stone cold man and cabins

I wanted to take the next few minutes and talk about two of my most recent bike rides and what I found on each one. Today I rode with the guys we did about 40-45 miles on dirt roads (mtb). It took us 4 1/2 hours with alot of rollers. About 3 hours into the ride I found this handsome man just standing in the woods. I think I will become a plygamist -cause he is so adorable! The second ride was a 3 1/2 singeltrack mtb trip I took by myself- I did a little trail cleaning along the way. I enjoyed both rides and look forward to every time I get to see cool things in the woods.

I think I am in love with this man! Notice how he is leaning into me- He has feelings for me also
I wonder if medusa had a part in turning this poor ole sap into stone- wonder what he did wrong to deserve this?

This is a view from the shelter shown below

This is uncle bill potter's shelter -it is a pretty cool place.

it has a wooden box with notebooks in it. anyone who comes to visit and camp can write in the notebooks. The last people who visited was on 11/23/08. They forgot their hot dogs so had warmed buns for dinner. sounds like something I would do.

I think I just rode from that direction somewhere- awesome view

just a cool picture to see

This is a view off the Iron Fork Bridge. The water was rushing. I have seen the water up over the big rocks before

Iron Fork Bridge- the water was hitting the side and splashing up on the bridge

I had a bat women moment the other morning and rescued this bat off the side of my house- It was hissing the whole time I was trying to take it out to the woods I just hope it remembers me in the summer and does not bite me.

babysitting (kitty)

this week the Dr. is out of town, and I got the opportunity and privalege of babysitting (um, i mean kittysitting) I brought this little one home with me cause she has not been filling well. But last night I was already seeing an improvement in her, today, is another story.
While kitty sitting, I have had time to think about something that has happened in almost every child's life. The day they did not have their homework cause the dog ate it. I never believed this theory to be true, but I now have proof. Luckily for me, I was able to save my homework that is due at the end of the week. (In this case my thesis)

Little girl looks pretty innocent here--right?
No! not the article I need to read!

I know she still looks just as innocent as before, but I still believe in my new found kitty eating homework theory.

MAT and breaktime

So today I took the MAT test. I think I did alright. The one good thing about this test is there is no cut off score--yet. I have been told that they(whoever they are?)are trying to come up with a cut off score.
So what is left for me to do? well I think I will take the rest of today and tomorrow off, then I will get back to doing research for my Thesis.
I want to do a correlational study between Vo2 max, aerobic exercise and cholesterol. Sounds like a lot, but not really, I am really excited and I know what direction I want to go with it, but I think I need a little break before getting back into it. I have to give Dr. H a rough draft by the first of the year!! Yikes you may say, but I say bring it-- I love the pressure.
Bike riding was totally awesome today! One of the last mud baths for the year. I just did fabuuulouuus simple 2 hour ride, by myself and loved every minute of it. I did not want to go back, but I had that test to get ready for.
I hope tomorrow is just as nice because I am taking a nice long ride I dont care what anyone says!! I think I deserve it! (oh who am i kidding, I not only deserve it, I desire it!!!)
TATA for now!! :)

last "final" (finally) day

Today was the last day for finals. I was suppose to give my WS final at 8am, but we had yucky weather last night so the test was cancelled until 10:30 am. Which was good for me. It usually takes me about 45 minutes to get to school, today-it took me two hours! Yep, the roads were just a sheet of ice, and I did not get over 20 miles an hour. Just as I was reaching Dardanelle, I hit some ice and slide a couple of times, I was more concerned about the person who had been riding on my tail for most of the trip. Afraid he/she would rearend me if I did have a problem. But I made it just fine. The really cool thing is that I had my last final at 5 pm tonight, but the teacher cancelled it, and is giving us the grade we already have!! (I have an A). Well I did not realize how late it was until a friend starting texting me about school, and when I got ready to leave it was already 3 pm, it took me over an hour to get home. I know some people are thinking why would I drive to school when I could have had someone else give my final for me--well, call it the love of teaching, and I wanted to be there for my students. When you like your job, it does not fill like you are going to work. This is how I fill about what I am doing with my career right now, and hope that I will have an opportunity to progress forward with my teaching degree.
Crazier, yet my christmas break will be taken up with bike riding AND working on my Thesis. I just had a meeting yesterday with Dr. Holeyfield, and she is allowing me to change my Thesis. I am going from a sport psychology thesis to a exercise physiology thesis!! I did not like my first one, but now I am really pumped about my new one. I have to give Dr. Holeyfield a rough draft before the first of the year. No pressure! I like being under the gun, I get more done when I have the pressure on me! I even got up early this morning and starting research on my thesis. This is how pumped I am about it!! It is going to be just faaabuuulous!!

