Discovery

When I woke up this morning, like many of you, I looked out and saw a gloomy morning.   Fitting for me and the mood I was in and Teenie was in Hew Hampshire.   You see, I have been on the pavement a number times over the past couple of weeks, so to speak.

This week already included about 10 hours solo on the bike, by choice.   One of my trips to the pavement, included a mountain bike crash last week that left me with a broken rib.   I think the 4th such event in my life and very painful.   I felt I needed to ride alone for my safety, others and just the fact that I had little strength.  However, the biggest knockdowns have been emotional........they are tougher.

Yesterday and today I tried to put something together by using the game show routine:  PHONE A FRIEND.   When that did not work, I sulked but figured their was a reason behind me being alone.   "Think outside the box, RM,"  I said to myself.........Boyd Johnson had mentioned to me this week about riding the Swamp Rabbit Trail to SCTAC?   Soon I was on the internet:

http://grvlsc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/OnePane/basicviewer/index.html?appid=d0ffd46ed6ec426490fb1d406144cb20

Above is map of the trail and particularly the eastern section beyond Cleveland Park.   Now, maybe I am the last person on the planet to know this but the SRT goes miles east of downtown.   I debated on bikes....road, townie or MTB.   Wider tires seemed better and maybe some gears?  I was tired and needed some gears......so MTB it was!   Boom, I am in a whole new world in 10 minutes.   How can a guy live in Greenville for 13 years and not know this is around him?

In the next 2 hours, I covered miles of new ground.  I saw a red cardinal, 8 squirrels, a 2 foot long living snake, a cute little fawn and only 2 humans east of Cleveland Park.   Conestee Park is beautiful and you can leave the trail and jump right over to SCTAC as Boyd said.   The infrastructure being created is amazing in terms of bridges and wooden walkways/ride ways.  There is little likelihood that this part of trail will ever be super crowed as it does not follow the train tracks and is up and down, making it harder to use for some.   Let me warn you, you must ride on the street for about 1.5 miles and there is a short unpaved section.   I think when this unpaved section is dry, it is suitable for a road bike but I think you will have more fun on a bike like I took if you have one.

If you do this route, allow about 2 hours from downtown.   This ride has no training value but could carry high emotional value.......it did for me.  That may have been timing more than anything.

Today, brought the week together for me.   Discovery is another term for learning.   I discovered new roads and new places this week but mostly some new things about me.   Kind of amazing that I could learn anything new about a subject I have studied for 63 years?   Some of what came up this week and particularly today will need much more thought.......probably counsel from some of you.

I was reminded of something I have said before, "It doesn't matter how many times I get knocked down,  it only matters that I get up EVERY time."  Today only started gloomy, it was a 'get up' day and a 'get up' day is a bright day.

See ya out there.

And, oh, if you want a guide, I know the way!  This week I will be back riding with others.......thank goodness.  Introspection can be hard work.

 

Gluten Free Breakfast Cookies

Thought I would share this recipe for a Breakfast Cookie.  Although the recipe is Gluten Free, you can substitute the flours for wheat flour and reduce the amount by 1/4 cup.  But this recipe is so good, I don't think you will even notice it is GF.  Enjoy, and please let me know your thoughts.

Breakfast Cookies

Can also be made with regular flours. Eliminate xanthan gum and replace gluten free flour with whole-wheat and replace almond meal with all-purpose flour.

1 cups Gluten Free flour (Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix) 1.5 cups Almond Meal 1 cup brown sugar firmly packed 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp xanthan gum flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 2 cups gluten free oats 2 large eggs 1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened 1 Tbls. almond extract 1/2 cup almond, sliced 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, raw 1/4 cup coconut shredded, unsweetened, dried 1/4 cup raisins 1/4 cup chopped mango, dried 1/2 cup banana chips, dried

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper. 2 Whisk together the flour and almond meal, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum. Set aside. 3 Beat butter until fluffy. Add sugar; beat until well combined. 4 Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add almond extract; beat until just combined. 5 Slowly add flour mixture and beat until well combined. Add oats, almonds, seeds, coconut, raisins and mango. 6 Form dough into 20 cookies and top with banana chips. 7 Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheets. 8 Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to a week.

Yield: 14 cookies

February in May

Like you, I got up this morning and looked outside.   I put on some shoes and stuck my head out.   The day had lived up to the forecast!

