Rosaryville Ride... no pictures.... just a few words

this was started but never finished
I guess I will give it a glance then hit PUBLISH AND POST
not as much time as I would like for developing these thoughts
so... accept what you get and get on with your day

it has been a while since I have been on dirt... too long

there was one short loop on the Baker's-Snot Course with the MORE Board
but other than that
there has not been any dirt to speak of for quite some time
really... and this is not the talk of a stealth riding sandbagger

cyclocross was the only biking I did in the fall
and honestly... I did not do too much of that
raced a handful of times... but did little or nothing with the bike in between
watching my fitness drop each race that lacked anything resembling riding or training in between
it was a less than a stellar performance
and it was a painful experience

racing in shape is hard enough
racing out of shape can be humbling

yesterday I got a message through FACEBOOK about riding Sunday
the boys were going to be at my mother's for a sleep over Saturday Night through Sunday morning so it sounded perfect
I would get to ride with fellow father who may be at some sort of winter fitness
that same friend that I went to the West Virginia State Mountain Bike Championships
that same friend that I pre-rode the course with the day before that gave me the insight to race that course at my fitness best
never was an confirmation made
never did we reconnect

so... when I woke up this morning wanting to ride I called Cargo Mike
sure enough... Cargo Mike had plans to ride with a friend who may prefer not to be named
so... Cargo Mike and this friend who prefers not to be named invited me along for their trip to Rosaryville
I was thankful that they let me tag along

Cargo Mike drove over and picked me up
we loaded my bike onto of his car and my bags in the back and we headed out of the city into PG county
from the back seat I tried to play close attention to the Suitland Route that appears to be faster than my usually route down Pennsylvania Avenue onto Route 4 out of the city

before we were out of the city Cargo Mike passed me a breakfast bagel with eggs and sausage from Heller's Bakery!
AWESOME!
we all talked... ate... and hydrated as we drove

I made mention of not feeling 100 percent... something about throwing up earlier that morning

when I woke in the AM I was feeling all sorts of pain in my gut
it seemed that my foolishly not eating dinner before seeing TRUE GRIT with my wife Lisa was a bad idea
during the movie I filled the vacancy in my stomach with a massive soda and some nasty movie popcorn... popcorn that was not even popped on site

I thought that my movie snack and my post movie nachos that I ate when I got home had betrayed me
throwing up in the AM had seemed to set things right
although I was not feeling 100%... I was stoked to get out on the bike

in the parking lot I joked that they should ride and I would wait in the car
I changed my clothes in the crowded parking lot
ready to go Cargo Mike sent me off to set the pace

with a big question mark I took the lead
trying to keep it fun I tried to move fast
not race pace... but faster than a pleasure cruise
I was feeling pretty alright on the bike
the legs were spinning and the arms had the steering such that I was arcing the turns

the bike and body were feeling a tad off
the bike's headset may be pitted or may be missing some parts
and my handling
well... riding in the woods is a skill
and my skills are rusty

I was not feeling all that great
my stomach was bloated
there was some grinding in my stomach that was causing some displeasure
animals scattered as the movement in my stomach sent an echo through the woods that sounded like a bear waking from hibernation

after a few minutes of me trying to lead I let Cargo Mike pass... then pulled over to let the person who may prefer not to be named pass
as I stood over my bike on the trailside I seriously considered vomiting

not feeling so great but not wanting to fall too far back I adjusted my seat height and started to chase
there was a lack of intensity to my effort
but I was able to move the bike as a decent clip
yet it is irrational to think I could reel these guys in

at a fallen tree we regrouped then moved forward again
and again
I drifted back
unable to stay in the shadow of these two riders

we looped around and dipped into the interior at Rosaryville
I marveled at the touch and control that Cargo Mike has on the bike as he rode the log skinnies
me... I have never really tried that stuff
and not feeling so grand
it made more sense to just ride through the center

again... Cargo Mike and the person who may prefer not to be named accelerated out of sight as I tried to find the strength to push forward

out of the interior and back on the trail we pulled off to fuel up
water and energy snacks

I unclipped my helmet and unzipped my two jerseys
the pressure of the collar and the helmet strap were evoking the gagging response
with the unzipped collars and the unclipped helmet I was able to breath
then without warning I projectile vomit came to surface like a volcanic eruption

the morning coffee and the breakfast sandwich launched through the air

I threw up once and thought it was over

resumed conversation and took a few steps closer to my fellow riders
then it happened again
this time not once... but maybe five or six times

more coffee... more breakfast sandwich... the chewed banana... and all the water and gatorade from the morning

everything in my stomach was thrown to the trailside
there was some release to the pressure in my stomach
I thought I had resolved my problem
I rinsed my mouth out with water from my bottle and then got ready to ride

back on the bike and I had nothing
no energy... no power
my body felt weak
no longer did I feel as if I was going to vomit
but... I also did not feel as if I could hammer on the bike

it felt like someone had driven a spike through my skull
just off center
behind my right eye there was intense pain

I sent the boys ahead and moved at a meager pace
although I tried... I could not keep a solid pace
it was enough just to keep riding
the deceptively long nine miles of Rosaryville were longer than usual on this day

a little bit behind my two riding partners I made it back to the parking lot
it amused me that I had wanted to try two loops
really... I was unable to manage one
as it turned out.... my riding partners were ready to return to the city

I apologized for my performance... or lack there of

we drove back to the city
again... Cargo Mike introduced a route that would be an improvement to my current route home from Rosaryville

back home and I was greeted by my wife and older son
as it turned out my older son Dean had also had a series of projectile vomits

it was not the overload of junk food
it was in fact a virus of some sort
a virus that would

Dean and I each got under a blanket and on the couch in front of the television
I put on Smokey and the Bandit for Dean... asking him if he was enjoying it several times before I drifted off to sleep

nothing else has entered my system other than gatorade and water since my volcanic eruptions earlier today

as a joke I stepped on the scale
sure enough... not eating and vomiting will make a man lighter

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