weekend trails

yipee, another day on the trail!! We went back to Little Blakely to finish up trail work. All that is left is for people to go out and ride their bikes on it. I will take one for the team -and go back and ride. I think I will even do some much needed camping to make it last a little longer. Here are a couple pictures of before and after of a section of the trial.

Sue-where are you!
oh my gosh, I see the trial, but no Sue!

another really cool thing--it is official I am riding the 80 mile race in the spring. Yes, the single track mountain bike challenge. I need to train so hard I will have to even train while I am sleeping!! How cool is that?

random pictures

I decided to show some random pictures, instead of using random thoughts.

Not only does the Grinch steal christmas, he also steals kisses from bike riders!!
A group of us met up at Little Blakely to get the trail back into shape, this is just some of the stuff we used. The big dummy helps haul it all in.

Stairs at the trail, I think I am going to ride down them next time I am there. (maybe)

If you look at this map you can see all the trails, we got a lot completed last week, will go back tomorrow to get it just right.

The view from the parking lot at LB, the trails go around the whole lake. I am going to paddle it next spring, and camp on the sides just as a short term goal for the year.

semester reflections

today is the last regular day of classes. Wednesday is the start of finals. And so I thought I would reflect on the last few months and what I have learned this semester.
First, I did learn a tiny bit from the books. But I have learned more from teaching andinteracting with others. I taught a Wellness Science class, and learned a lot about teaching and other students. I learned from listening to young people how they act when older adults (parents) are not around.
I have learned that not everyone cares about their weight, or what they put into their bodies, and that if they have to put effort into exercise, and it makes them uncomfortable, then they would rather sit on the couch until the thought of exercise passes over.
I have found that young people still do stupid things, (and so do I)
and it is our duty as teachers to try and guide them into the right direction, and hope they will understand later in life, how fortunate they were to have someone there to guide them along the way.
I have learned many valuable lessons from a variety of people, and appreciate what I have been given in life and that I want to give back to others, this is what makes the world a better place to live.
Final thought-- Sometimes, it is not how well of a grade you get in a class, but rather what life lessons you take from that class and use through the rest of your life that is what matters.

base hunger

you know that feeling you get when you first get up in the morning? Yeah- the hunger one and you fill like you are going to toss your cookies (if you had any in you) if you dont eat. Well this is the the problem I have been having to deal with since getting back to base training. And I like the feeling cause then I can think about all the good foods that I get to eat. That are good for me also.
This leads me to an article I was reading in the National Geographic. ( amazing I know- I do read stuff other than comic books)
The article talked about a "list" that will be placed by different products in grocery stores nationwide.
The list is called the Overall Nutritional Quality Index and was developed by Yale University's Griffin Prevention Research Center. It basically scores food items on a scale from 1 to 100. The products are given a number based on the nutrients, vitamins, sugar, and salt. The list will also indicate how the product impacts blood pressure, and other health concerns.
My opinion about this list is that it is a long time in coming idea. I think it will help people better understand what they are putting in their bodies and how these products better or worsen their health. I think this list will help increase knowledge about food products and be an aide to the food labels that many people have trouble understanding. With these two items perhaps we can start helping people understand why it is important to eat right and exercise to live healthier lifestyles not only now but also in the future.
so how does the list work:
The higher the number the better the food item, such as an blueberries are listed at 100. But raisins have a listing of 26. Orange juice has a 39, and unbuttered unsalted popcorn has a 69. Dark chocolate seems to be a popular thing but it is only listed at a 10. green beans have a 100.
So these are just a few items listed there are several more. If you want to see more items you can go to onqi.org to see for your self.
well now that I have talked totally about food, it is now time to go mtbing for a couple hours in the cold air!! So I can than eat something healthy and yummy--Problem is I am not sure what that might be. (Subway most likely)Yipeee

burnin the butter!!

