Me and My Shadow

I was too lazy to go race the ICYCLE mtn bike race and I was also too lazy to get up and meet Jason M. at Guion Farm parking area @ Dupont State Forest. Instead I noodled around the house, made my usual Saturday morning trip to Lowes came home loaded up the bike and went to Bent Creek.
I had a great ride and ended up chasing this guy all day:

Yep that's him the guy dressed in black. I could drop him at times but he always came back.In the woods I did not see him at all and thought I had dropped him for good then when I got back out in the open he would suddenly appear. kinda weird!!!

Then there was this little creature.He was definately having a bad hair day!


My ride took me from Rice Pinnacle Parking area over Bent Creek Gap to Spencer Branch trail where I dropped down to the reservoir road then to Wash Creek Trail back up Bent Creek Gap and to the truck. A good 3.5 hour ride.

Another Week

Not much to post about this week. I worked quite a bit of overtime which I guess is good in today's market. The overtime left me pretty well fried by Friday. I had registered to do the Southern Cross race and I almost convinced myself to drive down Friday night and race the next day but I chose to relax at home. This was a good choice.

I did go mtn biking on Saturday. I rode ~ 2.5 hours and then went home and did some home projects. I sat out 4 more blueberry bushes, mulched around all the blueberries, raspberries and the one blackberry vine I have. They all appear to have small green buds, oh and the March flowers are starting to poke through the ground. Hopefully I have gotten over the brown thumb syndrome.

Sunday, today I went for a mtn bike ride at North Mills river. My intent was to do a nice easy ride take some pictures and just enjoy the scenery. I got the camera and was going to take a couple of pics of the trail head and the camera did not work. I have left the battery in the charger at the house...darn. I usually leave the memory card in the computer. I still had a nice ride, ran up on some people I knew talked for a while then headed back home, I did stop and get something for dinner on the way home.

This week looks busy but I hope to do the ICECYCLE race this weekend. Nate and I may go up together. I race at 11 am and he races at 1 pm.

I hope everyone has a good week!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where's the Snow??

Another quiet week for me. Training consisted of riding inside doing core work. A busy week at work getting prepared for upcoming projects. Saturday I worked around the house 1/2 day then Diana and I went to see a movie. It was a geezer movie Gran Torino. The movie was excellent and the new theater at Biltmore Park is awesome. While standing in line for the tickets I made mention to Diana that I did not understand why they did not have kiosks to purchase tickets at. After waiting 20 mins in line we walked in and believe it or not there sat a kiosk that you could purchase tickets, either in advance or day of showing.



Sunday Nate came to breakfast, I like breakfast on the weekends and enjoy cooking breakfast.I expecially enjoy cooking for family and friends. I guess it is part of being empty nesters or the fact that I enjoy cooking or perhaps part of my upbringing. My kin are Scotch Irish and although they did not have a lot you always had to eat something when you visited. My mom and dad were the same. Anytime company came mom was off to the kitchen fixing a meal. No one ever left hungry that visited our house. Well almost, mom did not particularly care for Jehovah's witnesses but I am sure if they were hungry they would not be turned away, even if they were on the road to hell. My uncle Carl McKinney who lived in Little Switzerland not only would not have fed them but would have hastened their journey to hell. My uncle Carl and aunt Bonnie depended on no one. They lived in a house with no indoor plumbing, no running water and heated with wood. They did have electricity, but no luxuries and they were happy as larks. I have digressed enough.



After breakfast Nathan and I went to Pisgah to do one of my favorite rides. This ride Andy and I had done a few weeks ago but unfortunately Andy was unable to go. Nate and I were both diasppointed cause Andy is a great guy to ride with.We made our our to Pisgah and much too our surprise the road leading to the Pink Beds was covered with snow. I put the truck in 4wd and we made our way to the Pink Beds parking area. WE FOUND THE SNOW!!!




