Whatever gets you through the night.........

Saturday was a loooooooong day. We got up at 6a to head out to Montauk to go mountain bike riding with Wynn and Teresa. Our day was tight so I knew we could do ~3 hours of riding and then head back. We packed the bikes up Friday night so that cut down on the morning prep time. We were on the road at 7a and made decent time out there. We met up with Wynn and Teresa and made our way to the park.

I haven't been on the MTB bike in months so I was a little nervous about the trails. During my regular racing season, I stay away from higher risk workouts so I don't get injured. Now that my tri season is over and the rest of my races are mostly fun stuff, I got back onto the bike earlier. Wynn had a few trails picked out for the time Wingman and I had to ride. Overall, the trails in there are nice. A little too much sand on some of the trails for my liking so next time in there I might avoid that track. There are plenty of other trails that I would definitely check out. Hopefully soon I will not be such a big chicken on the trails. I am my own worst enemy. I always think about the worst case scenario. At one point late in the ride, we had a slight downhill with a lot of loose rocks. I stopped at the top, paralyzed in fear. My breathing got a little heavy as I thought "oh man, if I wipe out and break something, I might not be able to finish the semester." The fear of not finishing school was overwhelming. Wingman waited behind me as I gathered myself and made my way down. This happened twice on the course. I couldn't enjoy the moment and instead focused on the big picture. I had mentioned my fear to him on the way home and he assured me that I was not crazy. He said I have invested a lot of time and money into my schooling and it's OK to have some fear about getting hurt.

The last hour was brutal. I was sweating profusely and it was dripping from everywhere. My heart was in my throat and every time I stopped a wave of nausea came over me. I was drinking everything in sight to be sure I wasn't getting too dehydrated. Even though I can ride for hours on the road, the trails are another story. You never have a nice rhythm and your whole body is working hard to power through the trails. At times I seriously wanted to get off the bike and lay down. Tunnel vision was taking over. My eyes only focused on a small area of trail in front of me. I was over my limit and completely spent.

We finally got out of the trails and back to the cars. I was never happier to be on paved ground again. Don't get me wrong, I loved riding in the trails with the Wingman,Wynn and Teresa, I just wasn't in MTB riding shape yet. Wingman and I will do some rides to build up endurance and then head back out when the weather is cooler and we have more time to ride. Then I should have no trouble following Wynn and Teresa on the trails.

Best part was after the ride, we stopped at a local burger place in Montauk. Of course who knows how badly I smelled after the ride, but I didn't care. I stared at the menu and we placed our orders. When the food was ready, I swear, I don't remember eating it. I just remember it was really good. I'm not sure how quickly I ate it, but I think it was pretty quick. It was so good, I forgot about the suffering I went through out there in the last hour of riding. We sat around for a little bit and chatted about the ride. As usual, sitting down afterwards, the ride didn't seem so bad.

We soon bid farewell to Wynn & Teresa and headed home to get ready for the second half of our day. We were heading to Levittown to pick up two friends and then head into the city to Radio City Music Hall for the The FAb Faux performance for John Lennon's 70th birthday. At home we showered and napped then headed west. The show was nothing less than spectacular. We've seen this group 5 times now and each show is better than the last.

Here is the set list from last night's show:

1st Set
Tomorrow Never Knows
Whatever Gets You Through the Night
Nowhere Man
I'm a Loser
Across the Universe
Come Together
Watching the Wheels
Jealous Guy
Rain
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
Happiness is a Warm Gun
No Reply
I Feel Fine
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Strawberry Fields Forever
Cold Turkey
I Want You (She's So Heavy)

2nd Set
Working Class Hero
Mother
Power To The People
Instant Karma
Because
Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite
Help!
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Mind Games
I am the Walrus
Yer Blues
In MY Life
Imagine
Revolution
A Day In The Life


Encore:
All You Need is Love
Give Peace a Chance