Well yesterday I finally got out to the Theodore Wirth trails with Shawn. We’ve tried to get out there a couple of times, but it just hadn’t worked out yet. And since it was so amazing out yesterday (bright and sunny and in the 70s) we decided to play hooky go for a ride. I’ve gotta say, it was far more exhausting than I was expecting. I biked to Shawn’s out near Lake Harriet, then the two of us rode down to Theodore Wirth park, road the trails for 45 minutes to an hour or so, and on the ride home all I wanted to do was lay in the grass and wait for someone to come pick me up. It was totally worth it though. The trails were awesome. Definitely some challenging parts, but also some nice milder parts where I was able to really get some good speed. It’s pretty fun zipping around in there. I for sure what to do it again, but I don’t really have a bike for it. I was riding Karen (Shawn’s girlfriends bike), which was fine. She’s a pretty tall woman and the bike was a little small, but I felt pretty comfortable on it. It was pretty hard on my back and shoulders, but I think that’s more due to the fact that I’m not used to that style of riding rather than the bike. There’s a ton of really getting you’re center of gravity positioned correctly and what not where you’re really using your upper body strength as much as lower. Today, I’m feeling a bit sore, but definitely more in my shoulders than legs.
All in all it was an awesome ride. I took a couple of spills from going to fast. First one I almost hit a tree, but luckily bailed into the brush before and then other I definitely hit a rock and just got knocked off the bike and on to the ground. I’ve got a bit of a scrap on my right elbow and a little nick on my shine (from hitting the pedal). Still feeling tired from the experience, but really can’t wait to get back out there and do it again.