coasting along

So Friday I decided to go run 13 or so miles on the Shut In as time has run out for me to do any sort of 'training' and I needed to see where I stood. It took me over an hour to set up my bicycle assisted shuttle due to the leaf peeper traffic on the parkway. I dropped the bike at Mt. Pisgah and then drove back down to Sleepy Gap and started running. The run itself was good. I played it safe and fast hiked all the steep ups and ran everything else. The stretch from 151 to the top was especially memorable. It climbs 1000' in a mile, so it is steep, but offers outstanding nearly 360 degree views all the way up. My plan was to run out and back up to Mt. Pisgah after I got off the Shut In but the traffic on the parkway had slowed me down and when I got to the rock steps that lead to the summit the sun dropped below the ridge and I knew my time was limited so I turned around short of the top. I still had a 13 mile bike ride down the parkway and with seven tunnels along the way I really didn't want to be doing it in the dark. As soon as I started coasting down the road I realized it was getting dark fast and there was nothing I could do to make it go faster. The sun setting behind me and the full rising in front of me was an idyllic end to a long run. But before I knew it the sun was gone for good and that great big old moon was all I had. I was wearing just my running shorts, t shirt and arm warmers. It was beyond cold. Most of the tunnels came easy but the last one was a real bitch. I believe the Pine Mountain tunnel is the longest on the parkway and by the time I reached it the sun was long gone. I entered slowly and quickly had to slow even more. It was pitch black in there with only my blinkie to give me any sort of reference where I was. Right when I was ready to get off and try and walk down the wall a car came up behind me. I tried to zig zag some to draw more attention to myself. With the help of their head lights I could see and took to the middle left of the lane so they couldn't pass. But they passed me anyway and I rode the rest of the way out with the help of their tail lights. Another mile or so and I was back at the truck. Any more and I would have been flirting with epic.

There is nothing left to train for so Saturday's ride was a casual Pisgah affair. The WNDC met at our seasonal meeting spot, Coontree, for a fun little loop: Coontree > Bennett Gap > 477 > Avery Creek > Buckhorn Gap > Clawhammer > Black Mtn. > Buckwheat Knob > Bennett Gap > Coontree.



My camera battery died after a single pic at Coontree Gap. Nothing much to speak of, just a good Pisgah ride.



Terri bought a bike so we headed out Sunday afternoon for her first mountain bike ride. We went to Bent Creek where she is familiar with the roads and trails and I let her lead me around. I was thinking we would do a couple of slow easy miles or something but she just kept going and going. We ended up doing 12 miles - not bad for a first ride!



Here is her new bike:



If you look closely at mine behind her's you will notice it is wearing its Halloween costume.