Ride after ride after ride

I twisted my knee Wednesday as I was heading onto the trail to ride my bike.  It was kind of a silly thing.  I was riding to go on the trail and did not pay attention to the smashed pumpkin in the road--I probably should have.  Apparently I road over a tiny bit of it, and before I knew it I was on the hard cement.  Somehow while going down I twisted my knee.  I sat there, about 5 feet from my car, for a good 5 minutes not sure if I would be able to ride or not.  It actually hurt pretty bad.  Finally the pain subsided enough for me to stand up, so I decided to try and ride.  Much to my good luck it did not hurt to ride, so I rode.  However later that night I could hardly get up the stairs. 

The next day it was still hurting, but I really wanted to ride.  Can you blame me, the weather has been amazing.  Not wanting to put too much stress on my knee I went for a very flat and level road ride--at least as flat as you can get considering we live near mountains.  Knee seemed okay, but it was definitely irratated.
I decided to take pictures while I rode on my bike without stopping, but I did take one stopped.  Can you guess which one it is?

 

The next day I woke up and my knee was still bothering me.  I was having kind of a down in the dumps day.  Basically I was feeling sorry for myself.  I felt bad about not having a job and not having any responses yet to my apps.  I was discouraged with the knee hurting, because now I am finally getting better and low and behold one more thing.  Basically it was one of those days.  So my plans, despite the weather, was to take a couple of keyboarding tests, and sit around with ice on my knee all day long.  Oh I should mention it is not the top of the knee that is hurt, but underneath.  Which I know is technically not your knee, but it serves as my knee for me.  Anyway while I was sitting preparing my application and getting ready to go take a test, when I get a phone call from Heather.  She wants to know if I want to go for a mountain bike ride this afternoon.  I wanted to say no, because that was how miserable I was feeling, but I didn't, I said yes.  Boy am I glad I did. 

Heather and I met up about 1 pm and headed to Corner Canyon.  I don't think you could have asked for a more beautiful day to ride.  The temperature was nice and trail conditions were perfect.  We did have a few mishapes on the way.  One of the gals we were going to meet got in a car accident and couldn't make it.  I feel so bad for her, what an awful thing to happen on your way to having fun--actually what an awful thing to happen.  We met Gayle on Clarks and it turns out she was having brake problems and her back wheel wouldn't turn.  She ended up having to bail and not getting to ride.  With all of those things that happened we still had a great ride, and  b the time we finished I felt a bazillion times better.  I am so glad I have friends that like to ride otherwise I would have sat moping all day long.

Saturday the plan was for Sally and me to ride AF Canyon.  We met in the morning and headed up the canyon.  Since the gate is closed we decided to ride up the road to get on the trail.  About the time we came to the road at Timpanoke campground we noticed snow!  We became a little concerned about how the conditions of the trial were going to be, but decided to continue up the road to see.  Once we got to the trail it looked pretty muddy.  Knowing how the rest of the trail takes up the water we decided to turn around and ride corner canyon. 

Sally took me to Hogs Hollow to start the ride.  I have always wanted to ride there, but did not know where it was or the way to go.  Thanks Sally so much for showing me.  I loved the ride up and I loved the ride back.  We had a great time riding and since Sally knows those trails so well, I learned some new ways the trails connect up--way cool.  I had such a great time riding that I forgot to take pictures both days.  So you'll just have to believe me about how great it was.

Halloween

Halloween was a lot of fun, and we got to dress up 2 days in a row--Friday and Saturday.  I know on the calendar Halloween was on Sunday, but we went trick or treating on Saturday.  I have lived outside of the state of Utah and did the same thing there when Halloween  was on Sunday, it just works out that way.
Mandy is Frankie from Monster High--can you guess which one that is?

Royce is a witch doctor and me just a witch.

We had a great time.  I love going out all dressed up.

Yes, It's True, I am a City Girl

This may or may not be a surprise, but I am a city girl. If it wasn’t for mountain biking I would still be in my sheltered city girl life. But thanks to mountain biking there are many things I have learned to do.


I have learned to set up a tent. My first and only tent set up was last year at 24 hours of Moab. I had never set a tent up before, but with the help of team mates I learned and set one up. Can I do it again? I think so, but have not had the chance to find out, and if I am lucky will not have to.

I can use an outhouse. Now this is not my bathroom set up of choice, but before mountain biking I would just hold it until I found a bathroom. Now I can go in an outhouse. Oh, and I have learned to keep a roll of toilet paper and hand sanitizer in the car thanks to those outhouse visits! Mountain biking has still not gotten me comfortable with going to the bathroom in the woods. I have to be to the point of floating before dropping the drawers in the woods! There is something so wrong about your butt hanging out in the air for all of nature to see. It definitely can give you stage fright and make it impossible to go.

I spit. Yes, that’s right, I spit. I spit during my ride, I spit after my ride. And as horrible and disgusting as it may seem, if I don’t I am going to end up choking on my own mucous…yuck!

On of the newest things I have learned to do, is probably the most disgusting thing I have observed. When I first started riding I watched as people would lean over their bike and blow snot right out their nose. In one word….gross! I didn’t understand how they could do this, it was gross for one thing and for the other how do you get enough mucous built up in your nose to be able to blow without it getting on you?!? So for two and a half years I watched as others took on this feat. Then it happened. I broke my nose, had nose surgery and I am out riding and all of the sudden I have a nose filled with mucous and no where for it to go. What should I do??? Well, I did the unthinkable, I leaned over to the right plugged the left nostril and blew! Out it came…icky. However, I no longer had a stuffed up nose. Since that time I have learned the fine art of launching snot rockets while riding a bike. It still seems gross, but it is better than having snot run down my face.

So yes, mountain biking has added a little bit of variety to this city girl. It hasn’t taken the city out of me, but it has definitely broadened my horizons.