Whining

After the Kincaid Road Race was cancelled, I got on the trainer and did and hour. Shortly after that, I was... um... losing weight in a rapid and unpleasant manner. My daughter had gone all Exorcist on us Wednesday night, and I cleaned up the mess and stayed home with her. Turns out she got me with a bad strain of the Norovirus, for the second time this spring. Even after the worst was over, my guts were tied in knots and I didn't want to eat anything. That will take the edge off your performance every time.
 
They rescheduled the snowed-out Kincaid Road Race for Thursday, and since my guts had settled down that morning, I figured I'd see how it went. I wasn't feeling all that great, but these early season races really don't count for anything except training intensity. Plus, I had paid my entry fee already.
 
I wasn't planning on it, but I took a dig on the first hill to see who would follow, and ended up splitting the pack. Whoops. Didn't mean to do that so early in the game, but I wanted to do something stupid before my legs gave out. After a couple laps, the front group slowed, until the next attack went off on the same hill. We all responded, but I dropped my chain at the top and soon I was chasing 100 yards off the back of a hard-charging pack with no hope of bridging. I knew I was done after one lap, and eventually another dropped racer and I were absorbed into the 2nd group. We continued like this until the end, when I won the prestigious sprint for 7th place, with painful cramps locking up my legs.
 
The next day I was on a plane to Biloxi, Mississippi for a 2 week school. I'm not a fan of the Gulf Coast, mainly because I don't like heat, humidity, sand, or flat land. That said, I packed up the bike and started to get in some miles. Lots of miles. I've tagged along on group rides with some serious diesels that made me hurt just trying to stay in the paceline. The heat and humidity kill me, blinding me with sweat and constantly dehydrating me. I actually have defined tan lines for the first time in years.
 
I'd whine about the heat and humidity, but the guys back home are dealing with more race cancellations due to snow. It's been a cold and wet spring, and pretty much everyone is ready for it to be over with. We don't get much nice weather in Anchorage, so when it's taken away, we get a little upset. My complaints here in America's armpit seem rather trivial in comparison.
 
If I was home, I'd be back in the garage on the trainer. As strange as it sounds coming from me, I'll take Biloxi... at least for another week.

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