Ar-Kansas

House renovations, building erection, and husband's job curtailed our Summer & Fall vacation plans last year. So much to do; so little time. Thankfully, we recently bought our house--again, which diminishes the urgency of above renovations. The big projects are done--for the most part. As one of the girls on this weekend's ride asked, "So, no more going home to paint after a bike ride?" NO--the painting is done. Now it's all the loose odds & ends to really clean up. I imagine that will take another 7 years.

The house looks FANTASTIC. Mr. Wonderful really came through.

Through all of this, I was getting restless. I wanted to go somewhere--somewhere different. I'm not really in to exploring wilderness in another state on my own, and I couldn't talk hubby in to going with me. Therefore, I chose a race. With February being way too early in the season for a race, I chose a 6-hour venue and approached it with more of a "training ride" feel.

The benefits: New trail, already marked, other people will be there, guaranteed a longer ride than I'm used to.

The cons: Long drive, hubby wasn't interested in going, and I have to pay money to do it.

The benefits outweighed the cons.

Thankfully, Mer went with me; someone else was as crazy as me!

Leaving on a Thursday, we departed for the 9.5 hour drive to Hot Springs, Arkansas via Terre Haute to I-70 to I-57 to I-55 to I-40, etc. This drive was SO easy--no big cities, no traffic. What we did see was birds--particularly, hawks. Seriously, we saw a hawk for every mile we were on the road. (Ok--maybe I'm exaggerating some.) But people we have talked to since the trip recognize the I-57; I-55 segment as Hawk Alley. After a couple of hours, we were no longer phased by seeing the bird of prey.


But we did go on and on and on about the most enormous bald eagle we've ever seen also sitting in a tree along the road. It made the otherwise boring drive a little more enjoyable.

Arriving in Hot Springs, we quickly learned this place was not the tourist destination it once was. Two things bring tourists--spas & horse races. We later learned that all but one of the natural hot springs have been funneled into the bath houses, where one can pay big bucks to get skin treatments. Woo hoo! Mer & I decided sweating through 6 hours on the trail while drinking as much water as we could would do our skin just fine.

Friday we were able to pre-ride the course despite the threat of rain that never came. What a superb 10-mile loop! Most of the trail meandered through pine forests and offered a little bit of everything as far as mountain biking goes. With over 1,300 feet of climbing per lap, it was 80-90% single-track with rocks, roots, fast sections, twisty sections, uphills, downhills, & pine needles. It was some of the most fun I've had on a mountain bike.

And, yeah, that's a landfill in the middle of the course. We were riding around a landfill.

Anyway, Friday afternoon allowed us to "tour" Hot Springs. Sadly, there was nothing we really wanted to see. We strolled up and down the historic district declining cheesey opportunities such as "The American Gangster Museum" and the "Hot Springs Aquarium." While these sounded neat, the buildings themselves were quite sketchy lending no credibility to their attraction.

We stopped to see The Arlington Resort & Spa, a hotel we snubbed our noses at in favor of The Hampton on the other side of town. I snapped a pic of the Al Capone's car in the lobby.






Just a block away was the sole hot spring in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

But one of the weirdest and admittedly the creepiest attraction was the Wax Museum. Quite honestly, we didn't care to venture in here either. But I did snap a couple photos for the pleasure of my readers. Granted, the URL above is probably a lot better.

By now, enough time had passed to go back to the race venue to register. Serendipity fell upon us when we met Robert, who specialized in massage therapy, chiropractic services, Active Release Technique, and many other designations. For $20, I was relieved of all the aches from tender spots associated with training. For me, this is my right shoulder blade and left ITB. Without telling him where, this master proceeded to troubleshoot and heal, at least temporarily, these aches. In addition, I received some kind of massage from a vibrating device that looked more like a belt sander. INSERT JOKE HERE. Say what you will, this was AWESOME!

Afterwards, we both praised Robert and lazily headed for the van, we decided to get some grub. Near the hotel, the dining establishment below fulfilled my meat cravings when I ordered both Beef Brisket & Pulled Pork. Instead of the usual ketchup and mustard condiments, the tables all had containers of 6 sauces with which to douse the selected meats. Mmmmmm.

Finally, race day was upon us. From a local's recommendation, we decided to hit the Pancake Shop which supposedly had the best pancakes around. Negative, Ghostrider. Straight from the 50s (or some other parallel universe--much like the rest of the town), this diner was strange. When the waitress brought my plate she says, "Darlin', you're gonna wanna butter and cut that pancake before you put syrup on it. Otherwise, you'll have syrup in your lap, and I'm gonna laugh my butt off."

