Just another busy Monday!!!!

Well folks last I left ya, I had just finished my morning outdoor swim of 1550 yds at the outdoor pool at the JCC.

It was a great way to start the day looking up at the blue sky while the sun rose as I breathed in the air! After a shower it was off to work for a few hours before sneaking away over to the gym.

I was flying solo on my lunch break so I decided to hop on the treadmill for a few ladders (6.5-7-7.5-8-8.5 and then back down on one minute increments). I only did 3 miles (24 min) but for some reason I have always found this workout to my liking. Now on to some upper body lifting. Assisted chin ups, bicep curls, hammer curls, skull crushers, dips, upright rows, shoulder presses, chest presses, pushups and then some abs. Another quick shower and back to work for a few more hours.

Upon arrival home I quickly changed my clothes and hopped into the car my hubby had packed up for our evening mountain biking trip to West Branch. We were meeting a guy, ED, who I graduated with who would give West Branck a go for his first time.

I looked at ED with his new Gary Fisher bike. Nice bike, but that was all he had.

Luckily I had an extra helmet in my car and told him he should wear it and luckily my husband had an extra water bottle that he shared with him. I think those two were lifesavers!!!

I still consider myself an ABSOLUTE trail newbie but here is some advice for anyone going out the first time.

1.) Wear a helmet
2.) Bring Water
3.) Gloves are nice
4.) Airring down the tires helps a lot in preventing tire slides on tree roots
5.) Using the front brake exclusively may be a bad idea

This was my 4th time out at West Branch.

The first time I was very scared. I tend to be a bit of a nervous nelly about some things and it took me over an hour before I felt at all OK.

The second time things started clicking a lot more.

The third time was OK, yet I was so exhausted before riding coupled with the fact that I was now clipped into my pedals (which got in my head bit) that it was just a so-so day.

Yet, last night things started to feel much more comfortable and flowed pretty smoothly. It was an absolute blast!

My hubby has come a long way but he seems to be incredibly destructive to both his bike and himself. So far in his 5 trips he has broke a spoke, a chain, his underseat bag (& lost stuff out of it subsequently), and even his one shoe's sole is ripped. His shins are constantly scabbed and bruised. Last night after blowing a tube, he got a bloody knee and a very bruised hand. So a new chain is on order and tonight we will be hitting a store for a few other replacement items.

When we got home from our escapades we noticed I had a flat on my road bike so we fixed that late last night (since I was supposed to ride first thing this AM) before I grabbed my third shower of the day. I was bummed when I went out to my car this morning to leave for my ride only to find my tire flat again....so much for my morning ride!