We dressed in the parking lot, hope they don't have security cameras or else they will see a nekked 50 year old. Anyway enough of that, sorry for the imagery. After getting dressed we hit the trail. The weather was awesome the trail was frozen and fast with the first part covered with snow. We did see several signs warning us to stay on the trail, something about unexploded ordinance. This is the area visited by crazies, wait I was there does this mean I am looney?? Probably so but oh well at 50 you can be looney. Nate and I had an awesome ride and luckily did not detonate any ordinance on our ride through the Pink Beds. Nate crashed one time on some ice no injuries. We made it back to the parking lot packed up and headed home. Once home Diana mad her famous spinach ring with apple crunch and ice cream for dessert mmmmmmm.

Thats it for my week and weekend. This week I plan on riding the mtn bike after work and finishing up some home projects.

Have a good week!

Quiet Week

This week has been back to work after having 1.5 weeks off. I was a bit overwhelmed once I got back to work. Projects have been brought forward which leaves very little time to prepare for them. This is ok it just means more work and making sure all the small details are worked out in a shorter period of time.

I have been working out trying to drop the excess weight I gained during the holidays. This has gone well and I have dropped a few pounds this week and hopefully will be at race weight in a couple of weeks.

Cycling has been done on the trainer with a couple of rides at bent creek. Saturday I took the mtn bike out and did 2.5 hours. Nothing spectacular, just plugged in my MP 3 player listened to music and rode. I find it therapeautic to get out by myself, ride and lose myself in the music and my thoughts. This is much easier to do on the mtn bike. I would not recommend it on a road bike.

Sunday I did another ride at Bent Creek but this time I took the SS cross bike out. I like riding the SS, so simple just ride. I saw my friend Steve Carpenter while riding then once back at the parking lot I ran into Art Schuster, John Mccullum, and Deb. I also saw some cars of people I knew. The ride itself was great. I did a loop on the gravel roads went back to the parking lot and picked some warmer gloves then rode up North Boundary Rd. I dropped down from 5 points then back to the parking lot.

A quiet week: no racing, no traveling!

#1 Snake Creek Gap Clear and Sunny

The first race of the Snake Creek Gap TT series is over. I had watched the weather forecast all week and Saturday the day of the race was supposed to be clear and sunny. This day was anything but clear and sunny. The day dawned overcast and cloudy with some drizzle mixed with the fog.

Prior to the weekend I had spent the week doing home projects and riding my bike. I did various rides. It is great riding with friends, chatting having a good time. Cycling buds are the best! Andy and I did a great ride in Pisgah Forest on Wednesday. We rode 2+hours with a mix of double track, single track and a couple of technical climbs thrown in for good measure, I was pretty trashed after the ride Andy seemed fine, Andy is a couple of years younger than me. Anyway we both had a great time and an awesome ride.

Friday Diana and I bummed around drove new cars or this may have been Thursday. I sometimes get my days confused.New cars...way to expensive for me. Perhaps next fall I may spring for a new car. Wait...single speed cyclocross worlds are next fall new car may have to wait.
Friday afternoon I hooked up with Andy and Cara and we began our trip to Dalton Ga for the Snake Creek Gap TT. I was not much company on the way down as I took a nap, us old guys like our naps.

The trip down was uneventful.This would come to an abrupt end once we tried to check into the hotel. I walked up to the desk told them my name only to find I did not have a reservation at the La Quinta. Fortunately we got a room and did not have to sleep outside. The hotel manager did some checking and found that I had made reservations at the Comfort Inn. This is what happens when you have an AARP member making the travel arrangements. I must say the manager was great and very helpful I will gladly stay at the La Quinta again. Oh, and they had an awesome breakfast free!!

We were greeted the next morning with fog and drizzle. We all thought it would eventually burn off but it stuck around all day. We all had good races with both Applegates taking 2nd in their respective classes and me coming in 4th. Stephen Janes also had a great race and as always it was great seeing Stephen and his family.After the race we cleaned up and shagged back to Asheville. I did manage to get in another nap!! Another great trip with my favorite traveling partners!

Sunday the weather was awesome so Diana and I took the tandem out for a short ride. After the ride we had lunch then went home sat in the front yard and let the dogs run around.

Monday back to work after 12 days off. Work is not so bad.

I hope everyone has a great week!!!