Training Days

It was a year ago this weekend that I started my training for my cross country ride. It was merely a coincidence, but the group decided to ride in the same general direction as the same day last year. Call me a slacker, but I rode 24 miles than I did last year. Still I rode 77 miles which is pretty decent.

Not riding is not related to lack of motivation, but lack of time to ride. The weather report says it is going to be raining a lot this week so I guess this will limit my riding this week as well.

Some pictures.

One of the Dalton Gang hard at work on the trip

Nancy with her "patient belongings" after her accident. Remarkably and admirable she was back on the bike within a few days. I do not think I would be able to do that.

Peter's Dad owned a bicycle shop:

Peter and I

Same hotel, differrent season

I am back to work and this is my busy season so not much bike riding the last few weeks.

Harry had always told me he had a house out in the country. Could this be it ?

No, this is not his countryside home, it is Caernafon Castle which he visited prior to the end of last year. While there Harry found a lock for my bike:

Can you identify where the picture below was taken. It was sent to me by another XC09.

The end of the long journey.

Every day is a New Year

Today the calendar says it is a new year. Lately, I have not placed that much emphasis on the calendar changing from year to year. Every day is the beginning of a new year.

It is hard to believe that a decade has come and gone. Until a few weeks ago when I was watching a TV show and they had a top 10 list of moments of the decade I did not even realize that we had reached the end of this decade.

Physically I feel fine. When I look at pictures of myself, other than bags under my eyes, less hair on my head (but more in my ears) and the need for bifocals, all other body parts seem to be in good working conditions.

Mentally, I find I need to concentrate to remember facts that years ago were easier for me. I used to be able to watch TV, read a newspaper and talk with another person and could process and remember all of it. Now I can only do one of the three at a time.

My blog is going to be changing a little. I am not much of a writer (when I took the SAT the only points I scored in the English section were for spelling my name correctly). Biking will still be the central theme and focus, but on some days I may write on other topics.