Friday, August 3, 2012

The River Legacy Mountain Bike Trail Took Me On A Gut Wrenching Roller Coaster Ride Today

Wood Bridge Over Log
I went to River Legacy Park today to get my daily endorphin inducing aerobic stimulation on the River Legacy Park Mountain Bike Trails.

I may have overdone it and got myself way too many endorphins.

Many miles have been added to River Legacy's trails during my sabbatical from biking. I'd discovered some of the new miles of trails on previous visits. I discovered more miles today.

My first unexpected surprise came soon after passing the EKG zone, where the steep hills are out of my skill range. There was a new fork in the trail. I took the new trail. All was going well when I came to a fork in the new trail. One fork was a red arrow, the other blue.

Blue usually means its the wimpy boy route. Red usually means its the manly man route.

I routinely, at my advanced age, take the blue, wimpy boy route.

Well, almost immediately after the I made the choice to go the blue route I could see both routes went up a very steep hill, with the red route being way steeper. I made it part way up the blue route before having to make an emergency evacuation from my bike.

From that point on, for I don't know how long, I was on an up and down roller coaster, which I was able to handle, even with my meager mountain biking skills.

Eventually I was back on familiar trail, soon I came to another junction; take the South Prairie Loop or the Bypass.

New Loop To The Left Bypass To The Right
I opted for the South Prairie Loop, because that is what I've always done, ever since that loop came into existence.

The South Prairie Loop is out of the woods and out in the open.

And then I came to something new on the South Prairie Loop. A bypass, which was the Old South Prairie Loop, or follow the Loop arrow to continue on to the new continuation of the South Prairie Loop.

All was going fine and then the trail became a bit forested, which is not very prairie-like. I soon found myself on another roller coaster ride, with some adventurous twists and turns. Eventually the New South Prairie Loop returned to the Old South Prairie Loop and all was familiar again.

Back on familiar trail I eventually came to what you see in the picture at the top. A wooden bridge over a fallen log. Did I have the technical skills to pedal my bike over a wooden bridge over a fallen tree?

If you guessed yes, you guessed correctly.

I don't know yet know how badly I beat up my delicate body parts today. I'll probably find out tomorrow, with the first clue being waking up sore, barely able to get vertical.

Or I may be just fine. I'd put my betting money on me being just fine tomorrow morning, back in the pool for another hour long swimming bout, just like this morning.

1 comment:

Shawn McAfee said...

Thanks for pointing out the new trail features. I will have to get out there soon with a camera!

I hope you weren't too sore and beat up afterwards.

Take care!