Right after work, I drove to the Stoney Creek High School with the idea of suffering my first lap by myself. It would have been the usual routine: get ready; ride to bathroom at Stony Creek trailhead; head back out to do a lap of singletrack. I was going to bypass the Pines and head directly for the Snake so I could meet the group on time. That was the plan. That was not what happened.

Instead, I was persuaded to head to Bloomer. I wanted to check it out, but I had no idea what I was getting into. One word comes to mind: elevation. Go figure. I have to say, the singletrack I did ride was fun, but the legs were heavy and weak right out of the parking lot. Bloomer tore me down even more, and I had a really hard time catching my breath. I don’t think I’ve breathed that hard since I climbed from the Nara trailhead up to the Core Loop at the Michigan Tech Trails during my early season skate skiing.

Bloomer is a cool trail and I definitely want to ride it again, but I’d prefer to tackle it with fresh legs. Ridgeline trail makes for difficult climbing, so it’s a great place to strengthen my legs and work on my climbing. I’m all for that. We didn’t do the “upper trail,” so I’m curious whether it will trigger my fear of heights.

The post-Bloomer Stony ride was murder. I felt like I had nothing on the uphills. I couldn’t even fake it when people were behind me. I had to step aside, several times, and let them go by.

Even at the beginning of yesterday’s ride, I noticed that I just wanted to drink water. I drank my whole CamelBak by the end of the ride, and I quickly sucked down two glasses of iced tea at Sherwood. I was even super thirsty, today. I can only deduce that inadequate hydration was part of yesterday’s not so successful ride.

Today was a rest day. Even at this late hour (come on, my bedtime is ~10 p.m.!), my legs still feel pretty weak and tender, so I’m hoping they’ll feel new and improved after a not-as-full-night’s-sleep-as-I-would-like.

I was using Tuesdays and Fridays as my rest days. I picked this schedule because I wanted my legs to be well-rested for the Stoney Creek group ride. This is no longer an issue because I’m in better shape than I was two weeks ago. In fact, I usually feel better on my second day of riding. When I was racing, I learned that taking the day off before the race was not favorable. With that in mind, I decided to shift my rest days to Monday and Thursday. I mean, why take Friday off if I don’t have to get up early the next day?

Labor Day kind of throws a wrench in that, but not really. Riding four days in a row is not going to kill me. That’s what I used to do when I lived in Houghton. I worked three 12-hour shifts and rode the remaining four days, anywhere from 90 minutes to three hours, with the latter being not so uncommon. So, I’ll ride Friday through Monday—I love being able to ride a trail as long as I want without worrying about later commitments—take Tuesday off, and then resume my new schedule.

Now, this wouldn’t be my blog if I didn’t use the phrase, “studies show,” at least once in a while. That brings me to my next point: studies show that people who do not get enough sleep—the sleep-deprived—crave more fattening foods throughout the day, thus increasing their caloric intake, shifting them into the gravitationally-challenged category. Fun.

Now, I am not the McDonald’s or Kentucky Fried Chicken kind of girl, but I do crave rich and saucy foods. For example, my sleep-deprived tushy went to Olive Garden, the other day, because I was craving alfredo. I love Olive Garden’s alfredo with breadsticks, and they make a mean Zuppa Toscana, as well.

I personally think that I cook quite well, and I cook healthy, although I do not necessarily cook low-fat. I prefer to use whole foods free of chemicals that would knock my thyroid and pancreas out of balance. Therefore, finding time to cook is just as important as finding time to sleep, but feeling well-rested puts me into a more can-do frame of mine. I can think more clearly and actually come up with ideas. Amazing how that works!

Over the next few weeks, I will be putting into practice what I’ve learned about my commuting and riding, and I hope to devise a system that will allow time for healthy eating. The great balancing act is no small feat.

So, if we’re supposed to have a thunderstorm during the 9:00 hour, and I seriously need to go kick my butt out at Stony. When would it be safe to hit up the trail?

That was me on August 21 desperately looking to feed my crack habit. I rode with Steve Vigneau, that evening. Steve ended up breaking a spoke and had to bail, early. I rode a little longer and noticed a slowly-developing flat when I was approaching my truck. After my ride:

Good ride. I did it at my own slow pace and really enjoyed the roller coaster : -)

11.8 miles; 85 minutes

I’m not sure where the flat tire came from, but it was a slower leak that I noticed as I was about to bomb down the grassy hill into the HS parking lot. I had to make a quick and not-so-graceful exit back onto the sidewalk.

After I got home:

Swapped tires and is ready for tomorrow’s post-work ride. : -D I think I’ll hit Stony, again.

This really sounds like someone with a bike habit!

August 22:

Four o’clock rolls around and I get the sleepies.

Must…ride…tonight.

This is where it starts getting ridiculously, annoyingly happy. After that not-so-sleepy ride:

I <3 Stony.

I <3 mountain biking.

9.23 singletrack miles, 69 minutes

I feel faster and stronger, today. Tomorrow is a beer…er, rest day. Expecting to have a good group ride, Wednesday.

Note: <3 turns into a heart on Facebook.

I was high as a kite on endorphins when I wrote that. I was totally feeling the bike love in my euphoric state. Seriously, there’s nothing like it.

Wednesday, August 24, after the Stony Creek group ride:

After a week of riding, I’m now just super happy after my rides. Super, super happy.

Junky: meet fix.

August 27:

90 min, 11 miles

Not too shabby. Satisfying.

The best was yesterday’s status message.

131 min, 17.16 miles, 2 laps at Stony

I am a really frickin’ happy dirt grrl. : -D

Ridiculously, annoyingly happy.

I resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to approach my comeback training as though I were a beginner. I couldn’t use mileage or speed as an indicator of my fitness—not yet. Instead, I would gradually work my way up from 45- or 50-minute rides to two hours. Yesterday was my first two-hour singletrack ride.

Attempting two hours probably was not the best idea. It is quite a jump from 90 minutes, but I didn’t really care. I wanted to do two laps at Stony, so that’s what I did. I was tired of making this trail out to be some kind of formidable beast, because it’s not. This was a very personal challenge that would serve to boost my ego while building a little muscle.

The caveat is that I suffered a small bout of insomnia, last night. This usually means that my workout was a bit much. Do I care? Not really. My legs are tired and my muscles are tight. That’s what I was going for. After all, you have to tear down muscle so that it will build up stronger. Am I crazy for pushing myself so hard? Sure, but I’m a mountain biker. It goes with the territory. Not only do I have the usual mountain biker tendencies, but I’ve pretty much been without for the last two years, so having a functional mountain bike and living near some great trails is like being a kid at Christmastime. Life is good.

I was quite satisfied with yesterday’s ride. I drove to Stony Creek with the intention of doing two laps. Unfortunately, MDOT decided to surprise me with construction on 59, lengthening my commute and transforming my drive into a quest for the bathroom instead of a leisurely jaunt to the trail.

I don’t think I ever got on my bike so fast.

I threw on my gear, forgetting my spare tube and tools, and carefully made the longish ride to the bathroom at the Stony Creek trailhead. I couldn’t race because the washboard road was hell on my bladder. I had fun riding to the Pines after my pit stop, and found the whole excursion to be a great warm-up. The ride through the Pines was fantastic! It felt amazing as I whipped around the curves and over roots, rocks, and little log piles.

I kept going after I cleared the Pines. I didn’t need a rest until I turned the corner to begin the climbing portion of the ride. I had to stop. I was hungry. Can you believe that? Hungry. Fortunately, I had my protein drink to keep me company for the ride, and it provided only a little relief, but I was able to finish the loop. Again, I felt great! My tires gripped the trail nicely as I whipped around the corners. I felt strong on the climbs—I was climbing a little faster, probably because I got my pedal stroke back. Gotta use those clipless pedals.

By the end of that first loop, I was feeling great. Sure, I was tired and hungry, but I didn’t want to stop riding. I just had a great first lap and, for the first time since I moved downstate in 2009, I felt a little like the old Di. My bike handling was ON. The downhills were mine.

My second lap through the Snake and the Rollercoaster was a little slower, but I maintained my smooth pedal stroke and made it up the climbs with a smooth, even cadence. I was still whipping through the curves, rarely flirting with a crash—I think I attempted crashing three times, once on the ski trail. I finished it off with a second trip through the Pines, which I felt was strong and fast, although I may be delusional, and capped it off with the ride back to the high school.

Since yesterday’s ride at Stony left my legs feeling a little used and abused, which was my intention, I thought I’d hit up River Bends for a recovery ride. For the most part, it was an easier, enjoyable ride, but I ended up riding 14.59 miles in 100 minutes. Tomorrow is a day off of riding. It’s time to let the muscles repair.

Thus began hell week. It was hell week because I was embarking on a brand new training regimen to get my out-of-shape butt back into shape and I was also dealing with a serious case of PMS (sorry guys, but it’s a fact of life, and it can do horrible things to my mind). I was frustrated with my physical condition and seriously lacked self-esteem. My body was rebelling, so I had to deal with some stomach cramping that first week. I was a pain in the ass. Nevertheless, some key people took really good care of me.

I have to say that Steve is excellent at riding with much slower riders. He seems to just enjoy getting out and riding, and that’s it! I was happy that he usually rode just a little ahead of me, and I didn’t have to say, “Steve, slow down,” because, well, I didn’t really care if he rode faster, and he kept tabs on me to make sure he didn’t get too far ahead.

After two days and 35 miles of chasing Steve around Shelby Township, I went to the Wednesday night group ride at Stony Creek. This was a bit of problem. Not only was I smack dab in the middle of the aforementioned “P” problem, but my legs were spent. They felt heavy and weak. I ended up dropping out of the ride before the rollercoaster. I just couldn’t do it. Bob decided to drop out with me and show me around the easier ski trails. Bless his heart, but I think it would have been better for Bob to stay with the group and let me slug around the trails by myself. “Slug” is the perfect term because it was a bitch climbing up those tiny hills, and I griped. I’m sorry, Bob.

I took Thursday and Friday off from riding to allow my poor, abused, neglected leg muscles to recover. My lungs felt very tight during the Wednesday ride, so they also needed to buck up for the next week.

Erick Mile and Steve showed me around Addison Oaks on Saturday during the not-so-eventful Addison Oaks Adventure Jam. I was still feeling less than good. Even though the trail was great fun, I was a great drag. The climbs were killing me. Grr. That’s when I decided that I needed to take a little time for myself to get back into shape.

Solo riding actually works wonders for my self-confidence, because I’m not worried about the guy behind me, or the people waiting up ahead. I only care about how my tires track through curves, grip on climbs, and roll on the fast downhills, almost like skis on snow. It’s a fantastic feeling! While I don’t think I’ve gotten any faster, my endurance is getting better and that’s giving me more confidence for the group rides.

More important, I am ridiculously, annoyingly happy after my rides. That’s what it’s really about, isn’t it?

This morning, I had an appointment to fill out some paperwork that is related to my changing employment status. Even though I was sleep-deprived—still am—I threw my Trek Fuel EX7 into the Pathfinder, packed my cycling gear, and headed out. After my appointment, I drove to the Hopkins Lake trails in Owosso.

The last time I was at Hopkins Lake, I met up with “Owosso Bob” to help him out with some trail work. We removed a root that totally disrupted the flow of a particular trail and walked the rest of the trails sharing ideas. Today, I rode a section that Bob and I discussed and found that a long bridge was added through an often-wet area to connect two trails. This was a great idea! I was pretty impressed and had to take a few pictures.

I only rode about two miles because I found that a rear brake was necessary for this particular trail. For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been riding without a rear brake. It seems the fluid leaked out.

There are a lot of steeper descents combined with fairly abrupt turns that require the ability to stop quickly in case of an “oh shit” moment. Also, the rear brake gives a bit of a steering advantage on trails like this. So, I only rode two miles because I decided that I needed my rear brake. I rode back to the parking lot, threw the bike into the Pathfinder, and headed straight to the local bike shop. They are now repairing the brake.

I fully intend to return to the Hopkins Lake trails for a fun ride. So much work has been put into this developing trail system, and I know that more is to come. Wouldn’t it be something if Owosso someday became a destination trail? All it needs is mileage.

Yes, in my sick, twisted mind, Holdridge Lakes just happened to be “on the way home,” yesterday. Never mind the fact that home is directly down West I-69 from Flint. That part doesn’t matter. Let me be very clear about this: south to Holly is on the way home.

So, I just happened to stop by Holdridge Lakes on the way home. On the drive there, I filled up with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some French vanilla yogurt. Yum. I also sucked down some cold water.

The Holdridge ride was greatly needed. I rode the Vasa the day before and was dying to ride again. Mountain biking really is a crack habit. I started out on the West loop followed by the Tech and Lake loops.

I tackled a couple of rock “stunts” that I was unsure about. I’ve ridden the first one before, and it’s really not that hard, but I rode up to it, stopped, and really had to convince myself to make a second attempt. I did. It was fun. The second one was short and pronounced, but easy to roll over. It felt a little sketchy midway through, and I let out a very distinct, “Ha ha ha,” that was a combination of, “WHY am I doing this by myself,” and “THIS IS FUN!” Whee!

The west trails are fantastic riding and definitely worth the drive . . . on the way home. They’re the reason why Holdridge is one of my favorite Lower Michigan trails.

By the time I finished the west trails, I was raring to go. I rode onto Gruber’s and was quickly reminded what a grinder it is (I know you’re rolling your eyes at my play on “Gruber’s Grinder”). I was ready to quit by marker #2. Unfortunately for me, I had to keep going until I reached the return exit at #7. This was unfortunate because I wanted to quit. It was fortunate because I knew I needed a hill workout, and mountain bike climbing workouts are the absolute best for fitness, in my opinion.

