TGIF! Last March weekend of 08'

This week has been hard on me (riding). Tuesday night we did the CBC "shop ride". I was doing fine in the rotation until it was my turn to take a pull at the near top of a hill on Hardin Valley Road. I hit a wall of head wind. It sucked. I sucked. My heart rate jumped up too high and my legs started screaming from all the abuse I had put them through the previous weekend. I made it up the long false flat of Hickory Creek Road, which is no easy feat due to the pace these guys keep. Once again we rode up and over Everitt Road this week due to lack of daylight still. I was already in the back when the climb started. Unfortunately I had a small asthma/acid reflux attack. I have had this happen a few times before, but this time I seriously thought I was going to fall off the bike. I didn't have my inhaler (I usually just take a few hits off of it prior to activity), so I took it easy going over the hill. I strolled back until I finally felt like breathing hard again. I met up with Mary and Gene, who dropped off the pace line also on Everitt. It was a decent ride, but I am really looking forward to the regular 42 mile loop that doesn't have that dang hill.

Wednesday is always Haw Ridge night (if it is dry and not raining). I rode with my Menstral Cycle 12 hour team (Kimberly Pemberton, Jimi Flynt, and Karent Clemments). We had a good ride except I bruised my arse pretty good when I fell over on a climb. Smap put some new candies on my single speed, so I am still adjusting to getting in and out of them. We rode my least favorite trail that I need to put some time in on (Roller Coaster). It kicked my butt.

Thursday, I planned on doing a solo road ride after school, but last minute changed my mind and decided to go out to the ridge again. Bad mistake. My legs were seriously tired as well as my lower back. I did not realize this until I got up the first hill. I rode for a pretty good amount of time and finally decided I would do one last climb up Low Gap, so I could do the super fun decent over to my favorite trail, Soccer. I took a wrong turn and upon coming back down to the correct trail, I crashed hard. A sticked popped out of the ground as I rolled over it with my front wheel and it caught me. I landed so hard on my left thigh muscle. I just had to lay there in a fetal position for a minute or so to catch my breath. So much for going down Low Gap. I made my way back to my car and called it a night. I am glad I went though. I need as much trail time as I can get because Cohotta is creeping in pretty quickly.

This weekend hopefully will be fun if it doesn't rain too much. Smap and I are doing a lot of volunteering on Saturday and Sunday. Smap is building trails over at Hastie Park in South Knox on Saturday and I will be helping out with the bike marshalling at the Knoxville Marathon on Sunday. My twin sis will be in town to run the half. It will be fun hanging with her some this weekend too!

That is about it. Hopefully I will remember to take some shots this weekend.

Chaio!