Not fun

The nicest day of the fall, I had plans, they were good plans. My plans failed catastrophically, my body, namely my stomach had an alternative plan for me. Thursday afternoon started out great. Home early enough to sneak a two hour road ride in before the sun dropped, great comfort food recovery meal. While doing some errands things started to go strange. I've had many thrilling adventures because of my stomach, things have been under control though for the last couple years after a huge change in my diet, of course everyone in a while I get a flashback.

I'll be nice enough to not go into detail of the next 24 hours but lets just say that I've done races as long and felt better afterwards. You have no idea on how powerful the core muscles are until you spend a night with them continually going into spasms. This left my lower back so tight that bending hurt, my legs feeling like they were charlie horsed. Of course I was exhausted, I looked like the walking dead and my normal ability to multi focus at a thousand miles an hour was replaced with the focus to lie back down on the couch and sleep. That is what I did for most of the day yesterday.

The plan to get a trail ride in, fail. The plan to sit in the sun with a beer, fail. The plan to do anything but sleep, fail. It was needed though, feeling much better this morning, I'm able to drink coffee, will be eating excessively today to try and make up for the lack of calories yesterday. Not a great way to lose weight. I'm pretty sure I know what the culprit was that caused my body to go in to full rejection, has been dealt with accordly.

What has happened though, Mother Nature has felt sorry for me. As I sit in the sunroom and watch the sun rise and the tempature do the the same, she has given me a make up day, a do over. Some play time in the big back yard is in order for today, some attempts to get some tan lines will be made before the long winter ahead. Looking like a great day

Looking back

Could write about bikes, could write about training, could write about races. Instead I'm going to shut up, think and remember. All of us should because without what was done in the past by many, none of us would be able to plan that next race, next trip, next ???? Please take a minute or two today and remember who gave up so much for you. Makes any race result look pretty meaningless in the grand scheme of things doesn't it.

A good odour

The smells one gets in the fall while riding are awesome. They are still only a close second to those smells of spring, bbq's are the cruelest thing. The last few days have been amazing, sun and warm, almost an Indian summer. The snow is still holding out but it's still cold enough that some of us Northerner's are already lighting fires to keep warm. The smell in the air is fantastic. It's yet another smell that reminds me why I live where I live.

The thoughts of colder weather had me looking back at posts in this time frame. Two years ago it snowed pretty good only a few days from this point. Last year it was into December before the white stuff stayed. This year?? Who knows, for those still craving that racing thing there is still pretty of racing left. Hardwood Cross this weekend, Barrie CC next weekend. Neither will see me on a bike. I've pretty much, fully completely called the racing side of the season. The next test of intensity for me will be at the end of this month. Setting that date now, Nov 30 will be a riding on the vomit machine for some winter training numbers. Until then I'll be able to breathe at a level that I can enjoy those fall smells.

From a walk to a run

Not me but someone very close to me has made some big steps forward. It's been a while since I've done a Molly update, it's been two weeks now since the split has been removed. Guess what, she is still very happy, better yet she is running. Not far but like anyone it's a slow progress to rebuild. Yesterday had me sneaking a little sun time in before quality time in the shop. Out to some random trail where she ran/walked for 30 minutes. She still limps a little in a walk but it disappears in a run. It's fantastic. So good that we attempted to do a very short mountain bike ride. Short means 25 minutes, we never actually made it to the trail before turning around but a solid hour of higher intensity than laying on the couch. Could she be back for a the winter, snowshoeing is a for sure. Skiing will be a wait and see. The best part of this is that it's all without a brace or support splint.

As for me, well I debated on all types of options of the could do yesterday but found myself using the warmth and sun for work productivity and waited till it was cold and dark to meet up with the MNS crew. We're starting to ride on borrowed time before the transition to snowshoes, Two years ago in one week it went from great fall riding to the following week of 2 feet of snow. Last year was about half as much snow in the same time but it was a quick transition. This year??? Who knows. Great ride, was riding the hard tail which Has been collecting an excessive amount of dust this year. Yet another great ride.

Talks of a new team were brought up, could be. The rumors may be starting shortly.

It's never boring

Screw winter, it's the return to summer. Maybe not fully summer but it's not snowing, the sun was out and the roads are still salt free. It meant time for a spin around the Big Chute Loop. I'd have some company for the ride this time, and just about every time I ride with Lee there ends up being some weird adventure mixed in. We all remember the Madone gnome adventure, there was talks of another one of those type rides but it was apparently a little to cold out for him. My TCR was feeling the same way so it was the cross bike yet again.

Traffic along Upper Big Chute road was next to none, all the cottagers were gone, just all the locals and it seemed that every other truck either had furniture or firewood in it's box. Not sure if both had ideas that it will keep them warm this winter. Not sure how a dresser burns? The pace of the ride was, well let's just say that I did wear my HR monitor. I should have hide it under my sleeve, endurance pace, mmmmm, not really. The good thing was that Lee was in the same zone so i didn't feel to out of shape. As Lee quoted "if we went slower it wouldn't be fun" Good point.

We rolled into the Marine Railway, everything is shut down for the season and the dam was fully open. Hmmm, no tourists, no boaters, no staff, it's nice. Looking around and my 10 year old side of me appeared as I was looking up. Hey, I'm going up there. A quick look around, no one to arrest me so I was off up the ladder of the boat transporter. For those that have been to the chute you know exactly what I'm talking about, for those who haven't, here you go. Of course it only took a few moments for Lee to follow suit.


Pretty good view from up there.


Back on the bike, conversations on saving the world continued, till the next short stop at the Port Severn locks. No pictures here, no sneaky things like opening the locks etc . A few minutes later we rolled back into the driveway. Gone for just under 3.5 hours with most of that spent actually riding. The reminder that cold weather riding is always slower, a lot slower. I'm wanting snow, but not that quickly with the week of nice weather coming.

More tomorrow.