Getting my butt in shape…literally!

Well howdy ho!  I’m back in Boulder and was welcomed by a crazy winter storm on the drive all the way home.  Not my favorite…I thought I wasn’t going to make it alive.  There were people spinning out of control, a wreck where they sent us off the highway, zero visibility in the dark…it was really not awesome.  I was highly stressed and my legs felt like rubber!   Lots of photos in this post…I tend to take a lot when I go on trips so here goes….

Driving down to NM I got really bored so I took some photos of my solo road trip.

Yes, that is a dopers suck shirt…my family informed me that in  ABQ, most people wouldn’t really get it and there could possibly be some homie thugs after me.  Yikes?

Examples of the different landscape…those are big mountains.  I had a HUGE headwind driving… my car would only go 70mph for top speed.

Since I’m a solar dork, I had to take a pic of these.  Pretty rad.

View driving into ABQ. Those are the Sandias.  Sandia means watermelon.

The ride on Saturday was great! 🙂  Nina and I really enjoyed the singletrack and got a few hard efforts in before we both admitted we were tired.  White Mesa looks like the moon and I am always continually amazed with the different styles of riding in NM.  You can ride through the desert, or up a ski area.  It truly is the land of enchantment.   Photos from White Mesa (just outside San Ysidro)

Driving out there, I-25 had ALL lanes closed, so Nina flipped a u-turn across the median of I-25.  Straight up NM style driving.  This is us driving in the median.  Awesome.

That is what I call singletrack.

The course was not marked, so we had to keep stopping and checking our map.  I would have been mad if it was an actual race for us.  There is no worse feeling than getting lost on the course during a mtb race.

Nina ripping it up in the desert.

more desert…and it was icy….high desert. 🙂

more singletrack.

Me being me after the ride.

I felt like a rock star on the bike Sunday, so I decided to do the north foothills loop and treat it like the first lap of an XC.  I gotta tell you, my Cannondale is just amazing.  It sticks to the trails like glue and rides so smooth.  I feel like I have a LOT of control which makes going super fast downhill really fun!  It’s the best bike I have ever ridden, and I have ridden a lot of different mountain bikes.

Family time… I love my family.  They are so fun and awesome.

Those are some damn good looking Looneys. 🙂

Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.  Vegetarians, look away.  I love dead cow in my mouth.

I’m still getting used to my new position.  It really takes it out of me when I do the long climbing rides (like Gold Hill).  I feel it the most in my butt and hips.  I guess being farther back on the bike forces you to use those muscles more.  I think it’s great because you are supposed to think about generating power all the way down your body, not just starting at the quads.  Other news, I’m picking up my road bike from Big Ring tomorrow.  I haven’t ridden one in 1.5 years, so it’ll be interesting and exciting. I think I may ride up Lookout Mountain for the maiden voyage.  I wish Chimney Gulch (the mtn bike trail up Lookout) was dry and snow free….

Over the weekend, I also got to celebrate St. Patty’s day and my friend Mason’s bday all at once.  I was more of a spectator to the party, but it was still fun.  I manage to make an ass of myself without even getting hammered! 😉

Like I said…these are beer goggles…

I hung out with my best bud Liz last night for St. Patty’s.  We got home by 10 though.

Till next time!  I’m sure I’ll be foaming at the mouth to talk about my road bike tomorrow. 🙂  Cannodale SuperSix 3.  Super Awesome.