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Time to get ready!

About a week ago I clicked into bike race mode. Time to get into shape. I don't really know what the catalyst was but that's ok. It is not like I am in poor shape. I have been playing outside lots, doing all kinds of fun activities. But now I am ready to train again. Still do all the activities, just maybe more of them, without days separating them. All I need to do is keep things under control and have fun while training. To intense now will burn me out later.

Enjoying myself thoroughly is still of outmost importance

Today (Sunday) was quite a good day. I decided to go do the xc ski race that was happening in Duluth on this extra brisk day. Showing up in my Clown suit I took off like it was a cx race and ended up getting a group of 3 of us way out front, then at 4k into the 13k race I got tired and had to slow. The start was enough to bring home the bronze though. For not being very close to race shape I am very pleased with my performance, the two guys I was with for a bit are very fast skiers.
(Hopefully I can find some pictures)

After hanging out at the ski race, enjoying the post race food and chatter I came home and decided I had not had enough. Word on the street is that the Big Lake was rideable, so part of bike practice took place down on the ice. My plan was to work on turning on the ice to prep for next weekend, but the big cracks and all the noise freaked me out, so I just cruised. The ice was plenty thick, there are fish houses and all out there, but riding on the ice suspended over the largest freshwater lake on the planet (which is awfully cold, especially in Jan.) just did not allow for relaxation...

Plenty safe, but still...

Kinda deep here already.
Darkness below...

After bumming around for a good 20 minutes I decided to go ride around hockey rinks to practice my corners, at least if I broke something on one of those I was close to something.

I had a good time testing the limits of the studs.

Then I rode some trails, going up this staircase included. Winter riding is so much fun. Everything is open.

Ha!

Up, up and not so fast down.

But first this photo is from bike practice a few days ago.Apparently it is strong enough to ride across. I did not try. Lake Superior in January is awfully cold...

With the recent purchase of downhill skis and AT (alpine tourning) bindings, boots, and other gear. I have been finding all the fun places to ski in and near the city. My main skiing partner and I have found a few good places. There would be many many good places if there was not so much damn brush. All the little trees that make it impossible to go down the hill without impaling some body part. But when an open area it is usually pretty dang good.
Today we set off on an expedition to try and find some bigger hills up the Shore. I looked around on Google earths new terrain feature because it makes looking so easy, and then with the satellite views, even better.
Anyhow, up the shore. From the road one of the hills I had zeroed in on looked pretty damn good, so we were off. as we got closer to the base the brush got quite thick, but we continued on in hopes of clearing, when there was no clearing we continued on in hopes of the backside being clear. 2.5 hours of pushing through waist deep snow at some points up very steep slopes brought us to the summit of Carlton Peak . To my surprise it was very windy and cold up there, bare rock and no trees even. Almost like a real mountain, except that it was only 1600 feet high... Oh well. Some day soon.
After a bit of hot cocoa and freezing our fingers it was time to try and start down. We found a clear trail, but it was not very steep, thus not very exciting. Before long it was back into the brush. With the effort put in going up, neither of us had the energy left for another try. Despite the lack of skiing it was quite an adventure. Well worth it.
All we need is a good forest fire and that place would be amazing, like many of the places in Duluth. Common Forest Service, I know you want to!

Backpack full of liquid + 2 pair skis= heavy

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Back to the top after cocoa break

Brush...