Fortunate one

So apparently Google is down? really? Mine works? I've been searching, checking emails, reading up on other people dribble through google reader. I guess I'm one of the fortunate ones.... or maybe I should wonder how much I'd get done if in fact my little area of Google stopped working. I don't see any of my gTalk (riding buds) online... I guess they are off the map.... what are you guys doing with your freeeedom?


So some highlights from DSG I wanted to share before life moves on to something else:

• going down 'early' this year and hanging Friday afternoon
• Seeing Clay with a huge grin on his face (you know this guy is having fun)
• Meeting new cool peeps... Misfit crew, Moots crew, Curtis Inglis, even Team Dicky
• Seeing old NMB friends of late (some I haven't seen since DSG aught 8)
• My first solo 12hr event (though it actually became a solo 4.5 hr event)
• My first 1/2 lap in the rain was actually fun
• Seeing clay be the big equalizer....
• Watching Scott McConnell muster on all day with a smile
• Seeing the crowd still enjoy the day even after being anniliated by the thick clay


Some photo highlights of the weekend:

credit: Bluetree Images
I enjoyed making it up the powerline climb on my first lap. I was forced to walk it on my second lap.

credit: Travis West
Still smilin' after Lap 1


Hannah grinning after her 1st lap. Hilary still happy after getting cleaned up.

credit: Bluetree Images
Mathew Portell of RideforReading.org having a blast on the trail

wow what a weekend - Dirt Sweat and Gears 2009

Words cannot describe all that happened this past weekend down in Fayetteville. I'm sure if you've come here for a race review, you've read (or will soon) all about the full out cement/mud fest that insued. Thankfully this was only one small part of the weekend fun. I drove down to Fayetteville early Friday morning to get setup and settled in. This event proved to be the biggest Dirt Sweat & Gears yet with over 400 racers coming out. After getting camp setup and finding where friends were setting up and I had the pleasure of meeting some new friends from Moots, Team Dicky, Will of Bolt Brothers Cycles, Misfit Psycles, and Curtis of Inglis Cycles. The trail was looking wet on Friday but everyone was optomistic it would be great if the rain stayed away. (little did we know)

I himmed and hawed about going out for a preride lap. I didn't want to trash my bike before the race but I did want to try and get a ride on a YBB bike from Moots. Unfortunately the one they had in my size was already out on the course so I quickly jumped in on the tails of Johnny5 and his teammate Dickey on my Quiring. I rode most of the trail alone and at my own slow pace. It was as wet as I'd seen it but I was loving my tire choices for the weekend.... Kenda Klaw rear and Conti Mtn King front. After cleaning up my bike and myself we made dinner plans and headed out to Raphael's for pizza and gyro plates. The 20" frankenbike race was held when we got back. This was just hilarious and painful to watch. The bike was a normal size frame (for 650b or 700c wheels) but with 20" wheels so the pedals were like 2" off the ground. Just about every racers dug their toes into the ground which caused the entire bike to donkey kick into the air. I got some great pictures of it up on my Flick set.

Saturday morning came early and the sky looked ominous. The forecast called for rain around 9am but we all hoped they were wrong, as they usually are. Camping makes it hard not to get up early so I was up by 6am and slowly getting my stuff organized and getting breakfast and coffee. Once again Clay supplied a great pancake breakfast for all the racers. The perks were huge this year from the organizers... free beer, free pancake breakfast, $10 worth of free food, free beer and a great Yazoo/DSG pint glass.

As we were all standing waiting to start the race the rain came...right on schedule at 8:55am. I knew then it would be a long day for me. I was hoping for 6 laps for my debut 12 hr solo effort. I also was hoping for a long day on the bike as training for the upcoming Dirty Kanza ride. credit: s3ll0ut


I ended up doing neither. My first lap was wet but I was enjoying riding the trail. I was pacing myself for an all day effort so I was in the back of the pack and sitting in a lot of traffic in the singletrack. I was surprised how well my tires were working. Mini review here: Kenda Klaw 1.95 rear tire gets great traction in the wet mud. I was climbing a lot more than the geared riders around me. I got about halfway into the trail before the mud started turning to cement. It was last year all over again, but this time I had a better bike with better clearance, 1 gear and a rigid fork. I was doing good with walking my bike. I had to clear out the back tire a lot but my front still had ample clearance so I trudged along. My chain started looking like a long log of poo and sounded nasty when I could pedal. I finally made it to our pit area and stopped for a bit to get some fluids. It was only 2.5 miles til the end from here and I thought I'd be back soon to clean my drivetrain, lube my chain and head back out. When I finally made it to the finish line I questioned just waiting out the next few laps to let it all dry out. I ate and drank and got my bike lubed up and decided now was the best time to attempt a 2nd lap.

