Training and also Birthday Plan

I guess you could say that I started "training" this past Monday.  I've raced my way into as much fitness as I could since January, but I'm finally feeling the urge to put some time in with extra morning junk miles.

I was waiting for this to not be that:

This is the current far end of the greenway right at the bottom of my neighborhood.  When this last bit gets finished, I'll have a nice, traffic free, twelve mile out-and-back.  Almost pancake flat, and without traffic lights, I can put in any kinda effort I want when I want.  Easy spin or hammer.  Until it's open the rest of the way, I'm only getting about an extra 20-25 minutes tacked onto my commute.

Locals might point out that the entire thing is totally rideable right now, but at 7:45AM, there's plenty of heavy machinery being operated by workers giving me the poopy face that aren't out there after 5:00PM (or on weekends).  Locals also might point out that I live next to seventeen miles of trails, but unless you're gonna go out and knock the spiderwebs out before I get there... no.

The small amount of extra time daily is proving to be enough for right now, based on how much my calves were hurting Thursday morning.  This also has served to remind me that I need to be squeezy leg bagging at night if I'm gonna keep this up going forward.  Shouldn't be too hard to remember that when I'm sitting down at night, my Elevated Legs are stored right under my ass... doing nothing for me if I don't get them out and put them on my legs.

Derp and also dammit.

I'm so stoked on having a greenway to "train" on VS being on the road.  I wouldn't say that I'm doing intervals, but I do get my heart rate up somewhere between the levels it gets to when I see a mountain bike in a Visa commercial to when someone challenges me to a Gold Sprint race after six beers.

Here's another odd thing.  PMBAR is just a week away, and I don't think I've ever been less worried about it.  I'm headed to the mountains tomorrow with Nick "Dip 'n Spray", and we're going to DuPont instead of Pisgah Proper.  Normally in the past, any mountain trips a month out from PMBAR would be recon rides to re-familiarize myself with some portion of Pisgah.  This year?  Whatever.  If I don't know by now, I never will.

One more thing.  I've spent zero minutes looking at a Pisgah map, but I did spend five minutes coming up with a 50th birthday party plan, the Dicky 'bout Fiddy Party (artwork forthcoming if I get motivated).

The plan?

Here's the idea. I'm turning fifty, and I guess that's supposed to be a "big deal."

You bring a six pack (very preferably cans) to my house, toss it in a kiddie pool full of ice, head out for a group ride at the Backyard Trails, return covered in sweat and poison ivy juices, and then we all drink beer. I'll probably toss a bunch of Coors in the pool, because I'm cheap, and I like Coors.

The Harris Teeter beer aisle is three minutes away from my house by bike, so your excuses are trbl.

Consider yourself invited if you know where I live or know someone who does? That sounds realistic, right? I'm just not "inviting" what some might call "people." This way, I didn't not not invite someone and hurt their feels.

I'll have nothing to offer other than the Coors and mebbe a few mosquito candles and mebbe one dog shit land mine that I didn't locate earlier. I expect between two and ninety nine people to come. Two people would be a nice group to ride with, but ninety nine... not so much. We'll figure that out whenever.

Assume we’ll be back at the house by 8-8:30 if you’re not into “riding bikes,” although if you don’t, are we even friends?

Women are welcome to use the facilities indoors, whilst men may relieve themselves behind the shed until the neighbors call the cops or things get swampy.

I'll have some places to sit and unlimited places to stand. If there is any music at all, it will be the same playlist that's been on my Shuffle for the last decade pumped through my Turbo Bass boom box.

If you know where I live, you know where to park. Plenty of shopping centers, street parking, trail head lots, and there's the driveway of the abandoned house that's full of bees close by.

If the attendees decide to surprise me by chipping in and buying me a garvel bike, the party will immediately be canceled, and I'll start throwing bags of dog shit at everyone.

If it rains or the trails are closed or my backyard is a mess or I decide parties are stupid, I'll update this page and end up at The Spoke Easy drinking Miller High Life and staring at Greg Martinez. Srsly.

Sidenote:  I'll try to remember to cancel here as well if things are going to shit for those that don't FaceBook.