August 20, 2005

Today is the 2005 Ore to Shore Mountain bike race. The pic at the top is Rich after a 48 mile mountain bike race. And for the first time in the 4 years we’ve coming up here, I’m not doing it. Usually I do the shorter race, 28 miles. Rich is doing the longer race, which is 48 miles. I’m not doing it because I’m just not in the shape I need to be in to do the race. I’ve never been in super shape, but one needs to be able to do more than 10 miles on a mountain bike to do a 28 mile race, even if it’s more downhill than up. The race starts in Negaunee, 1400’ above sea level and finishes in Marquette, at the shores of Lake Superior, 600’ above sea level. I had somewhat decided to do the race, even as late as last night, knowing it’d be a big struggle and I’d be the fat girl to come in last, huffing and puffing….if I could even finish. Then it was pouring rain this morning and that was all I needed to decide not to do it. Since I dropped Rich and our friend’s the Mitchell’s (riding tandem) off at the start, the sun has come out and the clouds have disappeared. Figures. We’re off to Copper Harbor tomorrow, the very tippy top of the U.P. from what I hear, it’ll be a 1.5 mile climb to do any road biking, or you can ride along the very windy coast. To get to any mountain bike trails, it’s a 3 mile climb on a dirt road. It’ll be the death of my just to get up any of those climbs, but I’m willing to try.

NEWS FLASH! Our friends, the Mitchells snapped their tandem mountain bike in half!!! Mary is fine, but George got impaled by the severed tube and took 8 stitches to the knee. This was a very expensive carbon fiber and titanium tandem that snapped where the carbon fiber & Ti join together. It also dented the titanium tube. Pics to follow later after they figure out what to do legally.