New Year's Day mountain bike ride

It's been a long time since I went mountain biking. The few rides I have been doing occasionally have been in the Duke Forest or the American Tobacco Trail - pretty easy stuff. All the local trails were wet and therefore closed, and we didn't feel like riding the Umstead fire roads, so we decided to ride the Chapel Hill trails, which never officially close.

Marshall came over to our house and we drove to Chapel Hill in our truck. We still need to get a third bike mount for our truck bed, but with 2 bungee cords, we got Marshall's bike in just fine.

Both Marshall and Rob rode their singlespeeds. It was Rob's first "real" ride on his new build. Marshall built up his SS a while ago, maybe earlier this year? Anyway, here's a pic of the guys with their singlespeed smiles:



We skipped the first trail that starts just over the RR tracks from Seawell school because that trail is usually horribly muddy for a while after rains. So we rode over by that church/daycare entrance and picked up the Beaver Twister trail. Rode all of that in the normal order, passing only 1 other mountain biker the whole time.

On that first steep, rooty, tech climb where you drop in a little creek, climb up that super root-laden, twisty trail for about 20 seconds, then it levels off...get this: I MADE IT! I usually only successfully make that climb when I'm in shape from riding often, which I am so obviously not in right now! I guess I got lucky. But it sure did feel good to make it to the top, and to turn around and see the guys walking their bikes up it!

Most of the trail was in good shape, despite the rains we got a couple days ago. Chapel Hill drains pretty good. I slid out on one log crossing, and also on that 2nd steep climb that's less rooty than the 1st - I made it up until that dang-blasted root near the top made my rear wheel spin out.

We stopped a lot, keeping a pace that was for the most part, slow enough for us to be able to carry a conversation the whole time. Once we were done with all of Beaver Twister, we could've continued on and done that one trail that's super fun, the one that's a slight downhill the whole way...but we were tired and hungry, and as Marshall put it, we wanted a beer and to catch up on the football scores. (well, I don't care about the football scores, but I'll go along for the company - I feign interest pretty well)

Here's a pic of us 3 in the parking lot after the ride.



We tried going to Carolina Brewery for dinner, beer and football, but it was closed. A quick 411 call to track down Tyler's Taproom/Speakeasy and hooray, it was open! But only the Speakeasy side was open, so the menu was limited. Chicken nachos was my dinner (I know, not exactly healthy), but I'll start my healthful New Year-New Me eating/excising routine on Thursday, the 3rd - the day I start my new job. I find it easier to start a new habit during a new job. 2.5 years ago when I was starting my DAMA coaching job, I made flossing my teeth a new habit. I used to hardly ever floss and every time I went to see the dentist, they'd yell at me, and I knew I needed to, I just never made myself do it. So my new "habit" will be eating healthier (more green stuff, a few less carbs, more water, less eating outside of the house) and exercising before and/or after work (swimming, or riding, or working out at the gym we're going to join soon)

Wow, I really went off on a tangent...I'll stop now and write more later about my New Year's goals/resolutions/new job, etc.

But it was a good ride and a good way to start the year. Wow, 2008 already. In 10 months, I'll be turning the big THREE-OH! Yikes.