My First Time and I Survived!

Today I got to try something completely new.  Mountain biking!

I've wanted to try this for years now but just hadn't.  

Today changed all of that and I was pretty excited.

It certainly helps that this during this past year I have become friends with Julie who is totally into mountain biking. (We met through our husbands, her husband is also currently serving a military deployment in Iraq with Jed.)
Julie was just the push I needed.   She also brought her son along for the ride too.

Since Julie had biked this area before, I had no problem letting her to choose which path to take. 

Although I must say, when she mentioned doing the "911" ride, I wasn't so sure a path with such an ominous name would match well with a novice.  We ended up choosing an easier ride - whew!  (Actually, I would have happily done it, I like challenges.  I'm just not sure I would have finished in one piece.  Which I was ok with.)

We're off!

It didn't take long to realize a few things:

#1. I am WAY out of shape for something like this!  It was kicking my butt within the first 4 minutes.  No amount of Zumba could have prepared me for this.  (I think I've found my new, exciting exercise challenge for the summer.)

#2. I am so glad Julie brought her son, so I wouldn't be the only one saying, "Hey, can we walk up this hill instead of pedal it?"  or  "I need to take a quick break!"

Feeling the burn!



I knew Julie was in better shape than I because she competes in marathons and triathlons.  Still, she amazed me.  Here she is, pedalling up those steep hills like it was an absolute breeze.

I told her she is my "Go-For-It-Girl." She'll get out and try anything she thinks would be fun or challenging (including motorcycle lessons!)  Gotta admire a girl like that.

Photo op during one of our many short breaks.

Perfect day for mountain biking - 65 degrees, overcast, and a breeze to cool you off.

Along our way, we came across the 911 trail and so Julie and I decided to try a portion of it out.  Wow!  This trail lives up to it's name, and I only tried about 2 minutes of it. (Julie says it's gets worse the further you go.)  Sooo fun!  It wet my appetite, but I'm not ready for it yet.  I am definitely going to need to hone my skills to do well on that one.

 

My new goal:  Be able to complete the 911 trail by the end of summer without actually needing to call 911.

Our way down the trail was fast and furious through a lot of thick trees, sudden turns, blind corners, steep edges, and tiny, 12 inch wide bridges to pass over.  I almost biffed it a few times.  Which leads me to learning a few more important things:

1. Having excellent brakes are your friend!  I certainly would have gone over many-a-ledge or crashed down into the creek and rocks had it not been for being able to slow down on steep, rocky slopes with sharp, blind corners at the bottom.

2. Wearing a helmet and gloves are a must!  Julie's son crashed once but came out fine with no abrasions.

One of the easier places of the trail.


Luckily, the bridges got wider the closer we got to the bottom of the hill.

I am happy and also surprised to report that I made it through my first moutain biking experience with no crashes!

To sum this all up in two words: I'm hooked!

We ended our trip with a cherry on top:

Tonight - I am feeling the soreness starting to seep into my thighs and buttocks.  Exactly where I want it.  LOVE IT!

Springtime Walk

What a beautiful Sunday we've had today.  This week it's been in the 40's and today it hit 50 degrees!  Woo hoo!  Partay!    It feels so warm and the snow is gone.  Now that's definitely a reason to celebrate!

So we decided to go on a our first family walk of the year.

The boys wanted to explore the empty canals and bridges that were on our way.  My only stipulation was they were not to get muddy.

Aubrey stayed with our dog.

So what happened here?

Ronin tried to climb out of the canal in a difficult spot, slid down and fell backwards right into the muddy puddles and rocks.  Poor kid, he had muddy slush all over his backside.


Smile everyone!  (Ronin still wasn't in the mood here.)

But as soon as I mentioned that maybe someone needed a big hug, Ronin couldn't make himself pout any longer. 

Signs of Spring?

Within a week's time all of our snow has melted and it's finally starting to feel like spring. Yay!!!!! I am so excited to finally feel 40 degree weather - it feels so warm compared to the winter temperatures that we've had. It's funny how much just this one thing has lifted my spirits. I've kicked the kids out of the house to play because they are all a bundle of energy. I even checked the day lilies that I planted in the fall last year and I can now see the faintest signs of some budding. I love spring!!!