The week that was...

Ups and downs...
Felt good (for most of the week), and rode pretty well. It was Chamber of Commerce nice here last week.
Actually, no...it wasn't...it was terrible. You don't want to come here...ever! ;)-

Normal loops both Tuesday and Thursday...in short sleeves and bibs. It was terrible.
Started doing a little interval on one section of the loop. It's a good test that gives me what I need. 7 minutes +/-, rolly, with a couple of draggy sections, and an ugly climb to finish.
Where? LOLZ. Not telling. Too many Columbuses around...

The wind was brisk again last week, and came to it's denouement on Saturday. Blowing from the WSW @ 15-20mph.
We headed across the river. It was the very last time I will ride out on 321. Ever. The climbs are nothing. The wind was nothing. The rednecks, in a hurry to get wherever they go on Saturday morning, were the issue.
We got buzzed WAY too many times. It's just not safe. Dean said F it, and turned around. Can't say as I blame him.
We went back looking for him, then just did the Tues/Thurs loop. Still ended up with 75km...AND got a ripping tailwind home.
Sunday was markedly cooler, and I was Juan Solo. The Heathens all bailed. Weaksauce.
I went out and stomped out 2.5 hours, and got home with another 70km.
What you guys missed :

This is where my day went sideways...
I ate lunch, and headed out to LexCo to pick up Junior Management. On the drive home, I felt wonky. I chalked it up to the fact I didn't eat/drink enough on the ride.
Once home, I laid down on Clifford the Big Red Couch. As a preface, I've been having trouble with my right ear for about a week. Just felt...well...full...
As my thimble-like bladder began to betray me, I got up to hit the bathroom. Nope.
My ear was KILLING me. Equilibrium? Shot in the ass. Crazy dizzy...to the point of serious nausea.
FUCK! In my (ringing) head, I thought, "FLU..."
My hands were tingly, ear hurt, vision wonky. Sweaty. GD it.
I crawled, literally, to bed, covered up with the sleeping bag and passed out. This was @ 5:30.
The next thing I knew, my alarm went off @ 6:00am. 12-1/2 hours of crazy dreams, sweat, and rolling around like a baby elephant in mud.
I feel okay today. Not great, but passable. No ear pain, no dizziness, no nausea. Weird. The body is an odd thing. Guess my batteries were flat, and it was time for a system shutdown/recharge.

And some sad news. We lost a member of the family last week...
RIP Admiral Ackbar. You were a good fellow. You will be missed...

OK kids...gonna be nice this week. Go Outside.

Easy...

"Easy peasy, lemon squeezy" pretty much describes my last week on the bike.
I was a bit snapped after back to back metrics two weekends ago, so I just pedaled last week.
Tuesday : A whopping 1:15 on the bike...never out of the small ring.

Thursday : I had a brainfart, and didn't think about the rain that fell Wednesday night. Felt pretty good on the CX bike until I got to The PowerStation. It was wet and heavy. Not a lot of fun. 90 minutes and home. All I really cared to do.

 Saturday : Dean and I met and meandered around LR for three hours. Slowly. It was fine, and worked out the kinks.
Sunday : The Heathens met and did a hilly-ish LR loop. We hit some roads that I hadn't been on a YEARS. And that's no fabrication, nor embellishment. We went all the way out Leesburg Rd. to Congress. I want to say that the last time I did this, a former pro & DS went down in front of me in the turn, and I crashed on top of him, destroying his frame.
I'd forgotten how far out Leesburg one must go to get to Congress. As TVH and I took turns keeping pace, the phrase, "I think the turn is over the next rise..." was uttered no less than a half dozen times.
And I must have a little bit of fitness, as Leesburg wasn't hard, and Congress seemed shorter. Weird.
We cut down across the country, and ended up on the normal Hopkins loop.

 As you can clearly see, it was a horrendous day. I mean, I had to wear armwarmers for the first hour!!

And as Dean & I came to the tracks, this big fella was crossing the road. We stopped, and I helped him across. He was a BIG boy. Shell the size of a salad plate, and probably tipping out at 8-9 pounds. He seemed camera shy once I placed him back on the ground.

We fought the headwind on the way home. Big fun. No matter. That's the shit that makes you strong. Another metric in the book. That makes 3 in 8 days.
Thankfully, I went to the physio this morning. It was needed.
Gonna be nice this week. Many kms will be had...

Speaking of The Heathens, probationary member TG has injured hisself playing soccer. Knee injury...same thing that I did...playing soccer. Hate to say "I told you so...", but I MAY have mentioned it previously. No ridey for him for a while.

Stuff and things....

 When more than one rider had panache. Know these guys? No? You know the rest...

 Cannondale Evo. My thoughts are leaning this direction. Fortunately, I know a guy in Pa. who can hook me up. No reason to buy one from a yob here in town.

And SOMEONE needs to bring these into the US. PLEASE!  Factorbikes.com 
Sexy Mfer...

Ok kids...it's gonna be nice all week. 70s and 80s. Go outside and get it on you!!

Grazie Marco...

Riposare in pace....

Ooooof....

