Gorgeous Day

Thank those that be!!!!! The SUN was out all day today, it was warm, skies clear, and very light breeze all day. It was almost a phenomenon here in Burlington.

I woke up at 5:55AM to the gentle hum of my roommate riding the trainer and the excessive chirping of the birds! I glanced at the clock...too early to get out of bed I said...5 minutes later I was up, computer on, morning sprint to the johnny, weather check complete...I made a bee-line for the shower and 30 minutes later I was dressed, packing my bag and out the door. Yup, only 7AM! an hour later I was gleeful as I arrived at work (short lived but present for a bit!).

Something said take the camera with you. Check, had the camera and a route planned for my venture into the great city of Burlington.

I mentioned in my first post that I grew up on the side lines of the local cycling races watching my Dad. Well, much to my surprise he "let me borrow" his 1975(ish) Bob Jackson FastBack, his 1st brand spankn' new race bike last summer. After a year of hunting for the the right size stems, handlebars, chains, working breaks and new cables it is running again thanks to my "personal mechanic"! I've ridden Bob on a couple of short rides into town with so so weather.

Today was Bob's day to shine!!! So did my smiling eyes...thanks for "letting me borrow it" Dad and thanks for fixin' it Honey!

Something Inspiring for April Snows

The week has officially come to a close, a meager 8.5hrs of training this week with most of it on the teles and the trainer!
I sit here writing in front of a huge window overlooking my backyard covered in 6 inches of snow! It's still dumping! The mountains let all of their staff go early this year because of the rough start to winter so there is no hope of a ride up till 2008! Skinn' it will be....jjassvt, George, my roomie. myself and maybe a couple others might finally make the trek to the cabin for some beers, grilled meat and a headlamp ski down later this week!

I am brand spankin' new to this endurance business, but man...it's addictive! I willingly search out others' blogs, websites and race results, plan theoretical trips to places I would love to visit by the seat of my bike, races I am not even close to prepared for and gear that my salary cannot afford!!!!

Enough chit-chat...read this, be inspired, bike or ski lots this week!!!!

"The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times-- although such experiences can also be enjoyable, if we have worked hard to attain them. The best moments usually occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile. Optimal experience is something that we make happen. Such experiences are not necessarily pleasant at the time they occur, yet these could have been the best moments of life." -MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI

How'd I get Here?!?!

I love to ride my bike! "So, do I" you say!

What do I have you ask? Nothing special, a hand-me-down actually...My fesses (that is French for butt cheeks) currently sit on a Ti-Butterfly attached to a GF 17"Rig. Yup, single speed. Yup, 29'r for me!

My Dad, raced his bike on the road. He had a little shop in our garage he titled M.D. Cycles. My Aunt hand painted his sign and from the day I was born until I was about 10yrs old I spent Saturdays and Sundays at local road races. I always thought it was 'cool', but never devoted the time, energy and money to any type of cycling career until I was almost done college.

In the Fall of my senior year at St. Michael's, I started working at the Skirack in downtown Burlington. To make a long story short, I stayed for 3 years, became a manager, met a wonderful guy, took up tele skiing, bought my 1st road bike, worked off my hand-me-down Rig by babysitting, sold my road bike to move to Boston(I didn't end up moving...), left Skirack for flaws in their business plan (I'll play nice), and "acquired" another bike from the same friend the Rig came from only to spend a weekend with their kids in a hotel room in Boston as a large chunk of the pay off!!!

Sometime last year between all of the above, I started to spend more and more time with one of the guys from the shop...the new guy!! I thought he was a cutie when he first started working there, but I was his pseudo-boss and he was, afterall, another shop guy...uggh! I got over all that, saw his legs in spandex as he rode through the shop to stock up for a long road ride, then asked if he wanted to "carpool" to a weekly local race. I started riding a shop demo, an Epic nonetheless, at Catamount , then a trip to The Kingdom Trails with some other folks, then super early morning rides at Catamount..I was hooked on something... the bike or the dude?! Both!!

I became very bumped and bruised, scrapped and scarred, but there was a new sparkle in my eyes and a smile on my face. This is about the time I scrapped up enough change to purchase my Cannonade Synapse Alloy Feminine...a great bike, a great ride...but I wanted my very own mountain bike! I rode my friend's Rig with its way too long stem and way too wide bars on one of those early morning Catamount rides. I was whipping through the single track, plowing over little boulder fields and finally making it up the rock face that was the source of most of my bruises. We got back to the parking lot and I was absolutely high!!!!

I wanted that bike...I got it!!!! The late summer, fall and even early winter my fitness was like nothing I had ever had before, tele skiing kept up most of it and the 1st few rides this EARLY Spring have been enjoyable, and have been feeding an addiction I just realized I have.

My very special guy friend is an endurance mountain biker and has gently pushed me that way too! When we started, I just wanting a little instruction on some basic skills, then I followed him into hidden trails on our ride to work, finally a repeative yet inspiring..."Kris, just a little ride ..." 2, 3, 4, 5 hours later we are home again!

Here I am.
I love it!
Keep it simple, 1 gear, 2 brakes, big wheels...just a little ride!