Back out I went but was immediately stopped in the singletrack and the pushing began.

Push push push

clean bike

push

clean bike

push push

try to lift bike....too heavy (bikes were weighing in at over 100lbs with the added mud)

clean bike... lift bike and carry til my back hurt

Fuzzy passed me walking and had his bike on his shoulder in a way I'd never seen. I was immediately inspired and I cleaned my tires and picked up the bike for the next 1/4 mile. My shoes were getting no traction at all so it was just as hard to walk up a hill with a bike on my back than it was to just push a bike up. Atleast I could lean on the bike when I was pushing it.


credit: Travis West


I decided that once I got to Clay's house at the top of the hills and saw the entrance to the poop-shoot that I was quitting this lap. I struggled with quitting as I've never quit a race before. I convinced myself that if the conditions improved, I would just go back up the poop-shoot and continue my lap where I left off. That was it for me... I finally made it to Clay's house and took the right turn straight down the hill back to our pit area.... exhausted. My first lap was 2:25 and it took me almost 2 hrs just to get halfway around to Clay's house on my second lap. I could see no one was riding, even the pro riders were carrying their bikes and knew it was just a walking day. I wanted to ride, bad, but there was no choice. I could quit and enjoy the rest of the festival or I could continue to carry my bike around the woods on my back.


I'm still bummed that I quit, bummed I couldn't test my endurance but I had an awesome time the rest of the day. Everyone was still in good spirits and laughing it off. I got cleaned up and got my bike clean and grabbed a beer. I'd say the day was saved by the fun people and the food and beer available. People were quitting the race left and right at this point. Strong riders that I admire were quitting which made me feel better. I felt bad for the teams though with riders who never even got to get out and try it. I feel fortunate that I was able to enjoy some of the first lap before it all just got rediculous.

credit: s3ll0ut
there were huge lines at the bike wash stations so we used the creek to wash up... it only smelled a little like horse poo.

Big big thanks to Clay/Grant and Tryon for putting on such an amazing event. Thanks to everyone for coming out and giving it their all. The people who attend these events make them a success and this event has the best participants for sure! HUGE props to Scott McConnell...the only rider I know who started the 12hr race and didn't finish until it was over. He didn't quit when everyone around him did. Amazing!

I am sore, definitely more sore than I should be for only being out there for 1.5 laps and I still have a lot of cleaning to do on my bike and tent and gear. Next adventure looks to be the Montgomery Bell Monkey Grinder race this coming Sunday. They are giving an amazing deal on the entrance price so I hope I can get out there to support them.

Are we gonna have a repeat?

rain everywhere

We just got back in Nashville after leaving a craft show in Athens, GA where it was raining. It rained the entire drive back to Nashville and it's raining here in Nashville. I hear it even rained here in Nashville all weekend. Pretty sure it rained in Fayetteville...the home of Dirt Sweat and Gears 2009.

I hope we don't have a repeat of Laps 1-3 of last years DSG race. As a new 29er rider, I don't have a stash of extra tires built up, actually I don't have any extra tires. So... I'm calling on some NMB friends to borrow some narrower tires that will hopefully work well enough in thick, sticky clay (not toochickens Clay) conditions. I'm super excited about the race and entering it solo. Even if the race is exactly like last year, I see myself sitting out the first lap or so, since I can do that now.

I Ti(ed) a few on...

So Ti One On was a grand success! I know I had a great time and really enjoyed sharing my Thurs night with some new people. I think everyone really enjoyed themselves. Lots of SORBA/Moots raffle tickets were sold and many people left with other great swag. Big thanks to Clay and the rest of the DSG group (+Moots), Darryl and all the SORBA MidTN folks and to Yazoo for hosting a fine event!

It turned out to be an awesome evening to ride around Nashville. The temperature was perfect for a short sleeve wool jersey (or sweater as some like to call it). The rain stayed away long enough for me to make it all the way home around midnight. I hit the couch and was out in less than 5 minutes.

Here are some photos of the shenanigans:

Capt. Moots

Please keep it in your pants Thad!

The bacon box gets passed on again...


