Ever forget you're a mountain biker?

By Nobalance
Late again. Yup, late again in the pursuit of spring and summer fitness I've, like an old crow, flitted from one shiny fitness idea to the next over the last few months. Dusted off an old pair of trail running shoes bought on clearance at MEC many moons ago and was at one point running four days a week. That died with a trip to Boston to support my wife in her first running of the Boston Marathon - crazy fast beauty ran 3:06 and change - of twenty-five plus thousand folks that drops her inside two thousand - Wow! I know.

Returned home and tried again utilizing the road bike - wet cold spring kept me out of the woods on a consistent basis. That died with a trip north to chase the dirty and all-mighty dollar. Returned home after living in a remote camp for three weeks eating Big Stop esque meals three times a day and sitting in helicopters and pick-ups now truly discouraged, fat and un-fit. A bud hooked me up with pirated work-out tapes ala Jane Fonda, called P90X. The program is insane, and I faithfully jazzerzied my way through the next few weeks, immensely happy about the extent to which my outer shell would slosh and flop while jumping around trying to not puke on the laminate flooring in the basement. A death in the family and a seemingly endless stream of visitors - read alcoholic and food addicts that forced fed me booze and fine food - and the P90X was dead and the road bike was back.

And in fact - through the last few weeks there have been good and bad days, but the weight has stabilized and I was beginning to feel better about myself. I do like road riding, the speed, the Zen aspect of turning it over, the coolness of mileage accumulation. Hell, I've even considered showing up at group road rides with my jiggly middle, hairy legs and ancient Univega jersey - svelte and astride my disc equipped cross bike. But in the back of my mind there was niggling sensation that something was amiss. And then yesterday, in the midst of our first real heat wave, I got off a little early and was complaining about riding on the road in the heat when Jennifer said, "Wouldn't be a little shaded in the woods?"

The woods - right, the woods. I mountain bike. I love to mountain bike. he trails are dry and ripping fast and just sitting there waiting for me - what the hell? So onto the rack went the green machine and off to the woods I went. Just for a short one - fatherly duties were awaiting my arrival home, as was a wife heading off to do speed work at the track. It was great, obviously. The trails were indeed blazing fast and I rode pretty strong given that it was short. The legs certainly seemed to like the few longish road rides I've done recently; felt much stronger on those granny gear climbs. I'l ride again tonight after a supper picnic at the beach with the family and blast out something long and fun Friday morning before going to work. I'm addicted all over again. Now all I need is a new fork, some new rubber - hell, what about that full sus I've always wanted? Cross training and other forms of cycling are great, but it is nice to rekindle an old flame and find it still burns as bright as ever. Get dirty friends.

Posted by O9man at July 15, 2008 10:36 PM

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