The Brisk New Year Start

First off a huge Thanks goes out to the 7 brave riders who braved the cold and bitter winds. All to make the inaugural I.F. Memorial ride a success.
Thank You So Much
Damon, Brian, Bill, Mark, Kenny, Tony, Steve

Honestly I had no idea who or how many folks would show up. With temp in the 30*s and winds around 20mph. With only 39 miles and 20 sections of dirt, this would become an epic ride. A unique blend of riders and bikes. Including 1 mtb(29"), 2 road bikes, 3 cross, 1 hybrid & 1 fixed road.

No wrong turns, no mechanicals, no flats, no dog bites, no crazed red necks, low traffic and only one body slap to the Lexington Co. clay. Two maybe three sections were hike-a-bike due to sand. No one even whispered any complaints. It was a chill ride and no one had any agenda and we all stayed as a group the entire time. So with that I thank you once again and just maybe we will plan another outing in April. Just Maybe.

Update

See post below on route update

Update on Route

0 mi Start
0.01 mi Stop
0.29 mi Turn right at Burma Rd
1.74 mi Turn left at Triangle Rd
5.02 mi Turn right at Southland Rd/State Rd S-32-1102
6.04 mi Turn right at Spring Hill Rd/State Rd S-32-113
6.43 mi Sharp right at Redhaven Rd
6.63 mi Slight left to stay on Redhaven Rd
7.39 mi Turn left at Jumper Leaphart Rd
9.21 mi Turn left to stay on Cactus Rd
9.98 mi Turn right at Hyler Rd View
10.22 mi Turn right at Clay Amick Rd
11.52 mi Turn right at Oren Adams Rd
12.04 mi Turn right at Devils Backbone Rd/State Rd S-32-59
13.6 mi Sharp left at Ridge Rd
14.39 mi Slight right at Jimmie Long Rd
15.48 mi Continue onto US-378 W
17.04 mi Turn right at Lake Village Dr/State Rd S-32-1189
17.26 mi Turn left at Rock N' Creek Rd
19.31 mi Turn right at Nathaniel Oxner Rd
23.3 mi Turn right at Ansel Caughman Rd/State Rd S-32-54
29.1 mi Turn right at Lewie Rd/State Rd S-32-277
29.61 mi Turn right at Harley Taylor Rd
29.73 mi Turn left at Craps-Weeks Rd
30.71 mi Turn right
31.38 mi Turn right at Spring Hill Rd/State Rd S-32-113
33.84 mi Turn right at Long Branch Rd
35.23 mi Turn left at Calks Ferry Rd/State Rd S-32-278
35.68 mi Turn left at Lost Branch Rd
37.55 mi Continue onto Calks Ferry Rd/State Rd S-32-278
38.72 mi Turn right at Burma Rd
39.01 mi Stop

New Years Day After Ride

Ian Foyster Memorial Ride – New Years Day After Ride (10^th Anniversary)

The 2010 New Years Lake Loop will take on a different meaning this coming January. I am inviting all my local cycling friends to come and join me to honor Ian’s memory. The route this year, due to increasing traffic and safety concerns in the Lexington and surrounding areas, will have more dirt road sections and less bridge crossings/lake views.

When: Saturday January 2, 2010 10 a.m.

Where: Lex High School. (N33*58’43.3” W81*18’35.9”) 0.4 mi West of intersection of US1 & Pisgah Church Rd (3^rd Left after intersection on Olde Farm Road, 1^st Parking lot on left)

Why: To honor the memory of our friend Ian Foyster who was all too suddenly and tragically taken this past year. For the folks who did not get a chance to meet Ian, you missed the opportunity to meet one heck of a fella. Ian was a constant figure in the cycling and enduro-moto community for many years. A regular trickster and all around funny man, he loved humor and a good bike ride. This is the chance to celebrate with a group of likeminded folks, which can come together and give back as a group to a worthy cause. A donation is encouraged and will be greatly appreciated. All donations will be presented to Ian’s daughter from the midlands cycling community.