Troy and Thad rolling home for some of Troy's homebrew


Overexposed

Ti One On at the Yazoo Tap Room with the DSG Crowd

Ti One On happy hour at the Yazoo Tap Room on Thursday February 26 from 6-8. Come hang out with your old friends, meet a few new ones and enjoy a cold Yazoo - The first one is on DSG! This will be your chance to make your donations to SORBA/IMBA and get a crack at taking home a real Ti beauty. You can also register for DSG if you already haven't. We'll have random drawings for cool schwag and darn tootin' good time.

I know I'll be there and will be arriving on some titanium of my own. This is your chance to come and experience the Yazoo Tap Room for yourself and see what all the fuss, mystery and shenanigans are all about that you've been hearing about.

No excuses Reed...Dad's can come too.

Anyone else interested in riding down to also help show Nashville that cyclists like to use our roads too can contact me and meet at my house. Don't worry, I'm only 5 miles from Yazoo.

Don't miss a chance to hang with Clay, heckle Thad and throw back a Project 10 with Jeffy!!

I'll show you weather!

Another weekend came and went, except this one was full of mtn biking. I got a reprise from work and had Friday off which I took as an invitation to relax and chill at home. I tried to get a home project done but was pushed off course by our so-cool, overly tall windows; anyone know of any inexpensive, cloth roman shades that are 77+" long? I had a nice long conversation with my Dad before he headed out to Afghanistan. He'll just be gone a couple weeks this time and should send back some cool mountain photos.

The weather forecast for Saturday was looking bleak with freeze/thaw conditions at most trails and chance of rain rolling in around noon. Dougie and I took the chance though and drove down to Columbia, TN to ride Chickasaw Trace. We found the trail to be a little slick in some corners but overall in great shape. The temperature was rising during our first lap and had us both wishing we'd not worn so many layers. My legs felt great and the new bike was riding nicely. I've only had the Q out at Monty Bell so far so this was it's maiden voyage at Chickasaw. It took to the terrain quite well and all the reroutes are getting burned in and riding better than my last trip. We shed layers and went back out for a second lap. The trail had dried out considerably but I was feeling the first lap in my legs. Cooler weather was coming in fast and we started to regret our new clothing choices. Mid TN lived up to the adage of "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 min." Doug broke his chain about 2/3rd of the way through the loop and had to bail out to the parking lot but pushed me to finish my lap. This ride was a great reminder of what a great trail Chickasaw is and how much support this trail has. The trail is in great shape for late winter and there were many riders out on Saturday enjoying it. Kudos to everyone who works on that trail!

Beth and I were planning on heading over to Dan's bday/mardi gras party and had a hankering for some Mexican food. We had some amazing Mexican in Philly at El Vez and we were looking to discover (or rediscover) some new, above average, Mexican in Nashville. We hit our new local establishment, La Hacienda with hopes of short wait times, as it was 6:30pm on a Sat. We both strayed from our usual orders and were rewarded with some amazing food. I hadn't been to La Hacienda in years and Beth (a Nashville native) had never been. We'll definitely be back soon and are looking forward to spring when we can walk there from our house.

We made it over to Dan's completely stuffed which was unfortunate since he and Holly had a great spread setup. We enjoyed some beers and catching up with some old friends and making some new ones. Beth was able to finally meet some of my riding friends, many whom have bought jewelry from her but never met her. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, some more than others but Beth and I were fading fast. We headed out around 11:30 after receiving an amazing care package from Katy R. (look for more on that in a later post but think food...) Check out Dan's blog to see how the night ended.

This weekend was the SORBA workday(s) at the Dirt Sweat and Gears trail in Fayetteville, TN. A large group went down Saturday and did a ton of work opening some new trail. They camped (barned to avoid the rain) and enjoyed a keg of Yazoo and some rawdy southern style campfire shenanigans. I'm sure Thad (Johnny5) will have a good account of it all up on this blog soon.

Dougie and I drove down to Fayetteville early Sunday morning to meet the group and get some more work done on the trail. We found them already finishing up a bridge they had started the day before and we joined in and got caught up on all the goings-on the night before. We then re-established some power-line trails that had be covered up with some TVA trimming and then started working on a downhill reroute. We got a bunch of work done on a new route down an eroded fireroad decent into the powerline section of trail. We carved in a sweeping right turn with berm that should set you up better for the bridge at the bottom of the hill and the next rise.

