April brought on warmer weather. Work was picking back up for me so I was riding a little less, but still getting in some big training weeks. The farm season was getting underway. We actually started our seeds in mid-January indoors. It was a bit easier this year as we were able to use some of our income from last year to buy us two seed starter kits that include heat mats and seed trays. My family went in together to get me a grow light for my birthday so we had our own little greenhouse going in our sunroom. The hottest of our peppers are slow to germinate and grow so they are started super early, while the other veggies don't get planted until the middle of March.
Farm life was tough at the end of last year. We were trying hard to establish ourselves in the local produce market. We just can't seem to get our foot in the door. We weren't able to get into any markets or stores, and could barely sell anything at our roadside stand. I spent a lot of afternoons and Saturday mornings out in the blazing sun at that roadside stand last summer. We just can't get people to stop. When they do, they buy stuff, but overall the numbers of people stopping were low. Many people criticized our efforts. Not that we did anything wrong, but that it was just a waste of time. We heard that from family members, friends and total strangers. People would yell insults at me as I sat at the stand. Things like "retard" and "Dur I sell vegetables" were heard on almost a daily basis. Apparently, farmers are stupid. Just like with riding, I feel like everybody's opinion is that we should quit. Why can't people be a little more positive and supportive? I have seen our growth though and know we are doing quite well beyond our local area. We sell the majority of our products online to other states. We will not stop as we are finally in a position to really start seeing some income from the farm this year. The kind of income I wanted when I started this farm. Income to help me get to races. Yeah, I'm having to sponsor myself, but it's about to start working. We have a good foundation underneath us now, getting many of the things we need to work the farm. Now it's time to start reaping those rewards and proving everyone wrong. Y'all might as well get ready, Sweetwater Farms is here to stay. We are only going to get bigger.
Spring has become a busy time on the farm as we prep the ground for planting and make our Spring jellies. Thankfully, ground prep was much quicker this year as we now have a tiller. No more waiting on the neighbor to break the ground and then tilling with a tiny Mantis tiller. I ran through the dirt twice with the tiller and raked it level. It took maybe 25% of the time it has taken the past few years. Money well spent on that new tiller! I went out a few times to harvest violet and dandelion flowers to be used in our two flower jellies that were so popular last year. Who would have thought.
I spent a lot of time on my road bike in April, now working into faster efforts, still mainly in that 3-4 hour range. There were still plenty of slower rides though. I have been exploring my favorite roads in our area. We have some really cool things to ride to. Most people either don't know they are there or don't take the moment to appreciate them as they whiz by. There is one climb near the house that I really love to do. It's on a single-lane, chip-and-seal backroad that we have begun to call the "Capelmuur." Yes, like the famous Kapelmuur climb in Belgium, but with a C. For years there has been an exposed area of tar where people have pushed bottle caps into the road surface on hot days. It was almost a perfect stripe across the road right at the top of the climb, sort of like a finish line. The road was resurfaced at the end of last year and we lost the strip of bottle caps...or so I thought. I was pleased to go by there recently and find a new patch of caps starting on a small spot of tar just beyond the crest of the climb. The Cap lives! I also visited my favoite shaggy cows recently, which are fairly close to the house as well. Some photos from my early-April rides are posted below.
My Mom and I had to work down in southern Cheatham County one day for our fundraiser job. When we arrived at the school, we were informed the delivery truck was running over an hour late. It was a warm morning, so we headed off down the street to Hidden Lake and did a quick hike. I have driven by this trail many times and never seem to have the time to stop. It wasn't the most exciting trail, but it was interesting. The trail is within Harpeth River State Park and is almost totally flat. It took us back to an old quarry area that flooded, now forming a deep lake. The lake has been present quite a while and was the site of a resort back in the 1930s up until World War II. It's one of those places that not many people in Nashville know about despite its history and close proximity to town. We finished up just as the truck was pulling into town. Perfect!
I was hoping to get back to racing in the second half of April, but we were still tight on funds. I want to do Tour of America's Dairyland in June, so I have to miss a few early races to ensure I have the money to get to Wisconsin for that. I was now inside of four pounds from my weight goal, though weight loss had slowed since I added in more intensity to my training. I missed out on the Sunny king Criterium in Anniston, AL and also Athens Twilight in GA. Like last month, I did race efforts here at home to at least make my body think it raced. I did one more backyard race day on the cross bike that almost ended badly. It was the latest in the year I have ever ridden cross here at home, but I have really enjoyed riding my cross bike since Nationals back in December. The course was fast as the ground was more firm than it often is on winter freeze-thaw days. I had an awkward fall on a tight 180-degree turn around a log where I landed hard on the top of the log with my lower leg. It was one of those where on the way down it was slow motion and I thought I was breaking my leg. But somehow I just took a good shot to the muscle and was able to ride it off. Too close after that hard crash at Montgomery Bell just over two months ago.
I ended the month with a 3 1/2 hour pacing session behind the scooter with Shannon. We did a big loop into Kentucky and she pushed me super hard the whole ride. It was what I needed to get me ready for a crit weekend that was coming up early in May. I also took a class which got me a new certification in physical therapy. I am now certified in Myofascial Cupping, which is a nice tool to have in my toolbox for the patients I work with. You may have seen these little suction cups before. They are used frequently in Eurpoe and are just now being accepted here in the U.S. Most therapists here are still skeptical of the cups and some PTs I work with won't even allow me to use them on their patients. I have been using them on myself quite often. I still have a lot of tightness in my left gastroc and soleus and the cups help to reduce both muscle spasm and tightness in the fascia around the muscle. I have had the best results putting a couple of cups along the lateral head of the gastroc and soleus and then spinning lightly for five minutes on the trainer. I've also had good results with reduing muscle spasm in chip flexors in my patients. I'll have them put the cups on themselves and then do lunges with the affected leg in the back. It has helped tremendously with those who have not had much results from other interventions we have tried. It's something you can learn to do on your own long after therapy is over. The cups aren't that expensive, especially if you use them regularly. Reducing muscle spasm is just one of many things you can treat with the myofascial cups so I will for sure get good use out of my kit.
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