Go Team Jodhpurs!

Team Jodhpurs (Juno and Mr. Wild Dingo) had a fantastic ride yesterday, dropping Team Cracker (Loki and I) in the dust all the way up to the top of the big climb.

I woke up on Sunday morning looking forward to our ride that day, but as the day wore on, I started feeling ill and wondered if I could even make the ride. "Since we're starting our ride late, let's see how Juno feels at the bottom of the climb. If she's not running well, we'll turn around and make it a 5 mile run. But if she's up to it, we'll do the climb" I told Mr. Wild Dingo.

For the first time since he's been biking Juno, Mr. Wild Dingo finally experienced her Siberian athletic side. She was all business that day: dedicated to the workout. So we all kept up with her steady trot all the way to the bottom of the big climb and decision point.  At the water break Juno didn't even bother laying down in her usual fashion. She took a few gulps then looked toward the climb summoning us to go. So up we went, Juno and Mr. Wild Dingo leading us out with the cracker and I following.

Half way up the climb, I was going to hurl. Internet, I'm in no shape to be riding like this. I couldn't keep up with Team Jodhpurs and we started to drop. Loki of course went ballistic and yipped, trying his best to gallop to stay with the pack, but all he could do was a Flintstones-style run---a whole lot of effort, a whole lot of dust, but going nowhere.

So he did whatever it took to stay with the pack. He took a lot of short cuts and cut corners too sharply with no concern that his line would bring me dangerously close to the cliff edge.

"Work harder Mom if you don't want me to take these short cuts" he complained.

WTF? I did not give up racing bikes so I could be with my dogs only so I could be back to torturing myself all over on my bike. How did I even get back here again? Damn the cracker for putting me back into suffer mode.

I confess, it sure was nice to feel his pull up the climb but I still had to put in a lot of effort to even keep Team Jodhpurs in sight. A few times we saw Juno look back us, then turn forward and run faster. Little stinker is quite the competitor! I created a monster.

"Pop, you're not such a bad rider. If you play your cards right, I think Team Jodhpurs will offer you a contract this year."

Years ago when Mr. Wild Dingo and I would ride a tandem, he sometimes would snark "are you even pedaling back there?" Internet, I do not suffer fools. Instead, I'd stop pedaling. He'd quietly grovel an apology and we'd both get back to suffering the climb on the tandem.

"Pop, it felt like I was dragging a dead body back there. Can I join Team Jodhpurs next time?"
"I feel your pain Buddy, but she needs you on the climbs right now. Just don't ask her if she's pedaling."