pics from today:)

sat july 30th adventures in stowe

Darin and I headed out for Stowe again today.  Had an appt at 11:00 at Trapp Family Lodge mtn biking on their trails.  Met up with Rick from stowe mtn bikie club and he was to take us on some trails and teach us things. 

WELL- before I knew it as I was listening to him talking, we were taken on a single track trail.  He said over and over its the easiest here at trapp.  Oh o.k. then why amd I all over the place and feeling scared 90% of the time?!  He would yell at us pedal hard and fast - fast fast fast doing a basically a u turn up on banks and around the corners etc.. eeeks.. scary times.. 

We biked back up to the lodge and met the current von trapps running the place- wonderful people so generous and kind hearted.  Then we went out on another easier green trail for a 4 mile trek.  I think in all it was like 7-8 miles but mtn biking all the way so really tough!  when we got up to the lodge darin told me that the single track we did was a blue NOT green- no wonder it was so hard.  Rick told people we did great- hhahaha yeah i had to walk places as I lost footing and stopped etc..

darin had some fun in the skills area with the bike before we left.  Then we went to the brewery to have lunch.  Darin got a nice beer and sandwich and I had a unsweetened ice tea- zero cals and a ceasar salad with cooked chicken.  very little dressing.  yummo.  beautiful views of the mountains around us too!

Then we left and went exploring to find some waterfalls, one was very easy to find and we got pics and videos of it coming to share with you.  then we got lost trying to find the gorge further down the road.  just as I was about to give up we saw the signs.  It was another hike into this place but beautiful in every way!  lots of pics and videos and then hike back out, by this time my knees are shot hahaa we were both pooped. 

Darins bike needs to be adjusted as it did not like a specific gear, being new they need frequent adjustments at the beginning. 

So another day is done- left home at 9 got home at 5 tired, exhausted and spent! Tomorrow another waterfall for photos and then off to shadow lake for some sun and swimming and relaxation.  I love being more active out and about with my loving n wonderful hubby:) Its a new world for us!

weds night ride

Last night I joined a weds night womens mtn biking group as a newbie to the whole mtn biking thing.  Darin and I have done over 40 miles but 99% on roads or paved rec paths etc..  I ended up being one on one with a trainer that had been mtn biking for 8 yrs.. She was great about teaching me how to shift properly and what gear to be in and when to shift.  Controlling breathing, how to climb hills correctly, always looking ahead to keep the steering more straight etc..  It was like I had my own trainer for free!

 

We rode 90 minutes of intensive ups and downs, like she said it was a hard work out for the body- interval training where heart rate is way high then comes down and then back and forth over the course of the 90 mins.  She said she was impressed at my tenacity to keep trying to keep going.  Flew thru and over tons of ruts, stones, large rocks, wooden bridges with no sides over marshes and swampy area etc..( thats more scary than it sounds). 

 

Here is a pic I just had to take to show you what I accomplished!! 

 

ok this is the huge gulley= came at it from the top down hill thru it- viv was amazing - told me at the top - calm your fears- always sit back not forward on this and look forward and visualize yourself on the other side and you will be- sur eenough I DID IT- and then she stopped by the rock/boulder closest to me so I did too she was mad as I could have made it all the way up this side closest to the bottom of the pic but man i was sure pumped!!!!!!!! you cant tell how much of a drop it is from this pic but in person wowsers! I am proud of myself for sure!!

 

Cant wait for next weds group:)  BRING IT:) lol

 

july 24th- happy bday to my hubby:) our trip for today

We went back to stowe to redo the 11 mile track there and cut our time in half- would have been better but my bike gears were messing up badly.  every time I put weight to go up a hill it would skip gears.  So off to village sport shop after work to get it fixed.  hope its nothing much to fix it!!!

here are some pics- was a gorgeous day!!

trying to load a video on here from today 7/23

more pics from today 7/23/11

gorgeous view from on darling hill rd.. 

showing the mud and blood hahaa everything stuck on my hose :)  makes me look so tough hahaa

July 23rds run! wow

I bought Darin and I a bike pass for the famous Kingdom Trails in our own back yard.  Its quickly being called the best biking area so lots of traffic on the runs at times.  We wanted to start off easy so we got up on The Loop on darling hill rd here in lyndonville.  We found where to park and took off after some confusion of where to go.

