Early in the year I started trail running.  I think I started out too hard and haven't run since that first week in the spring.  I started again this last week, but at a much easier pace.  It's fun for me, if I take it easy.

On another note, we need to send our best wishes to one of our friends who has been a guest to this blog and is riding the "Heck of the North" bicycle race this weekend.  This is a 100 mile endurance run and he is riding with some very fine company indeed.  I encourage you click on here or on Heck of the North to follow this ride.  I would say good luck, but CAD is good enough so it isn't luck he needs...BEST WISHES CAD ! ! !   

Getting that time of the year again.  Time to clean the chimney, cover the wood pile, straighten out the garage, change the gear lube in the lower unit of the outboards, cover the septic with straw and all the other little odds and ends to winterize things.  Snow and ice could be around these parts in a little over a month.  But there is one thing I'm not winterizing yet...Studs on the fixed gear.  I think that can wait for a while yet.

2010 Chequamegon

I was lucky enough to be drawn for the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival this year and although I suffered this year it was still fun.  Congratulations goes out to Brian Matter for winning this year.  I think he had won twice before, this being his third.  Also Darrin Braun had a good race.  Both Brian and Darrin are very good riders, but more importantly, they are both very nice people.  We did not get a chance to see Darrin or his fiancee Lynn, but I did see Brian cheering people on.

 

KISS showed up and took third in the Tandem category.  Very impressive indeed.

Lining up.

The start was in Hayward WI.

This was the destination.  The big top Chequamegon at the Telemark Ski Hill near Cable WI.

I finished, but suffered just the same.  This year I noticed the beautiful scenery the course takes, as I knew early on, this was the last of these events for me, so enjoy it.  I didn't feel it for the first 10 miles, then felt good up till 1.5 miles left...then cramps, big time cramps.  I missed two charity rides this weekend and one of these I had rode 5 times in the past.  I am thinking my time in the future can be better spent riding for a cure of breast cancer or whatever.  The charity rides will be the ones for me.  Oh, and they aren't as taxing on this old guy.

Gravel and Wind

I rode the cross bike on a mostly gravel 25 mile ride.  Wind, did someone say wind?...no but I did.  Lots of wind on this one, and I knew before I left the house what I was in for. 

The roads were a little wet, but not bad.  I think there were white caps on some of the puddles though.

I saw three cars in 25 miles and that number could increase, as hunting season is here.  I did see a couple wheelers also.  I had a hard time seeing them, as they were in full camo.  Less traffic is just one of the benefits of riding the gravel.

I now know that I could be in better shape.  Wind is a good judge of that.

Riding the gravel equals a Goooood Time ! ! !

Guaranteed.

Family stuff

We have doing some family stuff lately.  Last weekend one of my cousins said he would butcher one of his pigs if we would cook it.  We of course said "Deal, if you help cut it up."  He and his wife dropped it off at our cabin all cleaned and ready to go...That was Great.  Pic below is what a pig looks like after rotating for several hours at the above temperature.

We had about 100 people for the annual picnic at our cabin.  I will tell you that it doesn't get much better than family and friends getting together.  We have a lot of food and then finish it off with homemade Ice Cream.  It seems every year I intend to take pictures to document it, but when you have that much going on, there just hasn't been time to take pictures.  One of the comments I hear every year is that it sure is good to have a family get together when it isn't a funeral.  I would say there is some truth to that, but I would also add, that it's nice to have family and friends together for no other reason than to eat and shoot the shit.  That is priceless.

Lately I have been doing a bicycle ride, then cutting some fire wood, (a Brick one might say), so today had us hauling some of said firewood up to my father-in law.  He is 82 years young and still wants to burn wood, so we help him out by cutting it for him.  Janice and I are also very lucky to have help to do the hauling, as he lives about 30 miles one way from our house.  We had five trucks and a trailer this year.

All loaded and ready to go.

Again, a BIG THANKS goes out to our children, their fiancees, my sister and her husband for helping us with the wood.  Also Al, otherwise known as BAM.

La La Land

Dumbo on a Bicycle

I have been internet challenged recently, but I do have a little story for you.

So I know this guy...he decided to ride one of the largest mountain bike rides in the Midwest...just doing it for a good time, nothing serious and although he trained very little, he took it easy the week before the ride...eating carbs and not pedaling...He lubed up his ride...checked the suspension over...headed over to register the night before the ride...Only to find out he was a week early... I had one of the best laughs in a long time...and this one is on me, because I have only myself thank. 

Looking Forward

I will get out Saturday for long, lazy and putzzee ride on the road bike.

In about a week I will be on the mountain bike, and like these trees, just trying to hang on as long as I can.   

Hopefully my head won't be too far in the clouds like this lake...Lake of the Clouds.