Well first, glad to see this site is still here and that at least there is still some activity brewing periodically. Second, most of us have a story to tell and mine isn't all that special but perhaps can provide encouragement to anybody struggling the way I have over the past 3 years. After my second episode of pulmonary emboli, learning of a dilated ascending aorta, and dealing with MAJOR stresses on the job, I had all but abandoned the sport I had grown to love after taking it up in my early fifties. Instead of that evening ride to decompress after work, I was drinking anywhere from 2-3 beers plus 4-5 whiskies per night. I was making trips to the store just to get candy bars. And the cycle was worsening, as these escapes only temporarily removed me from the stressful situation at work. Bottom line, I had fallen into depression, maybe not so deep to be classified as such clinically, but I was definitely on a downward spiral. I quit my gym workouts too and put on 30lbs of mostly belly fat. I was totally out of shape and attempted MTB rides became punishment instead of pleasure.  Then in January, just over 3 months ago, I ended up back in the hospital after overdoing it on an MTB ride. I felt like I was coughing up blood and thought maybe I was having another PE. They thought I was having or had a heart attack in the ER because my troponin levels were very high, generally a marker that heart muscle is being damaged. After 3 days in the hospital and many, many tests, including a full Right-Left Hearth Cath, they concluded that my ticker was just fine and that my aorta hadn't dilated any further since my last hospitalization in 2024. My attitude while in the hospital a few months ago shifted from "let's just let this be the one and get things over with", to "let's knock this shit off and get back to living".  Since I was discharged on Jan 14, I have not had a drop of alcohol, have started regular gym workouts again, have gone back to a very healthy diet, have dropped almost 20 pounds so far, and most importantly, am starting to feel like a beast again on the bike, with regular rides and progressive improvements even at 67. I've also set boundaries at work and that are making it easier to cope and that should get me through to retirement, which has been planned for Sep 2027 when I become pension eligible. Honestly though, with the new outlook and balance in my life, I could possibly work until 70 using my ample PTO wisely.  BTW, sorry about the rain but I rewarded myself with a new bike. Part of my new vision is to prepare myself for 70+ XC racing. I had been looking at the Canyon Lux and Pivot Mach SL but couldn't find a reasonably priced build with SRAM Transmission and Carbon Wheels. Then suddenly an ad pops up on my feed from Contender bikes, selling a top-line, brand-new 2024 BMC Fourstroke 01 One - an $11K build for under $6K. The spec and geo are perfect for me.  @AntonioGG will I see you at Warda - haha? Looking to give it an inaugural run in Cat2 60+ next month!     

Sounds like a good R&I, sorry to miss it. Will try to hit one in the fall when I am in Austin. 

Not quite a pump track, but saw this is new at O. P. Schnabel Park:

Another one for San Antonio

Well shit.  Now I’m cutting my climb short, heading home and picking up my bike!