70? In February?

 Yes, believe it or not it was 70 degrees on February 27th here in Southwest Michigan. It was short lived, as we are not under a Winter Weather Advisory. lol. Pure Michigan.

You can see the temps here....and I will take 50 plus all day long in March.

Already have plans for the weekend to get some Gravel endurance riding in, followed by getting the Mudhorn dirty on Sunday. 

But, last night I managed to get out right after work for a ride on the TCX. It was too nice outside to pass up a ride. It was a bit windy, but that was because of the big storm pushing in.

I headed out of town to get to the nearest gravel. These roads took me to the Allegan State Game Area. 

Had the entire woods to myself. 

This is technically a cross country ski or hiking trail, but people ride on it. I was shocked to see some other tracks and a fairly worn in path. It was easy to follow. Even riding it on a gravel bike I didn't have any issues with conditions. It was a nice quiet ride on crunchy leaves. 

Not a bad view of the Swan Creek Pond. This trail runs along a valley the entire way. 

It was pretty clear sailing until this section. A handful of downed trees and limbs blocked my way. I had to actually use the cross bike for the purpose it was intended. I threw the bike on my shoulder and traversed the obstacles. Cross is not for me......

As I got to the end of this road I was presented with the option of left or right. 

This was right....

and this was left.

I opted for right and found a section of singletrack to ride. This little loop took me back toward home. Its not as ridden in as I would have liked, especially on a gravel bike. Kind of reminded me of the farm sections at the Cow Pie classic....only worse....and narrow....like a mountain bike trail. lol.

Eventually I found this section. Its a little valley that has a wonky bridge surrounded by muck. Thankfully I was able to take that bridge across and make it out the other side with no issues. 

At the top was more trail leading to some gravel roads that I would take home. 

There was also evidence of some logging many years ago. This area reminded me of Hanson Hills and sent my brain back to some painful climbing there. I will miss the Hanson Hills 50. :(

Eventually that trail gave way to the gravel. I rolled along and made it back to the last stretch of pavement. I started to realize that darkness was chasing me. And the wind wasn't doing me any favors. It was a cross wind, but blowing more toward my face so I was struggling to hold speed. 

About 3 miles from home I spied a dog standing in a yard. He had already spotted me but was just looking my direction. Then he pulled the pin and took off toward me, with his owner screaming for him to stop. Having a Great Dane I know how fast a big dog can cover ground....thankfully. Because an Irish Wolf Hound covers some major ground fast too. He was running towards me, but he wasn't growing or barking. As he got close I simply moved left and he glided past my rear wheel with no issues. Never good to get chased by a dog. Always good when its a positive outcome.

Overall it was a glorious day in SW Michigan. Today...not so much. 

I plan to do an easy spin tonight on the trainer just to keep my legs moving. Got a big block coming up this weekend.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Keep moving forward. 

Back in the saddle

Just when I was ready to get back at it....sickness kicked in the front door. Thankfully I was only down a few days....but a few days here and a few days there are starting to turn into weeks that I am off the bike.

That changed last week. 

I was able to get some miles in on Zwift and even get outside with Tom for a solid gravel ride. So after a good ride to start February, then a few weeks off....I am finally back in the saddle again.

Zwift rides are what they are....and I will use them when I need to. It is February after all, so the temps here is SW Michigan are swinging like Austin Powers. We go from 2" of snow to 60's, back into the low 30's and today temps will touch 70. In February. lol.

The ride I did outside last week temps were in the 50's. Awesome. Tom and I headed out and got some solid base miles before he headed West for his training block. For not being on the bike in a few weeks, and a soft January, I was actually surprised at how good I felt. Problem is....that feeling only lasted about an hour. That is where my issue is starting. I have stamina for an hour, because that is how I have been training on Zwift. Its great, but I need longevity. And a scattered training plan with weeks off the bike don't help. Still....no unhappy with our ride. 

Last night I couldn't pass up the another 60 degree day. I left from home for a mixed bag of a ride. Legs felt good, just had some timing issues. Had to ride out and back to check on dinner. After that check I rolled around again to get about an hour of riding. I did push harder knowing that I was on limited time. Kind of funny how a flat ride can still feel hard. 

Tonight I am heading out again. Hope to get to 20 plus miles in and enjoy the weather before it tanks again on Wednesday. lol. Michigan. But its really ok. I am set up to keep my legs moving. With a cold day tomorrow I will just head to the trainer. Just have to keep going no matter what. 

