Hundie Practice

Headed up to the mountains today to get some climbing in and to start focusing more of my attention to completing 3 or 4 of hundies this year in the N.U.E. series.

Today I dragged my friend and teammate Don P. along with me for the ride. I always worry taking folks on this loop. There's not a ton of single track on this particular loop, it's more wide double track snow mobile trails and forest roads. Having said that, what it lacks in technical single track it makes up for with lllllllong climbs.

I could pretty much tell at about the 10 mile mark, that I still didn't have great legs, but Don seemed to be enjoying the ride well enough, so I push on and kept true to the loop I had worked out.

Don, pulling away from me on the first BIG up of the day.

Every time I take another rider up to do this loop, I have the feeling that they are disappointed when we start hamming forest roads. But I'm pretty sure I'm two for two now in having my fellow rider finish the ride knowing they just put in one hell of a 33-ish mile loop in the mountains

The ride was fun even though I didn't have great legs. We both got to work on some climbing, without dealing with the assholes out on the road. During the whole ride we were passed by NO cars, saw NO other cyclists and only two hikers.

I'm pretty cooked. I think the major reason was the sun and heat. I went from being cold as titz on my road ride two days ago to being cooked by 80+ degrees and sun on the Camp Run climb. Eeesh, I need a break. It might be time for a few solid days off the bike, refuel, hydrate and come back ready to roll for the the 2nd block of my 4 block season.

How hot was I? Hot enough to become a human salt lick...

Time to go see who won the Cohutta 100 today.

Later.