RIDE REPORT - THE 'LAST ONE' OF THE SEASON!

(Well..the last one a'fore Death Valley anyways! I think we oughta keep ridin' when we get back - we have folks a-goin' to Nashville y'know!)

Not gonna lie - 'twas a chilly (and for some of us muddy and weary) group that convened @ Townsend Park last Sunday for One More Ride before a goodly % of us head west to do battle w/ T1 AND the wilds of Death Valley. The weather was dry.....but there was a stiff wind and the temps were in the 40's (at best).  Despite that - this group of hardy riders saddled up and headed out into the hilly terrain around Cannonsburg:

Tom, Mary AND Ian Scheidel (Ian doin' his "One ride'll get me ready, no?" thing)
Kevin Carnes
Brad Spooner ("fresh" from the Manhattan Park CX race)
Megan Taylor
Vern VanHalm
S.G.S. John DesPres
S.G.S. Ginger Dykstra
Kirsten and Coach Did (also still muddy from the CX race)
Suzy Doyle (only somewhat recovered from racin' the Mi Mtn Mayhem gravel race w/ MC the day before)
And me - Coach MC (less-than-fresh from alla the aforementioned)

We set out on A 37 mile loop devised by Coach Did to show off the lovely riding in that area and - of course - give us just a tad more hill training. The weather held.....in that we stayed dry...but it never warmed up and the wind was a constant. The group ended up separating due to a variety of issues ranging from schedule constraints to blood sugars but we were all reunited (and it felt so good!) back at the park to feast on Ginger's killer brownies and Mary's awesome cupcakes.

And with that - after a moment to appreciate Did's cupcake eating technique - bikes went into or onto cars, warm clothing replaced damp lycra and a dozen or so of the World's Coolest Team went their separate ways.

Or did we?

Oh sure - the cars went east or south or north or west - taking the bodies with them. However - the spirits within those bodies (I would argue) did NOT go their separate ways. We're together. We've been together for 10 years now. In Burlington & La Crosse & Nashville & Whitefish & Tahoe & Asheville & Tucson and for sure in Death Valley! Not to mention here at home.

We
Are
Together.

And we're gonna be....on the road, at the finish line, at the pool, back here in the 616.......

And that's JUST the way it oughta be!

Ride on you Rockstars.............ride on!

Coach MC