Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Bailout

So I bailed....

I did not attend the 2015 Icycle/beer drinking competition in the forest. But I should have....


Friday morning had a cold rain blanketing most of western NC. I was staring at this out the front window perched on the seat of my gnarcrossgravelradcross bike while I spun my legs out on the trainer. I had been debating the decision to travel two hours, race for 20 miles in the same weather, and potentially have fun. The whole reason I wanted to race the Icycle/beer drinking competition in the forest was to get my race stoke early in the season. "Training" has never been my thing and if it weren't for the fact that I had money in the pot to do the KOP this summer I wouldn't. I like to ride for fun, drink a couple beers along the way, and hang out with Momma Nature for an afternoon. What I was looking at outside Greenview Manor Friday morning did not look like fun... My aversion to being cold and wet got the best of me and by the afternoon I decided to bail.

The next morning I awoke to wind and the sun peaking through the clouds over AVLUSA. "Damn" I thought... "Should have gone". What all the expert meteorologists had forecast never happened. No snow (in Asheville at least), no rain, and Saturday ended up being pretty damn nice. Cold but sunny. I immediately regretted not going and slogging it out in the goo that would be the race course. Instead of sitting around pouting, I knew I had to do something to make up for not going to the race. With the local trails being peanut butter after the day and a half of rain, I took out my gnarcrossgravelrad bike for a little punishment to atone for being a wuss and not racing...


Some hefty climbing-penance was due to the bicycle gods and I didn't want to let them down. If I didn't try to blow my legs up and get a decent ride in I would feel even worse. I hit Bent Creek cranking and tried to pick out a climbing heavy route. Up South Ridge to Bent Creek Gap. Up to the Parkway and back again to the NC Arboretum and then a little more on Boyd Branch for good measure. It was a beautifully cold January day and once I got my legs burning and lungs aching I was feeling OK.  I would've liked to do a little more but daylight was fading and I had other business to attend to.







From the looks of it, folks had a great time at the Icycle/beer drinking competition in the forest. Muddy trails, plentiful beer, and mellow vibes all around. Congrats to E. Watts for getting out there and crushing it. Shes a force to be reckoned with on a bike cycle. Also Congrats to co-worker T-Money aka Speedy Money on a podium appearance as well.

Way to go folks.


check it out Click here ----->  Icycle/beer drinking competition in the forest
                                                       Photo's courtesy of Icon Media Asheville

Sunday:

River time.

North Mills Rec. Area with Mississippi Judd. The sunshine and warmer temps were more plentiful than the fish. It was packed and seemed like everyone was out soaking up the 50 degree sunshine. Even ole' Johhny LawDog came by to check our licenses and make sure we weren't up to any illegalities in the forest.



Fine Russian beer


Uno Pescado

When you get days like Sunday afternoon, you HAVE to go outside. Its as if you hit the Winter Lottery and Momma Nature gives you a brief glimpse into whats coming for good in a few short months. We did our best to not let her down. Good for it too because as I type this on Monday evening its cold as hell and spitting snow... Great...

That about wraps it up. Hope you'nz had a fantastic weekend too.

Party on.

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