Ahhh, more bike riding

I got more rides in last week than I had anticipated. It turns out that I have ridden my bike for 5 days in a row. Sweet, less than 3 weeks until Cohutta!!!!

Friday was a work commute. Friday night I went to join my family in Charlotte for a weekend of celebrating my Nana and Pepa's 70th wedding anniversary. I got to go for a group ride with my brother Geoffrey Saturday morning. I had fun, because I was on my bike. We started out with about ten and wound up with 4. There was one dude who thought that it would be really cool to up the pace or break away every time the group got into a rhythm. Then everybody felt like they had to chase this guy down, even though, considering the difference in fitness levels, this was not going to happen. I got tired of the discombobulated group, so when the dude started attacking, I told everybody to let him go. It worked for a little while.

Then there was this other older dude, who felt like he was the chosen one to take monster pulls. That's all fine and dandy, if you have the fitness to take a monster pull. But he would surge and then fade, but not pull out, causing the whole group to slow down.

Oh well, I had fun watching my brother suffer. He he he. ( lay off the X-box old man!!!!)

Saturday after meeting the 28 people in my family for lunch, Jubal and I went to the park while Rhonda helped prepare the food for the big celebration. It was too cold so we went off to find a Starbucks. Jubal fell asleep. Sweet!!! I got some coffee and we drove back to the house. I didn't want to wake him up, so we sat in the driveway. It was nice to relax. I ended up falling asleep for about 30 minutes too.

After sharing a meal with 28 of my relatives on Saturday night, we headed home. I was in bed by 1am, after getting the fire going and eating some food.

Sunday morning I got up feeling very sluggish. It was cold and gray out. 3 weeks until Cohutta, Ideally I should be taking a long 60-70 mile ride today. I ended up with 36 which is fine. I'm still gonna finish this year.

I road my new geared bike. It was definitely a fun ride. I made really good time and continue to waffle between riding geared or single speed. The way my legs feel today, I think I should stick to the single speed. I am definitely not used to pedaling down hill!!!

Have a great day

Just Cruising

Last night I rode at Bent Creek. I hooked up with Amy and Christy. They are training for the Cohutta 35 and asked me to help them out with their training. Their main goal is to finish. Amy has been riding bikes for a couple of years now, mainly road, and has picked up mtn biking within the past year. Christy has just started mtn biking in the past 4 months. So, this is a daunting challenge for both of them. At one point we got passed by Thomas, a Bio-Wheels rider. We chatted some and he ended up joining us for the rest of the ride. We cruised around, getting 16 miles in 2 hours, not including brief stops. Amy's cell phone rang once, and we are pretty sure that everyone in the valley looked our direction, due to the high pitched piercing ring. I was really excited about how well they are riding, and I think that they will definitely finish well.

Two things of note on today's commute. The first reminded me that I need to put some toilet paper in my messenger bag and also reminded me why I love living and riding in the country with lots of wooded areas.
The second gave me a clue as to how the early explorers must have felt, after making friendly contact with the inhabitants of the land. At one point in my ride, I take a left turn at a traffic light, ride over a bridge and take a right turn. This morning I was behind a pickup truck, a pickup truck was behind me and behind that was a full sized dump truck. Not wanting to hold the dump truck up, when the light turned green, I pulled through the left turn, then sat up and waved the two truck past. After the dump truck passed me, I waved to the driver who was courteous enough to look in his mirror to see where I was, and then the most amazing thing happened: The driver waved back. Amazing!!


Have a great day.

National Trail Day

Register here!!

The weekend of June 6th to 8th. I've mentioned this before and I will mention it again. Check out the schedule. Come join us, you will be able to sign up soon.

I am the Parking Coordinator. I'm looking for about 5 people to join me in helping the 250 volunteers park safely. The cool thing about this team is that we will show up early and once everyone is parked, we are free to go. Go home, or go help work on the trail. Please let me know if you want to help out.

The Doctor:

I went yesterday. I am going to live. The Doc tells me it is only some mild irritation caused by dry air and should go away soon. Great.

Bent Creekin' tonight.

Have a great day.

Doctor, tell me it's not serious

I have had a nagging pain in my throat for a couple of weeks. It is not my throat, more like in the lymph area of my neck. My adam's apple was even sore for a little while. It started feeling better, but then I had a night with only 4 hours of sleep. The it got annoying again. It's more annoying than anything. I tried herbal remedies but that has not worked, hopefully some anti-biotics will take care of it. The bad part is waiting until 3pm for my appointment. I prefer early morning appointments.