Clay played a great host to us and provided food, laughs and more beer. We hung out for a while at his new barn and had lunch and then suited up to ride a lap before leaving. Some rain had come through over night but the trail had really

photo credit: TWolf

dried out a lot by the time we were riding. I was feeling really great on the bike having fun chasing Thad around. Though fireroad climbs were still stick I was able to make the first two big climbs. 911 hill still got me off the bike but I got the second half. This was a big confidence booster for me. I had to walk these last year on my SS and my geared bike. I'm riding DSG solo this year and I'm sure I'll be walking them for most of my laps, but I know I can make them at least once. We were riding with a younger rider, Ian, who lives in Fayetteville and came out to help work on the trail. He did great and was eager to learn more but had to bail out to head to work.

We rode the rest of trail full of big grins, freeriding over rock gardens and skinnies. We were able to ride the new downhill we'd cut which was fun. I really enjoy riding a trail and going through sections of trail that you helped either cut or berm or maintain. It is very rewarding seeing your work while riding your bike but also you feel a sense of ownership in the trail. You aren't just riding, you're riding a trail that is now special to you. It's a feeling that is hard to explain.

photo credit: TWolf

This trip to Fayetteville also cemented a big excitement in me for the Dirt Sweat and Gears 12hr Race. I don't make it down to this trail very often but I had an amazing weekend last year at DSG. I competed on a 4man team last year and am going to try it solo this year. Clay and Grant organized an awesome event last year and I just know it's going to be even better this year. With Moots coming this year and more events taking place other than just the main race like a pump track, skills course and night time 20" time trail, the weekend is going to be packed full of excitement.

Dirt Sweat and Gears, and mud, food, and beers

I'm still slowly settling down after such a great weekend down at Dirt Sweat and Gears in Fayetteville, TN. Clay and Grant put on an amazing weekend of fun. I had to miss the SSUSA festivities on friday due to work but headed down early saturday morning. My alarm blarred at 4:20am and I could hear it pouring rain outside. I was thinking how great it would feel to just stay in bed for another 3o minutes before heading to the race. Was there really any reason to go early when it was raining so hard? I was excited to get there so I got up and made some coffee. I finally got going and got the truck packed when the rain would let up. After an one and half hour drive in the rain, I made to the Cotton Mill preserve. Everything was already bumpin' when I got there at 7am. I was amazing at how many people already had their stuff setup and also how many riders I knew who came to race. It was clear everyone was excited and anxious.

After some yummy breakfast I met up with my other team members, John, Phil and Eric (all from NMB) and we started discussing who was going to be the poor sap to ride the first lap. Thankfully it had stopped raining by 8-8:30ish but it was wet, very wet. I was very anxious to ride and couldn't think of a good reason to postpone riding, even if I had to ride in the mud so I volunteered to start the race. Off to the starting line I went with all the crazies. I barely made to my bike in one piece after the lemans start, avoiding tackles from Hawt Mike and Xtanker! I really enjoyed being apart of the start. Some people were running hard and sprinting off the line, but it seemed most of the people around me realized there was no real rush given it was a 12 hr race and since the conditions were less than ideal.


Now, I am getting pretty good at riding in the mud this year. Out of 5 races, 4 of them have been muddy. This was not merely mud though. It was mud, on top of clay. I rode through the field and tried to stay in the grass as much as I could, but once I got into the single track my drive train locked up pretty quickly. After I dismounted to check out what was up I realized what I was in for. Mud was caked in my seatstays and chainstays and my derailleur had all types of vegetation in it. This was my first dismount to clean my bike, one of about 20 I'd estimate. Overall my drivetrain performed great in this mud fest. I passed a few riders with broken chains, broken derailleurs and heard of more carnage after my lap was over. My big problem was my lack of mud clearance. I was running 2.1 Nevegals but the clay would cake up all around the tires and not come off. My tires got so wide it looked like I was making some pottery as the mud was carved into neat, smooth layers on the sidewalls of my tires. It got so bad I couldn't even push my bike, the wheels just totally siezed. I had to stop about 10 times and carve off the clay with my hands. After having to stop 2 or 3 times on the same hill, I realized even pushing my bike was futile. I found it was easier to clean it once at the bottom of a hill, then throw the bike on my back and just hoof it up the hill on foot.

