WOW! It's been a while since I've posted huh?

There's been a lot happened since my last post. Shortly after we got back from Gallup the fires in NM caused all the trails and forests to be closed so my plans changed drastically. So in July I finally got my road bike out of lay-a-way and parked the mountain bike.

I worked on riding longer and longer rides and building cardio. The longest thus far was 65 miles but it included a lot of climbing.

Then, great luck hit in September and an email came out from Angela Weimerskirch from Lovelace Health Plan regarding the new Lovelace Cycling Team. Life has been better since.

We started riding every weekend with a C Team ride Saturday or Sunday with a A/B ride the other day. I rode every weekend until the Day of the Tread ride which happened to be the weekend Jodi and I went to Sedona, AZ for our 29th anniversary.

We found one of the nicer campsites we've ever had and stayed 2 consecutive nights in the same campsite for the first time in far too long. Had a great time including a great 6 mile hike in the beautiful red rock of Sedona in near 100 degree heat. One of the great parts of the trip was in Flagstaff after Jodi used Trip Advisor to look up a place for lunch. She found "Satchmo's" a BBQ and Cajun place very out of the way but very good. The jambalaya was the single best dish that has ever crossed these 2 lips!! It was so good that Monday as we left Sedona we timed lunch so we could hit Flagstaff and Satchmo's again. Even better!

We had taken Monday off then at 11:00 Thursday I left work and Jodi dropped me off to get the rental car (a Ford Fiesta Hatchback with Sirius radio via which I listened to Radio Margaritaville much of the way including a live broadcast of Jimmy in concert in Phoenix) and head to Jonathan's in Springfield, MO to then go to Arkansas to the Buffalo National River, Ponca Wilderness for some backpacking.

That trip was great as well. Weather, etc led us to only spend one night in the tent but we had a great day of hiking on Saturday after hiking in and camping Friday night. Beautiful fall leaves, not at peak but still lovely, and just a great, great time with Jonathan.

I took my Specialized cyclocross bike to him so he can spend more saddle time and lose weight and increase his cardio capacity as well.

Another Monday off and a long week of catching up at work and finally making it back to the gym made for a very tiring week. But the C team was riding on Saturday a.m. and Jodi wanted to ride also so we met them in quite cool temps and rode a ride Jodi never thought she would. It was only 23.5 miles per hour but including a lot of climbing she just didn't think she could handle. We left Winrock shopping center, climbed to Tramway and headed north to Spain and climbed it. Then back to Tramway to Elena Gallegos and climbed all the way up and around. I was so proud of Jodi, and Tara another lady on the team who was on her 5th bike ride since she bought her bike, the biggest climb she had ever done. Great, great team ride!!! They two of them Scott Weimerskirch (Angela's husband), Steven Forney and me! Good times.

Tomorrow, Jodi is supposed to go on a mountain bike ride with Melanie and Ellen so I will take advantage and hit the trail somewhere also. I really hate to miss the A/B ride but I HAVE to have a sleep-in, relax day. I am SOOOO tired and Monday is end of month.