I not been on the bike since last Saturday, and it looks like I won't get to ride until tomorrow night. I guess I am taking a mandatory week off the bike. I think that should be fine though because I now have 3.5 weeks until the Cohutta.

This weekend most of the extended family is going to Charlotte to celebrate my grandparent's 70th wedding anniversary. Sweet!!! So, Rhonda and Jubal are traveling to Charlotte tonight to help out with prep. I'll be going down on Friday to hang out with the family. I hope to make it back on Sunday in time for a long ride. I need to do some climbing in prep for the Cohutta.


Have a great day.

America

Cycling is the coolest sport in the world. I know this because I can e-mail pro cyclists and they give me the time of day, and solid advice to boot!!! Thanks Tinker, Jeremiah, and Eddie ( I'm not sure if Eddie is pro, but close enough).



Today I hurt. Yesterday I had off. I spent the morning felling trees for a load of firewood. I took a nap and then rented a tiller. I tilled the garden, played with the kid, then worked on my new bike set-up.

Ahh, the new bike. I have not ridden it yet, other than around the yard. I know it's gonna be sweet. I haven't given up on the single speed yet though. Mike Keeley asked me if I would be tempted to ride the geared bike at the Cohutta 100. I told him that I wouldn't. I had trained to ride the single speed, I was determined to finish it on single speed, etc. Well, I brought the bike home, rode it around the yard, and was more than tempted to ride it for the Cohutta 100. Ummmm, so much for all that training and big talk. Well, after sleeping on it for a couple of nights, I am leaning back towards the single speed. In fact, I'm not even going to ride the geared bike until this weekend. I'm going to stick with the WUSS, through the Cohutta. I really want to follow through with this goal. I want to know that I can do it, and do it well.

So, the time will come to put some miles on the new bike, but for now, I'm going to stay the course and rock the single speed.



Now it is off to work.



Have a great day.

Got Gears?

I do. I finally broke down and got a geared mtn bike. The bike found me actually. Pretty cool story. I was thinking about getting some gears. Looked at some prices, and decided to wait. How long? I was prepared to wait for years. I didn't want it that bad, so was willing to wait. Actually, it was one of those things that I really wanted, just didn't want to spend the money. And it would cost a lot for what I wanted, so I decided to wait.

The next day, I got a phone call from a friend. He said he had a bike for me. He gave me the description and the price, and I knew it was for me. It is amazing how things work out sometimes.

How is it that sometimes things work out, and other times they don't? Or, is it that sometimes we say things don't work out, but they really do, it is just not the way we wanted it? I was thinking about that today when I was cutting down some more trees. I thought back to the chain of events that led to me having enough money set aside to be able to make this purchase. I should write them all down, that would be interesting. I'm not talking about exciting things, but everyday things. Hmm, I'm going to have to think this through, so many things come to mind in the past 4 yrs ( and more) that have led to this moment.

Weird and exciting at the same time!!

Have a great day.

High Mtn Camp

High Mtn Camp: Sponsored by Mike Keeley and family:

It was one of those rides that couldn't get any better. Warm, sunny, good company, great scenery, great SAG. It is such a different world up there. Carvers Gap is one of my favorite spots in the world.

It was Mike's idea. He wanted to meet up in Little Switzerland, where he is spending the week. I was game on Saturday. Roan mtn is 7 miles of constant climbing, that is after riding 35 miles of rolling hills with lots of grunt climbs. It took up 3 hrs and 50 minutes to go the 42 miles. We climbed 5500'.

The Sag-mobile

2 miles to the top:

Mike, Mike and Stephen. It was a leisurely ride.

Last Night

I had a great ride at Bent Creek last night, although is was a bit cold. I'm really looking forward to the warm weather, but really thankful that I was able to ride in the light last night.

The trails at Bent Creek drain extremely well. I went up Ingles Field to Greens Lick, down to Sidehill, to Bent Creek Gap Rd, rode the 2 miles up to the gap, turn around, down to South Ridge rd, Down Hardtimes rd back to Rice Pinnacle parking lot.

On the way down from Bent Creek Gap I was daydreaming. About what I don't remember. What I do remember is being startled by some dude who came flying up behind me, trying to get around me. He couldn't get around because I was swerving back and forth due to being startled, I yelled" sorry about that" but he just kept flying on down the road. I need some downhill skillz.

