mullerb's musings

Yet again. Just up and back. Last ride for Heidi before 10 days of beach time in Mexico.

Nice loop! Gotta add that one to the list. The return on Isabel and Valmont then north on 61st is an awesome way to end it. Finally starting to feel a bit better. The water is making its way into my blood and bladder instead of staying in the gut. Had a couple of good sprints up gentle hills ahead of Jose and Kay on 61st and on the return hill by the airport. If I could only tell whether they are being nice or not though....

Amasa Back, Slickrock Trail, and the superb Sovereign Trail. Drove out with Dan on Thursday at noon and get there in time to find Chris, Vic and a friend Scott at the Moab Brewery. Camped up on Salt Flat Road in F3, a very nice spot above the fray of jeepers and 4x4ers in the lower loops. Great weather and great trails with great company. But oh the crowds! One after another on all the trails, including 4x4s on Amasa and motorcycles on Sovereign. No more late April trips for me. I would rather deal wiht cold mornings than mobs of dust producing, smoke belching motorheads.

Semi-aborted giardia hampered ride up Olde Stage with Jose and Heidi. They went on to do the loop but my stamina was impaired. C'est la vie.

Up to the needle's eye and back. Gotta budget another 30 minutes for these rides so we can do the whole ride. Got up with only 3 footsies and down with only one. Getting that technical section wired!

And yet ANOTHER humbling day on the saddle. Jose, Kay, and Heidi are in race mode! All was fine till the 3 Bitches on Lookout. They left me well in the dust on the second rise. Had to wait at least a full minute for me at the top. Grueling masochism. I need another half a dozen rides like that to get back to last fall's shape. The worst part of the ride was the fact there was a really nice, warm, steady wind from the west. The whole time riding I was kicking myself for not being on the res on my windsurfer. Just a perfect day with 15-20 mph winds and 80F. I just can't fit it all in!

Wed NCAR ride with lots of big boys (and Kay and Heidi). Went into it knowing that I would not do the long Nelson loop (27miles) but cutting off at 63rd. Unless I was just totaly jazzed and keeping up. Needless to say, I cut out on 63rd :) I was starting to get dropped right about then anyways and both Kay and Heidi had to get back early too. Other than Crusty Guy getting whiney over my pace (nothing new) it was realy nice to e pushing and to be out in the sun.

A quick ride with Tony on a summer day in April. After being a sea level for a 10 days, having a gut from hell for 2+weeks, and not sleeping much of late, I did OK. A good test of the legs before the Wed NCAR ride.

There is a noticable lack of entries here for the past month. The weather and work schedule has not been conducive of late. Plus, some long weekends skiing and 10 days in the Virgin Islands. Will I be able to pick it up again and get into a regular ride schedule??