Ow

Great quote from Garmin-Chipotle DS Jonathan Vaughters, about crashing:

“Tell you what. Next time you’re in your car, get up to 50 mph, strip down to your underwear, then jump out the door. That’s what it’s like to crash in a professional bike race.”

I am a HUGE fan of Jonathan Vaughters and everyone at Garmin-Chipotle.

Specifically, Dave Zabriskie is hilarious.

“On the second leg of the flight, I got upgraded and things seemed to be looking up. I was watching the Golden Compass waiting to see those big bears with armor. Then, the stewardess announces that they are going to reboot the system because some of the movies aren’t working for people. Well, after the reboot, mine stopped working.

Now I’m reading Sky Mall magazine – I’m reading the details of an emergency generator. It can do everything – even charge your ipod. That’s what I would do in an emergency. I would charge my ipod.

Jonathan Vaughters is well-spoken.

David Millar is passionate.

And GC’s GC hope Christian Vandevelde is, from what I remember from Vandevelde’s 2004 Tour diary on Velonews, is all three.

Looking back on it, predicting a recovery day for today seemed a little fool-hardy. Especially since I can’t turn down a new dad with limited rides who invites me out.

And in hindsight, suggesting Kelley Point — a long slog on the best days — on a windy, 90 degree day maybe wasn’t too bright either.

I am pretty sure we both bonked. And that was before his six mile uphill ride home and my ten mile commute back to my refrigerator.

Everything hurts. Tomorrow MUST be a rest day.

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Rode for two hours Sunday, including going up Rocky Butte and Mt Tabor. Going up Tabor was awesome. I met up with some random guy, and instead of getting killed going uphill, I actually led him up.

Today, I went to the gym. Did lunges and leg-presses. Pretty good stuff.

Anyway. We’ll see how long I can keep it up. It seems in the past, something at work or at home has always screwed things up.

Tomorrow, I’ll bike in slowly. “Recovery day.”

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Dara Torres. Yeah, yeah, hot. But there’s a great story in the NY Times Magazine about how she’s doing everything she can to fight the fading of the light as she crosses over the 40-year mark. And absolutely killing it. Yesterday, she made the Olympic team in the 50 freestyle, and the 100 free earlier in the week. Awesome.

Way back, once upon a time, I swam. A lot. I coached. I got into open-water swimming. Then I got into triathlon and biking, and then I got really into biking and stopped running (a blessing) and swimming.

And it was fun. But I miss swimming. I miss the team aspect of swimming. Which is ironic, because if ever there was a sport that had NOTHING to do with team, it’s swimming. But I miss the competitive nature of swimming with a group of fellow competitors. Of chasing the guy in front of you. Of putting the hammer down when the guy behind you starts to fall off the pace. And doing it all with nothing in your ear except your own voice, your own music and your own fight to stay with them.

Anyway. Now life’s a lot different. As I get older and focus my energy on building a fence in the front yard, on growing strawberries in the garden and getting a promotion to editorial director at work, that little voice gets quieter while all the other demands get louder. But finding the time to tune out that other stuff – to run a little further, to do one more set of pushups, or to bike the long way to work — brings me back to life, and makes it easier to do those other things and feel good about them.

And lifting weights. A little. I mostly go at lunch. It’s been three weeks, which is great. I read once that it takes three weeks to set a habit (though probably just a day or two to break one).

The weird thing about going at lunch is saying no to the occasional lunch invitations. Mostly it’s like, “No, I’ve got plans.” Or “No, I’m gonna go try to run.” I sometimes say that I’m going to the run so that I’m committed; I’ve told someone so I have to go.

Which is usually enough. But not for some people. No. Some people (“No names! No names!”) say things like, “why?” Or “it won’t matter.” Or “getting fat is natural.” Or “that’s lame.” Or all of those at once.

And that makes running or going to the gym all the sweeter.

That's the sound of my best laid plans for getting back into shape
being deflated. Or rather, if you look at my ass, inflated.

Work took a turn for the worse. Much worse. And I have been absorbed
by it. I can't get away from it. Or stop thinking about it. Which
means that I am usally too freaked or stressed of pissed to exercise.

We will see, though. The weather is Hella better. If it keeps up,
maybe I will have nothing to do but get out in it.

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Ate really smart yesterday. And rode easy. Trying to do the same
today. A half pound loss is nothing day to day but it made me feel
like I was making progress.

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Finally, a little progress. Though, we’ll see if I wasn’t just dehydrated. Yesterday’s ride was pretty awesome. Pretty hard and hilly.

Rode easy for the commute in. And I ate pretty well today. Split a burrito with Amanda for lunch and then had an awesome salad for dinner.

Also discovered Gyminee, which is a pretty cool little nutrition and workout tracker. I wish it had a better way to track cycling workouts, like a map tool. I’d imagine runners would love it, too. Maybe a future enhancement, eh?

So I guess that when I weighed in at 215, I was a little dehydrated.

Golf was a bust yesterday. Mark had an allergic reaction to something
and had to go to the hospital. So my physical activity consisted of
mowing the yard and hitting about 30 golf balls. Plus I ate terribly
at lunch. And I had a beer for dinner.

I rode today though. Good 60 minutes. A little hilly but not too bad
except one hill.

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Yep. Six lbs in one day. I am apparently well hydrated or the world's
most prodigious eater.

Rode pretty easy in. On the way home in the heat (95 today!), I went
easy up Tabor. Well as easy as someone weighing 221 lbs can climb.

Playing golf tomorrow but will try to avoid beer. Also want to walk
the course to get a good calorie burn in. We will see though. Lonnie
and Mark may want to ride.

Maybe Sunday I can ride or swim in the morning. Well, one day at a
time, I suppose.

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