Natchez Trace - Bike Ride

Well, I had the opportunity to ride the Natchez Trace during a business trip to Nashville. Well, part of it! Natchez Trace is a 444 mile national parkway that runs from Mississippi to Tennessee! No commercial vehicles are allowed, and quite honestly, there were very few cars. Roads were smooth and fast. Folks are spoiled in Nashville. I would love to take this road to Ohio!

I had some appointments during the day so, I knew I was going to be pushing it to get a ride in, but everything worked out...as it always does. The days forecast was rain, rain, and more rain, however those that know me, know that I love crazy weather. In fact, that probably motivated me more than pure sunshine...Anyways. it was pouring when I started the ride, but the rain faded about an hour into the ride. Once the rain stopped, the fog, mist set in and it was a great evening!

Solo ride.....but it was very peaceful and enjoyable nonetheless. My yoga!

Overall, it was about 2.5 hours of rolling hills. Tried to take it easy, but ended up pushing on a few sections.

Pics below. If your in Nashville, I highly recommend this ride. I am thinking some day, I might as well ride the whole darn thing over a Holiday weekend and camp along the way! Anyone up for that?

In route

Loveless Cafe / Motel - Trail begins

Ready to ride

Someone has too much dough!

The Route!

Yours truly!

Almost hit this little guy!
Wild turkey's and deer everywhere! I was slow on the trigger to photo the deer.

Rudy Project - Thank You

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to the guys at Rudy Project. The new shades are awesome! I have had the opportunity to run long, bike far, and kayak forever with them....Simply put they are perfect...No slipping, sliding on the nose. Very lightweight, and most importantly, all my kids want to wear them....

I only have to remember not to allow my 11 year old to wear them! He likes to loose things, especially sunglasses while he is at the movies...but then again, he must get that quality from his dad...

Thanks again.

My Training Partners

Vacation! Getting Fat Once Again!

Loving every minute of my time off! I haven't thought much about working out, but surprisingly I have fit in a few good sessions.

So far, we have enjoyed trips to an amusement park, went boating/tubing, and today we are headed for a kayak adventure. This wasn't a "typical" vacation, but one that has certainly re-charged my batteries, and has been fantastic.

The down side is I have very few pictures, but the upside is, I have a ton of memories.

Off to kayak, and thinking about Rocky Mountain National Park!

Nutrition and Hydration

If my buddy (you know who you are) is reading this.....Hydrate more pal. You were almost left for the wolves on Sat. You are not a camel!

In all seriousness, good time riding bro.

And Curran - you fall into this category as well. I know you eat, but dude, do you ever drink?

Over my last several workouts, I have been constantly reminded of the need to properly fuel (water and food). Unfortunately for me, I have been one of the worst offenders of not fueling properly lately. I kinda lost some mojoe since my last Ironman and started to slack off...but it's time to do the work on the nutrition front as well.

So I decided to post a few good links on fueling. Stolen from the web!

I will never forget talking with Peter Reid about his determination and focus on training. He was very quick to add that nutrition played a big role to his success and you have to treat it like it's the 4th sport. I tend to listen to folks who are over-achievers and learn from them. Why did I stop???

I can recall several discussions with Chuckie on this very topic. Heck, spend some time on his blog and it won't take long for you to see his Caveman approach and attitude towards fueling. He get's pissed if you don't pace and fuel properly. Anyway, I just needed to refresh my own view towards eating and fueling well as I am looking to start bringing my A game back.

Some bookmarks I keep on hand:

Nutrition Articles
http://chuckiev.blogspot.com/2008/01/nutrition-notes_08.html

http://tritrainingfrenzy.blogspot.com/2007/11/my-thoughts-on-fueling-real-food-for.html

http://www.endurancecorner.com/library/nutrition/sports_nutrition_part4

Common Mistakes
http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/nutrition/hydration-top-5-mistakes-000701.php

Dangers of Dehydration
http://www.bodyandfitness.com/Information/Fitness/dehydrate.htm

Mountain Biking is Tough

Met up with a few good buddies and hit the trails for a 2.5 hour ride. Rode hard and became acquainted with the ground quite a few times. So much in fact, I thought about just staying on the ground.

I am still trying to get the hang of it. Much different than road riding and I enjoy it quite a bit even while doing a superman over the bars and sliding 15 feet down the side of the mountain! Yes, sign me up every time!

A few positives, I felt strong and had a ton of energy. I was thinking I would be hurting since I had a long run in the heat on Friday, but overall, legs felt quite good. Super excited to be constantly moving and just enjoying this sport again! Still no pool, need to find it again!

Small Training Update...No Couch Potato

My training has gotten back on track....well maybe not a fast track, but slowly I have been ramping up the volume and consistency. I am so happy to be training again!

I have been very consistent over the last several weeks. I am getting my run back to a decent length and duration without feeling like crap. Bike has been ok. Still no long rides, but that will come. My swim has been.....well.....lacking. However, I am training a little EVERYDAY!

It helps that I have met a few good training partners and friends. It's been good to be challenged and have something to look forward to each day. I have enjoyed the sunrises and even a few sunsets on the occasional long run. I have also been hitting some trails and that has been great!

Still no races planned for this year (may pop into a sprint or something small key). A few good friends of mine are asking that I enter a 70.3 next year in St. Croix. I am really considering it, and still thinking about what I plan for next year. Perhaps an Ironman, perhaps the Ultraman, perhaps I could become a couch potato or Mr. Potato.

Short update, but heck....my mind is back, my body is feeling good, and I am loving the training!

Today was 1 hour and 45min run. Well, more of a shuffle, walk, run.

Later