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.

Bluh....

Urgh.

Meh.

Pfft.

These are the noises that I have been emanating all day over the last few days. The weather here in AVL has taken a turn for the shitty and my seasonal effective disorder is in full rage. I need to get outside but the prospect of getting cold, sad, and wet is about as appetizing as a turtle burger...

I had made plans to race in the Icycle mountain bike race/beer drinking competition this weekend. With the forecast calling for snow and rain most of the day with temps in the upper 30's, I'm on the fence. Do I make the 2 hour drive to race 20 miles, get cold and wet, and possibly have fun? Or do I stay home and chill with K.A.W? 

This debate has been fueling my sounds of frustration.

In other news...

I did manage to ride twice this week. Tuesday I went out and did my best to blow up my legs on my cyclegnargravelradcross bike. Training for the KOP has been weighing heavy on me and I feel like I should be further along than I am. I've never actually "trained" for mountain biking. My plans are for riding hard, and climbing as much as possible. Mix that with mellow mountain rides, and then eating pimento cheese sammiches. And beer. 

I dont know what the outcome of this intensive training regiment will be but come KOP time I'll have at least enjoyed some fine Russian beers and artisinal pimento cheeses. 

In other KOP news my good friend and 2014 PMBAR partner, Burton, will be joining  me again for PMBAR 2015! 

I hate that guy.

He was on the fence about it but when word came that his bro Mike B. and local singlespeeder and drinker of quality beers, Good Guy Greg, will be PMBAR'n it... Burton had to shred. Im pretty stoked too because Burton is an old veteran of PMBAR and knows these mountains as well as anyone. Hopefully we'll have better success than last year when someone (who will go nameless, it was me...) decided it would be a great idea to do a "warm-up" ride of 15 miles and four thousand feet of climbing the day before a 50+ mile mountain bike race... Cramps started at mile 10 and continued with ferocity until the finish line...

 newb.

Things will be different this year. I can feel it.

Wednesday I caught a group night ride with some co-workers out at North Mills Rec. Area. Trace Ridge was the route and we crushed it, along with a few beers as well. It felt great to be back out riding a mountain cycle again. The balance of riding hard, pushing my legs and then doing a mellow fun ride the next day might be good for my cycling soul. All work and no play make something go something...or something like that. 

In K.A.W news she is deep in the throws of her Whole 30 Challenge. Over the hump now and she hasn't once cheated on her diet challenge and I am super proud. There is no way in hell that I could do what shes doing. Living in a town that has over 20 craft breweries and five times as many excellent restaurants would have me caving like a paper umbrella in a hurricane.

That's all folks... Have a rad weekend and stay warm and dry.

Party on...

How do astronomers organize a party?

They planet...

We're coming straight outta AVL with this here post today. Glad you could make it. You (the one reading this) are the reason we're all here. My only blog reader.

How I loathe you...

K.A.W and I had a pretty outstanding weekend here in AshevilleNCGod'sCountryUSA. Much outside festivness went down and Momma Nature cast her radiant goodness far and low across our western Mountains. I hope ya'll had a great one too.

Lets begin with a recap...

Friday:

My apathy toward getting outside when its dark and cold was getting the best of me. The last two weeks had me sitting at home moping and drinking and drinking and moping. Cold, wet, and sad is no way to spend the weekdays. Getting out on the weekends in the daylight is great but riding 40 miles over the course of the week is no way to get rad in Pisgah for the KOP this summer. Somethings gonna give and soon.

I wanted to go out and do a stupid road/gravel ride that would be brutal and help establish a bar to shoot for in my "training" for the KOP. Somewhere around the 65 mile mark. However Friday chores got the best of me so all I could do was gather up The Bear and head to a local sweet spot for a fun run on Thelma Lou.

Suns out (no guns present) and we had a great time. Good for it too because The Bear doesn't get to do much riding. Mostly because she's a dog and cant ride a bicycle, but also because she cant hang on long mountain rides. Even so she enjoys it immensely and so I like to take her on my short rides. I know she enjoys running free and frolicking hither and tither through the mountains.

Good times with the pup.

Back at Greenview it was beer thirty, or beer o'clock, or quarter past Pabst and just chillen-pickin some tunes on the banjo  and bluegrass and beers filled the evening nicely.

Saturday

Plans had been planned to ride with a critical mass quantity of Charlotteans in Dupont. However, at the last minute word arrived that one of K.A.W's former co-workers and all around pleasant Durhamite, Mike P, was in town and wanted to shred in Pisgah proper. I, never shying away from radness in Pizgarh, of course obliged, and we set off for a run around the fish hatchery.

