Sloth: The Man with the Hammer

[Xena]

7 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

Sounds good. Based on us trying to hold a conversation, maybe a meetup that involves an activity that doesn't require a whole lot of talking.  Like a trail run in the fall.  

 

Yet another thing I love about trail running.

[Mrs Van]

13 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

On today's agenda is to finish packing for the Red Ribbon Ride, tune the bike, drop off my gear, yoga, and an easy ride.

Don't know how you guys do cross country drives. I hardly make a 10hr drive to my mil. All the best for the RRR race.

[Raxie]

I slept all day Monday after getting back and I flew.... can't imagine how tired you must be! I think a few sleepy recovery type days were definitely needed

[Wild Wolf]

I'm excited I got a hug from you sir! 'Twas one of the many highlights of the trip for me  

 

 

Wolf

[Sloth the Enduring]

Red Ribbon Ride Day 1

 

It was a good ride. I got to the start at 6 a.m. They had some kind of Zumba warm up. I noped out back and hydrated with strong coffee.

 

Today was mostly flat with some rollers and lots of farmland. I started the day with a female team from the prairie. They knew how to put their heads down and motor through the wind. I finished the day with Team Bears. They made me an honorary bear.

 

86 miles in 5:45 hours by bike computer, 6:15 by Strava which I think included walking around at pit stops.

[Bearlee]

Yeah for the Bears. No idea if that is a good time for you or but it's nice you got to complete the stage so better than last race. Are people talking about the Tour de France during the race or are most of the people focusing on their race? I've been watching too many bike videos and actually listening to a Podcast about bike racing which before knowing you I would have never done (except for the aerodynamic video where the guy does a superman to blow past his competitors, that was awesome. I should find that video for you). Good luck with the rest of the race.

[Mrs Van]

Woot! Woot! Congrats on completing, and becoming an honourary bear

[LouCarJo]

On 13/07/2017 at 9:07 AM, elizevdmerwe said:

Don't know how you guys do cross country drives. I hardly make a 10hr drive to my mil. All the best for the RRR race.

I complain at length over a semi regular 200 mile drive (albeit one over which the average speed is often around 35mph due to volume of traffic).

[Mrs Van]

14 minutes ago, LouCarJo said:

I complain at length over a semi regular 200 mile drive (albeit one over which the average speed is often around 35mph due to volume of traffic).

No! 200 miles = +-322km. That is about half way for our 10hr trip. At 35mph (56kmph)... that is just crazy! Never! Never! Never! Visiting my mil takes 10 hrs, but it covers +-750km. If we had to travel most of that distance at 56kmph... I'd loose it. We'd never visit her, or we'd be driving in the dead of night when traffic is lighter.

[EricMN]

If you're going to be an honorary Bear, do you need to grow the beard back in?

[DrFeelgood]

32 minutes ago, elizevdmerwe said:

No! 200 miles = +-322km. That is about half way for our 10hr trip. At 35mph (56kmph)... that is just crazy! Never! Never! Never! Visiting my mil takes 10 hrs, but it covers +-750km. If we had to travel most of that distance at 56kmph... I'd loose it. We'd never visit her, or we'd be driving in the dead of night when traffic is lighter.

 

My MIL is 500 miles (on the dot) away, and it takes just shy of 8 hours.  We consider that pretty close.  From where we used to live it was 1200 miles and took 19 hours.

 

When we lived in Iowa I drove the family all the way out to San Diego once to visit my mom.  It took about 32 total hours on the road, split evenly over two days, and covered nearly 1900 miles.  MFG and I decided that was the last marathon road trip for us.  I'm glad we got one in with the kids, though, so they'll grow up knowing what Mom and Dad used to be capable of.

 

I once made it to eastern New Mexico from San Diego (~950 miles) in a little over 10 hours, but that was when I was young, single, and stupid (and had a more-cooperative bladder).  I had very good luck avoiding the police on that trip.

 

This year we're going to visit San Diego for Thanksgiving, and we'll be flying commercial.

[deftona]

35 minutes ago, DrFeelgood said:

 

My MIL is 500 miles (on the dot) away, and it takes just shy of 8 hours.  We consider that pretty close.  From where we used to live it was 1200 miles and took 19 hours.

 

When we lived in Iowa I drove the family all the way out to San Diego once to visit my mom.  It took about 32 total hours on the road, split evenly over two days, and covered nearly 1900 miles.  MFG and I decided that was the last marathon road trip for us.  I'm glad we got one in with the kids, though, so they'll grow up knowing what Mom and Dad used to be capable of.

 

I once made it to eastern New Mexico from San Diego (~950 miles) in a little over 10 hours, but that was when I was young, single, and stupid (and had a more-cooperative bladder).  I had very good luck avoiding the police on that trip.

 

This year we're going to visit San Diego for Thanksgiving, and we'll be flying commercial.

 

LOL if I have to drive more than an hour I'm taking the train #SmallIslandStateOfMind

[Shello]

7 minutes ago, deftona said:

 

LOL if I have to drive more than an hour I'm taking the train #SmallIslandStateOfMind

My closest family lives 500 miles away.  No, actually my sister just moved - she's now only 415 miles away.  The furthest is just over 600 miles away.  It's partially an advantage that I live in the middle of the country but it's also what prompts me to want to move back up north.  I'd be a lot closer to most of the family while doubling the distance for BIL.   There are also a lot more rebels up North than around here.  

