Every week now we load up the whole family (when I say that I mean us and Charlie) and take a short ride to the Battlefield and hop on the Park Tour Road and do a couple of loops!
Charlie is getting into the routine well! He is up to 14 pounds now, so pulling him is getting a little tougher on Dynamo, but it is a great workout!
He doesn't seem to mind his Chariot at all! In fact, he is never in a hurry to get out when we are finished! Although, last week when we rode he seemed to want to get out a couple of times. We took a short break to let him adjust!
It was really quiet at the Battlefield last week! It was like we had the place all to ourselves! We were playing around with the camera and took pics of our shadows!
We did a couple of loops (about 18 miles)! We had a great time together as a family!
And, then on Friday I signed up for the Luna Chix Skills Clinic, which was in downtown Richmond at the Skills Area on Belle Isle. Dynamo had seen it advertised on the forums, so he sent it to me. I'm glad he suggested I attend! It was a great time with about 30 other ladies! My friend, Missy, joined me for the fun instruction. We learned a lot and got to meet some other lady riders! The Luna Chix had 3 pro riders there to instruct, so it was a great opportunity to learn from the best!
While I was being instructed, Charlie and Dynamo were checking out the island. Charlie even went in the river!
I can't believe I missed it, but Dynamo said he had a ball splashing and chasing the splashes! He and his leash were stinky! He's fearless!
And, on Saturday afternoon, I really got to put some of the lessons I had learned in place on the trail!
The weather was a little hot and muggy, but we were having such a good time that we didn't notice too much!
We hit the Lakeview Trails and I was determined to practice using my brakes properly. The front (left) was for controlling speed and the back (right) was for controlling direction. It was a delicate balance of the two!
Right off I started flying through the trails. I noticed a significant difference using my front brake to slow me down versus my back. When you use your back you loose traction. So, I noticed that right away my wheels stayed in contact with the trail more giving me more stability. I was able to regain my speed faster after turns and obstacles because I wasn't hammering down on the back break, losing traction, rebalancing, and starting again. I felt more fluid!
My speed was rockin'! I rolled through and really used my downhills as well as practiced using my upper body more to push me through hills, etc.
I must say that at the beginning I was flying so fast that I totally didn't see the snake in the trail until the last minute. He looked like a stick, and when I noticed it was moving I didn't have enough time to react and avoid it, so I grabbed his tail with my tire. He curled up in shock and I almost wet my pants! I couldn't get the words to formulate in time to yell "snake" to Dynamo. So, he wasn't prepared and went on the opposite side of him. I had chills for a while after that!
Needlesstosay...I began practicing the other technique that was suggested at the clinic - keeping your head perpendicular and looking out instead of down. By looking out I might have seen the snake sooner and been able to avoid chaos!
We passed a couple of obstacles that I feel might be ones I will tackle next time!
In the clinic I rode a skinny log, so the one above might be on my "to do" list soon!
I think I need to get past my fear and just go for it! Right?
The creek crossing used to be the worst part of the ride, but now I get through most of the time...
Sorry it's a little blurry!
I think it's been worn down to make it easier, but I don't care!
The ride was great! We finished up by checking out the snakes at the bridge! We only found one instead of the 5 from last year, but he was there with his tongue going in and out! Ick! Sorry it's not easy to see him in this pic, but he's there!
It was a great ride with new techniques to build upon!
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