A taste of Heaven

Another busy week with too much work and too little time to play. I've been squeezing in rides and runs before and after work, but my first day off was bliss. I raced up to Truckee and road the Emigrant Trail and a little section of Lloyds. I can't describe how much fun it was to be back on my mountain bike again. I'm also starting to feel little bits of fitness poke through every now and again.

One of my favorite things to do after work is head out for a night ride. The temps during the day have been in the mid 90's, so it really is ideal to get out after the sun goes down. It's crazy how fast the weather has changed in the past 2-3 weeks. Nighttime is when all the critters come out. I don't mind the scorpions so much, but the rattlers are a whole other story. I not worried about myself, but I do worry about Bliksem getting curious and a little too close. During the day I rarely see anything moving up on the mountain during the hot summer months, but the hills come alive after dark. Mice and rabbits are everywhere and usually gravitate to the light. It takes every little bit of skill to not hit them as they dance around in front of the bike.

I also managed a trip down to visit my dad. I can't believe how many fun places I keep finding in Foresthill that I haven't been before. I managed to squeeze in 4 rides in 4 days and still have time to go boating in the afternoon on Clementine Lake. It would have been even more fun to go boat camping....... next time.

On the Halo Trail above Reno.

Breathing.....

Winter is tough..... especially when it lasts through May. With the cold weather and being sick for 6 weeks it has been a really tough couple months for me. Getting outside and playing is how I balance my crazy life. It's when I feel whole and happy, and to be on complete rest for over a month was pure torture. This past week the weather did a complete shift. What had been the high temps were now the lows. This week I got two amazing sessions in. One was snow running on the Tahoe Rim Trail and the other night riding until nearly 11pm under a full moon. I feel so alive again!!

Usually by this time in the season I've already got base and have some races in the legs. One of my favorite places to get in base miles is the Tahoe Rim Trail above Tahoe. I usually head south from Mt. Rose Meadows until I hit Marlette Lake and then back. Since I was finally feeling healthy I headed up to my favorite run spot only discover 5-6 feet of snow covering the trail. Since I'm not as serious at this point in the season and Bliksem was looking particularly excited, I went for a snow run. Snow shoes would have perfect, but I didn't even think about it when I left my house. I didn't even make it close to Marlette, but Bliksem and I did have a blast. I also discovered that I really am happy that I'm not running Western States this year. I can only imagine how much snow is on the trail.

The views on the Rim Trail are amazing!!

Bliks checking the view.

It's going to be a long time before the trail is snow free....

Warm enough to run in a skirt except for when I fell through the top layer of snow

Making dog snow angels

Adventure #2 was spur of the moment. I got off work on time and walked outside and had an itch to go mountain biking. I raced home and loaded the bike, dog, and lights. I got some funny looks at the trail head as I headed out just as the sun was going down.

What a magical night. There was no one out on the trails. It was just me, my dog, and the wind. The sun went down and the full moon came up. It's an amazing experience just to sit on the side of a mountain in the dark. Love it!!

Just before the sun went down

Bliks and the full moon

Moonlight over the city

A long hiatus

When it rains it pours.... but at least I didn't miss any nice weather. We've been having I've been sick for nearly 6 weeks, but it looks like I'm finally on the correct antibiotic. On the drive to Wildflower at the end of April I got a little bit of a sore throat. I put it at the back of my mind for the race, and a flat ended up taking me out of the race. I guess I really need to learn how to change a tubular.... or at least carry a spare.

On the drive home the sore throat came back. Of course I worked the next day. I didn't feel that bad so I worked that week and headed down to start the Miwok 100K the next weekend. I felt horrible from the start of the race and pulled the plug at the turnaround. I was stoked to get that far. Every year I run as many miles as I am old and mission accomplished..... barely. The views were totally worth getting sick for though. I can't wait until I'm healthy so I can go back and run on these trails again.

Sunrise over Golden Gate Bridge

As usual I worked again the next day and what a mistake. By the next day I couldn't hear out of my ear, swallow, or get my eyes open. I never ever go to the doctor, but this time I knew it was necessary. After four hours hanging around the waiting room I was sent home on antibiotic #1. 3 trips to the doctor and 3 antibiotics later I am finally feeling better.

In the middle of this the Tour of California came to Tahoe. Gary, Keevin, and I had great plans to ride all weekend and follow the race on Sunday and Monday. Then it started dumping snow. Crazy mid winter snow. We opted to drive up and watch the race instead. During the course of the morning we heard the race was on, then it wasn't, then it was, and a final it was canceled. We did have fun hanging out near Emerald Bay, but it wasn't the weekend or weather I had envisioned.

Keevin chasing random cyclists up the hill
Gary and I clowning around

Maybe the racers heard about all the bear attacks and decided not to chance it.


Gary and Keevin on the bridge on the hike to Eagle Lake (above Emerald Bay)

I just retrieved my mountain bike from the shop 2 days ago. Apparently I did a number on it during that 12 hour race in January. The first ride back was pure bliss..... can't believe it's been a couple months with no mountain bike.

Racing plans for the summer have changed drastically. I'm back to base training this week and probably back to racing in August. It was very frustrating at times, but down time did make me focus on what is really important in life.... like my bike. :-)