a pleasant day on the bike path
yesterday after work I took a quick spin on the Capitol Crescent Trail
being able to get out of work 10 minutes early allowed me to hit the trail before the afternoon rush
was able to take my pace up a notch
not bothering with a fast or aggressive pass
went from Georgetown to Connecticut Ave then back to the DC line only to turn back around towards Bethesda again
once pointed north towards Bethesda I felt some riders approaching behind me
then there was a pass
as per usual a roadie passed without an audible
not only did he pass without warning
but he made the pass obnoxiously close to me
I refrained from getting angered or involved
then I glaced back at the person on his tail
without hesitation I recognized the face and the figure
it was Rich... a fellow mountainbiker.... and a person I had seen around at various local races
the last we spoke there was some tension
I had BLOGGED about him after our battle for 3rd Place in the Men's Vet Class at the 24 Hours of Snowshoe in 2004
it is in the GWADZILLA ARCHIVE 3/4 down the page
(an interesting archive as it touches on Lance, Sue Haywood, and other issues of the day)
our last encounter left me wondering how he would respond to me now
to my pleasure there was no ill will
I was greeted with a smile
he released his fast pace on the rear wheel of the road bike in front of him
and dropped his pace to a social side by side pace with me
we talked about things
mainly we talked about the birth of his first son
then we talked about the effort to balance riding, mountianbike, and mountainbike racing as a father
it was good to catch up
it was good to see that there was no tension between us
it was good to see that he and his wife were enjoying life with their young son Miles
I rode out to Conn Ave one last time to continue our converstation
then turned back towards Bethesda where I was meeting my wife and my family at my dad's for a little poolside fun
storms blew in as I arrived
not even enough time to dip in the pool
but
my brother and his wife showed up with their kids
which was great for the boys
we ordered pizza and had some fun before bed time
only to ride my bike back downtown for a few extra miles
these little rides all add up
the question is
will these little rides add up to be enough to make me strong enough to handle the Shenandoah Mountain 100?
yesterday after work I took a quick spin on the Capitol Crescent Trail
being able to get out of work 10 minutes early allowed me to hit the trail before the afternoon rush
was able to take my pace up a notch
not bothering with a fast or aggressive pass
went from Georgetown to Connecticut Ave then back to the DC line only to turn back around towards Bethesda again
once pointed north towards Bethesda I felt some riders approaching behind me
then there was a pass
as per usual a roadie passed without an audible
not only did he pass without warning
but he made the pass obnoxiously close to me
I refrained from getting angered or involved
then I glaced back at the person on his tail
without hesitation I recognized the face and the figure
it was Rich... a fellow mountainbiker.... and a person I had seen around at various local races
the last we spoke there was some tension
I had BLOGGED about him after our battle for 3rd Place in the Men's Vet Class at the 24 Hours of Snowshoe in 2004
it is in the GWADZILLA ARCHIVE 3/4 down the page
(an interesting archive as it touches on Lance, Sue Haywood, and other issues of the day)
our last encounter left me wondering how he would respond to me now
to my pleasure there was no ill will
I was greeted with a smile
he released his fast pace on the rear wheel of the road bike in front of him
and dropped his pace to a social side by side pace with me
we talked about things
mainly we talked about the birth of his first son
then we talked about the effort to balance riding, mountianbike, and mountainbike racing as a father
it was good to catch up
it was good to see that there was no tension between us
it was good to see that he and his wife were enjoying life with their young son Miles
I rode out to Conn Ave one last time to continue our converstation
then turned back towards Bethesda where I was meeting my wife and my family at my dad's for a little poolside fun
storms blew in as I arrived
not even enough time to dip in the pool
but
my brother and his wife showed up with their kids
which was great for the boys
we ordered pizza and had some fun before bed time
only to ride my bike back downtown for a few extra miles
these little rides all add up
the question is
will these little rides add up to be enough to make me strong enough to handle the Shenandoah Mountain 100?