First Ride of the Year

Central Pennsylvania's winters are typically warm, snowless, and riding can go on all winter many years. Yesterday was just like a typical PA January winter day. It was 40 (maybe 32-36 in the woods), the little snow we had melted, and it was a generally a nice day for the first ride of the season. Hubby wanted to cut some more trees on trails and I wanted to ride. So off to the woods we went, chainsaw, bikes, and gear in tow. I got dropped at the snowmobile parking lot in Weiser State forest. It ain't a ride unless you get a good 1/2 hour climb in. (Funny, it used to take me about 20 minutes to climb it. Wonder what happened? ) Once I hit the top of the mountain, I got in a groove and just rode. It was SO nice to be out in the woods. It was peaceful, calm, not a soul in site, and it helped calm the nerves and de-stress. Even my blood pressure dropped as a result. I ended up playing for 2:37 and burning 1,895 calories. And the ride helped me make a couple decisions - I came home and signed up for the Rattling 50. The trails are awesome, it's close to home, and by signing up, it'll force me to get my ass on the bike rather than in the garden all the time. Just last week I said I wasn't going to do anything 'cause I wasn't sure if I could commit the time to train with all the work in the backyard AND getting out kayaking with hubby. But I managed 3 years ago, so why can't I now? I can... I was just looking for excuses to whine. I'll just cut back on planting too many green beans. So no more whining and the training has offically started. I'm hoping to do Big Bear, maybe the 8-hours of the Farm (not sure on that one yet with Big Bear just two weeks earlier), Rattling 50, Cap City, the BASH, and Ironcross. But we'll see how the season goes.