Yankee what?

Monday was soccer...so I ran 2 miles. This was the day after the Stampede...so 2 was enough.

Tuesday was Dance....and I didn't feel like doing anything else.

Wednesday.....I loaded up the bike and headed to work. At noon....there was thunder....so I wasn't sure if the ride was still going to happen...but it never rained. After work, I took the hour long drive to Yankee Springs and as I exited the highway I was realizing that it had rained....and rained hard. Jay started riding earlier and he got caught it it. We passed each other on Gun Lake road as he was heading home and I was about to ride.

Best part of Yankee.....rain doesn't really hurt it....so sandy that it drains quick. The rain actually helps...and it did help....the super sandy areas were a lot better to ride after that downpour.

So....I got to the trailhead and my new friend Shad was there. Mark wasn't there yet so we went out and rode the 2-mile loop for a nice warm-up. Got back to the lot and Mark got there. Off we went for our full loop. The DNR had done a controlled burn so it was very interesting looking out there. It was literally a brown ribbon of sandy dirt surrounded by blackened trees, stumps, and wasteland. Always cool to ride in those conditions because the trail looks so different with no overgrowth.

Shad is a newer rider so he cut off at the shortcut after the ditch climb. Mark and I kept plugging away. The trail was in good shape with a few trees down from the burn and the storm that rolled through. There is a new section that adds just over a mile. I was hurting from chasing Mark and it felt like that new lap was ALL UPHILL. It wasn't....but you climb and then descend on a 2-track back to where the new loop begins. Pretty cool that they were able to add another mile in and not miss any of the trail.

Pretty uneventful rest of the ride. We got to the parking lot and I decided that I wanted to ride the warm-up loop one more time....full out for 2 miles. I felt pretty good and managed to hold a 12.5 mph average for those 2 miles. My average on the full loop was only 9.6 so I will take that speed even if only for a short distance.

Goal time of 1:15 for the time trial with the longer distance. Racing against myself. Get out and ride.