Monday, July 19, 2010

Most Events Aren't Planned

Traveled to Muleshoe Bend on Saturday. As I approach the park, a long line of cars is stacked up. I get in que and awaited entry to the park. This happened last time I tried to ride here. That day I turned around and went to Pace Bend. But today, partly out of curiosity, I decide to wait it out.

The line doesn't move at all. It's not as if there's a delay at the fee station. It simply isn't moving. I wait nearly twenty minutes. The line begins to move, very quickly. Like there's no one ahead is stopping to pay. Confused. As I get a bit further I realize that the long line of cars isn't for the Muleshoe Bend park, but for a nearby camp. I've been waiting unnecessarily in the wrong que of cars. I will remember this next time!




I arrive at the park, I discover there is an adventure race going on. Their competitors are using the trails for the mountain bike portion of the race. But they are riding the trail backwards from the normal direction. This presents a problem because they aren't using the entire trail. Can't make a loop. And there are lots of people to pass on the trail. I really don't want to interrupt someone's race.

None of this is conducive to what I want to do today, work out some technical skills by repeating some challenging sections of trail. In the end, I decide to swap today's plan with tomorrow's plan - and do some hill repeats off the trail on the fire roads. Maybe I'll come back tomorrow? Or ride a short road route tomorrow? Or, or, or... so many good cycling options around Austin... I'll ponder this later. Off I go and shred the legs on the hills.

Sunday arrives. My appetite for riding isn't there. The legs are cracked more than I'd intended. And I've got some things to attend to. I don't ride this day, and that's the only pratical option for the day.

Between the weekend on-the-fly plan changes and being off the bike with a sore neck earlier in the week, this week's training metrics look more like a rest week than the build week intended. But sometimes you just have to go with the flow.

0 comments: