Well, it's been quite a week really.
Mid week saw me meeting up with George for our first night ride in a while - headed out from the Park and Ride into Patapsco at around 9:45 pm. As always, I had light issues - my Night Sun headlight has been playing up for a while but tonight it just plain died - looks like a dodgy battery connection (may explain the recent piss poor performance).
Nevermind, headed off along usual route, Mile Smile, up the hill from the small car park then along the top of the ridge and down what I have been calling Buzzard Rock but George calls the "Chute". Who knows? I will look up these trails names and be more definitive in future. Once on the roadway George wants to head up a "new trail" he has found right opposite the swing bridge. Well hey, anything new sounds like a sparkling idea! Up we head on a trail George quaintly calls "House of Pain". Yep pretty steep in places (especially at the bottom) which results in some pushing of bikes but we make it to the top. Then we have a choice, eiher head back to the cars or catch a second lap. George's family are away for the week and I knew MLW would be well asleep when I got in either way - so second lap it was. Headed back west towards Patarini Hill (for the second time) but instead of taking the usual trial (Buzzard Rock/the Chute) we head straight on down a trail George calls the "Double Drop". Whow! George makes it look easy but as the trail gets seriously steep and rutted out I decide "Bugger that for a game of soldiers" and get off and trek down (yeah I'm a wuss).
Back at the road we take a left up Vineyard then head down Soapstone - as we hit Soapstone I realize that my rapidly decreasing vision is not related to the heavy spec fogging I've been experiencing all night but the fact that we have been riding for over two hours and my trusty Nite Hawk bar lamp is burnt out! Time flies when you are having fun! Fun decending Soapstone with no lights but no harm/no foul. Then up the Mile Smile with George kindly riding behind me so I cabn scrounge the light from his NiteRider. Kin spectacular ride (approx. 12.5 miles at a steady if not earth shattering 7.3 mph) - best in ages, great new trails, some good wildlife sightings - snake, couple of large toads and the inevitable deer.
Couple of social beers in the Park and Ride and before I know it the time is 12:45am and bed beckons!
Friday I take life by the horns (the bull horns on my Fixie that is) and commute on the Fixie for the fist time since I screwed my shoulder - what do you know? After a tentative start it is all BIG FUN! No isues either way and I love this bike all over again.
Saturday morning and it's time to do the weeks real work! 15 mile hilly run with Sean. Departure time is 5:15 am but Sean oversleeps so we hit the road sometime after 5:30. Bloody hell it's hot and humid! In less than 2 hours running I drained my 70 oz Camelbak. We haul ass a bit more than the last time we did this course (part of the massochist marathon) and due to time constraints I leave Sean at about 9 miles to get home. Averaged a little under 8 min/mile pace so not spectaular but still had sore legs on Sunday.
This morning and another commute on the Fixie - oh yes! Fixed and loving it.
Life is good!
Cheers
Dogzbollux
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