This weekend we should have temps in the 60's again. Planning on some gravel base miles and then breaking the new bike in at Yankee. Training has truly begun.

I have felt my mindset shift. Things are coming into focus. Maybe its having a mountain bike again. Maybe its that LJ100 is less than 4 months out. Maybe the weather. Mental toughness is one of my biggest struggles. I waver. I let things creep in and chip away at the foundation until it cracks. I build it back up, but other things sneak back in to fill the remaining voids. Right now, today...as I type this....I feel pretty good. A solid week of riding always helps that. Its silly really. The key to being successful is riding my bike. I gain fitness, burn off stress, and get healthier every time I ride. And I simply turned my back on the bikes. Why? Lack of discipline maybe. But the main reason is I just let the stressors of life add up...and I didn't turn to the key to unlock the chains and release the stress. Last week I did. This week I am. I just need to remember to stay the course. Keep riding even when I just want to hide in a blanket fort. 

Last week was a good example of that. Long day at work had me worn out. I sat on the couch and was just ready to check out. Instead I drug my ass off the couch and headed to the trainer. It was the best decision I could have made....and the effects are still helping. I know I will have bad days. Setbacks. Life will happen. All I need to do is....

KEEP MOVING FORWARD.

Time to move....

 I didn't touch a bike over the weekend. After a solid ride with Lisa the previous weekend I once again didn't have an ounce of motivation. Was a crazy long week at work and still fighting stupid elbow pain. 

Right now we are about 4 months out from LJ100. I am signed up. I have an AirBnb booked. Those boxes are checked....but there are 2 big boxes left.

1. I don't even have a mountain bike yet. Yes I have some options but this keeps weighing on my brain. I don't really want to try to ride 100 miles on a borrowed bike that I have limited saddle time with. So borrowing a bike is a 'last resort' option. I do Albert. The properly named fat bike that I own. But the thought of riding that tank for 100 miles with a full rigid setup just makes me shudder. My arm started throbbing just thinking about that. So that is an option that falls just before the last resort. While both of these are plausible solutions, they are not the option I want to choose. 

What I am actually going to do is order a bike......Thursday. I have been crunching numbers and developing a plan of attack. That plan will go into affect Thursday. I should have my hands on a new ride by the end of the month.

But what bike did I decide on?

Will it be a Specialized World Cup...

Could it be a Scott Spark....

Maybe a Cannondale Scapel.

What about a Canyon LUX....

oh man....Obrea Oiz...

Specialized Epic Evo.....

Trex Fuel EX....

this list is never ending.....

However, I have some limiting factors. Available funds and inventory are the driving factors right now. I missed an awesome sale a few weeks ago from one company. I have researched and finally narrowed it down to a few options. Once I was there the funding created another set of limiting factors. But, when it gets here I will let you know what I get....because I am ordering on Thursday....that is for sure!

2. Motivation (or lack thereof)

I have used every form of distraction, excuses, and lies to keep myself off the bike. I will work through a few of those here to try to explain to myself why I am where I am. Here goes....

Work stress. Yes, work has been chaotic but that isn't really anything new. There are other wrenches thrown into that stress bubble right now. The company I work for was purchased by a conglomerate last year. As usual in any type of takeover or integration you will find the growing pains ever increasing. We are right in the thick of that. Added on top of a massive project. Stress is high. 

Family stress. Again, not really anything new. And this one isn't really what I think it is. I know my trip last month and the inevitable event of proposing was weighing on me a bit. Nervous stress is a better description for that. I wasn't stressed about asking, I was nervous and excited about it. However, a distraction none the less. That trip was amazing and exactly what I needed to start off 2024. But I used planning and preparing as an excuse to avoid the bike. When I got back, I used the "catching up with work" along with other excuses to not ride

Weather....ROFL. no way...it was 60 degrees and I still didnt touch a bike. dumb.

Lisa and I did get out for a ride the weekend before last. but now we are in the middle of February and the reasons to not ride just are not going to fly anymore. The time is now to get off my ass and get moving. 4 months to pile in miles and drop some weight. 4 months go get acquainted with a new bike. 4 months to get my elbow healed enough to hold onto the handlebars for 10 plus hours. 

4 months....

...that will pass in the blink of an eye.

Lets get moving.