 It was a kick butt trail- I had to walk 1-2 hills that I did not see coming.  Then the trail was closed off so we went onto Bemis south then we were SHOCKED!!  We came upon this spot we both kick ourselves for not   taking a picture of this huge boulder that led to a HUGE hill down to a large gulley and back up the other side- WOW scary went down it but walked up the other side for sure. lol   Darin took this shot of us through the woods - def not as pretty a shot as that gully would have been!

The funny thing is I have to wear my hose for my knee and it collected all kinds of mud, dirt, and blood from smooshing the mosquitoes hahaaa so yeah looks like I have war wounds.

at the end of the run from bemis to fox run we had to walk up a huge hill to the rd by the darling inn- gorgeous place to stay.  I was so exhausted, darin offered to bike up to get the car. aww honey!!!  so i sat and videotaped around the area.  Then I got up and peddled up a bit about 3/4 mile and met him in the car.

We went to village sports shop to get lubricant for the bike and told them about our excursion.  my blood was noticeable so told them its just killin bugs:) haha

Anyhow we rinsed off the mud from the bikes and readying them for the trip to stowe in the am to the bike path to hit it early.  That will be a LOT easier for us ! hahaa compared to the green/blue trails on Darling hill:)

For now- we are showered and resting and glad we did it and thinking we need an annual pass for the trails to do it again!!!

Karen n Darin

Weds nights ride!!

Still over 80 degrees!!  waited till 7pm to leave.  We left out of our yard and went left and traveled up hills- and we even made it up by Williams's hill! wow without stopping!  wow what a hill.  then it was all downhill to ball fields and town.  took rte 5 back to Red village rd and onto lily pond rd.

I could only make about 1/2 way up the huge hill but that's o.k. my bad knee was sure feeling it and wanted to not push too much.  So Darin and I whizzed home 4/2 miles later.. wow the shower felt great!!

I THINK I am actually losing weight too- that's a huge bonus!! Hope it continues!

I also found out about a free womens beginners mtn biking group that bikes every weds evening so unfortunately for Darin I will be doing it.  I feel bad that Darin cant' find a beginner mens group like I have here.  It will help me learn what to do correctly.  

hugs:)

karen

Todays ride- Monday

Darin emailed me from work- hey from Valley View to the pub outback in east burke its 4.6 miles one way- wanna try it?  SURE.. up to the challenge.  but MAN was my inner butt sore!!!! I ordered padded bike shorts for me this am:)  that will surely help!  It was much harder today as the terrain had a lot more of an incline than stowe did.  More of a challenge for me. 

It was again so nice ot be with Darin and biking through, smelling raspberry bushes, flowers, etc all around you in the clean mountain air.  Nothing like it.  here is a pic from today after our 9.2 mile ride.  YESSSSSSS:)))

we hope to ride stowe again on sat. but get there earlier so we can work on getting through the trail faster this time:)  will see what the weather holds for us!

My journey

This journey of mine started way back in March 2011.  I fell while taking a foster pug to the vets office.  Right hard on my right knee.  Man what pain.  Iced it at work and really was a bad scene.  Several dr visits, xrays, ultrasound and even had it drained twice as the bursa sac was leaking into my leg.  3rd time I had it drained - lucky me got a staph infection! 

I recovered from that and went on to see a ortho surgeon in franconia nh at the Alpine Clinic.  My simple surgery to remove the bursa sac and back on my feet totally healed in 2 weeks was a farce!!!  The severe edema I have had since March made recovery very hard.  I had to leave work and focus on getting through pt and get the swelling down.  I have a hose I have to wear for probably 6 mos as knee is still swollen. 

So I pushed through knowing SOONER or later, darin and I would be on our bikes FINALLY.  We bought new mtn bikes and full gear in Feb before I fell.  There were a lot of times I just cried in anger and frustration over everything happening wrong in this recovery from day one!  Through it all were my amazing friends, my loving husband and my parents that postponed their vacation in order to take me to my appts while Darin was with the boys in Pittsburgh. 

So last Friday I begged my pt gal Talia to let me bike in Stowe- on flat trails there.  Sure JUST DONT FALL!  Darin and I loaded up and headed out last Sat am.  It was SUCH an amazing ride.  it was starting to get busy in the end.  But we were so thrilled that I could do it and knee was fine!!   we biked 11 miles that day!! hooray we did it honey!  here I am after we are done. 

On our way back just beside the trail was 3 baby skunks trying to get into the taller grass.. no momma around:( I can only hope they were old enough to survive.  But what a blast- soooo picturesque and amazing to be out in nature!