2 hours 20 miles. I'll try to post the elevation chart later.

Have a great day.

Spring Has Sprung...

a little surprise for the higher elevations. Snow!! Yup!! Happy spring everybody. This is the time of year when the weather becomes totally unpredictable.

It is finally Thursday. This has been one looong week despite being very busy at work and home.

I was reading Asheville Citizen Times on line and found that a picture of me ( along with 600 other cyclists) is in the Outdoors section.

I am wearing the blue helmet with the green and yellow jersey. Two bikes in front of me in the white red and gray is Andy Applegate!! ( thanks for the draft Andy).

Tonight, another Bent Creek ride. I'll be incorporating as much climbing as I can. Probably head up to Bent Creek Gap at the Parkway at some point during the ride.

Have a great day.

ooooh!!!

I got a sweet package in the mail Yesterday. Can't talk about it now, but soon. I have to take care of some details first. Then you will know what I know about what I know!!!





I woke up this morning to the sound of the howling wind, and rain splattering. No ride for me this morning. 90% chance of thunderstorms this afternoon to boot. Happy Spring Eve!!! I'll hit the rollers this evening for some sprints and be pleased.





Here is a random picture:

This is me, one year ago at the Cohutta 100, about 12 miles into the race and going way to fast!!





Have a great day.

Too Much

I'm tired lately. I'm sure that it has something to do with daylight saving. I'm sure that some extra miles have been adding to my fatigue. I had started adding miles to my daily work ride, but now my legs are feeling tired. So, I'm backing off of the extra miles. I guess consistent 40 mile days is too much too early. So, I'll back off a little, and here and there add in some extra. The cool thing about this revelation is that I can leave 15-20 minutes later in the morning. That means I get 15 more minutes to play with my kid!!

Have a great day.

Bikes

I had a great ride yesterday. Great in the sense that I was glad it was over. Ok, it really was not that great. In fact, I cut it short. It was cold, I was tired. I think moving 6 tons of dirt by hand the day before a long ride is not a good idea.

40 miles out and around Bent Creek. I included all of the steepest climbs that I could. The trails were mostly dried out. A lot of people out walking. Cold and windy.

After nap time, we took Jubal to Carrier Park. I rode my bike with him riding his. Rhonda walked with us. We tooled around for a little while, then headed home via Firehouse Subs. That place is delicious, and affordable.

Have a great day

Today

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY TO YA, ONE AND ALL!!!!

It is not about me...

I wrote this at the end of last week. I really wanted something exciting to happen. I wanted some great miracle, or blessing to come crashing down out of the sky, just for me. It didn't happen. Well not like that. It came in a still small voice. The same one that told me to give my lunch away:

Tuesday night: Attempted brake job, failed horribly, put it back together

Thursday : took the car to a shop for a $120 brake job, got to spend the morning with my wife and kid, going to school and work, got to pick my kid up from school, getting there early and seeing Jubal in class. It made his day, he later told me how fun it was.

Thursday Evening: Get a call from the shop, the price is now $360 due to a botched patch up of the attempted but horribly failed brake job.

7:30 am Friday Morning: Wake up late, watch battery is dead, leave later than usual but still have enough time to ride my bike to work. Rhonda needed the truck, our only operational motor vehicle, to do stuff for her job. I am cruising along, determined not to be bothered by all the "stuff" that is happening. I get a sweet draft from a front end loader lumbering down Azalea Rd at 22 mph. I turn on Hwy 70 and start cruising towards Swannanoa. There is an old weather beaten dude with a back pack walking along. God says, " give him your lunch", I say, " But I'll be hungry", God says," give him your lunch", I say " All of it?", God says" Give him your lunch" . Alright already. I turn around, pull over, get my lunch out of my messenger bag, roll up on the dude, ( scare him accidentally) hand him my lunch and finish my ride, determined not to think about being hungry the rest of the day.

10am Friday Morning: A co-worker walks in with a plate full of breakfast pastries. Cool, that will hold me over until God blesses me with lunch. I tell myself that someone will probably offer to take me out, or bring me some lunch etc. I'm just waiting to be blessed for what I did. It never happened. At 1:30pm, I realise that I don't deserve free lunch. I already have everything I need. I have $8 in my checking account that I can use to buy lunch for myself. That still small voice gently tells me what a self centered fool I am. I gave my lunch away, not because I care, but to get something out of the deal. It is not about me.

