Just to get up that hill...

A year ago this week I was on top of a couple mountains.

Colorado is calling again. No MTBing for a while (arm still healing) but I could knock out a few more 14ers, no problem.

Persistence

These cardinals are setting a great example for me as I continue getting my arm strength and range back. This male and his lady friend are in a jihad against every window reflection on the back of our home. They are pissed, but persistent. One could say perpissedent. Starts at 5:20am until 9pm every day for the past couple weeks. Take time to reflect. Look in the mirror and ask if this is who you really want to be. Do whatever it is you know you need to do to become the person you want to see. Then go ride your bike!

temporary fixes

Discovered my tire was injured the other day, so I did some physical therapy. Not quite through the radial yet but I can ride w/a little more confidence. Life's full of patches.

Lucky Charms™

Despite my positive intake of pink hearts, yellow moons, blue diamonds, etc, I still managed to hit a squirrel on my second bicycle ride back from broken-elbow surgery. Squirrel and I both fled the scene with only emotional scars.

Ride yer brakes!

I went for the first morning ride today since my accident. It was GRAND. Speaking of grand, here's a pic I took on a flight to Vegas. I will never grow tired of getting a crick in my neck from gawking out an airplane window like a ten year old boy.

Comeforths

I'm not really sure if you can consider it a comeback if you never quite reached the back to come to, so I will call this chapter of life my "comeforth". I never attained my year's goal on the bike of category-ing up to 3s, but I must admit right before my deer accident I had been riding better than in all of my 15 years of amateur cycling. I gave racing a go in several of those early years - mainly mountain bike racing - but always experienced a minor setback with injury or time or money constraints. Then kids came along and energy was devoted to more important things. I'm lucky all my injuries were minor and after the hip bruise swelling subsided I am back on the trainer. Summertime trainer sessions have their pros & cons - yeah it's awesome to set up on the patio and feel the breeze and listen to birds and absorb some vitamin D, but it's still a trainer. Fortunately, no deer have jumped my fence. But I'm focused on my original goal again and just may have to do it a little later during the cyclocross season. I may have a new Edwin Cycles SS CX built up by then, or I'll use a Surly Cross Check frame I acquired. Those details are trivial to me now, I will just be glorified to be back on two wheels!

So whatever your personal goals are for the year, I wish you a successful comeforth.

Ride yer trainer!

New Bike Smell

I've had this frame for everal months but not the means to build it up properly. As I was in the hospital, I got word that my Edwin Cycles Round Valley 29er SS was finished by the good folks at Bicycle Shack. Something to look forward to when I'm back up on two wheels! She's a beauty. Rust patina clearcoat mixes well with the green ano bits.