Taken for a ride

I had my gym bag with me at work on Friday, getting ready for a post work run that I wasn't really looking forward to.  I'd had a few mediocre runs recently and this seemed (at least in my head) to be shaping up for another.  At 2:00 PM Monica texted me that she would throw the bikes on the car and meet me at Great Brook Farms if I wanted to go for a mountain bike ride instead. That sounded better for my disposition and my legs, so we agreed to meet there around 5:45 for some playing in the mud.

Aside from both of us making wrong turns on our way to place we'd been to many times we arrived without major incident.  Monica brought all my biking clothes I changed in the restrooms and we started riding.  After a quick loop to warm up we headed to our favorite single track loop.  This was my first time at Great Brook on my new bike and the difference was pretty significant.  I'm finally beginning to let the bike do it's job, and concentrate on doing my job.  I can pedal just fine, keep the bike pointed in the right direction, and trust that the suspension will absorb the impacts. The best example was the narrow bridges on the Tophet Loop.  In the past I was constantly adjusting the steering, worried about dropping off the side into the mud.  Now, the bridges just seemed wider.  I could look ahead and plan for the dismount and keep my speed up.

Over a rock wall

After the Tophet Loop we did the more technical Keyes Loop which has a few rock walls to scale.  I gave up on the first one, and after making it over the later ones on the trail I really wish I had tried it again.  Next time.  Then we explored a new area, trying to follow the map and find more single track.  Aside from a lot of dogs barking at us and getting turned around once we found some good terrain that we'll return to.  It was getting a bit dark as we finished that loop so we decided to head back to the cars rather than fight the dusk.  There's one section that we rode a long time ago where we both had to walk and even carry the bikes that I'd like to try again.

A great Friday alternative to heading to Applebee's for a beer and potato skins. Can't wait to explore some more.

GPS track of the ride 

One's cross (training) to bear

In the past 7 days I've gone road running, trail running, hiking, and mountain biking.  Looking back another week and you can throw in road biking and weight training, and a little swimming a bit further back.  One of my goals for this year was to mix up my training in an effort to stay motivated and to avoid injury.  I've certainly been successful in the former, the latter is more of a mixed bag.

The biggest change has been the mountain bike which opens up a significant new level of activity.  The speed, full body workout, and potential for disaster keeps me motivated and alert.  While I love hiking and will never give it up, mountain biking is new and exciting.  There's so much to learn and experience, and I find new challenges each ride that are within my reach that I come away with a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment that I've missed recently.

Trail running has also been a fun activity, one that adds variety to my weekly running mileage.  I'm not convinced it has been good for my injury, since I often end the loop in the Fells with a sore hip but I think it has been a good experience in general.  I enjoy the need to think and react while running, instead of the steady plod of one foot in front of the other.  Once a week seems about right for me, and I get the added bonus of surprising deer on the trail.

It's hiking season and we're heading north most weekends now.  We've got a few longer hikes planned and there's nothing like that feeling at the end of a long day when you arrive at the car, exhausted but satisfied with a job well done.  I'm mostly hiking in trail shoes and when we can we run the flat stretches.  With our weekends up north we have been hiking one day and doing 1-3 hours of mountain biking the next which makes for an easy drive home without being exhausted.

I still run 3-4 days a week, trying to mix in some variety (hills, sprints, races) but my routine is usually to just go out for a run and see where it takes me.  I still have a group of runners at work but our regular Monday run has taken a beating due to a lot of travel.  With the heat this summer my pace has been rather slow and methodical, but miles are miles.

Weight training is the odd ball.  I have a gym at work that I use when running, and I occasionally do sets of exercises that I've done for decades, but I don't really have a plan or goal.  This is probably where I would get the most bang for my buck, but I don't really have the energy to set something up.  Any suggestions for a training plan that would help me as a runner/hiker/biker?

The only other thing I would consider adding is swimming with the hopes of a triathlon in my future.  The logistics are hard to figure out so I'm just putting that on hold for now.

I wonder if watching the Tour de France and the Olympics on TV counts for cross training?

Mountain biking - new hobby

Last summer Monica was invited by her friend Dave to be on his team for 24 Hours of Great Glen, a mountain bike race near the base of Mount Washington.  She wasn't an experienced rider but as is pretty common with her she threw herself into the experience and her competitive nature made her want to be better at the sport for next year.  With David's help and lots of research she bought a new bike to replace the Boat Anchor (David's words) that she had been using.  I have an old bike and this fall we went for a few rides locally with Brenda, Steve, and Michelle and I think I got the bug as well.  One thing was sure, my bike (and the Boat Anchor) weren't suitable for keeping up with Monica.

Since the winter started out with a dearth of snow, and we had a bunch of shared vacation time between Christmas and New Years we took a few rides on new terrain.  I borrowed a bike from David - the one Monica rode at Great Glen - and armed with my new GoPro camera hit the trails at Great Brook Farms in Carlisle, MA and Big River Reservation in West Greenwich, RI.  We learned our share of lessons about layering for the cold, riding during hunting season, the fine art of falling safely, and mud.

First, let's establish some ground rules: I'm not an adrenaline junkie.  Sure, I like sports that require you to get out there and push the envelope from time to time, but in the grand scheme of things I don't like really fast speeds or living on the ragged edge.  This point was driven home forcefully a few years back when I was driving F1 gocarts at a friend's bachelor party and I came in dead last in every race.  Small children were passing me in every corner because I just don't have the killer instinct needed to dive into those turns at top speed.  Apparently using the brakes is frowned upon.  And this translates to mountain biking in a way that means each segment we ride I start out right behind Monica and while trying to negotiate a tricky section I look up to see that she is gone, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake while I chicken out on log jumps.  Such is life.

I own a mountain bike.  Well, I own a bike that many folks would consider a mountain bike.  It has a front fork suspension, but I've modified the bike for commuting and the less said about it the better.  When Monica got her bike I borrowed her old bike; formally the Barracuda but now rechristened the Boat Anchor. Until recently I would have been happy with a bike like this, but riding the terrain we've been riding recently its shortcomings are clear.  It's an older bike with a front fork but other than that it doesn't compare favorably to a Big Wheel, let alone a full suspension bike with disk brakes.  Finally, I borrowed Kathy's bike (the one Monica used at Great Glen) and riding became a whole new sport.

With a full suspension, trails look very different.  Terrain that used to have me picking my way down at a snail's pace I could now ride at a good clip, looking ahead to pick out my best line without worrying about every rock and root.  As the speed picked up I fell into a better rhythm allowing me to enjoy the ride, rather than think my way through everything.  Riding became more instinctive and flowing, and while I still don't have the killer instinct that lets some people ride down cliff faces I can go across narrow bridges, jump some logs, and get through steep descents without embarrassing myself.

I'll be picking up a new bike for myself this spring and exploring the local trails.  It's a great cross training sport, and is more stimulating than road biking.  Maybe a western mountain bike adventure is in the works?