Something new

I got my birthday present to me this Friday.  Specifically, I got a 2013 Trek Mamba hardtail 29er, courtesy of my amazing LBS, Straight River Sports.   I've been sniffing around the idea of trying mountain biking for awhile, and was firmly hooked after a demo on a Specialized at Decorah Bikes.   So, after much demoing and online research, I finally settled on the Mamba.   Unfortunately (or so I thought), the one I wanted was not available in the size I need, so I decided to wait for the 2013 models to come out.  I am so glad I did...the brakes were upgraded and, most importantly, the paint jobs are FANTASTIC.  I went with orange and black, and it is a thing of beauty.

Anyhow, I got the bike on Friday, but I wasn't able to take it for a spin until Saturday.   I was familiar with one of the trails in Decorah, but was hoping for some other beginner type runs, so I asked the kid at the bike shop.   He pointed one out that he thought was a good one, but also admitted he wasn't a biker.   Next time, I'm gonna make sure I ask the bikers, and not the trail runners.   The trail he recommended was much too technical for my skill level.   Still, nothing says you have to ride it, so I just ended up walking a bit more than I was hoping to.   No worries though, as I found a trail all on my lonesome.   I even sorta got lost and found a foursome of buff young men out trail running.  There are worse ways to spend an afternoon.


All in all, it was a fantastic experience.  I'm hoping to find some easier trails to work on my skills in and around Owatonna (and maybe in Decorah too).   And hey, even if I don't, pushing a thirty pound bike around is a pretty good workout in itself!

Workout:  No data, 'cause I don't have a mount for my Garmin yet.   But I was really sweating, so I'm sure it was a good one. :)

Plan for the week:  Get back on the horse with the running, and fit in some interval training on the road bike.