Back on track

Its that time of year to venture into the darkness after work and put some miles in the bank for a payoff down the road. Call it lack of motivation, but I just haven't been able to get myself going after work and ride a bike until now. Several folks I know, all of them cyclists, have been diagnosed with Lyme disease after seeking medical help for feeling tired and lethargic among other symptoms. Thankfully, that is not my problem but if it were it would be a good excuse for the drag-assing I've been doing. I've just lost interest for some reason since July. I've maintained a trickling weight loss, however, due only to cutting my caloric intake down to the equivalent of a stick of gum twice a day (except when beer and eating with friends is involved), but now the real fat burning really begins.

I decided to take advantage of the nice weather we've had and do a few miles today after work. The route is a loop of roughly 5.4 miles and is fairly safe compared to taking chances on our regular routes. Jesse joined in on the fun and we did about 26 miles just to stretch our legs a bit at around 21 mph. I think I'll continue doing this loop like last winter, but I also want to see about an area that is lit and might work as a possible crit loop. A few of the Macon guys said they would drive down and join in on some crit workouts so I guess the ball is in my court. I'm also planning on starting back riding with those guys on Saturdays and see if I can hang on. Even though I knew I was going to die several times on some of the rides with them last year (at least I felt that way) the pay off was more than I ever imagined. I was also riding two nights a week, after work, in the dark, solo for 40+ miles, and on Sundays after the punishment I received on Saturday, but it was riding with much stronger riders that made the difference for the huge jump in fitness for me. Humbling as it was for me to be able to just hang on, I was proud that I never got dropped totally out of contact with the pack. Some folks had to help me back several times, but I never completely popped until the very end of the rides. That's what is supposed to happen anyway as far as I'm concerned.

I haven't ridden the re-route we worked on this past Saturday at Thomson because I wanted to see the line that has developed after it has been ridden in. That way I can mentally note where to cut out the remaining root beds to complete the trail mod. Its always a good idea to re-visit the mods you make so you can see if it works well, needs to be fine-tuned, or perhaps covered up so no-one can ever ride it again. So tomorrow I will see if it all works as planned.