Day 342 - Welcome to the Jungle

You know that Guns and Roses song "Welcome to the Jungle". The lyrics go "Welcome to the jungle. It gets worse here everyday. Ya learn ta live like an animal. In the jungle where we play." It looked and felt like I was riding through a jungle during our weekly group ride at the trails on Thursday. The grass, from the downpoor of rain that we received a few days ago, was 5 to 6 feet high in certain sections of trail. The tall grass made for a rough ride. We couldn't see the trails so we had to ride slow. The grass also stratched up my arms and legs. And there were hordes of mosquitos chasing us. If we stopped they would attack us. After of hour riding through the jungle we headed back to the trailhead all stratched up and bitten. It wasn't a fun ride.

Day 333 - McAllister Mud

Still in San Antonio. Decided after the tough ride at Flat Rock Ranch yesterday, that I needed something easy. A recovery ride. So after work I headed over to McAllister Park. McAllister Park has 16 miles of smooth, mostly flat, and flowing singletrack. Wasn't sure on what condition the trails would be in since they had received rain over the weekend. Got 50 feet into the trails and it wasn't good. Normally dry and fast. The trails were tacky, wet, and slow. They hadn't fully dried out yet. I couldn't get up to speed. It felt like I was dragging rocks behind me. What was suppose to be recovery ride, turned into a workout. I rode for an hour on the trails that were semi-dry. I had to port my bike across a couple of stream crossings, getting my shoes and socks soaking wet. (Here is a picture of my dirty socks drying on the dash). I finally gave up after the mud got worse. Ended up getting lost and riding around the park road for 30 minutes. A fitting end to a dirty and disappointing ride.

Day 332 - Revenge of Flat Rock

It was two years ago that I had wrecked on a downhill at Flat Rock Ranch in Comfort, Texas, cracking my helmet on a rock, breaking my sunglasses, and sending me to the emergency clinic for 15 stitches to my face. I had vowed to go back and ride it again. Well, today I got my revenge! I rode both the lower and upper loop. Lots of tight switchbacks, technical obstacles, lungbusting climbs, and hairy descents. A mix of smooth singletrack and flat rocks. (That's why they call it Flat Rock). Cleared about half of the technical obstacles. Was particularly sketchy because the rocks and roots were wet and slippery from the rain they had received a few days earlier. Since I was riding by myself I was careful, but I did let loose on a few of the decents. I was pleased with my Giant Anthem, especially on climbs. It climbs like a goat. Also, my hydraulic brakes slowed me down fast when needed. I rode for 4 hours, completing 20 miles. I was exhausted. This ride ranks right up there with my trip to Saltillo, Mexico. The ride was awesome and the revenge was sweet! Check out the pic of the baby lambs I saw at the ranch. They were so cute I wanted to take them home. I love lamb chops. Baaah!!!

Day 323 - My Ass and Nipples Hurt

Fifty-two miles. A personal best. That's what I ended riding on Saturday morning on Brian's road bike. I rode with a group roadies who meet at Bikemasters on Saturday morning. I was apprehensive about riding with them, since I didn't know any of them, I had never ridden that far on a mountain or road bike before, and I didn't know what the pace was. We took off from Bikemasters and hit the road. I slotted in behind everyone else. The first part of the ride was easy because we were with the wind. We rode at a 20 to 25 mph pace. There were times they would speed up and I was in danger of getting dropped. But fortunately, they slowed down. We hit a headwind on the way back, which slowed the pace down. I stuggled a bit on the way back, but managed to keep up by drafting on the biggest guy I could find. Toward the end, my ass and nipples hurt (insert favorite sex joke here). The hard seat had taken a toll on my ass and my jersey had rubbed my nipples raw. Double ouch. I was happy to roll into the parking lot and finish the ride. Quick. Somebody pass me the monkey butt powder.

Day 321 - Lettin' the Horses Run!

Tuesdays and Thursdays are our club's group rides days. I had missed the group ride on Tuesday, so I was eagerly anticipating Thurday's group ride. I arrived at the trails a few minutes early than our designated time of 6 p.m. I waited a few minutes. But no one showed. Disappointed, I hit the trails. Put in a moderately paced warm up lap and was headed back to start lap two when I come up on Hector, Eddie, Richard, and AC who were riding. I quickly turned my bike around and joined them. The were riding at a fast past. I followed them for about a two miles until I got tired of eating their dust and dirt. I stood up and cranked the pedals and headed up front. I was feeling good and rode hard. AC, on his new Fisher Superfly 100 29er (see pic), caught up and put the hammer down. I tucked in behind him and we were off. The dropped everyone else and it was just him and me, flying down the trails. We rode at race pace for about 5 minutes before stopping to let the others catch up. It felt great to let the horses run!

Day 317 - Bike in a Tree

While riding at the trails on Sunday, I came across one of the stranger things that I have seen out at the trails. I was riding Jackhammer by myself. I had gone out to ride to work off all the frosties I had drank the night before while catching up with two old fraternity buddies from college. Anyway, I the first time I past it on the trail out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw a rim in a tree. Somebody must have bent their wheel and left it I thought. Since I was doing another lap I would stop and take a picture of it on the next lap. Thirty minutes later when I came back, I stopped and what did I see? A whole compete bike up in a tree. It seemed in good condition. The tires had air. It looked rideable. I'm not sure what it was doing there. But it was one of the oddest things I have come across. While odd, it couldn't top the time I came across a freshly severed goat head hanging by a string from one of the branches! That was the creepiest thing that I have come across by far.