Meat up in the forest
I walked into my apartment last night feeling like I got ran over by a truck. It has been 10 days since my 311 mile effort at the 24 Hours of Round the Clock so it doesn't surprise me that I am not ready for any “heavy duty” training. But that doesn't
I walked into my apartment last night feeling like I got ran over by a truck. It has been 10 days since my 311 mile effort at the 24 Hours of Round the Clock so it doesn't surprise me that I am not ready for any “heavy duty” training. But that doesn't mean I didn't try.
My first interval and my last were similar. It was tough to get going and when the ol ticker got up to 150 I was suffering like a dog. Good thing they only lasted 30 seconds. But I made it through all 20 of them; well minus one when I decided that running around deadfall constituted a “effort”.
The way back from the Stuart Peak Trail was a different story. I was a thrashing lunatic biker in training mode going up. But once turned around (because of bad trail conditions http://twitpic.com/594b53) I was a stumbling slow poke. But that is not a bad thing. I got to slow down and see all the elements of a wild forest in slo-mo.
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Meet Bernard the rabbit. I met Bernard on the trail just after I turned around. I was attempting to ride but was about to get off to walk. I was getting coated in cold water spray. I hit the brakes and they screeched wildly. I grabbed harder just trying to heat up the brakes so they wouldn't be so noisy. I felt guilty being out in the wilderness and making so much unnecessary noise.
Within a few moments I was sitting back up after the plummeting off the front of the bike. “Ok, I am walking it from here on out”, I said to myself and looked around to find my glasses.
“Excuse me … why all the fuss”, a voice said. I looked suddenly to the source. Sitting across the trail from me was a rabbit.
“Bernard is my name and you my friend are really noisy”, he said without looking up from his lunch, a nice green patch of new grass.
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“Excuse me?”
“That screeching sound. At first it scared the hell out of me. I thought a canadien goose was dive-bombing me. ... What?", he must of noticed my shocked look. "Are you surprised to see me? All you humans just plow through here like the forest is on fire or something. No, I am not afraid any more; this is the first time someone stopped by though. Although a noisy stop at that. And I must say that is a particular way you get off your wheel thingy.”
“Ah, yea, my mountain bike. Sorry about that. And I have to say I am not as surprised to see you. But to have you … ah … interacting with me like this …”
“Well no one has ever stopped before. The way you are shaking I am sensing you better get to a heat source within the half hour. You are going to get creeping cold disease.”
“Hypothermia?”
“Yea, that's it. Well continue on my friend, I must get back to dinner.”
I picked my bike up and took a couple photos of my new friend. And he was right, I was super cold. I mounted my bike and rode back to town. I must visit my friends up there more. Maybe with out the “wheel thingy”.