Have a great day

Bent Creekin

Ahhh, to ride on the trails for 2 hours/20 miles, and still have light enough to see when I get back to the parking lot, this is livin'!!!! Great ride. I saw some people I know, saw some people I didn't know. 1 whitetail deer running down the road in front of me!!

I'm feeling more confident in cornering with speed. I'm using my breaks less, and able to keep up some momentum.

Last night's route: Rice Pinnacle- Wolf Branch- dirt road- up Ingles Field all the way to Greens Lick- down the dirt road- right on Sidehill- up side hill all the way to Bent Creek Gap Rd- Down BC Gap Rd- right on South Ridge Rd- somehow end up on Explore loop- to pine tree to some trail I don't know the name of, past the lake, to Hard Times parking lot, left/ right - right on DeerField, left on Wolf Branch to Ledford, to Rice Pinnacle rd., back to the parking lot.

Fun ride, steady pace. I have not been riding much single track out there this year, due to rain. I have been riding the dirt roads and feeling good. It is amazing how much fitness/strength one can lose after not riding a specific type of terrain.

Have a great day

Dirt

Lindsay Garland pulled up in a 1965 truck. It used to be a firetruck but he converted it to a dump truck. "It has 25,000 miles on it" he bragged as he got down to unlock the tailgate. He brought me 8 tons of dirt. And only charged for shipping and handling, saving me about $200. I wrote him a check and gave him some of Rhonda's homemade chocolate chip cookies. He said he was going to eat them on the way home. I don't blame him.

Jubal had a lot of fun climbing, sliding and jumping while I shoveled and raked the dirt. It is amazing how much fun he was having with dirt!!

I got the dirt to fill in low spots in our yard. The problem is our yard is a low spot, and our house sits in the middle of it. Whenever it rains, all the water flows down from all the way up the hill, into our yard. It probably used to drain until whoever built the house next door, laid there driveway and created a nice little dam. Now, when it rains a lot, I can get a foot of water in my yard. So, the plan is to build up a little higher around the house, to keep the water as far away as possible.

Oh yeah, and some of it will go on the pump track. It should be ready to rock within a couple of weeks.

Tonight is Bent Creek!!! High of 70!! Shorts weather, yahoo!!!

Have a great day.

Brake Fluid....

All over the ground, right where it should not be. OK maybe not all over. Really only about 2 ounces. But enough to convince me that I had no desire to continue the brake job.

1997 Honda Accord. I have done a lot of work on vehicles in my life. I have saved a lot of money. I like to save money on care repairs, so I can spend it on food, and bikes, and vacation. Spend it on fun stuff. So, I jacked the back of the car up. I told Jubal I couldn't play tonight. I got out all of my tools, took the tire off, wrestled with the drum to get it off. Got the drum off. Started loosening things in the brake mechanism to get the brake shoes off. Then all of a sudden, one side of the brake cylinder pops off!! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!. That means that I will have to bleed the brakes. Not too difficult, just a pain. It is 8:30pm. I have been doing this for 1 hour now, and have basically made not progress.

I jump in the truck and get over to Advance Auto Parts. I buy a brake bleeder kit and a large bottle of brake fluid. I probably only need the small bottle, but if I buy the small bottle, then I will need the large bottle.

I get back to the house, bummed because I am going to have to pay someone to do this brake job, unless I want to stay up until 2am doing it myself. $250 is what I was quoted by my new favorite shop. Lame.

I get the brake bled with my lovely Rhonda's help. But the drum back on, and the tire. Put my mess of tools away.

The good news is that I found another shop that will do the work for $120 plus tax. Sweet.


My ride this morning was nice. It was 32 degrees but the sun is actually starting to feel warm. I love that feeling.

Have a great day.

Cutting Grass,

I got my lawnmower back today. The repairman had some trouble starting it. I hope it works. He gave me a 90 day guarantee. That's cool. I hope it works. So, tonight I will be doing some "cross training" ( cutting grass).

Yesterday I made a big decision. I decided to step down from officiating the local track races. I can't believe what a huge sense of relief that I feel after making this decision. It is something I have struggled with for a while.