[deftona]

7 minutes ago, LadyShello said:

My closest family lives 500 miles away. 

 

That might as well be Mars. 

[Shello]

15 minutes ago, deftona said:

 

That might as well be Mars. 

Considering your island is barely that big, I can see your point 

[DJtrippyT]

[Sloth the Enduring]

7/14/17 Friday

 

It was a good day.

 

84 miles in 6 hours. It was chilly, lots of long uphills.

 

Departure is from 6:30-7:30. To me that says around 7:00. At 7:00 I put my gear on the truck and I was the last rider to do so. I left by 7:10 and the few riders left at camp were looking for validation that they should not ride today (my back is twinging, I have slothbelly, this thing fell off my bike. ) I was a little worried, but then I got in my head and figured even at my slow and steady pace I could put an hour on most of the other folks over 84 miles. I spent the day alone mostly, leapfrogging groups of two and three riders.

 

I've been trying to be thankful to all the support people. They're doing a great job and riders can get in their own head and forget. I sent a text to the boss of the mechanics telling them what a great job they're doing. I also helped unload a gear truck. I was just standing around anyway.

 

It's weird being the only one here who isn't with a group of friends. The Bears will talk to me, but mostly I'm chilling on my own.

 

My tush is very tender. I think all of the riding in wet shorts due to thunderstorms in Florida softened my butt callouses.

 

Good night y'all.

[Elastigirl]

Way to go, sounds like you are doing awesome. That's great that you took the time out to say thanks, I'm sure that meant a lot to people

[WhiteGhost]

On 7/13/2017 at 4:07 PM, elizevdmerwe said:

Don't know how you guys do cross country drives. I hardly make a 10hr drive to my mil. All the best for the RRR race.

When I was stationed in California I would drive back home every long weekend, which was exactly 1,003 miles door to door and it took me about 12-13 hours to drive it. Yes I was speeding and yes I usually got a ticket but it couldn't be helped. I was 20 years old and drove an '84 Trans-Am T-top with a big firebird on the hood. Everyone knows those are incapable of driving slowly

 

[deftona]

 

6 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

My tush is very tender. I think all of the riding in wet shorts due to thunderstorms in Florida softened my butt callouses.

 

Maybe you should rub your butt up a tree for a while to get some callouses back? Soft butts ain't nothing to fuck with. 

[DJtrippyT]

9 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

My tush is very tender. I think all of the riding in wet shorts due to thunderstorms in Florida softened my butt callouses.

 

I tried six times to write a post about sending you a booty massage over the interwebs, but there was no way to not have them sound wildly inappropriate so I'll just sympathize from a safe distance.

 

[Sloth the Enduring]

As long as your talking about tushies...

 

At a pit stop I bent down to stretch my hams. Immediately the two guys behind me said, "Ooh, that is gorgeous." And "Fabulous."

 

I was crushed when I realized they were talking about the scenery. Which really was gorgeous.

[WhiteGhost]

2 minutes ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

As long as your talking about tushies...

 

At a pit stop I bent down to stretch my hams. Immediately the two guys behind me said, "Ooh, that is gorgeous." And "Fabulous."

 

I was crushed when I realized they were talking about the scenery. Which really was gorgeous.

hahahahahaha

[deftona]

3 minutes ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

As long as your talking about tushies...

 

At a pit stop I bent down to stretch my hams. Immediately the two guys behind me said, "Ooh, that is gorgeous." And "Fabulous."

 

I was crushed when I realized they were talking about the scenery. Which really was gorgeous.

 

nah, I think they were talking about your butt but they got embarrassed when you turned around and they decided to style it out. 

I am 100% confident of this theory. 

[Mrs Van]

21 hours ago, DrFeelgood said:

This year we're going to visit San Diego for Thanksgiving, and we'll be flying commercial.

If flights here weren't so expensive, I would easily rather fly, but then mil will still need to fetch us at the airport for an hour's drive home, or we need to rent a car... Then I'll rather just drive, save money, enjoy the journey ... Reading how far you guys have to drive, I'm very thankful that South Africa is so small

14 hours ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

I've been trying to be thankful to all the support people. They're doing a great job and riders can get in their own head and forget. I sent a text to the boss of the mechanics telling them what a great job they're doing. I also helped unload a gear truck. I was just standing around anyway.

Oh Sloth, you are awesome! Still the hero who is not just riding for a charity, but also lending a helping hand. don't they perhaps have some physios (even ones in training) who could help with the sore muscles at the end of the day?

11 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

I was 20 years old and drove an '84 Trans-Am T-top with a big firebird on the hood. Everyone knows those are incapable of driving slowly

I so understand this! My foot tends to be a bit heavy on the petrol too. My first car was a Datsun Stanza with a nice 2litre engine. Not souped up or anything, but man it had a nice growl when you put your foot down. When hubby and I were engaged we used to take turns visiting each other over weekends. He was on a plantation 350km away. One weekend while driving up to him, it started raining, and then the wiper motor broke. So at first I pulled over next to the road (not a safe idea and no cellphone or service for that matter), pondering what to do. In the end I decided that if I drove fast enough the windscreen will be clear enough and I would be able to see. So of course I was there in record time, he nearly had a heart attack and gave me this huge, huge speech! I was 21 at the time and my only defense was that he and his mom taught me to drive, so I knew (relatively) what I was doing, or didn't he teach me well enough?