Home Coming

Utica celebrated its annual fall festival this weekend. This has to be one of the campiest little town festival around, but that is part of what makes it fun. Since I am part of the Utica Preservation Association, who puts on the festival, I end up running a couple of the events that are part of homecoming. I organize the 5K run/walk that set an all time record this year for low turn out of 16 runners. I should mention that Sandy medaledin her age group. This year I also got drafted to work at the Corn Toss tournament. For those who don't know what Corn Toss (or Corn Hole), it is a game that is cross between horse shoes and bean bags. You use bean bags (or corn bags) and toss them at boards with one hole cut in the center of it. You get points for getting a bag in the hole or on the board. Don't ask me why it is popular, it is just one of those southern midwest things.
The pictures are all from the parade. The first is of the local little league team that made it to the little league world series this year, they were the grand marshalls of the race. The second is obviously a therapy dog program. Next is the Knittingmobile from Grinny Possum the local knitting store (yes, they know Kate by name there, just like the local bike shop knows me by name). The last one is the Jeffersonville John Deere Antique Lawn Tractor Club and their wagon that seats something like 6 people.
After the 5k yesterday, I escaped and headed out for about a 30 mile ride, which was a nice break from working at the festival. Back on Thursday, I went out for a ride just a weather system was moving through, the only reason I mention it is cause there was a really strong east wind and my ride took me west, so for the first 10 miles of the ride I was able to scream along the roads at about 26 miles an hour, the problem of course was then I had to turn around and head home back into the wind and I was lucky to average 21 after that.
Today we went to John and Sandy's for brunch and rode home from their house. I was going to try and do a club ride that left from a park near their house, but no one else showed up, so I just headed out on my own on some roads that I used to ride alot, but probably have not been on for 3 or 4 years. It was a fine ride until about mile 20 when for some reason I just started to feel really poorly. I limped home and have just been taking it easy since then.