475 B, Cove Creek, Daniels Ridge, FARLOW Gap, Daniels again, and out on Davidson River. Big climbing day and it was much needed. My legs have a long way to go and sitting on my ass drinking fine Russian beer ain't getting me there. Plus I always enjoy riding with new people and showing them trail they haven't been on before. The day started mellow with numerous tugs from the ole jug that Mike P had brought along. Whiskey makes everything better... Mountain biking included. Ride up Cove, crush Daniels Ridge and onto the suckfest that is the Farlow Gap climb...

Farlow Gap starts with a soul crushing gravel/singletrack climb of several thousand feet over just a few miles. Once you make the top, drop your seat and clinch your butthole cause its big mountain riding all the way down. Huge rocks that swallow your wheel, steep pitches to put you over the bars, and its all covered in leaves making it awesomely sketchy. There is nothing else like it in the district. Its hands down my favorite trail and its a shame I don't ride it more often. Mike P slayed it like he had done it a million times before. Probably helped a little by the liquid courage we imbibed before the decent. It had been a long time since I'd been up on Farlow and I forgot how great it is. I have a good feeling me and Farlow are going to see more of each other in the coming months...

Pugs?

liquid courage...

There is a trail there somehwere... 

pimento cheese...

Ride done we headed to the Pisgah Tavern for more booze.

Sunday:

Up early and on the trail with The Goose and The Bear for a mellow Sunday Morning stroll on the MST. Lots of stuff to smell and to poke heads into...

Weather this coming week looks stupid good so its on the bike as much as possible and looking forward to the Icycle/beer drinking competition in the woods with bikes too. If your there come say hello and shotgun a Russian beer with me.

 Hope to see ya there.

Have a rad week folks,

Party on.

Weekend recap from last weekend right before this weekend so not this weekends recap at all...

Fast and hard...

Just how I know you all like your blogging....

Last weekend in pictures because I've become quite lazy with my bloggage and my bikeage so I'm heading out to do some stupid ride somewhere and its going to be stupid.  See you'nz Monday.



Friday:

A little ice on the trail...

Steep Canyon featuring Jerry Douglas

Saturday:

Hiking up Snooks Nose...

The Goose getting special treatment

Pictures dont capture how steep this trail was...

The Big Ditch...

claw marks...

Paleo hiking lunch

Sunday:

Shredding in Pizguh...

Gotta get up to get down...

Hello!

And greetings to one and all (but really one because thats the number of people that actually read this mess)...


In case you are a lobster or a pine tree or a football I would like to let you know that its pretty cold outside. This news may come as a surprise to you I know. Its ok... I was surprised too.

For the rest of the living population of North Cackalacky you already know this and by now are sore and tired of hearing "boy its cold" and "sure is a cold one today" or "sweet Lord in heaven I'm freezing to death!".

Weather is what we talk about when we have nothing else to talk about and this is just one more sign that we are all lame and getting old and boring. You can either embrace it or get weird... So from now on when someone mentions "can you believe this cold?" just stare vapidly at them and say "We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold..."

 Immediately walk away when finished.

This should not only change the subject of conversation but also create a newfound sense of awe from your friends and family. And/or cause suspicions of hard drug use... either way your not talking about the weather.

So onward...

Its cold.

Things have been mellow around Greenview Manor this week. Getting back into the game of life post Holidays. K.A.W is attempting to do this new crazy diet sweeping the nation: The Whole 30. From watching her this week, and her meal preparations, the diet consists of asking yourself..."does this taste good?" If the answer is "yes", you cant eat it. Seems simple enough. The goal is at the end of 30 days you are supposed to start glowing and slowly ascend into the heavens, or something like that I haven't really been paying attention.

Seriously it seems like a good challenge to help expedite good eating habits. I'm a huge fan of eatin' right (when applicable), and getting healthy so you go girl. Its been a real struggle for her the first couple days but she has really stuck to her guns. I tried tempting her with delicious Pabst Blue Ribbon beer last night and she refused. Impossible to comprehend...

I'm sure she will complete her 30 day suckfest and feel like a million bucks. Then its back to pimento cheese and Kool-Aid and Hot Pockets and all the terrible things that make life wonderful.

In bikecycling news,

I haven't been riding too much this week. The cold and whatnot you know. I managed to get out Tuesday for some Bent Creek shreddage. Cold, muddy, and not a soul out there but me.

In other mountaincycling news I finally got Thelma Lou back up and running.

She has been without proper tires for a couple months. Apathy, laziness, whatever the reason I put off tire buying for so long that I forgot how it felt to ride a hardtail 29er. The answer is its pretty awesome. As I type this, the sun is out, the birds are singing, and it seems too nice to not get a little rad outside today.

Beer and Music:

Here's your Beers!

Oskar Blues Old Chub Scotch Ale. Good for cold Winter nights and cures what ails ya!

Since K.A.W are going to see them tonight, your music for the weekend is pretty much anything from award winning bluegrass sensations The Steep Canyon Rangers. 

Party on...