross here like there is EVERYWHERE in New England... but hopefully that translates into me being confident to keep speed up through whatever mess I find on a trail here.  On the flipside, those learning on the tightness down here will probably smoke me with their ability to carry speed through the corners at a level I have not gotten to yet.

What it has done is made riding new again.  It's always been fun, and I have always been learning and improving (or at least striving to do so) with each ride.  But now I get to focus on a new set of skills and really work.

So far, so fun!!