Whew!

Boy life has been busy for me lately thus the lack of blog posts. While everyone was lamenting the end of summer, I was excited September was here so I could start my first of 3 vacations (2 down, 1 to go). Plus, working is getting busier and I just added a new client. I'm very happy about that but it definitely adds to my to do list!

The first vacation was spent with Kevin's family up in the UP over an extended Labor Day weekend. I managed to get a few road rides in and a mountain bike ride which was nice. The mtb ride was supposed to be a 5 hour training ride but I cut it short because it was extremely hot and humid that day which totally shocked my body and I really hate being hot.

The second vacation was this past weekend. I took a long-ago planned trip to Philadelphia to see two friends, who don't know each other but both happened to be named Becky and to do a bike race. The bike race was a total bust and I didn't have any fun but I'm not too gripped about it - you never know how a race is going to be, or what the trail will be like so I'm glad at least I tried.

Overall, it was good trip. The first day Becky 1 (a PHD student a Penn) took me an urban assault bike ride of Philadelphia which was very interesting. We started by riding down Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia. Some people think they have poverty but this area was nothing like I have ever seen before. We then toured the University of Pennsylvania campus and headed through downtown Philadelphia to Reading Terminal Market which was cool - lots of great shops and every kind of food imaginable. We then rode our bikes to a south Philadelphia institution, Geno's Steaks, for the quintessential Phillie cheese steak. It was tasty but I had an even better one at a strip mall in Exton, PA the next day.

I spent most of the rest of the weekend at Becky 2's house with her, her husband and her 5 year old daughter Ellie.

The best part of the trip was a mountain bike ride with Becky 2 at French Creek State Park. I love rooty, rocky, technical singletrack and this had it all.

I'm off to Madison, WI tomorrow for the 2nd to last race of the season - a 6 hour race at Blue Mounds State Park. I'm looking forward to the race and really love riding there. However, I have decided that I'm done training for a month or two and am now back to riding my bike for fun and exercise. I'm definitely feeling like I need a break!

I hope everyone is able to get out enjoy the nice weather!