Crazy People Riding Mountain Bike in 28 Degrees

It was F____N COLD. My dear hubby was gonna take his kayak along since we were at a reservoir, but he decided low 30's just wasn't gonna be nice enough. He's SUCH a smart man -- little did we know it would be below freezing and the reservoir was frozen yet! I always thought it was about 10 degrees warmer 100 miles south of us - NOT. At least not in the deep woods of Michaux at Long Pine Reservoir. It was 28-29 when we started riding. Of course there's no way to go but UP in Michaux (I like Lykens -- no climbing if you don't feel like it!). So the first 2 miles or so was slow, gradual climbing which was fine 'cause it was COLD. Did I mention it was COLD? Then we went DOWN the same road we came up for 1/2 mile or so. It was COLD. Then we cut in some single track -- not that crap double single track the 4-wheelers use in the Michaux races. This was some sweet, not-well-known trail that was pleasant to ride. Tight, tight, tight. The SS was ok most of the ride... but Sheena and I ended up riding the road back at the last piece of climbing. I heard from Janice later that it was fairly steep and she didn't think the singlespeeders would be riding it. So I'm glad I cut back. But it was COLD riding back. And as we approached the reservoir, it got COLDER. I was never so happy to see my fleecy, warm clothes waiting for me. If only there was hot coffee there too -- note for memory bank -- take thermos of hot coffee next time. All in all, good ride for my piddly 2 hours, good company (there was about 20 folks, I knew about 7 of them -- Donna, Zach, Jim M and friend, Janice, Mike Funk, Sheena, Brett, and a gal I used to race against in Michaux, Sue Witter. I've only ever seen her in Michaux - I don't think she ever leaves there. My legs hurt. And thanks again Sheena for the adorable ornament! It's hanging proudly on my car mirror.

"Buzzin' Since I was BORN!"

Oh. My. Gawd. This is about as funny as it gets.... Chip, the owner of our favorite ski resort - WHITEGRASS -- does this really goofy video called freakystyliewhitegrass. It's of skiing, falling while skiing, rolling while skiing and falling, tied onto a snowmobile and snow skiing like water skiing, flipping the snowmobile and everyone falling, eating snow, getting crazy in the snow, etc. And the whole time, Chip is doing this crazy hillbilly singing in the background. And at the end (you HAVE to watch it the whole 3+ minutes), he's done singing, then talks about his buzz... and how he's been "buzzin' since he's been born!" It's Awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py4rCZI4mz8

Riding My Single Speed! (Finally)

It's about friggin time I get the hell out on a bike. This Saturday is finally gonna be warm enuf (in my book) to get the heck out and ride, and there's nothing else planned this weekend for me. Rick is kayak rolling on Sunday, but since I decided to ride on Saturday, I'm not going to roll on Sunday. Its a new thing I'm doing -- only 1 day a weekend can be used for "travel" to an activity. The other day is domestic, stay-at-home day and do that really fun stuff like cook, clean, garden, visit mom and dad, etc.

Zach, the incredibly enthusiastic, talented, boy-can-he-ride-a-bike kid from Carlisle (I think he's from Carlisle), is putting on a race in March called the Michaux Mash and Saturday is the pre-ride of the course. No, I'm not doing the race -- its 4 hours -- But I AM gonna pre ride the course with my budds for a change. Its been WAY too long! Not sure if Rick is going along -- but we both liked the length of one lap - nine miles - so maybe he'll come along. We can handle that (I think!). Here's the poop on the ride from the Michaux Mash website:

Monday, February 23, 2009

Course PRE-RIDE
A very recent development:"Hello again,I have seen more than one question concerning what the course is like. Well, if you're curious, come out on Saturday [February 28th, 2009] and see what it is.We will meet and start from the boat launch parking lot off Milesburn Road at Long Pine Reservoir. Ride start time is 9:00 so please be ready to ride by 9:00. We will ride up Milesburn Road to Ridge Road to the actual race start and then ride one lap of the course as a group. After the first lap, if people want to, they can ride it again at their own pace. One lap is 9 miles. We will ride 2-3 miles to reach the course start.Please let us know if you plan to show up. We will only wait at the start for those that RSVP!The race proceeds go to help support the Cyclesports Fast Forward Developmental Mountain Bike Team.Do it for the kids!Brett and Donna"RSVP to fastforwardracingproductions@gmail.com

Little Known Funster About Chili

I'm not so sure hubby even knows this....

I took bellydancing lessons when I was 22. I thought if I rolled my stomach enough it would make it get flat and toned. (Ha!) I even bought the clacky dingy cymbal things for on your fingers, the beaded belt thingy to jingle while I wiggled, and some oo-la-la arabian music to bump and grind along with. Boy, that would go nicely today with one of those poles, huh? The local gal in Tower city that gave lessons was from the big city (I think NY), and there were actually about 1/2 dozen girls in the class learning to wiggle, roll your belly, and sway to the music. She had something all of us didn't though... a beaded, sparkly bra that she filled out rather well. Even today, there's a Wiggles of the West Belly Dancing contest in Las Vegas each year. I could just see some of you wiggling in this contest. We should all do it. :))) Oh, and if you need help designing your costume bra, Turbans, Tassles, and Tattoos in Australia gives you step by step instructions.

And where is this dingy, clacky, jiggly stuff today? I guess my ex-husband's wife (girlfriend at the time) is enjoying it. It sorta dissappeared during that divorce after she spent a week in the house. Hmmm.... Oh to look back and laugh now. Time DOES heal all wounds.

Finally - Some Bike Inspiration

My buds, the Weisers, spent the weekend at a Singlespeed Punk Bike Enduro in Frederick Maryland and it looked like SO much fun - so much so my Dean was dusted off and my dear hubby will help me get it ready for the season. Everyone's been telling me to get a bigger cog, so I did. I've been running 32/17 since I bought the bike in 2006, but the "experts" (men!) have been telling me to go with a min of 32/20 on a niner. So that's what I ordered. I was complaining about the nuts and bolts on the wheels (no quick release), but I've since found out from Brett that that's not unusual to have nuts and bolts (although allen nuts are better -- did I say that right?) on a singlespeed with a horizontal drop out -- although you can use quick release on them too (he did for Donna's). Rick is giving me lessons on how to take the rear wheel off and put it back on and tighten the chain, so I think I'll just stick with the nuts. So I'm inspiried to ride again! Now all we need is some WARMTH. My old bones simply can't tolerate riding below 40 degrees. I believe that was the magical number my other female singlespeed hero said she draws the limit. Desiree McElhenny built her own Singlespeed. Her hubby, Matt, said she'd get mad at him if he tried to help her. Girls on bikes, no - girls on singlespeeds -- what inspirations!

Repairing a Broken Boat - My Genius Husband Fixing a Hole in an EZG Wavesport Kayak

My husband will never cease to amaze me. He fixed two holes in my kayak! Now these aren't just any holes and my husband isn't a slap a band-aid on it type of guy and be happy. The holes were at stress points in the boat and the plastic was thin -- so it had to be a fix that would endure stress. And my husband is anal. Which means the fix has to be BETTER than it was from the manufacturer. And I believe it is. Please take a look at his pictorial guide to fixing my boat. He has explanations to each picture and its really, really amazing at what he did. I tease him he should go in business and he's says he'd be too expensive and would take to long. Blue Mountain Outfitters wanted $50 to fix the same problem with Rick's boat (but Wavesport has since given him a replacement boat -- we couldn't do that with mine because we got it used). BMO charges $50 an hour. So that means they'd spend about an hour on it. Rick spent at least 4 hours on my boat, not counting the planning and thought contemplating the project. He's amazing. I must be one of the luckiest wives in the world.

Another Weekend - another Roll Session

Seems the kayaks are getting more use than the bicycles of late -and its winter! Maybe its because my dear, dear hubby takes charge and loads all the gear and packs the boats for our weekend pool sessions. Maybe I'm just getting really lazy and don't feel like packing the bikes and driving somewhere to ride. Friday, or Saturday, or even Sunday or today were the perfect days to (finally) get the heck out and ride the mountain bike. And did I? No. Why? Exactly what I just said -- I didn't feel like packing the bikes and driving somewhere. I cooked and ate instead. Today I'm making pies. (not kidding!). Actually, I'm starting to enjoy the kayaking a little more now that the roll is better. Hubby got me a cool Girls At Play DVD for Valentines day and it sparked a little (just a little) enthusiasm. I went to the roll session with vim and vigor and the first missed attempt at a brace shot me down for about 10 minutes. But then the rolls starting coming back and it felt pretty good by the time we left. Rick and I both are looking forward to lots of practice this year in the river. And the bikes? Well, I guess they'll just have to wait a little longer. The trainer bike is getting a little use -- maybe two hours a week. So not all is lost!

