Playing in the dirt

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Finally, a nice weekend with no snow on the trails. Nick and I loaded up the bikes and headed north in the Road Turtle to meet Dave and Brent at the Mount Herman trail system in Monument. I had never ridden there, so was looking forward to some new trails. Brent lives pretty close, so he was able to show us some fun stuff to ride. It was actually pretty dry. There was some snow on the north facing slopes and some ice in the shady areas of the trails, but that was to be expected. There was a good mix of technical and non-technical riding, some good climbs and some fun decents. I was working to stay with the guys, espcially on some of the false flats. But the good news is my technical skills have improved as my power on the bike has improved. I was able to clean some pretty trick sections that I wouldn't have tried last year. I did take a nice spill on one of the ice patches near the end of the ride. I thought I had my skates - slid for a few feet on my hip. That will leave a mark.

After the ride, I went for an easy run on one of the flatter trails. Haven't been trail running since Ogden, and it showed. I was a little off kilter on the twisty sections. But it was a good run, and nice to get outside. Always a treat to be able to play in the dirt (and mud and snow and ice). We never know how long the weather will hold, so take advantage of the oppertunites to get outside.

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