Day 81...Workout of the Day...somewhat of a disaster

I had a pretty good ride this morning, but my elbows are paying for it now.  Oh...did I say elbow(s)?  I sure did...both of my elbows are hurting now! It's just one thing after another these days.  Oh well...just part of the deal I suppose.  What started out good, ended in disaster...okay, maybe disaster is too strong of a word...you be the judge.

Today's ride was short but hard.  Just over ten miles with quite a bit of technical climbing on loose, slippery, off-camber terrain.  I actually need to do more rides like today's to improve my technical riding skills.  Time on the trainer builds stamina, strength, and power, but there's nothing like the real thing when it comes to training for mountain biking.

I forgot to wear the chest strap for my hear rate monitor, so I don't have an accurate count of my caloric expenditure...not a disaster, but a stupid mistake.  The ride began with me feeling pretty strong, and being able to make some tough, short technical climbs with ease.  In the past, these little sections have given me some trouble, but today I cleaned these sections with ease!  As I was nearing the halfway point, the Boulders (as I call the spot), I noticed some movement in the brush off to my right.  Not wanting to take my eyes of the narrow, cactus lined single-track (for fear of crashing into a cactus again), I wasn't sure what was moving around. 

This is what happened the last time I took my eyes of a narrow, cactus-lined trail...ouch!

These days, the majority of the riding I do is performed alone...for two reasons.  My riding partner Mike, crashed hard a couple months ago, fracturing his left scapula...that's right, his shoulder blade!  It takes quite a bit of force to break your shoulder blade.  The second reason...I'm training, so I have specific things in mind that I need to do when I ride these days.  Its no fun for anyone to ride with me right now, because I leave them in the dust!  I'm not trying to be cocky or arrogant about that (although that does come naturally for me), I'm just saying that most of the people who I ride with regularly, haven't been training like I have, and ride at a pace that is enjoyable...a non-training pace.  So it's not that I'm that much better than them...I just need to ride harder and faster right now.

So anyway, when I'm riding by myself, its a little unnerving to see something relatively large moving around in the brush right by me.  I'm only a few miles away from houses on this particular ride, but I have seen deer, javelina, bobcats, free-range cattle, etc.  My belief is that where those animals roam, so too do mountain lions.  I've never seen one out there, but that doesn't mean they aren't there.  So needless to say, movement in the brush puts me on alert...somewhat. 

It turned out that what I was hearing, and now seeing, was a pair of javelina running around.  Actually, they were trying to run away from me, having sensed my long before I had seen them.  For those of you not familiar with Javelinas, they are a type of wild pig...blind as a bat, and sometimes as mean as a snake.  They have been known to charge when they feel threatened, so I fully intended to give them some space.  I did however, want to see them a little more closely so I could take a picture of them.  Having ridden this particular trail many, many times, I knew exactly where they were going, and knew that I would intersect them in a few hundred feet if I hurried.  I didn't want to hurry too much though, as I didn't want to come around a blind corner, and run right into them.  I had done this before, a couple of years prior...but with a big 'ol cow!  I had to slam on my brakes to keep from running into him, and it actually happened on the same section of trail, probably within just a few feet from where I figured I run into the Javelina.  Amazingly, it is the same area that I witness three big mule deer, crossing the trail, making their way into the rocky mountain that I was traversing.  So...as I was saying, I didn't want to come up on them in such a way that might threaten them....

Look closely in the middle of the picture...that's a Javelina

But that is exactly what happened...not the threatening part...just the part about coming up on them right around a blind turn in the trail.  It was almost the exact same spot the I had almost broad-sided the cow, and seen the mule deer!  As I came around the turn, there they were...surprised to see me (remember, they have horrible eyesight).  I grabbed a handful of brake, and skidded to a stop, as one ran through the brush to the left, his hooves clicking on the rocks.  The other, darted of to the right, but came to a stop not too far from me.  It was as if he was trying to stand very still so that I wouldn't see him.  "Funny" I thought, "He must think my eyesight is as bad as his!"  Actually, that's really not far from the truth, but fortunately I had my contacts in!

I looked left, to make sure his buddy wasn't sizing my up for an attack, but didn't see him anywhere.  I slowly removed my hydration pack, and pulled out my iPhone to take a quick picture.  I was able to snap a couple shots of him before he realized that I could actually see him...then he darted off.  I actually felt bad for the little fella, and wondered how hard it would be for the two of them to meet up with each other after I had left.  Oh well...I'm sure they figured it out!

The remainder of my ride was pretty much, unremarkable...until I returned to the car.  As I took my pack off to grab my keys, I noticed that the small mesh pocket where my keys are usually stashed...was unzipped and empty!  That's right folks...somewhere out there, on that ten mile loop that I rode, were my car keys...unhappiness set in rather quickly!  

It's always humbling to have to call your wife to come pick you up, or bring your spare keys to you...and it's happened a number of times.  Thankfully, I have an amazing, supportive wife, who also happens to work from home quite regularly!  Thanks for always being there...well, except for that one time when I had to hike my bike home about three miles :)  Every other time though...you've been there.  I'm the professional rescuer, yet you seem to rescue me quite often...thanks, I love you!

Disaster or not?   You decide.