What I've been doing instead of biking

I've been a slacker these past two weeks. My biking has fallen victim to a busy work schedule and a 4 day mini vacation. I'm also using the excuse that I haven't had the time to buy appropriate fall biking garb and I'm going to freeze my butt off if I go out in shorts.

Biking takes a lot of time. So if I haven't been doing that, what have I been doing?

Well, to return to my earlier music reference and love of great guitar, I actually had the pleasure of meeting one of the greats this past Saturday. Sonny Landreth is one of the best slide guitarists in the world, according to one of my favorite guitarists, Warren Haynes. And here I am with him backstage before the final Jimmy Buffett show of the year at MGM Studios in Vegas. The cool thing was that we actually talked briefly of his performances with Warren, who I will be seeing this weekend as he plays with his band, Gov't Mule.

Also, my husband and I managed this photo opp right in front of Jimmy Buffett's guitars. Can't get much closer than this! I hesitate to say this out loud for fear of offending the parrotheads of the world, but Jimmy Buffett's music isn't something I'm passionate about. His shows are a total blast, though, and you can't beat them for prime people watching. Plus, it's great to see someone doing what they love, having loads of fun and making a gazillion dollars. Everyone should go to at least one Jimmy Buffett show in their lives. There's so much to learn.

So that's a bit of what I've been doing instead of biking lately. In the next few days, I hope to get myself to the bike shop and pick up some colder weather gear and quit being a slacker. Unless, of course, I find another excuse.

Stop and Pause

It doesn't get much better than this. Leaves are peaking in our neck of the woods. And if you don't pay attention, you just might miss it.

Have you done that before? I have. I've love fall and look forward every year to seeing the leaves in all their glory - yellow, orange and red. But then often it seems that the leaves have come, peaked and gone before I've taken the opportunity to really appreciate their beauty.

That could easily be happening to me again this fall, but you see, I have my blog to maintain. I can't just be mindlessly biking along, staring at the road, briefly regarding my surroundings as I ride by. I need to be paying attention and on the lookout for the next photo opportunity for a future blog post. So I look up, pull over and get off my bike when there is something worth appreciating for a few moments.

This has been another unexpected side benefit of my blog and thankfully it is starting to carry over into other aspects of my life. So I try to stop and pause and take a breath. And I'm learning that if I don't pay attention I just might miss my opportunity.

Brain Tunes

Those who know me well know how important music is to me. I have it playing all the time and go to as many live shows as I can. But there are those times - like biking - when you just can't safely listen to music. So when I can't have have iTunes, I rely on brain tunes.

What are brain tunes? These are tunes that I love and that I've listened to so many times that they are literally seared into my brain, note for note. I can then dial them in and play them in my head whenever the mood strikes.

Some would say I have multiple personalities when it comes to my music taste. Led Zeppelin was how it all started for me and my brother back in high school. Then in college and years beyond, I was a die hard fan of alternative rock. R.E.M. topped the list because they are, after all, the godfathers of alternative rock.

This carried on for a while without much new blood (other than Coldplay) and I eventually got bored with my own taste in music, a victim of overplaying and too narrow a focus.

Thankfully, this all changed one day in August of 2006 when our friend Mark flew out from California and insisted we go to see the Allman Brothers Band with him while he was in town. 7th row seats directly in front of guitar god Warren Haynes had my head spinning faster than Linda Blair's on The Exorcist. That dude can play!! His playing was so unbelievable, in fact, that I thought at times that he (or I) just might spontaneously combust like the drummers on Spinal Tap. Warren plays even better when dueling with slide guitarist Derek Trucks, the second highlight of the show for me. In fact, the Allman Brothers Band could be renamed the Haynes/Trucks band since they are such a powerful presence.

From that day forward, I became a blues/southern rock fan and started listening to everything Allman Brothers and Gov't Mule (Warren Haynes' band). I also expanded into other guitar gods like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn and have hung there for the last few years searching for the next great guitar solo.

Then totally out of left field just a few short weeks ago, more new blood arrived on the scene. I was introduced to Metallica by my friend Jason, a purist when it comes to their music. The band has been around 20+ years without a second glance from me. But they just released a new album in September and I have an open mind so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I love great guitar and Kirk Hammet can do great - in fact, unbelievable - guitar (especially when the lead singer and drummer get out of the way). I'm by no means a thrash and speed metal fan, but I have become an avid fan of their "kinder and gentler" songs.

Here's the short list (with a hyperlink) to the brain tunes I'm playing these days:

Gov't Mule - Beautifully Broken - Great for long rides with a slow steady incline. The guitar work at the end helps get me up and over the top.

Allman Brothers Band - Soulshine - If you're a Brothers fan, you'll know this one is overplayed and I'm really not a huge fan of this song. But nothing can match the dueling guitars of Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks during the last third of the song. Seeing it live has been one of my great life experiences and definitely helps motivate me out on the road.

Metallica - Fade to Black - One of their "kinder, gentler" songs with unbelievable guitar work. The whole song makes me strive to fly on the flats and the ending solo gives me the kick in the butt I need if I'm starting to drag.

R.E.M. - Hollow Man - This is good when I'm, as Michael Stipe would say, "lost inside my head," being introspective or overthinking during longer stretches on less traveled roads. The fast chorus is great for downhills.

Music is such a big part of my riding, I'm surprised I haven't mentioned it until now. I rely heavily on brain tunes during all of my rides. Better than iTunes or the radio, brain tunes are always available, I can dial them up or down anytime, and I don't need to take my hands off the handlebars to change the station.

Still Out There

Even though not much action was happening on my blog this past week, I still managed to get out on my bike and log 68 miles. I'm down to shorter rides on the weekends, mostly due to kids' soccer games, shorter days and other commitments. My other main opportunity to ride is during lunch two days per week, but I have to limit my miles to 12-14 so I'm back and showered within the hour.

This past week my longest ride was only 23 miles. I ventured out to the Topsfield Fair and back during a glorious fall day. But what a total mob scene! I was glad to be on my bike and so I could navigate the traffic jam with relative ease. The ride from my house to Topsfield is beautiful and rural with many photo opps. Here is one from a field that I've taken many wildflower pictures of before.The leaves are awesome right now and this is why I live in New England. I hope to get out for many more rides before the spectacular color of fall has passed.

Ridin' Like the Wind....

Okay, I know I'm getting redundant here, but this picture was too cool not to post. My dad, Ron, photographer and Photoshop extraordinaire, worked his magic on the shot I shared on Tuesday of me, Drew and Dave biking the Cycle for Shelter. Now we're really flying and ridin' like the wind......

(click for bigger)

Autumn Reds

Somehow when I wasn't paying attention, the leaves started changing. I swear I was just taking pictures of roadside flowers not long ago. But here's what I stumbled upon during my lunchtime ride today.

I just love fall...the colors, the smells, the crisp air... it's all good. Riding this fall will be a real treat.