This route will be a 40 mile multi surface loop. There will be various sections of Lexington County’s finest dirt, clay, sandy and gravel to ride. The rural rolling terrain will be very low on traffic. You be will be chased by a dog or two but don’t worry, a squirt of water will do the trick. This loop will be a character builder and a great winter day ride.

The biggest question will be what bike do I bring? Well this route will be most enjoyed on a cross bike. Set up with tires ranging from 28-42c. tires. A mtb will be equally as nice. Slap on some semi slicks or be a bad ass and show up with full knobbies. If you see yourself as THE diehard classics specialist by all means bring out that road bike. However be warned I would not ride it with anything less than 28c. tires. That’s that!

Rudolph's Rampage

Trail 1/2 Marathon held in Harbison State Forrest on a chilly and damp Saturday morning. A much anticipated event promoted by Friends of Harbison, Cycle Center & Fleet Feet. As a spin off from the April 10k event. A longer event was a test to see the response. So the trail 1/2 marathon has evolved. Nearly 50 local runners came together to kick off the inaugural Rudolph's Rampage Trail 1/2 Marathon.

An easy to follow and straight forward loop.
Start Gazebo area
R > Forrest Road to parking area 4
L > Fire Break Trail
R > Stewardship Trail
R > Harder - Easier Spur
L > Midlands Mtn up the switch backs
R > @ trail junction above Spider Woman
R > Fire Break
L > Eagle Trail
L > Kids Trial
F > Field around Gazebo, then repeat


So my plan for the day was no plan at all. To start fueled on coffee alone. I arrived at HSF with about 30 min till the start. Register, meet and say hello to everyone I laid eyes on. A short warm up later (3 min). All started to line up so I followed suit. Line up at the front - of course.

In a blast all runners were hauling it up the gravel road. Quick head count (top 10) a good start. Trying to hold back at the same time and stay close to the front. How quick the gaps form and the front runners disappear. No worries here, just staying patient is something I've been working on. Tagged up with Anthony from Fleet Feet and kept pace for pace. We just ticked off the miles. All the same from here till the second time up the switchbacks. I decided to see if the pace could be picked up.

Well what-a you know. Picking up my pace slowly waiting till the crest of the hill, then turned it up a bit more. Steady on the flat section then attacked the decent across the road and another surge. It's now or never. A quick breather. Then another surge on the fire break to the last section of single track. As fast as I could go. Tricky single at top speed. Two near miss steps but manged to stay upright. Taking it to the finish in 6th place overall. Good times.

Overall happy with the effort and glad I took the time and competed. Hopefully this will become an annual event. A bonus was the regional Montrail rep showing up with some 2010 goodies to look at. Soup and massages for all runners plus a long sleeve tech shirt.

13+ miles 1:42ish
6th overall
1st in age group (even departed with a tub of Endurox)

Shut In Trail Race

Finally something worth blogging about. The 30th annual Shut In trail race. Held the first Saturday in November. An 18 mile route from the NC Arboretum to the Mt Pisgah parking area located along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Traversing the Shut In Ridge trail all along the way. Revered as one the most exciting trail races in the area.

What would be a perfect day to be in the beautiful Pisgah National Forrest. Its been way too long since my last visit to the area. Not much has changed especially the desire to stay every time I visit. This would be the longest trail race to date for me. With ample amounts of climbing this would be a true test of an ability to climb some hills.

Patience was something I was constantly reminding myself of. A reoccurring problem is to go out too hard and suffer the consequences towards the end. Today would be different. With a vague memory of the trail I was very content to just follow. Harder than it seems.

Many folks were wearing road shoes. This was not the appropriate choice for rugged singletrack with a heavy covering of fall foliage. Lots of slips and blunders were to be had by many. Amazing how ones MTB handling skills can come in handy. Handling the treacherous downhills better while out in front. Funny how that works.

To recall the hardest part of the race was the final climb. I came through the final rest stop at 3 hours with a faint smile on my face. The final climb winch I was amply warned was brutal, but somewhere in the past three hours I had totally forgotten the warning. A climb that brought most all to a slow hike and some to a squat. With the throbbing pulse pounding in my eardrums. A slow hike to the top was all I could muster. It would take at least 30 minutes to ascend. Now with thrashed quads a short decent to the finish. I was finally done.

