sometimes you have to stop and smell the chamois butter


Thursday, April 14, 2011

inspiration

I got a message from a fellow blogger recently that basically read, "help, I've got writer's block."  I shot back a message, "write about what inspires you."  Then I thought about how long it's been since I've posted.  Heck, I needed some inspiration myself.  Then I thought a little deeper and decided maybe inspiration was all around me.
Spring has ushered in guiding season and I now have two trips under my belt.   Lucky for me they were both mellow trips, because bad planning has left me with nothing but my one speed to pedal.  I am currently trying to sell my "Moab" bike to get a more "pedal-able" trail bike for work.  So in the interim I have left myself with the body punishing one-speed to ride in the dirt. 
I felt good about the riding on the trips, but questioned the fun-factor of daily singlet-track riding.  I cut a few laps on some tasty new ribbon overlooking town.  There were the expected o-shit-my-head-is-gonna-pop moments, but I also found the some flow.  My eyes and brain were firing in concert when spotting inclines that required synapse directed muscular turbo boost.  I managed to refrain from hiking AND didn't barf.
I was hooked on the single-speed again.  And then I road Phil's World in Cortez, Co.
That's when I really freaked out.
I was riding with a bunch of friends and blew some turns even though I had no idea where I was going but it didn't matter because this was one of the most fun 22 miles of flowy desert trails EVER.
I didn't go the wrong way and we regrouped and freaked out some more.
Holy crap the riding there is fun.
And if that isn't enough, my little buddy Elijah is doing his first race this weekend.  I sent him a cycling cap I made in hopes it brings him good luck.
So I reckon I've got inspiration spinning around me.