Dog Days of Summer

With the major Michigan road races over until Cherry Roubaix, riding my bike this past month has been a little less exciting and left me wondering what to train for next. It has been difficult to train this last month. I have a shoulder issue that started early on in the season and got steadily worse, culminating in a painful end of the race in Mt. Pleasant. That race was painful in many ways. :) But anyway, I have been trying to get it resolved, but it is slow going and definitely limits my riding. Rides longer than 2 hours are painful on my road bike. I have been going to physical therapy, getting medical massage, and rediscovered how much I love yoga. I also have been spending more time on my mountain bike, since this does not bother my shoulder. I have loved returning to mountain biking and I think last summer at this time I spent all my time on the road bike. I am learning the unmarked singletrack on the VASA through the help of some friends and having a blast! I did start out as a mountain biker, and think I will always be one at heart. There's just nothing like twisting through the woods and seeing the nature. I love flying down the hills-nothing beats it. No worries about traffic going by-just you and your bike and maybe a snake or chipmunk or two crossing your path. My friend Rich said he saw a bear on one of his rides near Kalkaska a few weeks ago. I don't think I want to see that much nature anytime soon though.

Mountain biking bliss aside, I am still trying to keep some road biking skills going and will be doing the Miller BTR Crit this Saturday. I hated crits when I first started out, but I they are growing on me. Its also a race I can do now since they are shorter and I am not bothering my shoulder as long. Next race will be Cherry Roubaix, as I will be heading to the Big Apple next Friday for two weeks. I am excited to see where my bike takes me while there! It's hard to leave Traverse City during the summer, but this should be a great time.

And if your into le Tour, my vote is for Wiggio. And I love to read Jens Voight's blog, Hardly Seriouswith Jens Voight, he is just such an awesome human being. Keep on pedaling!