It's Saturday and I'm at work...... again. Bleh.
Last night's down pour made me feel a little better, it's pretty rough sitting at work during the weekend knowing there is a big ride going down somewhere out in the woods and all your friends are there to experience it except you. I was totally ready to call in a vacation day this weekend had the plans been laid down but they never came and it's probably a good thing as it's likely to be a mess out there. I seriously doubt I'm missing too much.
A month or so ago I decided I needed to mix up my routine a bit, that and up my game. Things are coming along nicely so far but I've not been out running as much as I'd like to. There were a couple of mornings when I was coming off of nightshift and had plans to squeeze in a run before hitting the bed but I talked myself out of it. Not sure why but I did, I think the long shifts started to wear on me after a couple of days and my motivation flew out the window. Taking a couple days off should recharge my batteries and get me back into the groove, hopefully.
Lately I've felt the burn out effect, I don't think I'm the only one. Burn out from my local trails that is, you know when you've ridden the same trails over and over all summer with very little change? Yeah I'm feeling that, it's part of my reasoning for wanting to switch things up. I did have 2 seperate plans to ride a specific local trailhead this week and rather than go and trudge through the same old same old, I mixed it up a bit, took different lines, slowed the pace down a little and explored some. I wasn't exploring as in riding un-chartered territory but more of exploring new lines, ideas for new lines and places or features to jump, slide through or ride over. It's funny how you can ride through a certain section of trail week after week and never see that rock or root or natural berm/lip that can make your ride that much more fun and exciting. Slowing down and stopping to smell the trail can really open up your eyes to fun and exciting things, even if you've ridden that trail a hundred times.
There is a section of trail on Chestnut at Bays Mountain Park that's all downhill, swooping fast and bermed in a few places. It's a fast section and if you've got the guts to lay off the brakes it can be one helluva thrilling ride. A few of the locals have started a sort of contest where they see who can coast, without pedaling down this trail and go the farthest on momentum only. No one stops to fool with removing chains, it's all honor. I've joined in recently and it's alot of fun, just when you think you've had an awesome run and you're going to beat your last distance you end up coming up short with you last run just a few feet away. I'm left scratching my head wondering what tree or turn was it I pulled on the chicken shit brake levers for. Did I go too high on that berm? Did I loose momentum trying to jump everything that looked like a jump? I dunno but it happens and it makes me want to turn it around and go back for another run.
Back on the subject of trail features, all of this stopping to smell the trail whooha has got me thinking, thinking of new things to build. Not really new trails but new features to add to trails and ways to improve what's there. I probably should be writing this down as ideas come to mind but who knows if I'll ever have time to make any of it happen. There was so much I had planned to do last year that never got done. Time flies when your out digging in the dirt and I'm itching so bad for the weather to cool off so I can get out and about and scratch in the dirt with my trusty Rogue Hoe.
Come on Fall!
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