How--HOW--how does one respond to that? Doing as instructed, I was disappointed to see and taste the worst syrup I've ever had. Perhaps I should have stuck with the Cinnamon/Brown Sugar pop tarts in my race bag.

OK--so, now it's race time. Lemans start. Yes, we get to RUN to our bikes before starting the lap. This helps break up the field before entering the singletrack. Again, negative. I was towards the back and still had a traffic jam at the first bridge crossing. I spent the next 3 miles weaving my way up through people. It was a super fun lap and also my fastest.

Not knowing how to pace myself for 6 hours, I slowed way down on the 2nd and 3rd laps; Meredith and I rode together most of the time. At the end of the 3rd lap, I downed half of a Pepsi and tried to cram as much food as I could at the pit stop area. Sadly, my 3rd week of coughing came through and I started spraying the area with half chewed pop tarts. Yes, I was sick for a week, the cough continued. It only happens when my heart rate is up, so I wasn't too worried about it. The cold never lodged in my lungs, and I was lucky to not get a sinus infection. Water, water, water!

I carried on for a 4th lap and picked it up a bit again since I knew it would be my last. Sadly, I didn't meet my goal to get 5 laps (results), but I did meet my expectations of riding medium hard, riding consistently, and having a blast! The trail was SO MUCH FUN, I was smiling much of the time. I also wasn't ashamed to get lapped by 3-time 24-hour world champion, Rebecca Rusch. It was a great, well-organized event, and having the sun out made my weekend complete.

Topping off the trip, on the way out of town, we spotted the only thing I would have paid money to do. If only......

Catundra

After a very short day at work Friday, Jason and I had some extra time on our hands. We skipped out on Friday night Pizza Night w/ the grandparents and visited them in the morning before making our way towards home. With a filling lunch at Upland Brewery, I suggested we visit the animal shelter. He agreed!

Note to self: load him up on a couple of beers next time I want anything.

Our fence is not yet fixed, so we looked at the cats. Without expecting it, we were filling out an application for "Patches." And wouldn't you know it, we could take her home right then! So we did.

Patches is 4 years old and was given up by a family who was moving. She came with an upper respiratory infection and already hates me after shoving a couple of syringes full of antibiotics into her mouth. This is starting out great! Nevertheless, she's a cutie and is quite affectionate. Hopefully we'll complete the family with a dog, but in the interim, we're going to let Patches become acquainted with us and the house.

We're thinking of a name change, though, and I'm laughing at Jason's suggestion: Catundra. The cat is a little overweight reminding him of a children's book of the same name he had many moons ago. The main character of the book is an overweight cat who lives in the forest after being teased by the other critters. I'll have to find that one at the library.

Scarce O' Fat

It's just fun to say. "Scarce O' Fat" This is the name of a gravel road in Brown County. This road connects Hwys 45 & 46 through Yellowwood State Forest. With temps around 18 degrees in the morning, I opted to do a gravel road ride on Big Wheel.

This is a ride I've been itching to do for a while. It's not that the ride itself is that spectacular; I guess I've attached some sentimental value to it. Scarce O' Fat road has given me plenty of "Firsts." It's the first place I took Max on a hike; it's the first place I went cross country skiing; and it's the first ride I did on Big Wheel.

Angela's Mountain Biking History: In 2003, I went to visit friends in Arizona where we rented mountain bikes. Mine was something like a Specialized Enduro with buttloads of travel and suspension. I WAS HOOKED! I knew I would be a mountain biker during that ride.

Megan and I riding in Sedona--my first mtb ride!

Upon returning to Indiana I bought an entry-level Cannondale. I started riding with my current neighbor at Wapehani and a couple of other trails. THIS WAS AWEFUL! The trees, roots, and layouts were nothing like Sedona. I hated it. After only a handful of rides I retired the bike. Three years later, Mr. Wonderful decided he needed a new mountain bike. Out of spite, I joined in this "team" purchase of Gary Fisher Paragon 29ers. My childish reasoning, "if he can spend money, I can too."

These bikes were beautiful. The Pearl Yellow had gold flakes that glittered in the sun. Having never ridden it, I knew I would love it--because it was pretty.