This lap was taking forever! Our team was betting on 1:15 min laps on average. I was around mile 6 or 10.5 probably at 1:15 in. I started feeling guilty that my next teammate was waiting on me and wondering what the heck was taking me so long. I thought that everyone must be suffering also, but starting thinking I'd be lapped soon. Looking at the times, the pros didn't seem to have any issue with the mud. Tinker's first lap was only like 5-10 minutes slower than the rest of his laps....that's it!! My first lap was 1:55, way off from our 1:15 average we were thinking!! This lap wore me out but I still enjoyed it! It was humid and I was sweating buckets and was totally soaked after the lap. In the excitement of getting ready I forgot to take my Sportlegs pills and wasn't drinking enough water. I had a few small cramps in my calves during the lap, mainly from trying to walk up the slick hills in my poorly treaded riding shoes.

( Team 'Not Gonna Win' after the race. left to right: John, me, Eric and Phil)

I was happy to know I could stop after this lap and someone else would pick up the riding. I figured I had 3.5 hours or so before I had to ride again so I cleaned up and got a beer. There were a ton of food vendors and booths setup so I chilled and walked around and visited with other riders. This was my first 12 hr event and it was awesome to see so much activity. It was like mtn biking heaven, surrounded by like minded people and everyone enjoying themselves. I hung out in the Swiftwick tent for a while and watched the Yazoo riders come in and go out. Sharpie had a killer spot right next to the finish line.

By now the sky had completely cleared up and the temperature was climbing. The trail was drying out fast from the sun and wind but also from the volume of riders. Every lap was getting faster and faster. Phil, John and Eric all rode great 1st laps and finished with big grins. The start/finish area was setup so you did not have to dismount and pass anything off to the next rider. Solo riders could take a different path and just keep right on riding their next lap.

After relaxing for a few hours, I went to the bike wash and cleared all the clay off my bike and relubed my drivetrain. By the time I was ready for my second lap, the trail looked to be super fast and almost completely dry. It was a totally different experience out there. I really had fun on this lap. I struggled with the hills but I could tell my time was a lot better. I was starting to feel a bit over heated. I didn't do a good job with my hydration and forgot to put sun block on in the morning so I wasn't feeling great in the middle of my lap. I rode almost the entire lap alone, seeing very few riders. I had trouble keeping a fast pace and pushing myself. A fast rider came up and passed me around mile 6 and I caught his wheel and tried to keep up as long as I could. This was great and just the motivation I needed. I stayed with him for a couple miles and then fell off. I got another burst of energy a mile later and was loving the single track I was in. I heard a rider behind me for a bit and then I started feeling like I couldn't keep this pace up so I asked if they wanted around. I just heard a calm "sure" and then Tinker rode by and thanked me. I was feeling rough, on my second lap and I bet he was on his 6th or 7th lap at this point and still seemed fresh.

After hitting Lucy Loop towards the end of my lap, I was pretty sure I was done with the climbing and pushed the pace up. This section is fast, and was packed down well by this time. The last mile and a half are really fun. I rode hard back to the starting line and ended up with a decent lap time this go around. 1:14... way faster than my first lap which was 1:55! crazy how different the course was just a few hours later.

After my second lap I talked to Eric and we did the math to try to figure it if we would be get in 8 laps or 9. 9 laps would mean someone had to do a 3rd lap so I wanted to figure out if I would do another one or not. Even with the faster lap times we were getting now, there wasn't any way we could get in a 9th lap. No worries, we were there to have fun and ride. For my first 12 hr race, I had a blast, rode hard and was pretty sore and tired. Our team did well and we finished 11th out of 25 teams. Not bad at all and about where we wanted to be, mid pack. I was jealous of the solo and duo riders who were riding more than me. Next race I'll have to give a go at solo or duo. I don't regret doing DSG on a team as I do not think this race would of been the best introduction to 12 hr racing for me. I really enjoyed having time to visit with people and just hang out between riding my laps.

I chose to ride my full suspension bike for the race. Given the mud of the first lap, it may of been better to have my single speed, but really my bike performed well in the mud. I don't think my single speed would of given me that much more mud clearance. My Ventana did get heavy with all the clay but I enjoyed the suspension. I was wishing for a more narrow rear tire. The 2.1 with the mud was just too much. The nevegal tire would not let go of the mud and it just got wider and wider. The tubeless setup was perfect, no flats and great traction and my shifting was great and never needed any adjustments.

I think everyone really enjoyed the trail and had a blast riding all day. Scott McConnell won the amatuer Solo Singlespeed category!! That is awesome and he really rode hard and deserved the win! He won a new bike and if anyone deserved it, it was Scott. I can't wait to see him race on this new bike, he is gonna smoke it!!