I would like to give a more detailed step by tricky step. However it seems to be more difficult to dissect all the near misses and elated excitement of just making it from ridge to ridge. Any way this race would be my first time to surpass three hours in a run. So possibly a good confidence booster for future races.

In total 3:36 for 18 miles, 67th of 196 overall. Rolled my right ankle twice. Managed to stay upright the entire time. Also another new goal of mine. So to say this race had a great vibe to it. Water stations at every 2-3 miles with plenty of screaming spectators. It was truly a great race to be a part of. Hope to return next November for the chance to better 3:36.

Battle Royale

In the blue corner a scary bowl of sweet goodness

And in the red corner another sweet mess of goodness.

And the Battle Royale begins

A Sunny Fall Day

Something Old > Something New

This is mainly proof that I still do own bikes and yet still do on occasions ride them.

So Jaime here you go I made it out for a pleasant hour on Sunday. Made it out to Old State Rd. to see if it was under water or if the reds have destroyed it. The rain water has receded but the reds are working on destroying the only kickin' dirt road in the metro area.

In other news, a first attempt at a new hobby. Flying R/C planes. Bro-in-law has gotten me all fired up on the hobby. He introduced me to the world of cheap builds. PDF file + Blue Core Insulation + hand me down parts + time = a steep learning curve. Picture below is the direct effect of nose first to the ground. Good thing it's easy to cut the parts off and build another.



Now the new fleet has been built. First test flight on Friday and it made it home in one piece. This would be only the second time this has happened.

Tangled Web

So my quest to run some greater distances has over taken me. The weekly group runs out at Harbison have started to take it's toll on me mentally. The same loop every week and now I've jumped up to the two lap group. So now it's 17mi of the same ol same ol bumps and humps. So I had a great idea of making the trip to Lynch's for a Friday afternoon run.

Inspired by the Ultra Run at Lynch's over the Memorial Day weekend. The trails had to be in decent shape after 50+ runners made three trip through the forest. This would help with navigating the trail. With the exception on the many limbs and trees that has fallen along the way. The trails was in really good shape. The hidden nemesis of the trail were the spider webs. I've never been through more in my life. It seemed if every 30-50 step you were pulling another mask of web from your face.



First lap went by with a lot to think about. Do I have a spider on me? Between that and what would I order at Wendy's after this run was over. No real problems at all. Stopped by the car to rehydrate then off on another lap. About 10 min into lap two I began to wonder about the frosty that would meet my tummy later when I tripped on a root and tumbled into a patch of Poison Ivy . Son-of-bee-i, luckily the creek was close to go and make an attempt to wash it off. Back to the trail another 40 minutes pass then another lapse in concentration I stumble into yet another patch of p.i. Off to another creek I go to wash up.



This was probably the down slide of my enthusiasm for the remainder of the run. Between the waves of intense itching and the though of a spider somewhere on my person was really freaking me out. Exit strategy would soon play out. A quick exit to the road and then a slow jog back to the car. It was a good time alone in the woods, and soon I will return. It's hard to pass up something different within a convenient drive. Ended with 13mi in 2:30

081609 build up

Finally a week of fitness worth blogging about. Some of you folks know I've been running a good bit instead of cycling. If you didn't now you know. This May marked a full year of running for me. This month will mark my six month sabbatical from cycling. Something I really needed to miss the sport. Slowly I've been filling the void of cycling with a few rides here and there. Mostly to keep from the overuse of running through out the week. Finally it feels right. So now that I've fine tuned a proper run to cycle amount that will fit my needs and schedule.


So now what. Keep up the weekend trail runs. Yesterday, I knocked out a steady 11 mile run out at Harbison. Today a leisurely stroll around the Cayce/S.Congaree area. Three good dirt road sections to open up on. You gotta love the multi-surface approach to riding. Anywho just wanted to let all my old riding buddies know I'm not dead. Till next time.