So, Jason suggested a ride through the forest, and I happily agreed. We packed a lunch and embarked on a non-technical mountain bike ride--the one I did today. We ate lunch on the dam of Yellowwood lake then turned for home. I thought I was going to die; the hills at the end were excruciating! But the bike was awesome.

Having got in on "the deal" with the bikes, I was "required" to race at least 3 races for The Bicycle Station. I entered the local race, my first, and won the Beginner category. I've been hooked ever since.

Today I found myself doing the same ride only with snow and lots of sun. THANK GOODNESS for the sun. I've missed it lately.

Turning off hwy 45 onto Tulip Tree, I questioned my sanity. The road had been plowed--good. The now packed snow seemed to have a glassy look in places. Ice? Riding alone, would I fall, break a bone and be left to freeze until my husband figured out I should have been home 59 hours ago? Just do it. I kept riding without problems. That is, until I reached the gate. The gravel road ends at the forest where it becomes a fire road. Snow plows don't traverse fire roads. Within 10 feet I knew it would be difficult. Hikers & skiers made the crusty snow produce an odd path that bumped me every which way. When I wasn't getting bogged down in snow I was getting bucked. This would call for some skills practice! YAY! After more than a half hour (slow learner), I realized it was best to blaze my own trail on the fresh snow instead of trying to ride over partially frozen foot/ski prints.

The little chain ring was quite useful in providing easy, even cadence for the rollers. I still had to pay careful attention as my tires were sliding all over the place. Again, I was ecstatic to get in some practice while keeping my HR at a somewhat acceptable level. As I type, my arms don't hurt--tomorrow may be another story.

I had estimated the fire road to be 3 miles. I think I was way off, but I have no way to tell since I didn't bring the GPS. On the Google map above, I sketched the red line in where no road showed on the map.

The instructions given to me were, "the trails that go off to the left are hiking trails. The roads to the right do not take you where you need to go. Also, don't go on any of the logging roads to the left or right. At the Y, go" AHHH. Go which way???? I didn't remember. I got to the "Y" and couldn't remember which way to go. I stopped to look at some trail signs that were over 300 years old. Best I could tell, I should go right b/c left takes me to the lake.

After miles and miles of nothing, I finally came upon a sign for Scarce O Fat & Tecumseh. I knew I was where I needed to be.

The rest of the ride was snowy gravel roads. Even the hills weren't as bad as I remembered. After reaching Lanham Ridge, I was even short on time. So, I turned at the next gravel road--County Line Road taking it to Southshore. By this time, something had frozen and seized on the bike leaving me with only my middle chain ring in the front. I was happy to have gears in the rear but worried about Richardson road as it's kind of steep and was covered in snow.

It was no problem. Well, no problem when I'm supposed to keep my HR down; I could just slow down with a reasonably good excuse!

The ride was awesome today. I downloaded my HR data just to see how many calories I had burned. My own theory is HR monitors severely miscalculate calories, so I knew the number I was looking at was at least 13000 too few. So, I enjoyed my new favorite ice cream: Edy's slow churned peanut butter cup. MMMMMMMMMm.

Happy Saturday and Happy Sunshine! I'm ready for Summer. Have I mentioned that yet?

Super Bowl Scrooge

It's true. I'm a Super Bowl Scrooge--EVEN when the home team is playing. I don't care who wins or loses. Football is a sport I don't understand much like mountain biking is foreign to many other people. Why would anyone want to pedal a bicycle through the woods? It's hard. It's tiring. Everybody wears spandex shorts--even those who shouldn't.

My view of football is similar. Why would anyone voluntarily put themselves in front of a 300-lb person who is trying to tackle them to the ground? Isn't is rough out there? Aren't the chances of getting injured high? Don't they wear spandex pants--even those who shouldn't?

Despite these sentiments, Hubby and I were invited to 4 Super Bowl parties! Those who know me, know my 9:00 rule. No phone calls after 9:00 b/c I'm likely in bed trying to sleep. This game starts at something like 7:30 on a Sunday night! As if I'm going to get geared up for a game I don't care about or understand. But there is always food. Always. And therein lies the temptation. I'm sure we'll go somewhere for a short period of time and hear about the results on the radio tomorrow morning.

