Oct 26 rides (Sunday)

[TrekTheKaty]

Hubby loves to ride from the house, now that I ride the roads. And we've got a new trail! Normally, riding out of the house is our "hill" workout. But now the Missouri Research Park Connector is open--a 0.75 nature trail. It officially opened last weekend and connects to the Katy Trail (rail trail--ie FLAT). SO, now we can roll out of the driveway, get in a mini hill workout, cruise through a nice nature trail and hit the Katy for as long as we want to go! (runs across the state of Missouri--restaurant in every town).

And we got to share our discovery with a fellow biker! As we neared the park, I passed a gentleman on a mountain bike, moving at a good clip. I hated to pass him--however, I knew a big downhill was coming up and I wanted it to myself. As we rolled up to the trailhead, I noticed the mountain biker hovering off to the side--pondering the trail. But DH took off and we rode down to where a bridge crosses a stream. We stopped here and pondered the stream (I felt it had to be "dirty" because we passed the water treatment plant, so DH was pointing out how clear it looked--it had to be clean) The mountain biker caught us again and asked where the trail came out or if was a dead-end. He was delighted to find out he was on the Katy--he had ridden much of it to the north. I advised to the left was pretty, but nothing until St. Charles--he took off. We turned right towards Weldon Springs. Dog gone, if he didn't catch us again at a stop light heading back to the house! We have a new friend He said he followed us, "because we looked like we knew where we were going!" That's always a bad plan

Of course, coming back from the Katy is my new nemesis hill. I've crested it once before, and today DH was riding my flank yelling "go girl, you're still doing 8 mph" when I stopped just short of the top. The wind picked up as we hit the hills on the way home, but that didn't bother me as much as my sudden lack of energy. I figured it out on the third hill--I couldn't breath! DH has been sick and now suddenly my sinuses were stopped up--and him with the kleenex leaving me behind! He finally doubled-back and after a good nose-blowing (TMI) I made it to the house. (Kleenex is now in the Bento Box)