Back to School

The end of summer has come and today we head back to school.  I don't personally, go to school, but since we are pretty involved in helping out at school,  well.... back to school.

Growing up, I never liked school.  Maybe because by the time I went to college I had attended 7 different schools.   I never found a rhythm and was always behind.  I was terrible at math and got yelled at because I didn't understand simple math stuff. 

I learned to get by- by the hair of my chinny chin chin.  Just doing the minimum in order to pass.  That didn't always work.  I think that someone must have pulled some strings to keep me from repeating a grade here and there. 

I carried those habits through college.  I could not find purpose or passion in my classes and so D's and F's were common.   I did a lot of extra credit work to maintain my C average. 

Once I got into the brand new Outdoor/Experiential Ed program, I started to excel.  I got straigth A's in that class and finally had instructors who believed in me.  Having someone who believes in you makes a difference too!

Ocracoke Island

 Summer Vacation 2016.   Back in the dead cold of winter we decided to splurge this year and rent a house for an entire week.  We have never rented a vacation house for an entire week before, so the cost and commitment was a bit daunting at first. We made the reservation and then waited through a very busy spring and summer.

The day finally arrived and we rolled out for an uneventful 2 day drive.    The rest of the story is difficult to put into words.  So,  I'm just gonna say that this trip was good for the soul.  I was able to share some parallels between this island and Bonaire, with the family.  That was good.  Getting the 3 of us to Bonaire is pretty cost prohibitive, and I was glad to be able to share the vibe with them.

The loooong drive proved to be worth it.

Jockey's Ridge

Southern Point, Ocracoke

Low Tide

Sailing across the Pamlico Sound at low tide,  about 20inches deep!

Simply Beautiful

Appalachian Dream in her temporary berth.

Awesome Bakery Trailer

Awesome Tacos

This is the last working Fish House around,  fishermen sell seafood here and locals, tourists and restaurants buy them

Shane,  an example of the friendly locals, was always there and welcomed us with open arms

The long drive home: Full Hearts, Clear Eyes

Stolen Bikes

Well,  just before I left for the beach vacation, I got word that a bunch of bike club bikes were stolen.  Click the link below for details: http://tripsforkidswnc.com/news_updates/bikes-stolen/

Spread the word and help us get this bike club rolling!

What is Winning?

 I've been trying to figure out, for a long time, what drives me to compete?  How far do I want to push myself? How much of the non bike aspects of my life do I want to sacrifice to potentially win?  And the big one,  is winning worth said sacrifice?    These are not easy questions to answer.

I have learned over the years of training, that I don't like a strict routine.  I have to work my "training" into regular rides to keep it fun.  I do enjoy training, especially for endurance events, because that involves endurance rides.  Long rides are what attracted me to mountain biking in the first place. 

We watched a documentary on Netflix last night: The Great Alone, the story of Lance Mackey,  who one the Iditerod dog sled race 4 times in a row.   One thing he said at the end of the movie, after winning the race, overcoming cancer, working through his crap filled childhood: " If I win again, nothing will change". 

That statement struck a chord.   There are people out there racing for all kinds of different reasons.  I learned in the first couple of years of training and racing to find my own reasons.  But when it comes down to it,  if I happen to win,  nothing will change. 

This is specifically to the level that I am racing at though.  I 'm not seeking sponsorship product or dollars.  I'm not seeking fame or making a living off of my results.   If I were, I would approach racing from a much more serious, regimented standpoint. 

 I'm thankful for the position I am in though.  I don't have to feel pressured to train to win.  I enjoy training, I enjoy lining up against others, I enjoy turning myself inside out.  If I happen to get on the podium,   that is icing on the cake. (Although I prefer pecan pie)!  

Smoked chicken wangs are good to! 

Tired

I'm tired.   Worn out, spread thin, ragged.  But, it is summer time and I don't know how to do it differently.   I feel some pressure, because I normally have an 8 week window to get kids out into the woods.  This summer we have an extra 2 weeks.  So, naturally, I took advantage of that time and booked extra rides.  

It turns out that those 2 extra weeks are difficult.  And now I'm running on fumes.  

I remember working at residential camps when I was younger.  The first 6 weeks would be great,  weeks 7 and 8 a person starts slowing down and then the last 2 weeks was so hard.  Mentally and physically. 

I think the mental effort and fatigue contributes a lot to the overall fatigue.  It is amazing how much brain power is consumed, making sure the whole group has what they need and is safe. 

I have somewhat of a morning off so I might go for  a little trail run,  gotta dig up some motivation.

Don't mean to complain here, but this is my life, and sometimes I get a little ragged. 

Mebbe next year I limit the ride program to 8 weeks and spend a little time relaxing.   But then I feel guilty for not working.....  The wife says I work hard and a lot. 

And that leads to another issue.    I have this little voice in the back of my head that is seemingly constantly telling me that I should be working instead of playing.  That voice that was ingrained from childhood,  the one that tells me that there is always something I am doing wrong.    I work hard to shut that voice up......  

Here's to the dog days of summer!!! The finish line is in sight along with some family vacation time (well earned according to the wife)!   I cannot wait to put my toes in the water and my butt in the sand!!

Jerdon Mtn/ORAMM

 Jerdon Mtn and ORAMM weekend is complete.  I have been involved in this race for 10 years now.  ORAAM was my second endurance race, after surviving Cowbell Challenge in Charlotte while is was still at the Whitewater Center. 

I raced the past 2 years and made my peace with the event.   This year I was back in my support role, recruiting a fine group of folks to help me at rest stop #2 both days.  People asked me if I miss racing.  There is not a simple answer to that.  But, yes, I miss racing, I just don't miss the suffering that goes with the racing in this heat.   It was  a "cooler" year, but still hot! 

I had awesome people around me this weekend, with absolutely no negativity, no power struggles, just a bunch of good ideas making rest stop 2, #1!! 

Will I race this again?  Mebbe.

It is always cool when someone who reads this blog comes up and introduces themselves.  Sometimes I'm so surprised that people still check in here, that I'm not really sure what to say and end up not saying much at all.  For the record, I love meeting people and learning what type of life you lead!  

 Thanks to all the awesome folks who were out there this weekend getting it done!  See you at the next one