So yeah, the wind that has been kicking our collective ass for the past 6 weeks was out over the weekend.
Saturday and Sunday were both big km days, yet felt even bigger thanks to the "breeze".
Calling it a "breeze" is akin to calling Trump an idiot, but I digress.
Nothing says big fun like coming out of the trees and having the crosswind grab your front wheel, and push you 5' off your line.
Il Prof (Ret.) is back from his snowbird stretch in AZ, so he was back with us on Saturday morning.
Basic flat loop, but once we turned at the GMart, it was headwind home. They said it was 8-10mph. I don't know who "they" are, but I hope "they" trip, fall, and hit their heads. 8-10mph my ass!
Sometimes you just need to get on the front, and drive it home. So I did.
Once home, we loaded up and went out to look at new GMC pickup trucks. Actually, it was more of a quest to figure out what COLOR truck we're going to get.
I was present, but I got a little distracted...

This picture cannot even begin to portray the actual color of this Z06....

Sunday, The Heathens were back together.
The run out across the ridge, and into Swansea was a fight. Brutal head/cross winds. Once we turned for home though, It was tail to cross/tail all the way home. Mmmm...tail winds...
90km+ both days. To be honest, I rode around the 'wood for a few minutes yesterday so I could get the clean metric. OCD is a MFer.
Plus, it was 75 degrees and sunny. 20 more minutes isn't gonna cause a divorce....

I'm a little wrecked this morning. First back-to-back long days in a good while. Felt good & rode well, but I'm really sleepy this morning.

Things to look at:
We talked about this yesterday. Only Cipo could get away with changing clothes in the bunch.

 It was pretty fair out there on Friday morning too! FYI, if you ride The Powerstation, the far end, out to Eastman, is closed beyond the RR crossing. And by closed, I mean that there's no more road. For now at least. I'ma check again tomorrow morning.

 I'm no tri-bike fan, but this is a sexy beast.

And speaking of, Baum still does some of the best paint. And they're made of metal...

Found a design for when I finally lose my shit, and go full hermit in the mountains...
Might need this to get there...

And I know everyone is all "aero this" and "aero that" when it comes to cycling gear, but remember one thing...

Cycling didn't invent aero...

And with that, get back to work! Be sure to get outside today though. Fresh air is good for you!

Off the bike is a good thing...

Corpo loaded up last Thursday and headed to the the NC mountains. Nothing more than a lazy trip, and some QT with the family.
We rented a little house on the side of the mountain in Waynesville, NC. Cool little town, and a perfect basecamp for adventures.
Friday morning, we rolled out, and headed UP into the high mountains...into Great Smoky Mountain NP. All the way to the top, and Newfound Gap. 5046' above sea level, if you're playing at home.

Twas cloudy, windy, and cold. The views were still pretty damn good.
The plan was no plan, and as Gatlinburg was 15 miles down the backside of the mountain, we headed down.
Glad we did, as we got to see the destruction caused by the December fires. The fires were arson, and HORRIBLE. It served as a lesson for the boys of what NOT to do.
Glad I went to Gatlinburg. Glad I never have to go again. The words "tourist trap" come to mind.
Coming back across the NP, we passed an "Elk Crossing" sign.
Hey...wouldn't that be cool?
Not 5 minutes later...

There were two dozen good sized elk just hanging out in & around the playground of the elementary school in Cherokee. Pretty cool...
Back to the house...big fire in the fireplace, and dinner.
Saturday, we fiddled around in the morning, then went snow tubing. If you've never been, GO! You don't need kids. It was big fun. And it was proof that people of all shapes, sizes, colors and nationalities can do something together, and have a good time!

The small kid, barely visible in the tube is #3. The spinning kid is #1. They had more fun than should be allowed.
Post tubing, we headed over to Soco Falls, and hiked down to the water. That lasted about 45 seconds, as the spray was REALLY cold.

Yes...that's ice!
On the way back, we stopped at a little market and got fresh trout. Yeah...it was good.
Another big fire, and a viewing of "Harry and The Hendersons".
(Pro-tip : Take your Amazon Fire TV Stick with you. If you have WiFi, you have quality TV.)

Up and on the road back early Sunday morning. We decided to take the back way. 276 all the way down into Greenville.
If you want a 45 mile ride that will break your legs, take your bike to Waynesville, and ride to Brevard. The valley road is rolling. Once into Pisgah National Forest, things go up. I cannot emphasize the following enough...
The are sections of the climb to the BRP that would make Contador and Quintana wonder what the F was going on! 10%? Yep. 12%? Uh-huh. 15%? Oh...yes. The steepest section was right at 20%!! And it wasn't short.
It was fine with 400hp under foot. You will NOT catch my big ass riding it.
Nice lunch @ Mayberry's in Brevard, then up to Caesar's Head.

It was a bit hazy, but still...as always...a spectacular view.
Only saw a few folks riding...
Thru Greenville, and back on the boring highway.
It was a great weekend. Much needed, and enjoyed by all.
Sometimes, one should just put the bike away, and go somewhere with family. It makes things better.

Now, I DID ride this morning. Easy 1:45. Just turning the pedals over to loosen up. No plan other than to feel the sun and wind on my face.

Happy Tuesday kids! Gonna be nice this weekend. I expect to see folks on the bike!!