Saturday, August 23, 2008

Another fun week

Here is a synopsis of my week's afterwork activities.

Monday...Played coed softball in Golden. The games are not too thrilling, but still fun. We all hung out after the game and had a beer.

Tuesday...I rode over to Red Rocks on my road bike. Riding is getting better, but my legs still feel the burn on all the Colorado hills. When I rode into the actual amphitheater, I was surprised how many folks were in there. Many people were running up and down the steps for exercise, as well as an organized group doing similar exercises (like Dog Days.)

Also, as I rode down Dinosaur Ridge, I tried to break my previous biking speed record of 42 mph, but could only get up to 37. I am going to have find a steeper hill. I want 50. Heck, I would like to videotape it as I ride, but that may result in a drastic loss of skin on my face.


I saw 9 deer as I was riding through the park. I kept looking around to try to get into double digits, but didn't find any more.
I did not get back to my apartment until almost dark, but I caught a great sunset.


Wednesday...I went hiking in the Mathew-Winters Open Space on a trail referred to as the "Hogback." The trail traverses the ridge that separates the Red Rocks park from Green Mountain. I had heard this was a tough mountain biking trail and was astonished by the rough terrain. I could not believe what the riders were undertaking. After seeing those folks bouncing over the large rocks, I need a bike with full suspension.


The hike was pretty cool, but I was shocked I didn't see any wildlife. A concert was getting ready to start over at Red Rocks.



Thursday...I packed up by mountain biking gear in my car and drove to Evergreen right after work. The trail was located in Elk Meadows Open Space. The trail was very steep, but not ridicuously technical like the previous day's bikepath. I was surprised I only saw 4 deer as I rode. Towards the top of the hill, the forest really blocked the sun's rays. It was getting very dark as I finally made it to the top of the hill. On the thrilling decent, my bike's seat started loosening. I had to ride the rest of the trail with my seat awkwardly tipped up. Have I mentioned that I need a new bike?


Friday... I went to the Colorado Rockies game with some coworkers. We stopped by a sports bar before the game and grabbed a few beers before heading into the park. The Rockies lost 8-5, but the weather was perfect for a Friday night game.

Saturday...I finally pulled the trigger and went to Wheat Ridge Cycle and purchased a new mountain bike. They were having their 35th anniversary and had some good sales. They did not have the size in the model I wanted, so I am forced to wait a week to pick it up. Here is my new ride.

I figure spending money on a decent bike should prevent me from making medical deductables in the future.

1 comment:

Paul K. said...

Napoleon Dynamite:
What kind of bike do you have?

Pedro:
It's a sledgehammer.

Napoleon Dynamite:
Dang! You got shocks, pegs... lucky! You ever take it off any sweet jumps?

[Cut to Pedro jumping]
Napoleon Dynamite:
You got like three feet of air that time!

...Enjoy the new bike, Nate. : )