Oct/Nov.

Biking has kept me going this fall! I have been able to bike a lot lately which is really good for this time of year. In late Sept. I took 11th in the MN State Single Speed Championship Race. I was shooting for a top 10 finish so very close. Next year. The following day I dropped out of the CX race at Riverside. Some guy rear-ended me throwing me from my bike but more devastating was the injury to my knee. MRI confirmed a 'chunk' of femur/articular cartilage missing and now floating in my knee. Surgery is inevitable-but I need a little more time to recover from the last round of surgeries that still haunt me-so it will have to wait. Bad news But it really only hurts when I am not on the bike-I decided to continue to train (with a partial blessing from the Dr) for the Dirt Bag Gravel Race. I felt fairly good going into the race because I had put plenty of hours on the bike between the end of Sept. & the end of Oct. I ended up placing 7th in the 82 mile gravel race. Not Bad. I am finding that the shorter 'burst' races just do not jive with my new lungs-so this long stuff seems to be a little better. All said and done 4:47:00 on the bike. That may be my longest time on the bike at one time ever going hard the whole time. I was really surprised at what the body can do. Funny thing-I could have kept going. Granted it was nice to be done. Hills, gravel, and WIND make for a painful day on the bike. My training was short so I cannot imagine what a little more preparation will do. 27 minutes off the leader. I am very happy with the outcome. The last two weeks have been really getting back to the reasons why I love to ride so much-late fall rides having fun the the mountain bikes in the woods. I do not hunt, but see many deer. I get to enjoy all that fall brings the way I like it-on two wheels. I cannot wait for the 2011 season! Keep the fingers crossed that I can lace up and skates...

enjoy