YIPEEEEE! Thats what I have got to say about today! WHY? cause it is the first day back on the bike, doing base- so I rode a nice two hour road ride. I figured out that I lost what little "spinning" ability I had over the summer. I kept it in a low gear and worked on my spinning. Ah I told myself-think of all the butter you may be burning cause your quads are starting to scream a tiny bit. All cause when you try to keep the same cadance for a long time and you are not use to it you fill it in weird places. I have been "powering" through the riding this summer, so this is going to be a little different type of riding for the next couple months.
Goals-- Get better at my spinning, and enjoy every awesome minute of it (that is the easy part)
When I wanted to gear it up a notch, I could hear that little voice yelling
"slow down, spin, use a smaller gear!" Yeah you know who that little voice is>

Books, Tests, and Cats?

The semster is almost over, and the holidays are almost here. For Thanksgiving I will be sharing my time with the cats. I wonder how many Turkeys I would need to cook so that everyone of them could have a piece of turkey? I will also be spending my "spare" time studying for the MAT Test that I will be taking on the 19th of December. I have been practicing analogies in preparation for the test. Here is one I came up with:
Steam is to hot as lilo is to mountian biking!!
Ah, yes I think if all the analogies are like this then I shall ace the test and they will have to invent a new test!
My other alternative is to have my sister rub "Buddha's" belly for me right before I go to take the test!! This should definitely work.
Some more shocking news:
When I went and bought the book for the test, I also bought another book, (I cant believe it either) My mother would be proud! I will read it after finals are over.
Well, glad semester is almost over and cant wait until December 1st so that I can get back on the bike. Will start training for the 80 mile challenge coming up in April. Cant wait!!

mushy life lessons, and riding

Yesterday was the last race of the season, :( and it was awesome!! :) I placed and brought home a few trinkets to treasure along with the memories. One of the best parts of the race was the simple fact that Dennis went and supported me. I have decided that he is still the awesomest person and that no matter what gets thrown at us we can make it through it with a whole bunch of work and the realization that marriage is a dificult but it can work, if we want it too. I learned a lot about "life" on this race day. One of the most important things I learnt was that even though I fill like "Choking" my dear husband a lot of the time, I really do love him. Ok enough of life lessons!
I rode this trail at the beginning of the season, and felt like I was going to die before the second lap. I was not able to ride several of the switch backs and thought the race would never end. That was at the beginning of the season.
This time, I was riding everything, and flying fast. After the second lap I was NOT ready to stop, but the race was over. MAN!! it is amazing how one person can improve on their fitness levels within just a few months. It was GRRReeeat!!
I have been riding solo this year. I did not belong to a team, even though I have wanted to be part of one. WELL, yesterday I was talking to Sue and telling her that next year I wanted to join a team, she said why wait we would love to have you on our team right now.
HOW COOL IS THAT!! Within a few minutes she had brought me a jersey. So now I am part of the Ouchita Cycling Team. I will have to take a picture of the jersey, with me in it of course and post it.
After awards, Big D and I went to eat and ran into another couple that raced and they belong on the team, so we all sat down and visited and ate dinner together. That was a nice time. We are going to get together sometime and ride. May even float the river with them.
So to bring a really bad week to an awesome end, and to bring another week in on an awesome note makes one bike riding diva super duper happy.
I am back off the bike for a couple more weeks, then I will begin massive time in the saddle, also known as base. Can't wait until I get back on the bike and see what kind of improvements I make this year. YEEHAW!!!

bike riding

So I have not been on the bike for a couple of weeks. It is down time, and it is killing me!! I never realized how crabby I was getting due to not riding.
Today after helping at the clinic, we went for a mountian bike ride. I rode the troll (ridge ss) and loved every moment of it. Did not want to stop. Rode so hard as I was on a climb felt like I was literally going to toss my cookies. (seriously) I am ready to go again but it will be Friday before I ride again. The last race of the season is happening this Sunday, and I can't wait. It is in Hot Springs, rode it earlier this summer, but now it is colder, Then I will be off for a little while until finals are over.
I have been doing yoga, running, swimming and walking to try and burn some of my energy. It is not working very well.
Back to school tomorrow, and then 3 days off, so We will see how this weekend goes- I already have sport tied up, so I am just taking my singlespeed and riding a good fun (always) ride. Yipee!!!

turtles an apples

I wanted to show some of the interesting things that I find out in the woods. Like the following pictures-- I have never seen anything like it before! Totally amazing how small critters survive in nature.

