We started out heading into Leroy, then took the trail 2 miles to 18 Mile Rd, which we then took to Diamond Lake, rode past Diamond Lake, crossed 20 Mile Rd. and rode 4 miles before turning around. The 4 miles was all hills, with the head wind, tail wind thing going on. From there we went back to the trail and rode, then headed back to LeRoy, and the hilly 4 mile ride back home, giving us a ride of 41 miles. I would like to say it was an uneventful ride, but alas it was not. Tony and I have been praying, asking God to help us have good attitudes, and honor him by our actions and words as we train, and especially on the PALM tour. Well, those of you who are praying folks, know by now that God does answer prayer. Like the way a trike ride exercises the muscles in our legs, our attitudes were exercised, and challenged to meet the course we had picked to ride.
Remember how well I said Tony was doing on getting the mountain drive kicked in and out? Well, forget I ever wrote that, at least for this blog entry. It seemed like for much of the ride it was a challenge for him to get the mountain drive in and out. It started on our first big hill. He kicked it in, but couldn't get it out, so there we were trying to get up some speed on the downhill, for the next up hill. Our legs were spinning as fast as they could, but we were only going 4 MPH, because the mountain drive was in and we were not going up a hill. Tony tried 3 or 4 times to kick it in, but nothing happened. The more he tried, the more frustrated he got. Honest, I really was working, at not adding to his frustration. We finally found a safe place to stop and I got off the trike to look at it, which of course meant that Tony had to unclip. (have I mentioned that sometimes..OK, often times, he has problems getting clipped in? He cant see if the clip side of the pedal is towards him or away from him, and since he is behind me, neither can I. I try to sit quietly and wait, if I offer help, he seems to get more flustered. Once he gets the pedal turned around, it is still a challenge for him to get clipped.)
After he unclipped , I could see what the problem was. The parts of the mountain drive that kick it on and off, are fastened to the cranks of the pedals, and Tony had brought the edge of his sandal up hard under the "Out" side, and knocked it off the crank. I put it back on, clicked it in with my hands, waited for him to get clipped in, and off we went. All this time, Button who was so eager to go with us, that he was dancing around his trike condo, was on the back of the trike, crying. Button's cry is not like a whine, but more like a combination of a whine and a squirrel chatter. Trust me, it can be very irritating.
So off we went. We hadn't gone far when there was another big hill. I told Tony to "kick it in" and he tried, but couldn't get it in, tried again, still couldn't. We were going up a hill, not the safest place to stop, so we just grunted up the hill without Mountain Drive. It was awhile before we found a good place to stop, did the whole off the trike, unclip, dog crying thing again. One of our neighbors stopped to make sure all was well, and since nothing was broken, except maybe a smidge of our pride, we thanked him and sent him on his way. Had Tony sit and practice putting the mountain drive in and out. Were ready to go, but nothing happen. Another neighbor stopped to see if he could help. Pride was completely out the window when I discovered the trike wasn't moving because the back wheel was stuck in the sand. Smile and thanks and send the neighbor on his way. Although it was sunny, the wind made it quite chilly so we had our tights and jackets on. We must have looked pathetic, Before we could get started, a stranger stopped and offered us an ice cream bar. We told him no thanks, but thanks for stopping and offering and went on our way. All was well, until we had to get into Mountain Drive again, and when we had to get out of Mountain Drive. Much starting and stopping, so much that it took an hour to do a course that normally takes about 30 minutes. Button continued to serenade us.
When we got to the trail, I let him out of his crate, and let him first walk next to the trike and then trot. He seemed to like that, but had a hard time going more than 4 MPH. Tony, who is sometimes time driven, on our training rides, wasn't very happy because we were "losing time." I on the other hand was thinking back to Ceasar MIlan and his advice to drain the dogs energy. So Button continued for about 3/4 of a mile. The we stopped to offer him water. (Tony stayed clipped in) Button still had plenty of crying energy left when I put him back in his condo. At least we were on the trail, and wouldn't need the Mountain Drive for awhile.
Once we got off the trail, we had to deal with hills, and yes, the Mountain Drive again. Tony was also a bit out of sorts because he hadn't been drinking enough water, which only made him more easily frustrated. I really felt bad for him, especially since things had been going so well on our last ride. So on we went, Tony struggling , Button crying, the hills looming ahead of us, and the wind blowing. Me? Oh my tongue was about bitten off, from holding it in check and I wasn't sure how much longer I would be able to continue doing that, and yes eventually my attitude soured as well. It was one of those things we could have sold tickets too, but I would not have been proud to have others see the performance.
We got to Diamond Lake which is such a pretty ride, and the lake didn't disappoint that day either. The sun was indeed making the water look like it was filled with diamonds, the flowers in peoples yards were blooming. We took our time riding past, enjoying an apple as we went. We were also eager to see the new territory we hadn't yet ridden, that was ahead. It was a mix of woods and open fields, with farm houses and country homes in between. An enjoyable ride, in spite of the issues we were having. Finally it was time to turn around and head for Tustin and the trail again.
Those who know Tony, know he is the most even natured guy you could ever know....unless he is thirsty, hungry, tired or cold. Well the next thing to kick in was his tired, exacerbated by not drinking enough water, and that was followed by hunger. Yes, the poor skinny guy, with his high metabolism actually gets stomach pains when he is hungry. Which of course made the Mountain Drive situation, worse.
He was a brave soul though as we rode down the trail into a strong headwind. On the way back, with a nice tailwind, we saw a turtle crossing the path. I stopped and got out my camera, figuring I would have plenty of time. But the turtle was a speedy one, by the time I got the camera out and turned on, he was off the trail, and by the time I could take another picture, he was headed to the water, and then in he went. Fastest turtle I ever saw. Pretty sure it was a Blanding's Turtle because of it's long yellow neck. Mating season for them is April and May, which is when they are most commonly seen. They are noted to be a quick moving turtle. The immature turtles has a distinct pattern on their shell. This one did not, so it must have been a mature one.
When we got to Tustin, I went into the little store to find some sustenance for Tony, the best I could do was Chex Mix with peanuts, which at least would give him some protein. He gobbled most of it up in no time and eagerly accepted the water I bought. Onward, towards home, which was 8 miles away.
Passed a little pond. I was surprised there were no ducks or geese in it, but took a picture anyway. The dandelions were a nice contrast against the green grass, a description which served to remind Tony that he needed to get our lawn mower going for the season, not that he would have anytime to mow anyway, since these bike rides were taking so long.
Yes, God was working on exercising our attitude on this ride. I'm thinking it was a test, one that we failed, but we had a little talk with the Lord when we got home, apologized to him and each other, and are determined to be studied up and prepared for the next test. I sure hope it doesn't involve the Mountain Drive.
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