r & r

i've really been enjoying the training down-time of the past two weeks. eating plenty of tasty crap-food (yet friday's fisherman's platter was a huge mistake!) and riding only for fun - good solid technical mtbike rips with plenty of chatting. i'd originally mapped-out 2 weeks for r & r, but am feeling a couple more are in order, want to make sure i'm really fresh before focusing on 2006. didn't expect to be riding quite as much the past 2 wks, so the fitness isn't falling-off as quick, making for some of the greatest, most enjoyable riding i've ever done. 2-3days of rest, then a 2-4 hour rip. thinking of continuing this flow right through thanksgiving, finishing it off with an all-day epic the wed before turkey-day. 50+ miles of technical singletrack riding...

today i began re-reading pertinent portions of Friel's mtbike training bible to begin preparing the training and racing schedule for 2006... where to peak? what to peak for? TransRockies is the first choice. just need to find a partner with a similar mindset so i can lock it in...

went for a good one on saturday - 4 hours just wasn't enough. planned the ride with rob, but also threw-out an email to thom parsons, a guy who rolls with IF. thom brought another solid dude, lloyd - both on singlespeeds. don't see too many hardtails on the trails we ride and you definitely don't see too many singelspeeds. rob, thom, lloyd and i had a great rip! there are two kinds of riders, those who laugh-off crashes and mishaps and those who get angry at themselves (or the bike!). i much prefer riding with the former and have been lucky to meet so many who are. i sometimes mutter a bit when hammered into the ground, but in general, life's too short not to rip - and have fun trying!

during the sun-soaked ride rob held his cell phone close as stacey is nine months pregnant and been feeling ready. not more than 2 hours after we finished-up, stacey was in labor with Lola arriving on-scene early sunday morning! stacey (or Lola - or both!) were so ready, the doctor didn't even get into the room in time to do the delivery. so, big congrats to the follansbees on healthy baby girl #2...