I’ve never taken the early exit on Gruber’s, before. I’ve done the whole thing. I’ve skipped Meadows and Orchards. I’ve always done the main loop. I just couldn’t finish it, though. The early return was a pleasant surprise. It was straight and slightly downhill, so I got up a good speed and thoroughly enjoyed the ride back. It’s worth quitting Gruber’s early just to ride that section.

I bombed back to the trailhead via the road. I whipped out my roadie skills to gain and sustain speed. Even with my super-knobby Kenda Nevegals, I managed to exceed 20 mph. Go, Di! When it was all said and done, I completed 14.78 miles in 2 hours, 28 minutes. Most of that was Gruber’s.

In spite of my lack of desire to finish Gruber’s, I never forgot that I was grateful to be out there on my mountain bike. Hitting a mountain bike trail is a luxury for me at present. I drove home incredibly happy and perfectly satisfied. Today, I desperately wanted to ride again, but that was not an option. I couldn’t get to a trail, and I really think a day off is necessary for rest and recovery even though I’m not sore. I’ve overtrained before, and I’m sure it will happen, again.

Tomorrow, Jake and I will head out for a lengthy rode ride. My body is craving the bike.

Even though I was sleep-deprived and struggling to bring out any energy I had left, I found the experience quite rewarding. Marty Shue led the class and allowed me and others to co-teach. We all shared helpful tips with these ladies.

At one point, I stood on the side of a hill telling them what to do as they attempted to make a challenging climb. Some of these women looked like they had light bulbs go bling! once they conquered the climb. They knew that conquering is exactly what they had done. Some of them even did it on poorly-fitted bikes with handlebars that were set way too high, but they defied the odds and achieved success.

We also strongly encouraged the ladies to tackle the rock garden. Most found it difficult, but tried again and again until they could ride through quite easily. One possible motivator is the fact that we had two handsome gentlemen standing by to catch them if they fell.

Truthfully, I wanted to ride, that day. I did not want to be a part of the beginner group because I wanted to ride the whole trail to see how my winter training prepared me for mountain biking. I didn’t argue or suggest otherwise, however, because my friends were all helping the beginners, and I wanted to be with my friends. In the end, the beginners weren’t the only ones who had a great experience. I believe that we more experienced riders found sharing our stories and techniques to be a truly rewarding experience. Kris and I continued to talk about our clinic riders even through the next day. We were very excited for them. We were very excited that we could share our passion with new riders.

One of the posts that I wrote was about our ride at the Poto. I almost forgot about that day, but that post reminded me of how hard that ride was, how challenging it was, and how proud I was of myself for making almost every climb including Boy Scout Hill. That ride was part of a grueling week.

Zack, Glen, and Ali waiting for Di to catch up at the Potawatomi.

Another interesting ride was at Brighton with a group of guys. It was the first time I rode that trail. The ride was excruciating. In fact, Steve F gave me a gel so I could finish the ride. It took over three hours. It was that hard.

I also saw the post I wrote about riding the Vasa with Ali. There was a great picture of Ali smiling as she rode her bike on the sandy trail that wound through the lush green forest. I was the turtle and she was the hare, but there were moments when it felt like I was floating through the woods.

Looking through these posts and many others created a deep desire in me to experience moments like those, again. I look forward to riding my mountain bike through the woods, hearing birds all around me, leaves rustling above me, resting cyclists chatting nearby, and feeling the sun beating down upon my skin causing great warmth that will produce sweat to which dirt will cling.

Robert Herriman does a great service to the mountain biking community. Each year, he organizes a Thanksgiving morning ride at Pontiac Lake. First of all, nice choice in trails, Robert. I love Pontiac Lake. Second of all, I’ve been horribly inactive, this year, but this is one ride that is going to get me out of bed well before 10:00 a.m. and on the bike. I also promise to be there on time, this year. With that said, if it rains, I might not be there. I’m still trying to find all of my winter gear from my move. Most of my stuff is in boxes.

For those of you who aren’t quite sure what’s going on these days, Thanksgiving will be this coming Thursday, November 25. The ride and photo taking will commence at 9:30 a.m. at the PLRA parking lot.

I am happy to announce that I will be riding my own bike, this year. This is important because I borrowed a wild and rambunctious Gary Fisher for last year’s ride (see Thanksgiving Morning Ride at PLRA). It scared the crap out of me.

Robert takes a super sweet group photo before each ride. To see those from previous years, check out his blog.