Regain, Recoup, Retrieve

...walkin' the fine line, tip-toein' the tightrope, hedging along the high wire....

One false move blows it.

Recovery.

It's my goal this season to do it right. I seem to have had this notion the past couple years that I don't need to worry about it, but I'm tired of doing a pile of riding only to be wiped-out the following week because I didn't respect the recovery I need. If my mindset this year is to be fit enough to not question whether I can dance through the long ride with the elevation gain, then I need to use what I've learned.

I learned that recovery is my downfall. I sabotage it. I go on rides with the crowd, but I'll ride slow today.

Yeeeaaahhhhhh.

So, I headed-out to the Greenway on my own last week to ease-out my legs after a couple days of hard riding. A mile or so into it I heard

the
Train

coming, this time toward me I'm good everything's fine I'm ok all is good here...it's good all good...good here...breathing relaxing takin' muh time.... I was running an errand in the opposite direction. Until I hit the crossing. I stopped to wait for the Train to pass, but really wanted to keep my legs moving, so I turned back to continue spinning and found myself going the same direction as

the
Train

We eyed each other...positioned my fingers near the shifters...just to be safe from...darting...dogs or...something.

Surprisingly, there was no posturing this time. We had an easy 10 mph recovery ride until I had to turn back around.

They say slow days are best done on your own, but riding with a partner of a similar mindset is always nice.

- OB

Racin' the Train

About four blocks north of home is the Minneapolis bike highway/Cedar Lake Trail, a trail system running through Hopkins and St. Louis Park into downtown Minneapolis. The same distance south is the LRT/Greenway which heads from way west of Hopkins into Uptown through southern Minneapolis to points beyond. Both trails were built upon abandoned rail lines, but both have an active set of tracks close by.

The highway is a huge swath of green space considered a park by Minneapolis. East- and westbound riders have their own trails, separated from each other and from walkers. A rider wouldn't realize s/he's in the middle of Minneapolis, except for the visible city skyline above the trees to the east. Eventually, the trail will find its way through downtown to the Mississippi River. The Greenway is likewise heading toward the river, but is a bit further south.

The trail system is the start and end to just about any ride I do these days. It gets me to wherever I want to be and then sends me back home.

And, sometimes while I'm out on it the Train comes out to play with.

A friend and I were on the finishing end of our ride once when it showed. We were tired, taking a nice easy spin back home down the bike highway when the engine passed us and the rail cars clacked by. The rumble began....

Betcha can't.

I can, just don't want to. I'm tired. We've been riding all da.....

Can't....

CAN. If I wanted to.

Can't. Weenie.

Oh sure, names....

Can't. Frieda.

Puh-leeeze.

Can't. Granny..

... . .

Rubberlegs.

I was off like McEwen yeah, that's it, McEwen.

Of course the Train eventually pulled-it-out and beat me to the underpass. I started early and had no lead-out.

Tactics. Gotta work on my tactics. Always been my downfall.

- TOB