Nice day for a ride, eh?

January has been a rollercoaster month, temperature-wise.....Right now, it's 3 degrees above zero F. And yes, back in the day, maybe even last year, and maybe even again this year, I've been known to ride at similar temps. But today, I'll be happy just to warm my toes by the fire, until I'm good and ready to (maybe) workout on my trainer in the (chilly but not frigid) basement, or more likely, go to the Y on my trial one-month membership, and do the treadmill and some stretching....
I did manage to get one good twice-around the Creek on Monday, when it was 22 degrees warmer. Felt great to be outside breathing, the only buzzkill was when I was heading back onto the trail from 3A at the Creek crossing, I'm blinded by the lily-white ass of some geezer bent over right next to the trail pinching a loaf. I just had to laugh out loud as I churned by. That's not someone I want to stop to chat with....
I wish I had my digital camera, I woulda popped one and left it right here for you'all to admire. He woulda flipped, as I think he's a regular Quincy polititian or wannabee. But I don't need to be causin any feeble-assed heartattacks . Like I said, he was a geezer...
Either way, the fire's over there, and my toes arent getting any warmer under the desk.

brrrrr.....

Well 14 days since my last post praising the sixTY degree weather, and now it's sixTEEN degrees and in no way inspiring me to ride outside but I did manage to walk a mile up through the park and back. It's always cool to see the trails we ride OFF the bike. We hear and see things we normally wouldn't. We bust out muscles that we should use once in awhile. We see the trail from a different angle, other trail users look at us and respond differently(some just ignore), and I actually get lost easier, missing that last turn that I would've made on my bike. I guess that's because I'm not constantly scanning far ahead as when I'm at cruising speed. I can get a downright saunter going and just enjoy the quiet non-mechanical time outside.
During the cold months of January and February, my nice carbon-fiber road bike sets upon the windtrainer calling my name. It's a good way to keep up (and actually improve after the holiday feeding frenzy) fitness so I'm feeling good about myself and ready to impress my friends in the spring as I drag them up Wolcott path for a warmup, and do Buck Hill repeats.........
Once on the trainer( it takes some motivation to actually get on it), I generally do 50 minutes, with gearing and rpm intervals every 5 minutes, and the time goes by quickly. I turn on the tv crank up some tunes anything to keep motivated and forgett about the monotony of going nowhere. I use a hrm to keep track of my heart's highs and lows. My theory also is to keep the heart rate changing, within the zones of course. Just like any other muscle, it needs diversity, cross-training, if you will.....
Enough talk anout it, now it's time to go do it.

My friend and I meet again....

Well it's the 4th of January and 60 degrees. I opt for a ride at Wompatuck, since I've been on the trainer a couple times this week, and the weather seems to just get better every day.....
I did my regular eclectic tour of the park, and thought I'd keep an eye out for my grouse friend. In the exact place we last met(last blog entry)she was nowhere to be found. As I continued on, down a paved section, then back onto a trail(about 5oo feet later), I hear something out of the corner of my eye(is that possible?).....a rustling of leaves....mind you I'm super-receptive at this point, since I'm still thinking I may see her again.....and there she is, CHASING me down the trail. I stop and put the bike down, she chirps, looks right at me, as if she's a cat wanting to play, or to eat.....
Then she jumps on my bike, and follows every move I make as I rummage through my camelbak looking for some dried cranberries even though I know I finished the trail mix last time, on the way home....
So I talk, she chirps, I talk......this goes on for a few minutes.,....I found the camera that I made sure to pack, discovering that I DID have another camera that was in there last time...no big deal, anyways.... So I just started shooting, getting all the angles......
Knowing that I couldn't be there all day, I hopped back on the bike, and she started chasing me again!! And closely, to the point that I had to make sure not to hit her with a pedalstroke, or with my rear tire....She chased for about 100 feet, and when I got up some speed she lost interest and stopped.
Just another day in the woods.....