Rain Down

It has been a little wet here of late. Okay, a lot wet. Like, 7 straight days "with" rain wet.

It finally stopped on Saturday but the sky still looked gloomy even on Sunday.

So, with the trails still damp and recovering, I spent my ride time heading downtown to the Gaslight Criterium (the State championship event) to watch the youngsters tear it up.

The road was dry and the riding fast. I can't imagine hitting this corner in the wet at the speeds these guys were riding!

Found a nice xtra-cycle hanging out along the course. I don't know who the owner is but they had better invest in a lock!

Danielle Musto, endurance racer extraordinaire was hanging out having coffee and watching her sister tear it up. Seems pretty engrossed in the race! I was actually worried that plant would fall on her, but it never happened. The guy with the white glasses behind her is Ben Renkema, the eventual Men's pro 123 winner and State champ. He used to race MTB with my son during the Youth Cycling Team days but has gone on to fame and fortune as a road racer with the Kenda Inferno team. Good kid.

I have been riding this thing a lot thanks to the rain. Trying to stay off the trails and wet gravel, the road bike is the go-to ride lately.

This is what I want to be riding. And in the dirt. On trails. Hope to be out there tonight or tomorrow. Rene is out of town the next 3 days scoping apartments for her potential move to MN in October. Not thrilled at the prospect of her being away for an extended period of time, but in this economy you do what you have to do. And if all goes well, I might just join her next May. But that is a long time from now.

Saving up airline miles and vacation time for future rendezvous here and there. We were laughing the other night at the idea of both ordering a movie on HBO, turning on the phone to speaker and watching it "together" on a Saturday night! Might just have to give that a try.

Until then, we are enjoying the end of summer and hoping to take a trip to Chicago in a couple weeks for a day or two. One last get away before fall. And Cross season!!

I'm Lonely (but I ain't that Lonely yet!)

I spend a lot of my on-bike time alone. It is convenient and often, easier to just get out and ride by myself. We live in a rural area and there numerous places to ride right from my doorstep. But very few of the folks I know who ride, live near my doorstep. So, I travel solo the majority of the time. And this year, more than ever. But it has been nice, really. The time I spend on the bike is not only beneficial to my health, it is crucial to maintaining my sanity.

And lately, that has been important. Life has been chaotic this summer for both of us. Even though Rene has thankfully been at home, it just seems busier than usual. Our oldest daughter came home from Tampa FL to visit with us (and her old friends) a couple weeks ago and while she was here, we had an impromptu family reunion at the house for Rene's family. Our daughter Heather left for home just this past week and we said goodbye in typical fashion: a final family Mexican dinner! And my son acting like a moron. Wouldn't have it any other way!

Speaking of the boy, he has decided to also fly the coop. He lost his electrical apprentice job in January and has been out of work since then. With a lot of extra time on his hands, he has decided to go back to school. Starting this summer he enrolled at a local junior college and now is becoming a full-time student this fall. Along with that came the desperate need to move out of the house. He and 3 college friends have found a cheap house to rent in the big city and are living the life without parents that they have always craved. Well, except for the occasional trip home to steal food and other items from our house that they need!

And this past weekend, the final child has left the nest. My youngest daughter moved up to college on Saturday and after only 27 trips up and down 4 flights of stairs, she is officially moved into the dorms. And the nice thing is, we get to do it all over again in 8 months when the first school year is over! But now, Rene and I are empty-nesters and as you can see from the photo below, pretty sad about the change!

So, time to get back out there and get some late summer riding in. The roads are still fast and shady.

The local drivers are not well trained in car-bike interaction. It should say "do not pass unless you plan to give me three feet clear!"

The rail trail is well underway but I don't think we will be able to ride it until next summer. The original rail bed is still in place and difficult to navigate. And they might want to consider installing some railings along that old rail bridge too.

Hope everyone is having a great summer. But hurry, its going fast!

One Hot Minute

Is it me or is the earth spinning faster around the sun lately? Either that or my clock is running fast. This seems to happen every year. I just realized it's August. Damn. Snuck up on me again.

I have not raced since May 3rd! This was Fort Custer just after the crash. That did help keep me off the bike for awhile.

No Hansen Hills, no Big M and no Ore-2-Shore (despite the fact that I said I was definitely entering this year!). Not sure why not, but think many things have contributed to my lack of competitive spirit. Graduation parties, a trip to Tahoe and Chicago, the Family Moser visit and generally just too much goofing off (like attending the Picnic Pops on Thursday nights instead of riding my bike!)