Rick's Obsession - Let's Buy Another Kayak

Just as I was obsessed for many years with biking and accumulated 6 bikes, my dear hubby is obsessed with kayaks and is now up to 4, maybe 5 kayaks. I say maybe because one of his boats is "broke". Yup, it got holes in it due to a manufacturing defect and he's working on a replacement. In the meantime, he simply couldn't bear the thought of being one boat less -- so off we went on a 100 mile (one way), two-hour and $17.50 gas cost drive to Delta PA (near the Maryland border) -- to Stark Moon Kayaks and Gear. I had to go simply to experience the place and write about it. The owner, Brad is a bit eccentric - as is the place. Don't get me wrong, Brad knows his boats -- and he's an exquisite boat story teller (Pyrhana boats comes to him when they want to design something new?), but the place is simply something to see. The store is at his house, complete with "a dozen or so" cats, he says. And the cats rule the roost -- they are in boats, on chairs/tables, in the gear store areas and of course his house. Some complain of the urine smell, but I noted yesterday Brad is trying to cover that up as he has smelly stuff sitting around in one of the gear areas. And boats? Well you have tons of choices... any imaginable whitewater boat you can possibly think of is there because he's one of the few places that takes a trade-in, so he's got used boats setting everywhere (that's what Rick went for). Outside, inside, standing up, hanging, covered up - they are everywhere. And Brad is quick to give folks a good deal -- which is why he's SO popular with the boating crowd, thus, our 200 mile $17.50 trip was worth it. He's a dealer for Pyrahna, so he has many new boats too. Rick ended up bringing home a Pyrahna Recoil - very similar to his broken boat, the Wavesport, EZG. He's happy.

Lil' Pussy

We inherited cat #4... Rick's son's girlfriend's 10 month old kitten whom Rick wouldn't let them move with them to his mother's home with the freshly shampooed carpets. Rick's grandson has allergies from cats...and he'll be moving in too -- thus, no cats. So we now have this crazy little kitten that just loves sitting in my arms when I'm on the trainer. I call her "Lil pussy," "Kitten," "Pussy," "Cat", "Mo". Her real name is Dynamo, but we haven't decided if we like that. Our cats usually end up with whatever we feel like calling them. "Puse," "Lula," "Rusty - fat boy (he's going on biggest loser). And we had a black cat we called - you guessed it - "Black." But he died the weekend of my bike crash. What was up with that!

It's Just Not the Same

A new leaf has been turned and I don't see the old one being revived at the moment -- the old leaf that used to try to race all the time and workout all the time. Over the past month, I tried to save it, but there was just no desire or interest knowing another leaf is awaiting. That old leaf has gotten shredded and discolored and was composted. The new leaf is still healthy, but in a different kind of way -- its not as enthused to workout 10-12 hours a week - to be race ready. 5-7 seems more like an acceptable, normal routine and THOSE workouts aren't necessarily race related... I read if you do an hour day of ANY kind of medium-heart-rate activity, you're doing pretty good so if I manage to get an hour's walk in at lunch, I'm a happy camper. A half hour bike at the gym followed by a half hour of weights and stretching, again I'm happy. The other part of the new leaf is the food part. A new realm of food and cooking has entered the household. Well, its actually an old realm but I never had time because of working out and racing all the time! The garden will be my workout zone most of the spring, summer, and fall. Yup... dirt under the nails rather than all over my body from a muddy bike race will be the beckoning call of the summer. I'll be spending a whole day in the kitchen canning corn rather than a day in the woods riding my bike for 6 hours. Yes, I truly don't feel the same... my body is changing and I can see the fitness leaving it every day, but I guess its something I'll get used to. After all, I lived 41 years with a lack of muscle tone! My how life changes.