Another Couple of Kicks to the Lady Parts.
Saturday night I rebuilt the time trial bike for the second time this winter. This time it was to install different TT bars that allow me to have a lower position while on the bullhorns while retaining my current position on the aerobars. They also look way cooler. Kind of a Star Wars X-Wing vibe. Had nothing to do with the movie. I just got tired of kicking this particular pair around the garage and finally installed them. It certainly makes the TT bike look lower and more purposeful, even if my default position hasn't changed.
Sunday I woke up at 6:00AM and got ready for another session at the Dome. The bike was loaded up on the car and I was early for a change (and it wasn't even daylight savings time). I noticed there weren't any cars in the parking lot.
Crap. Somebody changed the clocks again without telling me.
Then one car pulled up. Then another. Then a couple with bike racks. Now we were getting somewhere. Still, nobody appeared to open the doors. Eventually somebody got out and peered through the doors, reading the posted sign about holiday hours that hadn't been there the previous week. Thanks for the advance notice, guys.
So, all dressed up and properly caffeinated, I drove home and jumped on the trainer to salvage the morning. I certainly wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep. A bit over an hour of mediocre pedaling later, I had to get ready for Mighty Mites. I told myself my unimpressive efforts were because I was coming to the end of a training block and was probably burned out.
I woke up my daughter and jumped in the shower. I was ready to roll out the door when I noticed my daughter wasn't ready. When I asked her why, she said she had forgotten her helmet and goggles in a friend's car the day before. Since her season pass is mounted to her goggle straps, that pretty much meant she wasn't going skiing that day. I kinda flew off the handle, partially because she had told me that everything was ready to go the previous night, but also because the time we spend together each week is a highlight for me. Not my best parenting moment.
Still seething, I jumped in the car and drove to Alyeska. Halfway there I pulled over and threw up. Must be the stress, I told myself. The closer I got to Alyeska, the worse I felt. The temperature, which was hovering in the mid-teens in Anchoage, had risen to well above freezing. A light rain was falling and the mountain was socked in. I have issues with flat light and can suffer from vertigo if I'm not careful, so I knew I had no business being on skis in that condition. I checked in, got someone to cover for me, and drove home. 45 minutes down to Alyeska, 5 at the hill, and then 45 minutes back home. Lovely.
I crawled into bed for a couple hours and felt reasonably better. I took the younger two boys sledding for an hour until the toddler's cheeks were bright red and toxic waste was streaming out of his nose. Another nap. Then I took my middle son and daughter to see the new Star Wars film, where a bunch of spaceships that looked like my time trial bike flew around shooting lasers. I'm going to have to look into that upgrade next.
If you're going to be sick, rolling into a recovery week is about the best time to do it. The scheduled workouts are easier, and the whole goal is to rest and bounce back. I just have a little farther to bounce this time around. It could be worse, and I expect a few good nights of sleep will fix me right up.
As the new year and my annual attempt at losing weight approach, I'm trying to taper my caloric intake to something just shy of "mass quantities". I did some crunches today, marveling at the fact that, despite my best efforts to destroy it, I still have a core. Maybe I'll be able to keep it around until the spring. Maybe I'll drop some pounds.
Dropping a couple on the side of the Seward highway maybe a good start.
Sunday I woke up at 6:00AM and got ready for another session at the Dome. The bike was loaded up on the car and I was early for a change (and it wasn't even daylight savings time). I noticed there weren't any cars in the parking lot.
Crap. Somebody changed the clocks again without telling me.
Then one car pulled up. Then another. Then a couple with bike racks. Now we were getting somewhere. Still, nobody appeared to open the doors. Eventually somebody got out and peered through the doors, reading the posted sign about holiday hours that hadn't been there the previous week. Thanks for the advance notice, guys.
So, all dressed up and properly caffeinated, I drove home and jumped on the trainer to salvage the morning. I certainly wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep. A bit over an hour of mediocre pedaling later, I had to get ready for Mighty Mites. I told myself my unimpressive efforts were because I was coming to the end of a training block and was probably burned out.
I woke up my daughter and jumped in the shower. I was ready to roll out the door when I noticed my daughter wasn't ready. When I asked her why, she said she had forgotten her helmet and goggles in a friend's car the day before. Since her season pass is mounted to her goggle straps, that pretty much meant she wasn't going skiing that day. I kinda flew off the handle, partially because she had told me that everything was ready to go the previous night, but also because the time we spend together each week is a highlight for me. Not my best parenting moment.
Still seething, I jumped in the car and drove to Alyeska. Halfway there I pulled over and threw up. Must be the stress, I told myself. The closer I got to Alyeska, the worse I felt. The temperature, which was hovering in the mid-teens in Anchoage, had risen to well above freezing. A light rain was falling and the mountain was socked in. I have issues with flat light and can suffer from vertigo if I'm not careful, so I knew I had no business being on skis in that condition. I checked in, got someone to cover for me, and drove home. 45 minutes down to Alyeska, 5 at the hill, and then 45 minutes back home. Lovely.
I crawled into bed for a couple hours and felt reasonably better. I took the younger two boys sledding for an hour until the toddler's cheeks were bright red and toxic waste was streaming out of his nose. Another nap. Then I took my middle son and daughter to see the new Star Wars film, where a bunch of spaceships that looked like my time trial bike flew around shooting lasers. I'm going to have to look into that upgrade next.
If you're going to be sick, rolling into a recovery week is about the best time to do it. The scheduled workouts are easier, and the whole goal is to rest and bounce back. I just have a little farther to bounce this time around. It could be worse, and I expect a few good nights of sleep will fix me right up.
As the new year and my annual attempt at losing weight approach, I'm trying to taper my caloric intake to something just shy of "mass quantities". I did some crunches today, marveling at the fact that, despite my best efforts to destroy it, I still have a core. Maybe I'll be able to keep it around until the spring. Maybe I'll drop some pounds.
Dropping a couple on the side of the Seward highway maybe a good start.
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