This time of year has me annoyed. I AM READY FOR SUMMER. I AM. I TRULY AM. Friday produced lots of rain and snow heavy, wet snow. Heavy snow is not good XC ski snow. And I really wanted to get on the bike and ride outside. Granted, I've ridden in colder temps this year, but a snow ride taxes the legs quite a bit. A road ride was out of the question. A trail ride would be killer. So, I had my heart set on gravel road. Alas, I'm too chicken to go alone when it's freezing outside. So, I was stuck inside.

While I was entertaining these thoughts, Matt & Mer called.

"Do you want to go for a hike? We're taking the puppy for her first hike."

"NO!" It's cold. I have a date with the trainer. It's cold. I would have to put on some real clothes. It's cold.

In 30 seconds, we went from an adamant "NO" to "Sure, sounds like fun. See you in 30 minutes."

I'm so glad we went. What fun!

This is the vicious cycle of emotions I go through every time. I dread getting out in the cold weather only to be coaxed into it and enjoying every bit of it.

While Cheryl provided a helpful list of reasons to train in the Winter, I was most humbled by Jill who gives a preview to snow riding in her blog. I think this is something I can get in to! If you don't want to read about it, at least check out her pics. This is one awesome chic!

Below are some pics from the hike. Photos are from Matt.

Their dog. Doesn't this just make your heart melt? I want another pet NOW!

Another pic worthy of being on a calendar.

The girls.


The classic Sycamore tree in the valley on my road. Every winter this one stand out among the rest of the trees. It's cool.

Jason continuing his quest to achieve perfect balance.

There's a beaver in the midst.

This can mean only 1 thing....

I am now bald. Well, not quite; but my hair is shorter than it's ever been! I am now ready for Summer!

I wish February would get here already

Wow! Where to start. Last year was "Year of the Building." (some pics here.) This year is "Scramble like mad to get all house renovation projects done before the appraiser comes to our house!"

We bought our abode in 2001; since that time, we've been making major improvements. Strike that. We've been destroying our house bit by bit in order to make major improvements. The act of destruction is more fun and a lot quicker than rebuilding and finishing.

The building project kicked our behinds in gear to finish said improvements in order to complete our construction loan. Ahhhhh, the joy of pressure.

I'll keep it short. I have NOT had a good attitude throughout this engagement. I've verbally expressed my disdain at having to do manual labor, especially when I would rather be lazy and read some great blogs: CherylSBR, Fat Cyclist, Liz Waterstraat, Stan's motorcycle trips, and many, many more! Admittedly, I also peruse, People of Walmart and Awkward Family Photos. This is only the tip of the iceberg of my internet addiction. Also, I've been able to ride my bike when I want, which was especially nice with recent weekend weather above 35 degrees. Very nice.

Being somewhat productive, I also have a tentative race schedule for 2010 and hope to incorporate a couple of 6-hour races. Heather opened my eyes to these events in KY, and I really enjoyed going to Kentucky Lake last year and riding a new trail. Riding new trail was more fun than the race itself. And due to the chaotic business above, I didn't venture to my normal Grand Canyon destination last fall. It's time to TRAVEL! And why not travel with my mountain bike!

Even though I've been crabby and sore from little-used muscles, lack of sleep, and lost free time, I'm amazed at how awesome our house looks when compared to before. Hubby gets some gold stars for his vision and accomplishment. While I don't have many before shots, you may be able to see some of the enhancements. And soon, *fingers crossed* the pressure will be diminished. I know our projects won't be completely done--but done enough for the appraiser.

Old pic - this doesn't show the old, metal crappy spiral staircase. The door in the pic is now moved to the basement, shown in this pic. Also note the adorable blue carpet and hand-made railing for the new stairs.

The stairs have been these planks for the past 6 years!

Ahhh, the hickory hard wood floors we installed 3 years ago and our "plank" stairs.

The basement as of yesterday. Remember when we were chewing up tile? We have some marble that we'll put down after everything else is finished.



New wood doors for every room in the house, complete with our new trim scheme as well. Note trim in pic above. This is a slow, tedious process.



Alas! The hickory stairs are in the process of being installed. This is a shot from this evening's work.

Oak risers match the trim!

And here's a close-up of them together. I love how they look.

Of course there's painting and outside stuff going on too. But no pics. Hopefully this will be out of crisis mode soon, and we'll be able to enjoy the cold, January rain. (-;

A little obsessed lately

OK--Everyone knows I've been obsessing lately about my late dog, Max, and how much he loved the snow. Here are even MORE pics from earlier years to go with the post below.

He's already up ahead on the trail. You can barely see him in the center left.