Well here we are, the end of summer and my first actual post since June. You know at one time I was a prolific blogger, I actually used to blog 3 times a week like clockwork. Now, I’m missing entire seasons. Well here we go, it won’t be pretty but here’s the story. I’m really sick of riding alone, but its better than not riding. My good riding pal, Luke, moved away, Greg quit, Adam is dealing with harrowing family issues, and the other guys just mountain bike, and mountain bike, and mountain bike.
I’m no longer a mountain biker.
I can’t call myself a mountain biker, I’ve done it 3 or 4 times in all of 2018, and honestly it’s mostly sucked. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve got some great trails, but when its wet, and it has been really wet all year, the horse holes fill with muck and don’t dry.
All alone.
I’ve done a great majority of my rides alone in 2018. Shauna rode with me alot in Spring on her electric bike. Yeah the electric bike worked out, but she had an operation on her foot and was unable to ride most of the summer. She’s just really now getting back to doing fitness type stuff.
Other then my wife, I’ve rode some with my parents, who are always fun to ride with, but it’s not exactly a workout for me. Nothing wrong with a ride that doesn’t leave me gasping for breath, but I’ve got to ride hard.
That just leaves me, me and Strava, me and hill repeats, me the same old routes, short routes at that. Why go out and ride for 4 or 5 hours when you can get a “decent” workout in 2.
Today I was invited to do a 100 mile ride with a friend starting in DuQuoin IL. Yeah, sounds great but considering I spend 12 hours a week driving to work, 3 hours driving for a bike ride that would likely leave me a broken husk is out of the question. Oh and there is the little fact that I haven’t rode past 50 miles in, I can’t remember… Did I ever ride past 50 miles this year? I wouldn’t have made it, especially not under 6 hours like they did.
No my ride today was nothing so ambitious. I rode out to Eagle Mountain, and climbed the gravel “road?” on my regular road bike and rode home. I averaged a very pedestrian 15 miles per hour.
I’ve just now rolled over 3000 miles for the year, and unless I start getting in some miles it’s going to be my lowest total in 6 years.
Bright Spots
I’m fast, but in very limited ways. I’m too fat to climb fast, and I haven’t get the miles for long endurance speed, but the short and intense rides that I’ve been doing have made me fast for short amounts of time on flat road.
I’m still riding, this is good. With no one available to ride with in any adjacent county the only real motivation I have is myself, and I’m surprised that I haven’t gave up myself yet.
Well until next time. Stay thirsty.
Barn Door Cycling 