Fall Riding (Time On The Couch)

This time of year is always a strange time for me. I have no real goals with my riding other than to have some fun and try to keep the fall/winter blubber at bay. The thing is- I NEED goals. I need something to sort of set my mind to. I thought this year that it would be Iron Cross VII, but I lost race motivation in September, got caught up in publishing XXC #4 and I.C. came and went.

Then I thought maybe I would do the SpeedFreaks race down in Leesburg this weekend, but I just don't have the want to spend the whole weekend away from home. If the race was JUST the enduro on Sunday I would have been on it like brown on rice. But it's a two day stage race. And that is super cool, but I just don't have the mojo right now to be gone the whole weekend.

Then there's Cross. Cross is cool for those who dig Cross. I really enjoyed the races I did last year, and told myself maybe this year I would get that Cross bike, so as to avoid feeling even slower and more sluggish than I already am on my mountain bike, and I'd get more into it. But jobs were left, magazines were started, and I find my focus is even MORE on endurance racing and riding, even though my goal for 2010 is to do but just a couple/few races and spend the rest of the time getting someplace new and getting some big miles in. Maybe even get back to the Motherland (Colorado) again.

Folks always tell me "you should mix it up, do some xc or some cross." But I always feel like saying "I do mix it up- There's 6, 12, and 24 hours solos, 50 mile races, 100 mile races, 30 mile mountain rides, 50 mile mountain rides, etc,. etc.," LOL!

Annnnyway, I was starving for some single track, so I went to Boyce to ride. It was sweet! My legs felt good, I felt good, and it was great to spend some time in the dirt. But after 1:20, I had enough of riding in the park. I got a workout in, and felt good, but I couldn't help but wish for something a bit more. I wanted my mountain ride that I sort of got jipped out of on Saturday. I kept thinking "I should have drove to the mountain!" Boyce will be there when the mountain is covered in snow and slush. The road will be there almost all winter, and the trainer will be available when WPA is frozen over. I should have taken advantage of the time I had to get another 30+ mile mountain ride in. Because this time of year, every ride on the mountain has the potential to be the years FINAL ride on the mountain.

Moral of the story? I had a good ride, had some fun, wished I would have done something else. Poor me. Ha! Oh well, I had fun and got to play in the woods instead of working. You live, you learn, you make plans to get up the mountain ASAP! (or get a job).

Later.

EDIT: And NOW there is the opportunity to MAYBE do a gravel hundie on Sunday. Hmmmmmm.