It all started two years ago. I decided that I wanted to help promote the sport of cycling here in Asheville. I was not mtn biking then. I signed up to volunteer on Tuesday nights to help with the fixed gear track races. The first year went well. I then decided to take an officials training course and get certified with USA Cyling. I would be a bottom rung official who could officiate local races, and if desired could eventually work up to bigger races such as the Tour de Georgia. Pretty cool. Then I got into mtn biking, and started racing. Then Jubal got older. Along with that, I realised that I did not enjoy officiating. I decided to stick with it though in an effort to continue to promote cycling.

This year has seen a lot of changes. The track community has grown, the promoter has changed, they are now running races under a new organization which does not require a USA cycling official for local races. All changes for the better. And all the changes provided me with a way to step down without leaving the program in a lurch.

So, I did it. I resigned. And I feel good. More time to spend with the family. Rhonda even said she would like to see me race at the track. Sweet.

Jimmy Holcomb: ( far left)

Sometimes, the right decision is a difficult decision, but when it is made, feels so right!! I remember the advice given to me by Jimmy Holcomb several years ago. The comment he made, caused a turning point in my life. Helped me take control, and not be manipulated by the situation that I had been caught up in.

He said" Stephen, just make a decision, then do it".



Have a great day.

24 Solo

Mark your calendar: Thursday, May 29th, 2008.

Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company on Merrimon Ave.

A one time showing of 24 Solo.

This is a fundraiser for World Bicycle Relief.

Check out the trailer here: 24Solo

Have a great day.

To the Coast and Back

Wow, that was a long trip. 5 hours to Myrtle Beach. I had planned to leave one hour earlier than I did, but I was having so much fun running around the yard with Jubal, that, well, I left when I did. I stopped by Starbucks on the way out(of course) and hit the road. Lots of thinking got done. I passed a bunch of people that I don't, going somewhere that I don't know. Nothing real profound, just cruising with traffic. The tailwind was nice until it turned into a side wind, then it was blowing people all over the road.

I had intended to leave earlier so I could stop for lunch and eat something healthy. Unless a Big Mac and a Coke is healthy, that did not work out. The Reeses Cup Blizzard was a tasty dessert though.

Another stop at Starbucks in Myrtle beach to relax from the road and on to the host family's house. It was fun meeting all the kids. The family is made up of mom and dad and 7 kids. Holy moly!!!! But then the prospect campers started showing up and I dropped the ball. I like to meet people, get to know them, and learn about them, but, when it comes to convincing them to send their kid to my camp? I'm at a loss. I did my best, and we'll see if they register, but I will be hesitant to volunteer for these gigs in the future.

After 2 hours at the people's house, I was on the road again!! Instead of being smart and getting a hotel, I decided to drive home. I realized that I would rather ride my bike for 12 hours than drive for 10 hours. That was one long drive home. I got home just before midnight, in the bed, and slept almost until 9am ( 8 am really because of the time change, thanks mr president).

Today I took my family to church and basically hung out and played. I did get one of those nagging projects done. Jubal's floor is now all wood, instead of half carpet.

Tuesday I pick up my lawnmower. My grass is 10 inches long in places. And later this week, I should be getting a large load of dirt. The dirt will be used for landscaping ( and the pump track).

Have a great day!!

Myrtle Beach Bound

The temp this morning at 8 am is 46 degrees. The high for today is 46 degrees. Slushy snow is in the forcast. It should make for an interesting drive home at midnite!!!

I probably won't get a long ride in this weekend, maybe tomorrow afternoon.



Have a great day

Raining Again

It is indeed raining again. I am thankful for the beautiful warm sunny day we had yesterday. I rode out at Bent Creek for an hour and a half before the cloak of lonely darkness chased me home. I got in 16 miles. I am planning to add some more single track to get a 20 mile loop out there that includes the steepest more technical trail.

I'm feeling really good about the Cohutta and my fitness for that race. My concern is to train more for the Fool's Gold 100 in August. That route has a lot more singletrack and a little more climbing. But it is Georgia and the scenery is beautiful.

Tomorrow I get to go to Myrtle Beach, SC. I have volunteered to do a camp showing. This involves going to the hosts house, showing the camp DVD and answering questions from potential campers and parents. Should be fun. Then I'm gonna drive back home to sleep in my own bed!!!

Have a great day.

Change is in the Air

Lots of change going on around me.

My friend/coach/fitter Kurt Begeman of Ergotech Cycling Dynamics, is moving to PA to work at Trexel Town Velodrome. I'm very excited for him. He will be brushing elbows with Olympians, one of which is Marty Nothstein. Very cool.

