mtb or die

it's 445pm, pissin' rain, pitch effin' black outside, all geared-up for the ride home and couldn't be happier. this (past) season was/has been all about getting-in the rides, getting the hours, which means the road. rediscovering the trails at the end of a great season has me feeling incredibly fresh for the long hrs of base which lie ahead - many of which on the dreaded pain machine (aka, indoor trainer). got to ride the mtb 3 times in 5 days. a short group ride the wed before turkey-day hit the spot. friday's 4hr most-of-a-kuhuna was wicked, brad b in fine form, andy nailing all the lines, i just joyriding behind. sunday was for me. left the house with legs ready for a cx race and pegged it, minus a 15min flat tire break, turned safety break, turned nature break, turned food break, turned "lets see how many times i can try to ride (fall-off) this narrow-ass 30ft log" break. a little later in the ride, pushed hard up a climb and powered into the descent, got going mucho quicko on what quickly became insanely steep and rocky - and realized this was the same descent i'd gone way too fast on 10wks previously, the day my daughter was born, and on that day i skidded to a halt and crawled down the sketchy slope, so steep walking down is harder than riding, so i wouldn't miss her birth due to massive head trauma or whatnot - but sunday was a different day, let go of the brakes, emptied the mind, and at the bottom found myself smiling and singing like a fool, being in the woods on the bike, riding lines that make the cheeks pucker, or one you keep trying to nail, sacrificing bits of skin w/each try, or that roller-coaster piece of singletrack, or crossing the finish line 2 spots farther up the field than expected - are places i can't imagine living w/o... made even better knowing a perfect little muffin-head was at home, someday to learn the secrets of trail riding from her pops, then a few yrs later, completely school me. i can't wait... what i'm not looking fwd to is seeing less of the folks who taught me how to ride... andy's been a stunch riding partner, no weather too burly to cancel a ride, thom, always willing to make the drive (and talk me into) a race. waitsfield vermont, hundreds of miles of trail, but what will they be w/o good friends to share 'em with? just have to convince everyone that the 3hr drive is worth it!