Has It Been That Long?? Really??

Since I last posted?  Wow.  Not a lot different here, but I am getting some good miles in on the bike each week - anywhere from 150-200+ miles per week.  I've kept pretty busy just doing stuff around the house (stupid outside housework!), puppy training classes, & riding.

Taylor finished up puppy class 2 weeks ago - she did pretty well, but I still have a bit of work to do on the Leave It and Come When Called commands.  The next class starts in about 2-2.5 weeks and I'm not sure we'll have those commands down by then.  I may wait until the October class because I really want her to have the others down well before we start another class.  She has been a PITA and a true joy, all at the same time. :)  There are times, where I wonder what ever came over me, to get a baby at this time, but I suppose in the long run, she will well be worth the effort. 

She turned 5 months old last week and today she went in for spay surgery.  I really hate that she is or could be in pain from this, but hopefully, it won't be for too long.  She had 2 teeth pulled while there (the baby fangs) because the adult teeth were almost completely in, micro-chipped, and nails trimmed.  She also got a long acting (till tomorrow probably) pain medication injection and an antibiotic injection for some sort of skin rash (a few bald-ish spots on her from scratching) that is good for 2 weeks.  I opted for the laser surgery - supposedly it is better for them - no sutures to take out and less blood loss.  She's been sleeping pretty much the whole time since I got her home at 2pm.  Hopefully, she'll be back to almost normal by next week....

Riding.....Tuesday/Thursday Hammer rides.  I thought, at one point this year, I said I wasn't doing those kind of rides this year.  What happened?  I got sucked in, I got better, I got faster, I became able to hang on with this group of guys, so I ride hard & fast on Tuesdays & Thursdays for 35 miles at an 18-20 mph pace!  Saturday rides have been with the guys, but we usually go to the Grocery Bag and ride with the Cyclepaths.  Those rides range anywhere from 40-60 miles and they, too, are hard & fast.  I try to hang on with the fast boys and usually do unless it's extremely fast (faster than 20).  

Sundays have become "Metric Sundays".  We do a nice route from Dallas's house down to Brogden, Pinelevel, Micro, and back to his house.  It's a really flat route, 65 miles and supposed to be a "recovery" ride from the hard Saturday ride.  For the most part, it is a recovery ride.  Pace has been averaging 18-19.5mph!  Yea baby!!  That's a recovery ride!

That's about it, I guess.  I'd like to get back out for a 2-3 day backpacking trip, but probably won't do that till later this year.  Company coming up next week for a 2 day visit.  Can't wait!! :) <3  September 18/19 to Greenville, SC for the USA Pro Cycling races.  Paris Mountain!!

Later!!

Taylor: