Grey

I headed down to Jackson for our team ride yesterday. The plan was to try riding the Ella Sharp mountain bike trail. With the Yankee Springs Time Trial getting closer and closer, we are all itching to get out on a real trail, but they are all a) too snowy, b) too icy, c) too muddy or d) all of the above. It is just my luck that the year I decide to take up mountain bike racing and sign up for a race in April is the worst winter we've had in several years and looks like it's going to be the longest spring thaw in years, too.

It's getting to be somewhat of a pattern that we have a rather pathetic showing at these team rides. I'm hoping they will be a little better attended when it gets a little warmer. As it was, both Chris and Scott bailed on me. I went anyway because I knew I needed to get some miles in. I think my time on a trainer may be about up. I'm just having trouble getting back on it now that there is more daylight and the weather is starting to get a little nicer.

It was just Jake, Jason and I riding. Jake had arrived ahead of us and started riding the trail. He said it was really icy and that most of the ice was at the bottom of hills and he had crashed. Neither Jason nor I seemed too excited about spending the entire time trying to ride ice, so I suggested we just ride the rail trail. It was a little boring, cold and grey, but at least we got some miles in. It was the first time we had met Jason, so it was kind of interesting to have someone new to talk to.

We ended up with about 26 miles and two hours of riding. I felt pretty good about that. Of course, later in the afternoon it got sunny and warmer, but then that's just what my luck has been like lately. I don't even want to talk about hockey.

Weight Progress (going backward)

The last time I posted my weight progress, which was Feb. 24, this is where I was:

Net weight loss: 33
Pounds left to goal: 31.5

Here's where I was this morning:

Net weight loss: 30

Pounds left to goal: 34.5

So, I've gained three pounds since my last weight post. That's not exactly the direction I was hoping for. It's definitely my own fault—too much eating out, too many cocktail weenies wrapped in bacon, too many trips through the buffet line and a few cocktails mixed in. It's no secret as to why I've put on a few pounds. I guess I need to get my act together.

Well, today is another day. Since my thoughts are drifting more and more to Key West these days, I'm posting a fat picture of Chris and I with Captain Tony. (Chris looks a little round in this photo too, but I'm sure he won't mind me posting it since he's slimmed down quite a bit since then.)

Thwarted

I had big plans for today. First I was going to take the girls to the dog park for about an hour and get them good and tired out. Officer Stark had different ideas. After we had been there for barely a half hour, he started making his rounds. The rule at the dog park is that your dog has to have a license and mine don't, so I was expelled from the park and given a citation. (Not to mention that it's a misdemeanor for them not to be licensed.) Luckily, I just have to take the paper in and get them licenses to avoid paying a fine. It did cut our exercise time short, though.

My next plan was to get a 15-mile ride in. We started out on the river trail and planned to follow it to the end, turn around and head over to Revolution Bikes to order some things. We had gone only a quarter mile on the trail before it became impassable (unless we wanted to wade or ride through calf-deep, putrid water from the Red Cedar at the beginning of a ride on a 34-degree day). We ended up having to turn around and ride around campus. Enough time was wasted and we had other things we needed to do such that we only ended up with a 45-minute, eight-mile ride. Kind of pathetic, but hopefully, we'll get a longer ride in tomorrow.

The last and worst of my luck today was my hockey team losing a game it should easily have won so that advancing to the next round was delayed by another day. Oh well, I guess that just means one extra home hockey game this season we weren't expecting.

By the way, we got our team jerseys today and I think they look pretty good, although I look somewhat maniacal in the photos. I feel all official now!

I love that SNAPP is one of our sponsors!

Slacker

Just for those of you who are keeping track, I do realize I haven't done a weight progress post since Feb. 17, nor have I posted any fat photos. I have been a slacker in this department since I haven't been making much (any) forward progress and I hate the scale right now. However, I know it doesn't do much for the accountability aspect of this venture if I don't post when things aren't going well. So, I will commit to doing a weight progress post back on my regular schedule this week on Sunday along with the requisite fat photo. I will also be posting some goals for myself on a bike in the coming season.

Hound Dog Heaven

It was partly sunny this afternoon and about 40 degrees. What with daylight savings and all, it was actually still quite light out when I got home at about 6:00. I knew my puppy girls were feeling lonely and somewhat neglected due to all my running around lately, so I decided to take them out for a walk and some QT.

We ended up going to the dog park that was opened last fall near our house. I was nervous at first about how they would be because my puppies are not the best trained. It worked out great, though.

For two rambunctious puppies who live in a smallish Craftsman bungalow in the middle of the city with very little yard (none of it fenced), the dog park is a godsend. They had a blast and were so well behaved. They played nice, didn't get out of control and came back when I called them. It was like the Twilight Zone.

Maddy got a little muddy.

Both girls did a lot of exploring and Gretchen had fun just acting like a hound dog. I can't wait to take them back.

Back to the Land of the Living

I was a complete zombie for the entire week. Besides going to work and taking care of a few wedding-related items, I pretty much didn't do anything. I didn't ride. I didn't do the Bowflex. I didn't blog. I don't know why the whole convention thing hit me so hard this year, but I had absolutely no energy and no motivation. Needless to say, I knew I had to break the cycle this weekend or there was going to be big trouble ahead.

Scott and I headed down to Hell again today. Then we went for a 20-minute ride on gravel roads. You see, I had completely forgotten that the last time I rode my mountain bike, it was shifting horribly and the chain was jumping all around, even when I wasn't shifting. It didn't take long to realize that we were not going to be able to correct the problem without going back to the car. Scott took a few minutes, some chain lube and some tools I have no idea what to call and managed to salvage my ride.

It was about 28 degrees and the sun was intermittent at first, although most of the clouds had cleared by the second half of the ride. It felt great to be out in the fresh air again after being cooped up inside for the better part of two weeks.

We rode a mixture of gravel and paved roads around the little lakes in the area. We went by this cute little cabin that I had to take a picture of. We ended up getting about two hours in. It felt wonderful to be out there, but the prevailing thoughts in my head centered around the upcoming race season. The reality is that my first mountain bike race ever is in exactly six weeks and I don't know if I'll be ready. It's still so much like winter out there, I don't know when I'll be able to get out on the trail. I'm really hoping it's soon.

My last thought is this—I know the DNR is really hurting for money because the budget and the economy in Michigan are so bad. But really, I would be willing to trade some proofreading work for a free state park sticker, because clearly they need someone to help out. I mean, what the hell is a "hikng trail"?

Food Coma

Okay, that does it. I'm really getting serious now. Despite my best intentions, it was proven yet again that I have absolutely no self-control inside the confines of the Hyatt Regency Dearborn. Even though I brought my own food and actually ate some of it, I also ate everything else that happened to be sitting around. I stress-ate and ate and ate. One day I actually ate dessert with lunch and dinner. And now I am regretting it. I feel like total crap. I didn't drink enough water, I drank way too much pop. I am dehydrated and bloated at the same time, if that's possible. I stepped on the scale today and found that I did 3.5 pounds worth of damage. I am also tired and cranky.

I have the day off today, but I am headed to my mom's house to do a bunch of wedding stuff. I am going to drink copious amounts of water of water, take some ibuprofen and hope for the best. I'll probably do a longer post tonight or tomorrow.