After being off yesterday, I had some energy and I had already decided to go to yoga and, yes, do the thing that terrifies me more than anything in cycling, ride the stationary trainer.

How can time move as slowly as it does when I am on this thing??  I pedal and pedal and look up only to see that 2 minutes have passed.   My legs cry at only a fraction of the watts I put out on the road?

And, sweat.......it pours off me even with the huge ceiling fans pushing air past me.  Today, it is even worse.  The volume and channel selector does not work on the TV and I am stuck on First Baptist of Spartanburg.   The words are displayed for the hearing impaired(me being one).   Let me tell you, this does not make the time pass.

Still, I spin.   I am a little jazzed as the Foundation Pro Cycling Team has just left after a 3 day stay.   The Hoods housed 3 of them and we put up 4.   They were here for USA Crit Speed Week.....7 crits in 9 days.

Also, our daughter and grandson were here.......lots of cycling talk!

After the hour on the trainer, or day and half it seemed, Teenie and I went to yoga.  Upon returning, my thoughts wandered the the Surgeon General.   He once told the American public that 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week was adequate exercise.   Today was very easy rainy day and I just did 2.5 hours.   That makes me good for 10-12 days, I guess.

Right now, I am looking at the Weather Channel on iPhone for the hundredth time today.   Will SCTAC get rain on Tuesday night?  How about Tsali next weekend?  We can only hope for better weather.

See ya out there.

 

The Battle to the SC State Championship

Over the past two years I have battled illness and burnout. It has been a struggle for me to get back in the "Racing Saddle" because I was not at the level of fitness that I could hang with teammates nor was I mentally ready to handle a training program. But then in January, a former teammate, Debbie Gillespie, put me on one of her mountain bikes and created a monster!!! I tagged along on some of Debbie's "hurt locker" rides and she was a huge help getting me back racing.

Debbie and I have been racing the Southern Classic Mountain Bike Series. Within the series there were 3 key races that the overall accumulated points would crown the SC State Champion. I won the first race in Sumter but 2nd and 3rd place in points were close behind. Then Kendra showed up for the second race and helped put a little distance between 2nd place in points, but It was still a battle leading up to the final race because the 2nd place in points was signed up for the final race as well.  As you can tell from the pictures, the final race was a cold, rainy, muddy day!!! My motocross skills definitely came into play on the slippery terrain. I ended up taking the win that day as well as taking the XC3 SC State Championship title.  I would like to give a big THANK YOU for those of you who have helped me along my journey!!!!

You said you wanted to RACE

Well, race season is here in the Carolinas!  Next week is a great time to improve your fitness through racing or, if you are already there, use your fitness.   We have a great calendar:

THE FOUNDATION PRO CYCLING TEAM IS STAYING WITH THE MADDOX'S AND HOODS AND RACING IN THE USA CRIT SPEEDWEEK....THEY WILL BE AT SPARTANBURG ON FRIDAY NIGHT 5/3.  You can race or just watch this exciting event.

Sunday - 5/5 - preride Tsali with Sam, Steve, Kendra, DS and Teenie.

Tuesday 5/7 - 6:00 PM at SCTAC in A or B group - Last week, we had about 15 team members.   You can have great time in either group.   Come out and we will light it up.......see ya there!

Wednesday 5/8 - 6:00 PM at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC.  ------ Carolina TT Series.  Dan, Jill and I are headed over for..see ya there.

Thrusday - 5/9 - Greenville Short Track MTB Series - 6:30 PM is sponsored by our own great sponsor, Carolina Triathlon!

Saturday - 5/10 - 12 Hours at Tsali - We will have a men's and women's team and many solo 6 hour riders.   Some are camping and some of us are at the Lakeview Inn.  We will have the pop up tent set up:
*  Sam/Teenie/Kendra/Linz
*  Brian T/Ray/Brandon Lee*
*  Solo - Bird, DS, Brian M, the Hoffmeisters*/Brandon
I think Mel is coming for support?   Team Zoom, who has some of our loved and great ex-team mates is racing.

* Denotes close friends of TEAM headstrong.

Take bite of this apple.   Hopefully, the weather will cooperate.  We are having some fun racing and if you are not out, you are missing out.

Please comment if there are races/events that I have left out.