That was the week that was!

Finally........ my lack of blog activity is not a result of inactivity and bugger all to write about, but instead a symptom of an embarrassment of riches and no bloody time to sit in front of the old computer tapping away.

Late last week the weather gods finally relented and gae us a night cold enough to allow a night ride. One was rapidly convened and Todd, Brian and "Yours Truly" met up at the usual spot. Things have gotten a little predictable lately (as predicatble a night riding in winter can) and with me reaching a state of panic about the upcoming Hat Run - and my fitness level being lower than a limbo dancers arse - I decided to try and mix things up a bit!!

So instead of the usual anticlockwise direction we started in reverse for a change. Nice loggy sections and challenging riding onto Cascade. Then after the first water we hung a left up the hill past the old railway ties. At the top a left turn onto the steep decent to the raod - with Todd "Mr Rim Brakes" mutterings of discontent ringing in my ears the whole way. Half way down I bottle an obstacle and hit the floor in such slow-mo that Brian (who is right behind me) almost wets himself laughing. The whole sketch is not helped by the fact that I can't get unclipped so spend embarassing seconds flailing around attached to the 29er moncog.

Once safely at the road, over the swing bridge and up House of Pain. My legs start giving notice and I push a good deal, but Todd (on his monocog!) crushes the hill with Brian in clse pursuit! Wow! At the top, once my heart rate has decreased to a rate where I am actually capable of conscious thought we head padt the tirepark and cut right down the rocky downhill, past the College and thence up and down to the Soapstone descent. By now the bar light has gone but my "combination headlamp" (the Princeton Tech Yukon plus my highly focused led lamp) give me enough light to descend with some degree of confidence.

Back to HC side and up the fireroad - my legs are found wanting again, but Brian and Todd are as indefatiguable as ever and make it look easy (and me feel inadequate). Back over the usual trail top the cars for a beer or two, 11.3 miles covered an a fair old clip! At the cars despite all having major cold gear, after about 45 min chatting and drinking the cold drives us home to our loved ones and the real world.

Sunday brings the usual "group" ride - as it looks like just Sean and me again I decide it is time to christen the "Tomac" Rockhopper on Patapsco. As it turms out Greg shows up unannouced so we are three for some fun! Head from Landing along Morning Choice and the connector onto Ridge then the short loop (anticlockwise) back to Cascade. Then we loop back to take on the loggy sections and the "new" section before a maiden voyage round the Old Loop Trail for good measure. Conditions are great (ie frozen) when we head out but are thawing and as slick as a slick-thing by the time we finish. For me personally the ride was a story in three parts (i) me being Mr Nrvous on the Rockhopper and taking no chances (ii) finally getting to grips with the front heavy geometry of the bike and feeling comfortable and (iii) getting over confident and becoming "Mr Fallioff Uselessbugger". Fortunately Greg and Sean were gracious enough to put up with my foolishness and just laugh at my stupidity. Cheers Guys!

Sunday is also my first day back running - a very ginger 3 miles - all is good, no pain. Followed up with 5.5 mile runs both Tuesday and Wednesday and the Hat looks more likely (though leg is giving a bit of notice at the moment).

Finally got the fixie wheel into my LBS (Princeton Sports) - looking dodgey for a second as the mechanic isn't sure he can fix it - then all is good as he spots a broken spoke that explains the lack of tension eleven buck later and I'm really to roll again, fan-bloody-tastic.

Life is good!

Cheers

Dogzbollux