Mayans, Christmas, and Mountain Biking?

Thought I had better get a post in before the end of the world on the 21^st.

 

Actually there are Mayans but you get the picture.

Anyways one thing we can’t complain about is our December weather?  It has been just cold enough to freeze the trails, or warm enough to road ride, and I have been fortunate enough to do both...and play some hockey.

Besides the weekly league games I was in a hockey tournament last weekend.  Lois attended one game and took some pics.  Yup...I am a goalie.

 

 

And we were fortunate enough to win the thing.

Anyways back to the biking thing.  Got in a few mountain bike rides with Rod.  In case you don’t remember from a previous posting, Rod is a powerhouse. 

This ain’t Rod but you get the picture.

 

 

 

There are not Rod’s quads, but you get the picture.

 

 

A regular ride for Rod is a workout ride for most guys.  One of Rod’s workout rides will destroy most guys...he likes to pick every hill possible...especially the nastiest ones...so it makes for a worthwhile ride when you aren’t walking up a hill he just made look easy.  No wasted time or effort on these rides!  We’ve gone out in early mornings when it has just been cold enough at night to freeze the damp trails to catch the trails while they are still frozen and epic!

When it hasn’t been cold enough to freeze I have been getting out on the road.  Not many instances worthy of reporting.  Other than, perhaps last Saturday; a road ride with Fig.  It was dry, but cold...0 degrees Celsius and a small breeze from the North East.  So we decided to go east and north so we could have the tail wind on the last half of the ride (planned for a 60 – 100 km ride).  So off we went, and Fig himself picked some of the best sprint segments and then some of the longest, steepest hills around...so the first half of the ride was great...fast, and some god awful hills (Bell School Line hill, Sixth Line hill...and others that I think I blacked out on cuz I don’t remember where they were) ... so it was making for an awesome workout.  Then at about the 45 km mark we decided to head back.  Fig was starting to cramp a little and whimper.  Now, again, if you don’t remember from a previous post, Fig is a young 30 something, fit, and one of the fastest cyclists I ride with.  Rides with him are always a challenge worthy of testing my limits.  But this time I was dropping him, and he was close to puking. 

This isn’t Fig but you get the picture.

 

 

I suggested we get to Moffat, and he could get something to eat...that may help.  Moffat is the home of Dar’s Delights...a little bake shop that makes some of the best buttertarts around.

So we get to Moffat and Fig scarfs down 4 buttertarts, and we head south for home.  Well wouldn’t you know it...the wind has shifted...and doubled in intensity...so we now are dealing with a very stiff, cold headwind.  Fig is dropping...I am waiting...and trying to chide him into speeding up...”Ya ain’t gonna let a fat old guy beat you are ya??”.  But it wasn’t working...he was hurting.  Then up the Cedar Springs Road to Brittania east climb...I got to the end of Brittania looked back and Fig was barely in sight.  I waited, when he showed up I donated him the rest of my water, as he made every excuse possible (the cold, the wind, he was sick, last night’s Christmas party...).

This isn’t Fig but you get the picture.

 This isn’t Fig either but he wishes it was.

 

OK...enough picking on Fig.  It’s just that I don’t end up in front of him all that often...so gotta milk it when I do.  Just hope he doesn’t destroy me next ride.  I’m sure this is what Fig is doing as he reads this.

 

Anyways we made it the rest of the way home without incident.  Not sure about future rides this week...as this is the weather forecast (In French and English!)

 

 

End of the world?  All because of this?

 

 Guess I better get Christmas shopping after all.  After some struggle getting it up from the basement, I did manage to get the tree up last week.

 

 

 

Just kidding...this is actually our tree corner.

And the mantle place.

Our cat carolling.

 

And a gratuitous Rudolph pic.

 

 

 

 

Anyways here I go again.  So off topic, and out of time, with so much more to share.  Next time.  And if that isn’t before Christmas, I wish you and yours all the best.

 Merry Christmas, Happy New years!!