Happy Cranksgiving

I threw out my back yesterday playing dodgeball with the youth.  Nothing too serious since I continued to play for another hour.  But when I got back to work and sat down, WOW, fire went up my spine.  I struggled to find a comfortable position and couldn't get comfortable even in bed last night.  I woke up stiff as a board this morning and after some prodding, Sarah convinced me to go for a ride.  Riding almost always loosens my back up.  So as she was slaving away in the kitchen, I snuck off for my fourth annual Cranksgiving Day bike ride.  Not feeling up to mountain biking, I decided to dust off the road bike and finally put in the last 20 miles to turn over 4,000 miles on my computer.  The bike has been sitting in the garage waiting for the last 20 since I got my commuter bike.

I rode out to Lockwood up the hill on the Old Hardin Road.  It was a rather uneventful ride except having to dodge all of the gravel, rocks, potholes and debris on the roads and path.  I hit a rock that appeared out of nowhere and spent the next ten minutes repairing the resultant pinch flat.

I pushed myself to make it to the top of the hill.  It wasn't easy since I haven't ridden more than to work and back in the last two months.  It was a nice view up top though and I got to cruise back down at 30+ mph to the tune of Life in the Fast Lane by the Eagles.

When I got back to town, on probably the busiest road of my trip, I finally turned over 4,000 miles.  I can now put the bike away for the winter without thinking about the last 20 miles.

Oh, and my back loosened up and we had a great Thanksgiving dinner.  I am thankful for my bike/physical therapy that made the rest of the day more pleasant.  And very thankful for my incredible wife that pushed me to go for a ride and prepared an awesome meal.  Time to hang out with the family some more.

View from the top.

I thought that was a fence post when I saw it through the view finder.

I think those are the Beartooths

That's 4000.0 Miles