It's just a ride in the park...

See Spot...

Spot rocks!!! He's been great so far! Our early morning ride on Sunday was great! The weather was good. The bugs were slim to none, which is always a plus! And, to top it off we had someone to blaze the trails before us, so the cobwebs were virtually non-existent! Yippee!!!

On the trail there are many opportunities to "bail." There are lots of opportunities to quit if you want to. Just like in life when the going gets tough you can just give up. Sometimes the signs in life aren't quite as easily recognizable as this one...

But...there are signs. Sure, it gets hot...humid...cold...wet...dirty...etc. But, you have to decide to keep going or give up. But, it does get easier. I've written some about that in the past.

The last few weeks at work have been really stressful. I've even allowed my stress at work to affect my riding. BAD!!! I've been mentally exhausted, which contributes greatly to physical exhaustion. You have to be 100% on the bike. It is dangerous if you aren't thinking about the trail ahead of you. That's what I've loved about biking since I started. There's no time to think about anything but your next move on the trail. For 2 hours or more it's all about the bike. No work...No worries...No stress.

On Sunday we had a great ride! It was awesome! Each ride on Spot gets better! Here's a pic of me going through what they call "Little Moab" on Lakeview 2 at Pocahontas Park.

When I first starting riding this section was the scene of some pretty rough falls. Now...not so bad! It's actually fun!!

Here's a pic of me crossing the stream on Lakeview (sorry for the fuzziness). I have no problem crossing it at the start of the trail, but when we double back at the end I have had some trouble. I've almost got it! Practice makes perfect right?

Here's the stream crossing without me in the picture...

And, here's Dynamo munching on some fig newtons before we tackled Lakeview 2!

 It was like a mushroom forest in the woods. I think the humidity and rain helped! Here's a pic (little fuzzy) of a giant mushroom. We saw all kinds!!

When life gets tough don't be so quick to take the nearest exit! Just think of it as another day in the park.