a life more awesome: Mountain bike trip to Mass, day 2

Day 2 of my 2 day trip to Mass started off with me trying to wake up for 2 and a half hours, but rolling around in and out of sleep, just not being able to do it. By the time I got up, did laundry (thanks Tobin), packed up and left, it was 2:30. The plan was to eat some chicken nuggets from Mcdonalds (not what to ride before biking, but quick, easy, cheap, and tasty), then ride LDT (Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State forest), and head home. I figured I could do it really quickly before hitting the 4th of July traffic.
Nope! The highway was already absurdly backed up. Evidently, not only does everyone from Massachusetts hate the state and leave it every holiday, they also don't like working full days. So, I killed time by getting an oil change and sitting in traffic.

By the time I got on the trail, it was after 5. And the riding, frankly, sucked. I've always loved LDT, but after doing a big hike and riding the day before, my legs were having none of it. And neither were my lungs. This was a bad ride full of unnecessary exhaustion and bugs. I just had nothing. I think I decided that I need to get in better shape before trying to ride again- exploring, hiking, swimming, even the stupid gym are all things I can do that can get me in better shape that won't make me so sad. People keep saying "just keep riding, that will get you in shape," which is true, but at the same time, I like to ride fast and hard- I want to feel half dead and intense after a ride. Trying to ride right now, honestly, just kind of sucks. My fun level is about a 4 and my pain level is about a 7 or 8. Bad ratio. I can't do what I want.

But I still fought through it and rode about 4 and a half miles and managed to have some fun. I noticed half way through that I had a broken spoke (the wheel has been somewhat warped for all 4 rides this season- I should probably fix that). This section, as always, sucked:

I think I've made it through here without either getting off or flying off my bike once.

If ever there was a face that said, "I don't like mountain biking," it's this:

WOW do I need to trim or dye my beard. Or both.

Continuing my constant battle of "work hard, get in better shape, exercise more and have more fun doing outdoor activities" vs. "relax, enjoy your life and eat garbage," I ended my mountain bike misery with the decision that I am going to hike and swim more, hopefully lose some weight, get stronger, and then return to mountain biking when I can enjoy it more. And then, to completely combat this idea, I got this and ate half on the ride home: