Okay, I'm running a week behind with these updates. I'm also not taking advantage of the weather as much as I should. I was able to get out last Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday though. Sunday was the day of the monthly GORC ride at Greensfelder Park. This is a ride I've wanted to do for what seems like the last two years, but have never made it out to attend. Originally I wanted to go because I was pretty sure there were parts of the park I had never been to, but over the last several months, my usual riding buddies and I started exploring some of the less traveled trails there and now I think I've seen almost everything that is bicycle friendly. At any rate, Sunday morning I made my way over to the park and met up with a group of over a dozen riders for the ride. It was only in the 40's that day, but with the winter we've had, the trail was in really good shape and the parking lot was as busy as I've ever seen it! I think the secret on this place is getting out! We rode Declue clockwise, which is opposite of the way I typically ride there now and while I was one of the slower guys in the group, I continue to impress myself with the stuff that I was riding over out there. There's sections of this trail that I was walking most of just last summer that I'm riding through with barely putting a food down of late. Unfortunately, I think some of this is because of the formation of easier lines through some tough spots, but I think I've getting a little braver as well. I've also been riding my hard tail there this year, and I think the lighter weight of that bike helps me out in places as well (anyone want to buy my full suspension?). After we completed the loop of Declue, I did another thing I've never done before at that park - I also did a loop of Dogwood. Usually, by the time I make it around Declue, I'm so exhausted that I'm ready to go home, but I was feeling good enough that I didn't back out when the group made the loop of Dogwood. After that though, it was time to head back, especially since it was getting to be about 2 or 3 and I hadn't had lunch yet.
At one point the previous week, the weather forecast was predicting mid-60's on Monday, so I put in for what I think was my first vacation day of the year. Unfortunately, that number kept falling, and by the time Monday actually rolled around, it was only in the upper 40's. However, my wife seems to be slowly getting the riding bug (FINALLY!) and she was all excited to take the kids over to Grant's trail in the new carrier we bought for them last fall. At first my son didn't really want to get in (probably seems too much like his car seat), but he settled down pretty quickly once we started rolling from the west end of the trail. My daughter usually likes these rides more, and she got pretty excited when we saw the horses at Grant's Farm. She also kept wanting me to go faster than my wife, but the mountain bike combined with 70 pounds of kids and a 20-25 pound trailer slowed me down way more than I thought it would on such a flat trail and I could only eat my wife's dust. I'd taken them out a few times around the house last fall which is much hillier, but either they've grown a bunch in 4 months or my legs have gotten weak over the winter. We made it to the other end of the trail without incident, but we lingered a bit too much at that end because J started crying again when he realized that he wasn't going to get out. Unfortunately, this time he didn't calm down nearly as quickly, and I had a crying kid to pull 8 miles back to the car. Then about halfway back, his sister got into the act as well, whining that there wasn't enough room. At that point, I couldn't really tell who was okay and who was miserable, but I was just trying to get back to the car as fast as I could (about 11-12 mph). Thankfully, across the street from where the car was parked, there is a playground, and when we got there, we let the kids out to burn off some energy (maybe we should've done that at the start?) and I went to the QT around the corner to get a soda and corn dog. Again, it was 2 or 3 and I hadn't had lunch yet.
Tuesday, I was back at work and this was the day it was into the 60's, so I got out of work as early as I could for being out the previous day and made another trip over to Greensfelder. It was still a pretty late start though, and I rode Declue the same way I started on Sunday, then when I met up with my coworker who was running it in the opposite direction, I turned around and we rode back to the parking lot. At that point, it was getting dark, and he was spent, but I looked at my mileage and thought that I needed something more. I was afraid a full Dogwood loop would be too much, so I completed my evening with an out and back on the segment of Declue on the west side of Allenton Rd.
Unfortunately, I have not been on two wheels since that day. Wednesday, I went down to the Tap Room for the monthly GORC meeting, then Thursday was rainy, Friday I spent with the family after work, and after walking up to the bank to do some business Saturday morning, one of my buddies came over with his daughter so they could play for a while, and when they left, I crashed in the La-Z-Boy with J while K took a nap and my wife went for a run and THEN a bike ride. Sunday I maybe should've gone out early before the rains came, but I decided not to turn down a free breakfast at Mickey D's.
You've been getting in lots of good bike time. I'm jealous that you're so close to the singletrack. We have SIUE, though, so I shouldn't complain since I rarely even make it out there on my bike after work. Other than losing the hour, I'm grateful for daylight savings and the chance of more ride time.
ReplyDeleteVery cool that your wife is catching the riding bug. :) I can remember the last time my husband and I rode towing the bike trailer (2010). My 6 year old was too big for the trailer but couldn't ride his bike well enough to ride with us. My husband doesn't ride much, so I towed the trailer on my hybrid and he rode his mountain bike. Even on the nice, flat MCT trails I was dying.
Having singletrack almost in my backyard is the one nice thing about living out here at the edge of the metro. And with daylight savings time, I can now get in a full lap at Greensfelder after work, so I can finally ride somewhere other than Lost Valley during the week.
Delete