Goodness. Really, Huge apologies to those that have faithfully followed my blog and maintained a certain level of expectations about seeing something here at least a couple of times a week.
Truthfully, the Divide was a life changing experience. And when I came back from my failed attempt, I came back with my sights set on changing certain things in my life. One of the major things I realized as I went through all my ordeals in New Mexico that I have worked pretty much full time since I was 17 and I honestly didn't have much to show for it. Let me clarify, I do have beautiful children, and great friends and family and loved ones, but I have no great accumulated wealth, in fact I have great accumulated debt and stress instead.
I read an article somewhere along my travels. It was about interviews they did with individuals who were on their "death beds". And they made a list of the top ten things that they wish they could have done differently. And I cant remember the nine other things they said or better yet I don't have them readily available in my mind, but I can remember one of the things. AND all of them said they wished they would have worked less and played more.
Now some of you look at my past 7 years or so of blogging and think that I Play enough, but in reality what I have done is tried to play as much as I could around my busy single parenting schedule and my ridiculous work schedule. 12 hour days at the minimum every day for 5 days a week adds up and really, in the past 6 years or so I have done that career of cable installing at some points it progressed in a positive direction, but all it has done is gotten more expensive with less rewards.
The time was ripe.
As I got extracted from the Gila by my sandwich, gun toting, GPS having, Mountain bike touring loving friend Lloyd. I began the process of turning the wheels in my head on how I was going to make that change. As we meandered up and down the same route that I had just spent a day and a half trying to conquer I thought about how much easier it would have been to come from the north into this route vs the path I took. Mental notes were made and then and there it was decided that this life long dream of touring/racing the divide would come true and it would be immediate.
I spent the rest of my travel hanging out with Lloyd's family then taking a bus then a train and then finally in My girls arms home catching up and attempting to piece my life together.
Once my vacation was over, the plan was to get a job working with the Bike shop that I have raced with for the past 11 years hoping to do that work in the mean time till I find something I would love more or keep that and find ways to supplement that income using the skills I have acquired as an athlete and ultra racer.
And the ball did go in motion and I got the job and I like it. I really enjoy talking about bikes and helping to keep people rolling and helping people forage into the a new sport.
And I have been riding more. Took the dragons out a couple of times for HTFU rides. Lots of long rides with LIL'r NI, lots of conquering new sections of forest I have wanted to conquer. Rides with Friends, scouting sections of the Upcoming November 12Th CFiTT and adding new sections.
Lil mini tours I was able to exploit at the end of summer involving working and hotel stays and then hilly rides across Apopka to Zellwood to Mount Dora and then buggy nights in the Seminole forest. Triumphant Ocala National Forest Crossing and visits to the Paisley wagon trail and the Ghost Town of St. Francis with no GPS file used, just my memory of the route.
So things have been good but there have been some obstacles. Somehow my thyroid medicine slipped and there was a bit of a medical bump that I have had to deal with. The slip in my thyroid which controls my metabolism caused me to gain some weight and affected my energy levels and I have been slowly crawling my way back from that and trying to get my body back to the way it was, it has been a challenging little road, but like everything I run head long into it.
This past week I capitalized on an opportunity to travel To Georgia and ride in the mountains on some new trails with some friends that I have only had the chance with to ride in Florida and never out of state. Had a great two days of riding in the mountains about 70 miles and saw old friends like Eddie and Dave at the Fools gold before I rode myself into the worst leg cramp lock up that I have ever had and was forced to pull out at mile 42 or 44 depending on who you ask. Someone told me wholeheartedly at sag 3 that we had 14 miles left and after covering 8 painful miles walking and riding when I could cause of my thigh bone crushing cramps, I got to that sag and they told me we had 8 miles left which made no sense. I pulled out there, cause I could barely walk and I could not even bend my knees cause the muscles above them were so locked up.
I rode some long home from work miles and did research on my cramps and nutrition and like all, even though I been doing this for awhile if I can avoid that happening again I will. As it stands I have a rematch scheduled with the Fools gold, not a particularly difficult event compared to the things I have done in the past, but if you go out too hard you can sure raise the challenge level.
On Thursday I had a chance to go see the Red Bull Mini Drome event with my Girlfriend and some folks from work. I was so envious that I didn't have my fixie pieced together to race the event, but I saw some old friends and some great action!
Now, I believe I have caught you all up, sans some details, I have now regained my balance and will go back to the regular posting that I enjoy.
Stay tuned if you like,
Take Care,
Laters,
The NaKeD InDiaN
