Early Morning Cyclist Inspiration

Out Of The Mist

Not as Foggy As Last Night

A Good Application for Studs

Early Morning Cyclist Inspiration

Fresh Trax

How many deer can you spot?

Libby Hill Forest Trails

Early Morning Cyclist Inspiration

Just a few weeks ago I was posting pictures of fall colors.

Magic Morning

This Trail Says: "Ride Me"

Traffic Jam on the Way to Work

Escape Velocity

Got the Crash on the New Bike Out of the Way Early

When I get a new mountain bike I have to crash it.  I don't prefer it but it just happens.  It happened on my Fatboy on the first ride.  This time it took about Five.

The New Bike

Luckily before that I got to ride part way with my wife, check out some new trails and get a decent fall ride in.

A Mouse Took this Picture

Fall Color is Holding on Tight

Built trails at Libby Hill - Not where I crashed.

It Looks Less Scary In This Picture

I crashed in the woods.  A pedal strike on a rock buried in leaves stopped the bike but not me.  OTB and into a tree.  I wasn't going fast but my inability to take a deep breath makes me think there was a rib involved.  Turning over in bed takes time.  Riding to work the next day confirmed it.  Any effort that got me breathing over a moderate rate felt like a knife stabbing me in the side.

I'm pretty disappointed that I won't may not be able to race on Sunday.

Oh, and after the crash I pinch flatted on the way out of the woods with a mile to go.

Early Morning Cyclist Inspiration

It's been a while since I stopped to take some pictures on my morning commute but today was a pretty day.

(Click on the pics to make them full-size) 

I've seen the path to righteousness and it's paved with wet leaves.

Emerging From The Woods

A Wisp of Color in the Mist

A New Day

Into the Light

Spectacular!

Most "Mud" I've seen all year

Bad Luck?

So for last weekend's ride I got #13.  Per tradition I wore it upside-down.  Then, 2 days later I had an emergency tooth extraction as the first step in treating an infected cheek/jaw.  I was out of work for 2 days and the ones I was there for, getting to the end was a challenge.  Having a tooth extracted out of an infected jaw involves them breaking it into pieces and prying it out while you listen.  My preference would have been to be "asleep" for the event, no such luck.  Those tooth breaking sounds!

13? 

Coincidence?  

Yeah, probably coincidence.  My tooth was already killing me before last weekend.  

So for this week's ride I get:

Number of the BEAST

Party On Garth

I'm not wearing that number upside-down.  Anyway, when I looked at it I saw 999 which apparently means that angles are contacting me.  Crap, I didn't think the infection had got that bad.

I may have been a little late to start

Once I got on the bike the ride went pretty good!  For about 3 hours I almost forgot how my head was throbbing and muscle memory took over the fatigue.  I rode the first 11 miles in a pack, 8-10 alone and the rest with one other rider.  We'll call him Dan; because I think that was his name.  I know it was 3 letters long with a vowel in the middle. ( I should remember it, I blame the antibiotic)

Kelly had a great run despite having a cold coming on.  2nd overall female, we think.

Team Edwards raised $345 for this event!

 I'm still soliciting donations for The Dempsey Challenge!

Bad Luck?  No.  I'll take an infected tooth over a cancer diagnoses.

Loon..Loon....Loon.....Loon.......Loon........Loon....

Get it? (Hint: it's a Loon Echo)

Spoiler Alert: We finished

 I had thoughts about skipping this ride due to a toothache that has been one of the more painful experiences of my life including broken bones and surgeries. Off to the endontist on Monday, I hope.

But, that's not the story here.  I decided to ride.

I had told my wife that I'd ride with her.  Well, it wasn't 15 minutes into the ride that I chased down some of the local race guys and considered going for speed.  NO,  that is exactly what happened last year so I let them go and went with plan A.  Plan A was to ride with her but go hard on some Strava segments to keep myself entertained.  

Waiting at the first rest stop to ride together

 My wife was a little skeptical at first that I'd be satisfied riding at her pace for 100 miles but I was determined to enjoy the ride and kick ass on some hills. Racing up ahead for some sections let me get some shots of her on the course.  I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.

Beautiful Country Roads

Beautiful Country Wife

Maybe I need to ride with a selfie stick, can you see the swollen jaw?

I seem to get a lot of pictures on green bridges.

Androscoggin River

I did get to the top o' the notch with some time to spare to take a picture

High Five Bro, Note the inverse "13" bib number.

All and all it was a great day!  Another good ride for Team Edwards.  Which reminds me, there is less than 1 week to donate to the Cancer Community Center Ride and only 2 weeks to donate to The Dempsey Challeng.  Both of us still need to raise a little more cash before the end of the week. 

Please consider donating.

Team Edwards Needs Your Help!