Fun ride...

So I had a few "firsts" today. I went and rode the Wasatch Crest Mountian Bike Trail solo. That was the first time I have ever done that. It was also the first time I have ever ridden it without stopping. I cleaned it. Normally this ride is a 3-4 hour adventure when I have done it in the past. Today I wanted to do it from the Solitude parking lot to my house in 2 hours. I did it in 1 hour 40 minutes. I was excited that I could cover more than 25 miles of mountainous terrain in less than 2 hours. I would have made it quicker, but the top of Millcreek canyon is snow covered and muddy, and then I got stuck behind some slower riders for the last few miles. No big deal really. It was a complete blast today. It was however the first and likely the last time I will get to ride it this year as there is a significant storm on its way here.

The gauntlet has been thrown…

So Bob issued me a challenge yesterday, and I’m not one to pass up a good challenge. By posting it here it becomes public knowledge, and will therefore make me work harder to win – avoiding any embarrassment. The challenge is twofold, and neither will be easy. The first is that I must get my weight down below 210 pounds before we go to Moab next month (3-5 weeks). The problem is that I was nearing 220 about three weeks ago, but have since actually gained a few pounds. In all I need to lose between 15 and 20 pounds, so 5 pounds a week. That is hard, and I haven’t done that since I started to try to get my body back under control. The second part is that I need to be able to get out and ride my mountain bike for 6-8 continuous hours with Bob on one of his infamous “long” rides. This one is here primarily to assure that Bob doesn’t kill me with my reward. I think I can do 4-5 hours now, but with some training, by next month I think 9-10 hours is possible. One of the things that Bob does that I am infinitively jealous of is once or twice a year he goes out and rides the White Rim Trail. In itself that is cool. The ride is supposed to take normal people three days, and you need to have permits to camp overnight and they are difficult to come by. And by normal people, I mean people that are in pretty good shape to begin with, definitely not a ride for your average person. This is where it gets cool. Bob does this ride in one day. Let me put that into perspective. This is a 103 mile ride. Total elevation gain is around 6,000 feet. This is my reward if I achieve both of the challenges, I “get” to go ride the rim with Bob. I’m tired already…

I can't wait...

So I was reading an article this morning on VW Vortex about the 2006 Mk5 R32. Initially I was disappointed because all roads were indicating no R32 in the USA for 2006. But just then there was a glimmer of hope...

"That’s something US buyers are going to have to wait a while to find out, though. In fact, the R32 isn’t scheduled to be sold in the North America at all. In its place will be the Mk5 R36, powered by a 300bhp version of the B6 Passat’s 3.6-litre VR6 FSI. Not only that, but by the time it arrives on your side of the pond in 2007, the price will have dropped to a far more reasonable $30,000 or thereabouts for the manual, non-DSG model."

Which just goes to prove the old maxim: some things in life are worth waiting for.