Koko Crater climb

 When I learned that we (Christine and I) were heading to Hawaii I started poking around for things to do. Dolphins, turtles, luau, Pearl Harbor, yeah yeah.....all those main stream things. I wanted to know about the other stuff...hikes to water falls, mountain biking, lava flows, and blow holes. My initial search for Oahu adventure brought me very close to our hotel in Honolulu. The Diamond Head Crater is a prominent feature on the Southern coast of Oahu. Then I stumbled across the Koko Head Crater and started to look deeper. I didn't really know the journey I would go on.

First, some other highlights from the trip. We did visit Pearl Harbor. I cannot describe the feeling of being in the exact spot where Japan launched an incredible attack that drew the United States into World War II. Mixed emotions between "this happened in the 1940's" to "so many people died" to "it had to be unreal here, in this exact spot....with planes, bombs, explosions and death....where today it is so quiet and peaceful". 

We took a short trip to Halona blow hole on the southeastern coast. Beautiful views and blue waters with some sea turtles were on tap here. But we had to head back for a dolphin encounter. Christine had never swam with them, so I booked a special one for her. With her distracted by the porpoises I had a plan to pop the question. Kolohe (our dolphin) delivered a pelican box with the ring and she said YES. So that was a fun day!

But the Koko Crater loomed. We had driven past this feature on the way to Halona and back. Seeing it in person I started to have doubts. These are the pics I took on our way past the crater. Big imposing hill. No real understanding of what I was in for.

When the morning arrived I ate some breakfast out on the balcony and mentally prepared. I called an Uber and made a very quiet trip to the trailhead. The driver was not interested in chatting. lol. When I got delivered I took the picture below. Nerves added to the "what the hell am I thinking" started swirling around my brain.

Then it was time to start. Kicked on some music and started the trek.

The first few steps make you figure out your approach. The spacing made it interesting. Longer legged people can take one step at a time, while everyone else has to take a step up and then a step forward before stepping up again. 

I found a spot here to stop and slow my heart rate down. I was feeling ok, but my HR had spiked into the 160s. In general, that doesn't happen when I am racing my bike full tilt. So a quick pit stop was in order.

Diamond Head Crater in the distance. 

Never Surrender.....EVER.

Getting to the top was half the battle....but the views were totally worth it. 

Back side of the crater.

At the top....you have time to take in the views and catch your breath. Then you look down this and know the battle isn't done. Getting down unscathed was just as rough as getting to the top.

The need for a crab walk was definitely necessary. Running low on gas and having a high HR, it was a better option sometimes. Just to give my legs a little break. Arms took some of the weight so I could keep going! 

I was surprised to see a cactus....

This sign! 

So many people were out. Much like cycling, you could see the varying levels of fitness and drive behind people. One guy was seemingly on his 3rd trip down the crater....while others were taking the 10 steps at a time approach. They would take 10 steps and stop to rest. Repeat. Repeat. I was on the 30 to 40 steps at a time approach as I got closer to the top. I do a similar thing when climbing on the bike. I count down how many pedal strokes I think I will hit until I reach the summit. Keeps my mind from focusing on the pain brewing in the legs. 

The markers were counting down to the top. Started at 25 I believe. At this point, I was thinking 'whew, only 5 to go'

Diamond Head crater. I was planning to get up there too, but legs were torched after this climb. The taller buildings to the right of the image is where our hotel was. Amazing that its under 10 miles from crater to crater....but took nearly 25 minutes to Uber between them. 

Even when I got to the 'top' there was another segment to get to the 'tippy-top'. I reached what I thought was the summit only to find another segment. I rested for a minute and then pushed up this short stretch to the top. The additional steps were worth it as the views were unimpeded at the very top.

There is a segment of the trail where the land falls away a bit. You can see thru the railroad ties and it does throw you off a bit....but not super high. Just another twist to the climb.

A much needed rest. Letting the legs rest while taking in some views and letting the mind relax.

Stopping to take a breather.

It feels never ending at the beginning.....

Steep is a good word to use here.

Overall this was an interesting day. It was surely a mark off the bucket list type of event. I knew I would reach the top, even though I doubted myself at times. I just kept pushing onward and upward until I got there. Maybe not as major of an achievement for some, but for me it was a very rewarding trip. I am happy to say that I did it. I did however pay the price. My legs were wrecked for about 4 days afterwards. Worth it. If you find yourself on Oahu, head on over and check this out. There is a lot to see, but this adventure gives you a different experience. You get the accomplishment of climbing an iconic crater and you get rewarded with amazing views.

It was kind of hard to put the experience into words. Its something you have to do yourself to understand. I am happy that I was able to.