Big thanks to Clay and Grant for organizing such an awesome event!! Thanks for all the volunteers, vendors, bike shops and everyone who helped with the weekend. It appeared to go off without any issues, which is the goal. I'm sure there were little fires that Clay and Grant had to put out, but I never saw any of them. It was the smoothest race I've every witnessed and having the on-going results posted was awesome! I can't wait until next years DSG 3.0 and am seeking some more 12hr races to enter into.

Here is a link to my Flickr set for the weekend photos: DSG 2008

another full work week

Last week has come and gone, clearly. It was filled with many things, but unfortunately not many that were cycling related. That's ok though, I've been overly fortunate with the amount of time I've been able to devote to riding and cycling related activities. It's time to do some work. Having to miss things due to work or any reason really just makes doing those things again that much more enjoyable.

I was able to sneak out for a long trip down to Fayetteville on Saturday to pre-ride the DSG course with Thad and gRant (who needs a blog). This was my inaugural ride and I almost bailed out due to work. I manned up and made arrangements for the work to be done later; meaning I told myself I'd rather ride and would stay up late working because of it. No regrets after a couple miles of trail. This trail is sweet and includes a bit of everything you could want, rolling trail through pastures, tight twisty single track, deathly steep fireroad climbs and a lot of rocky, rooty terrain. All four of us (including Clay) were on singlespeeds, with Thad and I being the idiots and not changing out gearing for the trail. Thad (34x18), Greg (32x17), gRant (32x20, 29er), Clay (32x22). hmmm we were in for some suffering.

We rode a full lap starting in the field and down by the road. This was good for a short warm up before the nasty climbs came. First fireroad climb and I quit immediately and walked thinking, "crap, this is gonna be a long day" After some flowing single track, gRant warned of the next steep fireroad so I was able to attack it at the beginning better and made this climb. My legs actually felt great and very strong through this first lap, but I was having trouble recovering at the tops of climbs. I just couldn't get my lungs and heart rate in check. I was happy with my gear choice for 80% of the course, only really suffering on the fireroad climbs and a couple switchbacks. I could of ran 32x18 and maybe kept my efforts more consistent, may try that next time.

We rode at a nice pace stopping a lot to chat and rest and also taking the time to try some sections again. There was a slightly uphill technical section with a sharp right turn that we sessioned a few times. It was a game of attack and careful line choice. Don't go too slow or you'll never make it past the rocks, but try to miss the big rocks and steer wide through the turn to keep speed for the next rocky section. When we finished the lap we stopped by the cars for me to change a flat and then headed straight up the 'poop shoot' to Clay's house for brews and pizza. We spent an hour just chatting and living the good life on the 'big hill', sitting out on the patio in the sun soaking up spring time. Our next plan was just to bomb back down the trail we'd just suffered up and head on home.

We ended up meeting up with a couple more riders when we got back to the car. Scott M from NMB and Kevin were finishing a lap and convinced us to get in some more mileage. We'd talked with Clay about riding backwards so we headed back into the trail with the plan to avoid the climbs and hit the fun middle flowy sections backwards. At this point I was just spent and my body was confused. It rested just long enough and was told we were done riding so it just turned off. Too much pizza and my energy level was nil. I sat on the back of the group and pedaling around, trying not to get too far behind. A few sections I really enjoyed, but overall I was frustrated with myself and couldn't keep any flow going.

When we got back to the cars again Clay and his family were suiting up the horses (and donkey) for a ride so we hung with them and chatted until they were ready to ride. Long drive back with some stubborn drivers in the fast lane and next thing I knew we're back at the farm. Temps dropped 10 degrees from when we left so I quickly moved my stuff from Grant's truck to mine and headed home. Great day in the saddle and I'm feeling it in the legs now. I felt great after the ride, but it was delayed pain.

I'm glad yesterday was Easter cus I used that as an excuse to rest all day and not move around much. I finished up some work in the morning and headed to the in-laws for lunch. Got to bed early and now I'm ready for a new week. This week is more filled than last week, but it's great! I have some editing to do on a Kelly Pickler project today to get it ready to mix then I am going to working down at the Bennett House in Franklin the rest of the week. I'm not sure what that will entail but I have hopes of commuting by bike at least one day. I'm thinking that Thurs will be the best bet so I can meet up with Thad and ride into the tap room after work. We'll see what unfolds when I start the work on tuesday.

Enjoy the beginning of spring and I hope you all get to ride ride ride!