As the temperatures warm the grass starts growing again. The flowers are popping out and our trees are budding as well. This means I have to cut the grass. This means I need a lawnmower that works. Mine doesn't so I took it to a local guy to fix. I'll be cutting grass before you know it.

Tonight is my last Bent Creek night ride!!!! It is supposed to be warm and light until 6:40pm, so I will have less than one hour to ride in the lonely dark. With the time change happening this weekend, it will be light later, meaning no more night rides!!! WOOHOO.

I am now the parking coordinator for National Trails Day. ( click on it to check out the details). We are trying to get at least 200 people to come out and work on a trail in Bent Creek. Even if you are not from around here, we would love to have you come up. It will be a whole weekend of fun social events.

Fun stuff,

Have a great day

Snow on the mountain

The mountains surrounding camp greeted me this morning covered in snow. The snow was about 1500 feet up the mountainside so the roads were clear, but it is cold. My body feels like hibernating. After Monday afternoon's commute in shorts and short sleeves, I am really looking forward to springtime weather.

Have a great day

Remembering

Sometimes during a race, I don't remember things that I experience until a couple of days later. Here are a couple of those things:
I was riding along refueling, around the 10 miles to go mark when I was passed by some dude. He was talking. He was saying how he figured that I was now just enjoying my ride. How he figured this, I don't know. Then he went on to ask if I was racing the Yazoo Racing Team guy, Jamie. To give an example of my state of mind, I said, " unofficially". What the heck is that supposed to mean? Either it was a ridiculous question, that deserved an idiotic answer, or I was not in control of my words.

First of all, it is a race. I paid money, invested a lot of training to race. So, yes I was racing Jamie, whoever Jamie is. In fact, I was racing everybody. Just because a guy slows down to refuel does not mean he is not racing. So it is official, I was racing.

With two miles to go, I caught the talking guy, and passed him. OOOhhh, the things that flashed in my mind to counter his earlier comments. But what came out? " Come on, " I said, " Keep going, you are almost there."

He thanked me later.

Something else that happens when I am hungry and starting to fatigue is I see things. I "heard" something large running next to me. I "saw" a little 3 yr old kid standing by the trail. I can't think of any more now but I will let you know when I remember.
OH yeah, this was weird. For some reason, halfway through the race, I got paranoid about getting a bloody nose. Then at one point I panicked because I saw blood splattered on my sun glasses. I stopped to take them off. It turned out it was mud, and with the lenses being orange, when the sun shone at just the right angle, it looked red. Weird.

Have a great day.

Wahoo!

Feelin' good today. I broke out the Bianchi Pista single speed track bike ( converted to freewheel). I'm looking forward to riding this simple bike work some more this summer. I haven't ridden it much through the winter because it is too much trouble to switch lights from bike to bike.

Spring time is a comin'! We planted 3 more trees in our yard last night. A weeping willow, an apple tree and another maple. If you ever want to feel good about something, plant a tree. They only cost about $15, and all you do is dig a hole, put them in and water them a couple of times each day for a couple of weeks. The air in my yard is fresher already!!!

Have a great day,

Snake Creek Gap Finale

It was a good race. Lots learned about myself and racing. What I can do, what I can't do, what I am capable of etc. I am very pleased with my performance and I don't think that there is anything that I could have done to improve my time. Things happen, like needing to stop for more water, or letting someone faster pass and getting a stick stuck in the chain causing it to come off. Things happen and there is nothing I can do about it. I finished. That is something else that happened. Here are my times:

Jan 03:58:27
Feb 04:07:05 ( with a head cold)
Mar 04:03:41

Not a lot of difference in times. One major thing that I learned is that everything I do out there means time on the clock. I am very pleased with that. (I'll figure out overall placement if I get a chance).

So, the results: 10Th in the 34 mile Single Speed Category.

So we spent Saturday night at the hotel in Dalton. Sunday morning we drove to the Zoo in Knoxville. We had sunshine and warmth all day. This zoo is really nice if you are ever in the area. We got in free too, since we are members at our local nature center. Enjoy the pictures:

Two Warriors: Ready to fight!!!
The White Steed
Uhhh, what's is he doing?
Gone Like a Lightning Bolt
Finally!!

8 seconds?

Hungry Bear Casing a Scared Kid

Still Hungry

Where Kids Belong

Hmmmmm

Have a great day.