Mountain Biking Lakeview

It had been quite some time since we biked the Lakeview Trails at Pocahontas Park.



Mountain Bike Mike joined us for the Memorial Day spin and Dynamo was our talented photographer.





It was a beautiful morning for a ride!



We had so much fun! And, even took advantage of the beautiful new benches on the trail!



The trails were in great shape! It was just a gorgeous morning for a ride!







And, sure enough...our snake family was back this year at the creek. Eek! I think we counted between 3 and 4!



One just sunning on top of the rock!



I guess we weren't the only ones enjoying the morning at the park. So were the creatures!

Shotgun Rider

With Monday being a holiday, we decided to get out and enjoy the fresh air! There were lots of others at the park enjoying the day as well!



Each day we have to remember to be grateful for the time we have together to be outside enjoying God's creation.



I am thankful for the warmth of the sun on our chilly rides, and the sparkle that it gives to the water it shines over!



I am thankful for a husband who WANTS to ride with me at my pace. He is always patient, kind, and supportive of me. He lifts me up!



When we get to the dam we always stop and stare in awe of its beauty. Dynamo mentioned the sunlight in the background just over the top! It still amazes me everytime we ride up and see the rushing waters!



We enjoy being with one another. We enjoy the time away from the rest of the world, away from the phones and the internet. It's a time to ride and reflect and just be together. And, there's always time to stop and just look at the world around you and admire it's beauty. Every single leaf, acorn, mossy tree trunk and creature is God's work.



And, silly me just had to make Dynamo give me a mooch! But, the park is a special place for us. It's just full of peace and beauty. There's no noise of the world around, just the two of us together!



Sure, the trails can be tough. It's just like life. But, we can make it. Together, with those we love we can make it. Without Dynamo's love, support, and encouragement I wouldn't be where I am today on the bike (and in life). He takes the time to help me and love me. He patiently waits for me at each of the peaks and turns during our ride, knowing just when to push me along. He encourages me out of the tough valleys and together we have both grown as people and bikers. We have to support one another and encourage each other to be the best we can be. There's a Tim McGraw song called "Shotgun Rider." I always want to be Dynamo's shotgun rider! I want to always be with him and by his side through the good times and the bad. He is a blessing and a gift from God.



I pray that each of you will stop and take a moment to think about all you have to be thankful for and show those you love how much you love them. Protect them and love them with all you have. But, mostly, be thankful to God for each and every blessing you have.

Celebrating Columbus Day with some off-roading!

We were finally able to get the trio back together for a little off-road riding at Poco this past Monday, which was a holiday for some of us!



The day was just right for riding! We headed over to the Forest Exploration/Fendley Station Loop in hopes of checking out the new trails they are putting in for the IMBA Richmond Regional Ride Center!



There was actually a guy working and we chatted with him about the plans! They have made lots of progress on the trail building for the hand cycling/beginner trails!



There are wide trails and berms along with that awesome "skinny" log so far!



Poco will truly be a destination once all of these new trails are completed! We are so proud of this project and the progress being made!



We encountered two turtles on the side of the fire road and I think we interrupted them. Never seen that before in person!



We examined the many flags marking the new trails! So exciting!

The leaves are beginning to fall, and that is one of the prettiest times of the year at the park!





After our loop over on Forest Exploration we decided to try out the Blue trail before quitting!



It felt so great to finally hit the single track again!



And, even better to have our friend, Mountain Bike Mike (MBM), back too!



We even rode in our usual order...me, MBM, and Dynamo!



I'm the turtle of the group so they follow me!



We finished up with around 14 miles! We really loved being back!

Mountain Bike Monday - Inch by Inch

We set out yesterday with the plan of riding a road training ride to get ready for the Martin's Tour of Richmond in two weeks. We decided to head over to Jamestown and start at mile 1 of the Virginia Capital Trail. The plan was to ride out at least 20 miles, if the trail was complete enough, and then turn around.



We were quite surprised to find that even though not fully complete, the Sherwood Forest Phase (13 miles) of the trail was totally rideable.



So, the Colonial Parkway, Greensprings, Chickahominy Riverfront, Sherwood Forest, and Charles City Courthouse Phases are all linked now!



There were lots of bridges along the Sherwood Forest phase, which are almost completed. The ribbon cutting for this phase is set for Oct. 15 officially!



It is such an amazing site to see...all of the effort to make such a massive project happen. An over 50 mile multi-use trail running from Richmond to Williamsburg, all free of vehicle traffic.



So many people, so much time, and so much money! It truly is worth it! Thank you!



There were lots of people out enjoying the trail. Runners and bikers galore!



We rode and rode...







We rode out 23 miles and then turned around. The trail continued on for a little farther past that. At that point we were closer to our house than the car back in Jamestown.





There were some opportunities along the way to re-fuel.



We saw big green bullfrogs, turtles, fish, and one snake...



What an amazing ride. We did 46 miles completely free of traffic!! Such a beautiful, often shady, ride! We can't wait until we can ride the entire length from Richmond to Williamsburg, and back! We are so grateful to have such a fantastic trail right near us! We encourage you to go and experience it! We are so blessed to have one another to experience these things together. It was a glorious day together. Life is so good!

Off road adventures - Finally!

We FINALLY made it back out to Poco and hit the fireroads yesterday! We hadn't been to the park since sometime in June. It was way too long ago!! We wanted to give it a try and see how we would feel since our surgeries kept us off of rough terrain! And, we both felt great!!



It was a gorgeous day for a ride. The temperature was perfect and it was mostly cloudy! We did the entire mini-Monster Cross route plus a little more! So, over 23 miles!



We saw some friends hiking with their baby and dog and then stopped to talk to some horse people too! It was a great day to be out enjoying the park!



I can't wait for us to be able to hit the singletrack soon! I must say, though, off road sure does beat road riding! It's so much more interesting and the scenery is amazing! Even though the Battlefield park tour road is nice, it can get sort of boring doing the same loop over and over!



Hope your weekend was fantastic!