I have never seen a turtle eating an apple! How totally amazing!
I wonder if he also likes green apples?

This is a snake we saw on the dirt road while riding. I swear it is a copperhead, but the Vet seems to say otherwise. just look at the pattern on the back of this cool animal.
I risked life and limb to get this picture. Thank goodness I survived to get this picture out for everyone to see.

I think it is so amazing at how many different species of animals are in the wild. And to be able to stop and admire everyone I come across is such a blessing to me to get to do and to share with others.

safe town

Yesterday I was at one of my favorite places to be (clinic) and I found something that was so amazing I wanted to share with everyone else and let them know that Christmas is going to be safe here in Blogsville this year.

Yep- you guessed it

GRINCH!

group ride weekend

this weekend was a big group ride at the T&S pumptrack site. There was lots of food, folks, and even some fungus found in the woods this weekend. It was a great weekend of just riding bikes and playing on the pump track. My goal is to get good at riding the pump track, but I have a long ways to go.
There were a few people who came that have just started into MTBing. It was cool to ride with them, give a few pointers, see what it does for them and the excitement in there voices when they have finished a ride. cant wait until next year.

my bike is eager to get going!


Palmer is from out of state, he is a motorcycle rider. And these skills came in handy while trying to figure out the pumptrack. He took his seat off to ride! Crazy!!

The idea of a pump track is to use all your muscle groups to manipulate the bike to gain momentum to get over the humps/bumps

palmer's bike without a seat

One of these guys was riding Todd's titus without any brakes--again sanity is not required to ride a pump track

Molly- the pumptrack mascot!

The road sign to let people know where the fun begins and sanity ends!

pumpkins for halloween

It is getting near Halloween, and I thought I would include some science vocabulary into my blog by telling what the class name for the pumpkin is and then show some pictures of some carved pumpkins to get everyone in the holiday spirit.
The pumpkin is from the cucurbitacea class. which is the squash family.

This is what your pumpkin may look like right after you carve him-- how cute!!

The next picture may be disturbing to some--

This is what your pumpkin looks like when you leave alcohol near him!!!

Now isn't this a sight to show a health class??

vicious voodoo ride

So on Sunday there was a group ride on singletrack. I rode geared, was not prepared for a 50 mile ride. I could come up with several reasons as to why I started to have a rough ride--before we even got to the end to turn around.
But ultimately it comes down to not being prepared. I did not want to be a quitter, and did not want to be thought of as a wimp for bailing. Oh well, life goes on, and so do the bike rides!!! Lessons were learned about myself that day, and about life, and for that reason it was a valuable ride.
Today is bosses day, and so the faculty in the PE dept pooled together and bought Dr. Holeyfield these flowers. Laura and I went and picked them out and I think we did a good job, the picture is not that good and does not give good justice to the flowers, but you get the idea.

The rest of the pictures are from Sunday's ride, and shows me how tired I was before we even turned around. Fall colors for the boss
Voodoo- protector from evil
me- having to lift my bike over the log behind me that was on the trail- and looking like I needed to crawl under the log and lay down for awhile
There was an area on the trial that had several ferns that had different colors and looked really neat

Sarah- usually she has bonked by now--me already there!!

fabulous photos

So even though the little triathlon is over with I wanted to show a few pictures that were taken. The money that was raised for this event went towards "shop with a cop" what a great thing! The race began with the run and ended with the bike. Yipee!
This was used for the finish line! Cute
I was a little concerned to see that Lisa will lay down with any ole dog!
They do look like a happy couple though

Lisa beginning the ride part
ME- behind Lisa after the paddle, but I did catch her
this dude got third in individual
This girl was my "rabbit" that I chased, and YES I did catch the silly rabbit
AH- what a beautiful paddle

This is the sign on the bridge we had to run over-thank goodness we did not have 20 people or 3000 lbs at once on it!
First runner to come to the other side- he got first place in individual

Here comes the superhero of the day (The guy behind me)