All, it's been a long time since my last post. Having taken the summer off the blog, forgive ME any rusty turns of the phrase, or redundant messaging.
To catch everyone up, time in the saddle continued in earnest (at least for ME) until September. Great rides that will remain undocumented included the Loop around Lake Travis, Livestrong and Levi's Gran Fondo.
Due to personal circumstances, Levi's ride eluded ME. Ullrich, Hoodie and Growleur all went and are better for it. Life has been a little bumpy around the house of ME, with the loss of some loved ones in the Sep/Oct timeframe. Looking forward is the motto for 2013. That is if the Mayans aren't right....
Last week's Thanksgiving Break proved to be a boon for both increased mileage and robust saddle sores. Great rides that week. Specifically:
1. Tuesday (43 miles) - Panozz and I rode a brisk but manageable pace around the Bell Springs Loop. Any ride with the Boss is a good one. Highlights included some unseasonably warm weather, great conversation (when I wasn't furtively gasping oxygen) and a tour around the Belterra Crit Course. Heart rate was absurd for this effort, mostly due to time off the bike, aforementioned pace and cumulative beers ingested during football season. I regret nothing.
2. Wednesday (35 miles)- Hooked up with the core of the Dough (MC, Hoodie, Ullrich and VJ) and rode another Hill Country track. Bell Springs/Fitzhugh/McGregor lane. Highlights? Just getting the band back together! And some post-ride beers. Only uttered the phrase "Where's VJ?" 3 times. Again, weather was transcendent.
3. Thursday - No riding. Some Thanksgiving, some beer drinking, some Longhorn mourning.
4. Friday (65 miles) - Krause Loop with Shannon (Velo View Tours), Malo and Scheibs. With Karl adhering to a coach's plan that required his heart rate to approach zero, we parted ways with the dynamic YPO duo at the Rube Hay Caliche. Shannon and I had some serious bonding time from that point forward, heading first into head winds of 20-30 mph, then enjoying the breeze. This is the single most fun route for me around. Topped it off with a PR up from Pedernales to Bell Springs to cap the ride.
5. Saturday (25 miles) - recovered solo. Barton Creek West residents are probably getting sick of me. This was my 22nd Anniversary, which was spent hanging out with my lovely wife. Violet Crown and a steak at VY's. All around great day. Saw Silver Linings Playbook, which starred Katniss from Hunger Games. See 3/18/2012 post for further Hunger Games material.
6. Sunday (55 miles) - Shannon, his buddy Jon Peters, Ullrich and VJ partook of a big dam loop, ridden counterclockwise. Which is reverse for me. Jon has some legs that belonged on a Kazakhstan pro cyclist. Highlights were limited to the conversation, which was great. Good crew for a day of suffering. Winds made this one hard work, at least for ME. Heart rate looks to be getting more representative, which is a Silver Lining in my Playbook. Shannon and Jon stopped by ME casa for a little water refill, as they put 80+ in the saddle. Lost Ullrich and VJ climbing up to the Oasis from Bullick Hollow. They survived.
223 miles for the week. Not bad for a middle aged dad.
To catch everyone up, time in the saddle continued in earnest (at least for ME) until September. Great rides that will remain undocumented included the Loop around Lake Travis, Livestrong and Levi's Gran Fondo.
Due to personal circumstances, Levi's ride eluded ME. Ullrich, Hoodie and Growleur all went and are better for it. Life has been a little bumpy around the house of ME, with the loss of some loved ones in the Sep/Oct timeframe. Looking forward is the motto for 2013. That is if the Mayans aren't right....
Last week's Thanksgiving Break proved to be a boon for both increased mileage and robust saddle sores. Great rides that week. Specifically:
1. Tuesday (43 miles) - Panozz and I rode a brisk but manageable pace around the Bell Springs Loop. Any ride with the Boss is a good one. Highlights included some unseasonably warm weather, great conversation (when I wasn't furtively gasping oxygen) and a tour around the Belterra Crit Course. Heart rate was absurd for this effort, mostly due to time off the bike, aforementioned pace and cumulative beers ingested during football season. I regret nothing.
2. Wednesday (35 miles)- Hooked up with the core of the Dough (MC, Hoodie, Ullrich and VJ) and rode another Hill Country track. Bell Springs/Fitzhugh/McGregor lane. Highlights? Just getting the band back together! And some post-ride beers. Only uttered the phrase "Where's VJ?" 3 times. Again, weather was transcendent.
3. Thursday - No riding. Some Thanksgiving, some beer drinking, some Longhorn mourning.
4. Friday (65 miles) - Krause Loop with Shannon (Velo View Tours), Malo and Scheibs. With Karl adhering to a coach's plan that required his heart rate to approach zero, we parted ways with the dynamic YPO duo at the Rube Hay Caliche. Shannon and I had some serious bonding time from that point forward, heading first into head winds of 20-30 mph, then enjoying the breeze. This is the single most fun route for me around. Topped it off with a PR up from Pedernales to Bell Springs to cap the ride.
5. Saturday (25 miles) - recovered solo. Barton Creek West residents are probably getting sick of me. This was my 22nd Anniversary, which was spent hanging out with my lovely wife. Violet Crown and a steak at VY's. All around great day. Saw Silver Linings Playbook, which starred Katniss from Hunger Games. See 3/18/2012 post for further Hunger Games material.
6. Sunday (55 miles) - Shannon, his buddy Jon Peters, Ullrich and VJ partook of a big dam loop, ridden counterclockwise. Which is reverse for me. Jon has some legs that belonged on a Kazakhstan pro cyclist. Highlights were limited to the conversation, which was great. Good crew for a day of suffering. Winds made this one hard work, at least for ME. Heart rate looks to be getting more representative, which is a Silver Lining in my Playbook. Shannon and Jon stopped by ME casa for a little water refill, as they put 80+ in the saddle. Lost Ullrich and VJ climbing up to the Oasis from Bullick Hollow. They survived.
223 miles for the week. Not bad for a middle aged dad.
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