Click here to see some pictures of me and kids having a good time Sunday afternoon while Momma was at a meeting at church. We went to ride the trails but Anna is still just too little for the roots and the narrow trails.
We did however ride around the parking lot and down the side of the lake a couple of times. The road around by the picnic tables and by the restrooms was fun. We went around it more than once. We also road down the road for a short piece to the beach entrance.
And as you can see from the pictures we had a boo boo incident and we played on the playground a lot also. I had packed some snacks and we took a couple of picnic snacks. One at the playground and another at a picnic table on the picnic table road.
Just about the time the kids were starting to get too hot and tired Momma called. So we loaded the bikes on the Jeep and went back home.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Second Oak Mountain Bike Ride
Well the second one was most definitely better than the first one. I had found out from my chiropractor that I needed to raise my seat because above my knees was sore instead of my thighs as they should have been. I have since learned that your seat must be high enough that your legs fully extend when you are pedaling. This of course means that you will not be able to touch the ground when you are sitting on your seat.
This time we started at the stables and went right up to the guard house and then headed back into the park as we did the last time. However this time we took a right on Terrace Drive and went up by the beach and the pavillions. We went out the back of the pavillion parking lot and took the loopy, winding road around the picnic tables and out by the bath house. We cut back through the parking lot and went back down Terrace Drive where we hung a right on the main road.
We only went to the service road on the left before you get to the top of the hill where the cabin road takes a right. We hung a big U and headed back down the hill at a rather rapid clip. It was fun. We then made the loop back up through Terrace Drive, came back down to the main road and headed toward the stables and our vehicles.
I had been feeling a little froggy on that second trip up Terrace Drive and had really pushed it to stay up with Richard. Well now he said that on the last mile he was going to no longer wait on me but go on to his vehicle. He said I was welcome to stay with him. Well I stood up and pumped about three times and my legs just dropped out from under me. I was left with sitting on the seat and using my rubber legs to barely make it back to the stables. I came in two minutes after Richard.
I was stronger for the second ride, my seat was in a more correct position and we made faster time so I am going to raise my seat just a little more and look forward to our outing next Monday to see how I compare then.
This time we started at the stables and went right up to the guard house and then headed back into the park as we did the last time. However this time we took a right on Terrace Drive and went up by the beach and the pavillions. We went out the back of the pavillion parking lot and took the loopy, winding road around the picnic tables and out by the bath house. We cut back through the parking lot and went back down Terrace Drive where we hung a right on the main road.
We only went to the service road on the left before you get to the top of the hill where the cabin road takes a right. We hung a big U and headed back down the hill at a rather rapid clip. It was fun. We then made the loop back up through Terrace Drive, came back down to the main road and headed toward the stables and our vehicles.
I had been feeling a little froggy on that second trip up Terrace Drive and had really pushed it to stay up with Richard. Well now he said that on the last mile he was going to no longer wait on me but go on to his vehicle. He said I was welcome to stay with him. Well I stood up and pumped about three times and my legs just dropped out from under me. I was left with sitting on the seat and using my rubber legs to barely make it back to the stables. I came in two minutes after Richard.
I was stronger for the second ride, my seat was in a more correct position and we made faster time so I am going to raise my seat just a little more and look forward to our outing next Monday to see how I compare then.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
First Oak Mountain Bike Ride
I know this started out as my hiking/trail running blog but I want to add biking to it now. As of today I now have a new respect for cyclists. Today I rode 14 miles in about an hour and ten minutes with a co-worker. We rode from the horse stables parking lot to the main front gate and then back all the way to the spillway between the two lakes at the other end of the park.
Just that ride alone was enough to take me out. My legs were about rubber by this time and my muscles were screaming. My co-worker, Richard, had circled back to stay back with my several times and finally had gone ahead and waited on me at the spill way.
On the way back he told me that he would try and go slow enough to stay with me. I would have never made it without him. I needed the encouragement he provided just by being there. My right knee started to hurt about a fourth of the way from the finish line when I had just two more small hills to take on.
I was able to climb them but the will power to do so was amazing to even myself. It made me see how much more you could push yourself with someone there than when you are by yourself. There were two other cyclists out there who very quickly came by us on a very steep hill. Even they spoke words of encouragement as they came by. I am sure they had been struggling like I was when they were first starting out and remembered how it felt.
I hope to keep at it with Richard and one day be able to be an encouragement to someone else on the road as they struggle up a hill on their first bike ride in Oak Mountain State Park. After I survived Richard teased me by telling me how it was nice for him to just take a leisurely ride through the park for once.
I commented on how I had to use every gear I had on my bike. Richard said he normally didn't use his really low gears but that he had to today in order to go slow enough to stay back with me. He is too kind. By the way, Richard is only 64 years young.
Just that ride alone was enough to take me out. My legs were about rubber by this time and my muscles were screaming. My co-worker, Richard, had circled back to stay back with my several times and finally had gone ahead and waited on me at the spill way.
On the way back he told me that he would try and go slow enough to stay with me. I would have never made it without him. I needed the encouragement he provided just by being there. My right knee started to hurt about a fourth of the way from the finish line when I had just two more small hills to take on.
I was able to climb them but the will power to do so was amazing to even myself. It made me see how much more you could push yourself with someone there than when you are by yourself. There were two other cyclists out there who very quickly came by us on a very steep hill. Even they spoke words of encouragement as they came by. I am sure they had been struggling like I was when they were first starting out and remembered how it felt.
I hope to keep at it with Richard and one day be able to be an encouragement to someone else on the road as they struggle up a hill on their first bike ride in Oak Mountain State Park. After I survived Richard teased me by telling me how it was nice for him to just take a leisurely ride through the park for once.
I commented on how I had to use every gear I had on my bike. Richard said he normally didn't use his really low gears but that he had to today in order to go slow enough to stay back with me. He is too kind. By the way, Richard is only 64 years young.
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