But we did have fun that night! Dancing, singing and maybe, a little consumption of adult beverages may have occurred.

Since then, I have spent most of my mountain bike time on the gravel roads and trails near the house due to car issues, time constraints and wet weather. I think we may have watered the flowers 3 times the entire summer! To say we have had a little regular rain is an understatement.

I have been putting in good miles when I get out there, but never enough. I can hear the sound of Cross' season coming in the distance (one month from today!) and just know I am not ready. Maybe if I spent more time riding and less time taking pictures, it would be a small step in the right direction!

The trails are in good shape thanks to the consistent rains as it tends to compact our sandy soils. When I have been out there, the riding is fast and fun.

But the rain also makes grass grow, so my secret trail (which isn't maintained) is looking a little long right now. Oh well. It doesn't really slow you down too much.

Both of my youngest are leaving me. My daughter Lauren is leaving for college this Saturday and yesterday, my youngest son Matt moved out. He is attending a local college downtown and has decided to live in the city, sharing a house with friends. We have officially become "empty-nesters" (as of Saturday afternoon) and it is a weird new experience. I am sad for them both to leave but not too much. They are growing up and it is good to see each of them moving on with their lives. And what the hell; I have an official music room now!

However, I am also pining for the old days a bit. Going through some pictures last week, I found a series from my son Matt's "racing days". He started riding seriously around 12 or 13 and soon wanted to race. His first event was surprisingly the kids race at the Firecracker 50 in Breckenridge CO. We were out there visiting friends and they suggested we enter him as their son was also doing it. He was reluctant but as soon as the race started, the adrenaline kicked in and he was gone. We wandered around trying to find him on the course and saw one lap before he finished. Rene and I headed back to main street to pick him up at the finish line, but could not find him anywhere. We scoured the town until finally running into him pushing his bike. He had a medal for 3rd place! He told us he couldn't find us at the finish so he went searching for a much needed bathroom. Not finding one quickly enough, he decided to knock on a nearby condo and asked them to use their facilities! Someone actually let him in! And we are the worst parents in the world for not knowing he was in there!!

He continued riding for a couple seasons, eventually joining a team; Michigan Youth Cycling. The team had a trailer and a number of guys (and one girl; Toni Musto, Danielle's sister) who were slightly older than Matt and we entered a number of races that year. He had done well prior to joining finishing 1st through 5th in just about every beginner XC race he entered. After joining the team, they pushed him (and so did I) to step up to Sport that season. He did so reluctantly as his race confidence wasn't as strong as his legs. We even travelled to Vermont that season to race at a Norba event, Mt. Snow. It was a blast of a trip and the riding out there was amazing. And brutal. Elevation + rooty trails + big rocks = a Humbling Experience! For me anyway. Matt seemed to take it in stride and eventually placed 10th in the Junior Development race. I thought that was pretty amazing considering the field which included riders from sponsored teams like Bon Jovi's. He finished that season with a few good placings, but by the last race, it was clear he was losing interest.

Needless to say, I was bummed when he finally decided to hang it up. I love the sport of cycling and had hoped he would too, but it was not to be. He might come back to it some day, but for now, school and fishing are his priorities. But back in his "day", he kicked some ass!

Well, onwards. I plan to get more riding in this month but already the weather has again conspired to limit the chances. Most of the outings have been on the road bike, finally joining my buddy Randy last week for our first ride this summer.

The sandhill cranes showed up at the office last week too. Not sure what keeps bringing them back but we seem to be missing some veggies from the company garden!

We were hit with big storms this weekend and then, very warm, humid weather. I finally got out on Sunday and did a hot, sweaty, windy 30 miles. Wow. It has been a cool summer and I forgot how much the temp and humidity can zap your strength. Good workout for the upcoming cross season, so no complaining here.

Speaking of which, the season starts with a night race under the lights at the Ski Hill which should be a ball. Looking forward to it and plan to do all the events this year.

But, then again, I have said that before!

I'm on a Boat

I had to do something to rid the blog-sphere of that hideous lip picture. So, here is a an uglier mug than mine. Not my son, the muskie!

And yes, to answer your question: the kid has no idea how a washing machine works!

Enjoy.