Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Trail Work Days

Metro Mountain Bikers, Milwaukee’s local chapter of IMBA, had its first official trail work day of the year yesterday evening. The days sure are getting long. I felt uneasy and downright near miserable last night. Then I realized; I had forgotten about the trail work day. Our personal economy has kept me from participating in a number of activities including what would be defined as service to others. I had determined for things to be different this year and was looking to make the trail work day a step in the direction of service. I encourage all to engage and serve their communities in some way.

DSCN5227The garden captured my attentions. Even though I am behind in my writing goals, I couldn’t pull myself away. I have been working on a new planting bed for the last two days, amongst other yard work. Ike wasn’t any help.

DSCN5234“To make a Farm” was a very interesting documentary on young people who decided to become farmers despite having no family background in farming. We watch a mess of documentaries on food and food production. I have considered making our small urban back yard into a highly productive garden. I had always kept the back yard mostly open contemplating potential family demands. Companion planting and the great variety of produce one can grow on one’s own attracts me.

DSCN5239One should get their nutrition from food. But that study claiming supplements are bad for you only covered a few major supplements like Vitamin C. I have not been taking the Magnesium recently, that I had found highly beneficial and is recommended by the Bulletproof Diet. I found my weight loss at a loss, or rather a gain, weight wise rather than weight loss wise. I may have hit the 2 rather than the 5 when I made my weekly report to my brother, on our weight loss competition. My weight loss has stopped and wonder if forgetting the supplements has anything to do with it.

Have you heard the one about cardio being bad for you? Yes, cardio ages one much more quickly than any other type of exercise. The Bulletproof Diet claims you can get all the benefits of hours of cardio training in fifteen minutes. You run all out, like your being chased by a tiger, for 30 seconds. then you stop for 90 seconds. Do that five times once a week and you are supposed to get as much cardio benefit as those who run miles a day do. Of course, with a bicycle trainer you can do the same thing. The trainer provides constant resistance. There is no constant resistance when you go for a bike ride. How much of the time are you really exerting yourself? Not that much if you think about it. Much healthier, and more interesting, than running.

I wont be going to The Iola Bump and Jump this weekend, the first race of the WORS season. But if the weather is heating up too quickly for you the north woods is the place to be. The second WORS race is the Crystal Lake Classic in Rhinelander, WI, May 17th. Mountain Bikers seem to enjoy Rhinelander. May 31st is the Rasta Rally Mountain Bike Race and September 12th the Rock ‘N Root (a WEMS event), all in Rhinelander. I love roots.

Rhinelander is also the stage for the Hodag Country Festival featuring everyone’s favorite band; The Band Perry. That would be July 11th. My wife is all One Republic now, but she can’t hold out forever.

DSCN5235That’s about it for the planting bed. I was going to get the soil tomorrow but my wife said get it done today, again keeping me from my writing. Top soil, garden soil, manure and a couple bushels of compost from my composter and finishing off the peat moss, and the soil is down. I’ll put a fence up tomorrow and start planting. Yes, there are quite a few cool weather plants that can be planted now; spinach, radish, cabbage and such. Actually, I could have planted last week.

Eat well.

The $95 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.

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