080609 Urban Treasures

Another hot few days in the urban jungle this week so far. Friday is that much closer. Often while out I stumble across some interesting finds. Exciting to top the usual condom wrapper and hair extensions. What some throw out often baffle me, or just what little fella you might run across.
Kenny this is for you! Perhaps you need some Usher's Confessions added to your ORAMM mix tape. Location: Fire Hydrant on the corner of Martel & E. Main St. (N33*58'40", W81*13'49"), Town of Lexington. You could totally swing by and pick it up on your commute home.
As for this little fella. Well he's probably hiding out by now. Shocked to see a possum in the middle of the day. E wanted this little fella for a pet. After he hissed at me several times I let him roll on.
Happy trail little fella.

072909 Dodging Traffic

N33*55'47", W81*02'35"

072709

Warm and muggy five miler with my running buddies. Next best thing to a cool pool is a cold tile floor. As Hoo Bears executes perfect form. Looked refreshing.

Going Stir Crazy

A step out of the usual urban environment. Above is the equipment needed on yesterdays survey outing. A nice change of pace. No cars just one curious alligator.

Following up on the urushiol attack. The blisters have began to really dry up. Top that off with an outrageous itching sensation on my arm. Wonder why? Now the rash has spread to my hand and mainly in between my fingers. This has made for a long few days at work. Amazing how frustrating. Try brushing your teeth with your left hand.
At least I'm not the worst!!!!! (***WARNING***)

Attack of the Urushiol

attacked once again even had to bail on a ride because of this.

*late edit - went to doc in the box. 2.5 hours later a shot of steroid in the ass. now I cross my swollen fingers for this shit to dry quick!

Big Mig

A birthday shout out to Big Mig. A true hero to Le Tour and cycling in general. Soft spoken Spaniard who crushed the sprint of the weak. He was one of my favorite tour riders of my generation.

070609

A month has past since my last post. So just in case one may think I've given into Summer's wrath of oppressive heat. Ha believe it. The posts have been low but the activities have been on the increase. Only two bike rides in the past 30 days.

Run
Count: 13 activities
Distance: 65.46 mi
Time: 09:54:28 hh:mm:ss
Avg Distance: 5.04 mi
Avg Heart Rate: 145 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 186 bpm
Elevation Gain: 12,922 ft

Bike
Count: 2 activities
Distance: 36.19 mi
Time: 02:30:34 hh:mm:ss
Avg Distance: 18.09 mi
Avg Heart Rate: 135 bpm
Max Heart Rate: 182 bpm
Elevation Gain: 2,138 ft

till next time

Living It Up

Summer is here. So what to do know? Well start with the High Life then repeat. Enjoy.

060409

Wow it's hard to believe it's been a month since my last post. Where has the time gone. Believe me when I say it's been a productive month. The Captain & I have been pondering the thoughts of selling our house and moving into town for a change. To date we have walked through around 15 houses in the last 2 months. That's a lot of pros & cons to shuffle through. It's been fun to a certain extent.

So now we have been working on our house to fix up the little projects I've neglected over the past winter. It's amazing how a handful of small fixes can snowball into a large project.


Notice the safety procedure displayed while balancing on a handrail. Luckily it's just bushes below. So to date the project list has dwindled down. The completion is near and soon we might put the "For Sale" sign in the yard. So if anyone is interested.

As for the riding of a bicycle, it's been almost 3 weeks. That was not a great day on the bike. Hooked up with Big J and his early am Saturday ride in Dutch Fork. It was the 4th road ride of the season for me. To say the least I was not prepared for the time spent chasing. The group was kind to wait for me at many intersections as to wish me good luck on catching up on the next surge. Think I rolled back to the truck with 70 miles. That would be 20 more than my idea of a good ride for the day.

Ever sense the NYDR beat down, my road time has been limited to occasionally. It probably would not be so bad if I were to get fitted to the road bike. Plus it seems every time I go solo on the road some unforeseen misfortune rears it's nasty head. From the frequent babbling of some jackass ordering me "get off the road". My patience is gone for this form of southern hospitality. This is my running excuse for not having the road legs to keep up.

In good fashion I would like to end this post on a positive note. I'm back running again. The sport of running seems to better fit my schedule and mindset for now. The time involved and the convenience of the exercise. Plus the fact that my dogs get super pumped when the shoes go on, puts a smile on my face.