early

Maybe we aren't finished with this yet: Skating across black ice yesterday was better only because I had the path to ride, today will be full on snow riding more fun, I saw a moose the other day, he saw me too, I think. More than a few two wheel drifts, easier knowing I wasn't going to slide under a gas truck. I forget it's still March, with a clear path and a few warmer days I lose sight of the fact that we still have almost two months of snow left, maybe. I think I saw a knee or an elbow on the trip home last night, confusing. It was just there on the path, I wonder if it's missing it's owner.

@#

I am getting it, riding the cross bike with fenders and old wheels is perfect, drag. My time is short, the time is good. The furnace is full, trying to roll thru the k's as I look at the first few tests without stress is good. Sit and climb it strengthens the low back, make the time count, listen. All the time is worth only some of the time.

Path

I think I saw a tranny on the path at lunch, I wasn't really in oxygen debt and I passed it twice, hard to tell sometimes but I saw what I saw. The rest is coming thick fast after one night of less. I feel good about the work, the season is big, I am small, only need little tweaks to Ferrous and I'll be styled, No more troubles with questions, be answered soon. Better bones are feeling the love of the spring, the cold isn't creeping into the thoughts, putting out fire instead of putting chills.

After it

I looked for it, searched everywhere I could think, I got so close I almost went downstairs to look some more and then I found it, sleep. Looking for the warm place where all the jigsaw pieces go together perfectly 3D and the warmth seeps into my tired mind. Looking for the piece I left outside, no ride means no sleep, the off season and winter work were enough to put the head at ease but the energy is always there, less work less rest. Still, waking tired sucks.

Tasty treats

Desert singletrack, where am I?

First

First test, first dirt of the year, the Ferrous did it right. Slights that come with the first ride on a new bike were all that tripped. Shut out any noise and cars just to roll through on perfect dirt. 5 hours over two days, I like my new bike. Work? Done.

Goodness

This is my favorite new thing, at least until I get my headphones next week. Bialetti makes my mornings nicer.

Did you ride?

I got out for the distance yesterday, the work was good only because soft tyres and wind made it. I enjoy the feeling of loaded legs, only more to come, piling up, night turns into day. Sushi to celebrate, Sapporo too. Life is good. One more hurdle to get the spring in order. The coil is loaded and ready to go. Corny handlebar shot included.

Black and White

There have been harder commutes but not many slippier. Bundled up just right, the ghosts were quiet The Shins got me in, the trick was avoiding the tendonitis that black ice brings. I feel lucky that I stayed up and tracks were mine. A quieter head than I have had in a long time, subtle peace to quiet, trying to get it all together for one time thru the tunnel and putting away the k's in time for the early tests, the later ones are usually good anyway, it's the early ones that trip me up. The reward was the dozen donuts and bagels in my pack, not all for me. My day to do what I want, I got lucky, that bumper wasn't out there looking for me. Check this out, we are official, Fisher rocks harder than the Scorpions!

Carrot Top

Do you eat enough veggies? Where do you start? Maybe a carrot soup for dinner tonight. I spilled my coffee on the way to work, the swill we have here for free isn't enough, I need good stuff, crack addict? I did skip the coffee yesterday though, no withdrawal symptoms to work through either.

Are you?

Yesterday's lunch ride softened the legs perfectly for the tt work to get home. The Wah had the gas on at lunch to make me work for it, the pressure was on the legs but not so hard that you need to tighten the sphincter. The Oracle has me programmed. Time and leg strength are finite. Is it a bad sign to grip the bars a bit harder while riding so when the car hits your shoulder with their mirror that you don't fly forward? Will that kill me? Another grease stain, hopefully not. Making it work with the keys in my pocket.

Mustard and Diesel

All of the different things that go through my head on the commute confuse and distract. I wonder which car didn't scrape the frost off the windshield and is going to hit me or which car is rolling on the wrong side of the white line and is going to hit me. Who is taking a phone call and is going to hit me. Today at one point away from houses or businesses I smelled mustard and lint, dryer lint, far from anywhere that could produce that sort of smell and another spot smelled like fresh baked bread. No complaints, odd to do the morning work and smell that stuff. I wondered if it was maybe bio-diesel and that fuel was in the fryer at a Mexican restaurant the day before. The work is there, test is Sunday.

Catching up

Three days in the city makes me see odd things. I noticed the same guy two days in a row with a metal detector in roughly the same spot looking for something particular or something he hasn't found yet. The more time I live far away from that world the harder it is to assimilate for just a few days. The noise and the traffic make me want to crawl away from and hide in my cave. The weather was good though, three days, not a ton of time but quality, if I had an hour it was 3/4 work, 1/4 warming. good to see the fruit ripening. One less car right now makes me feel good and a bit more free, and bound too. Odd, I feel good but also I'll need to be careful of time. New tyres on the road bike after the second flat in two rides, not too bad to get 6.000k out of a set of tyres, the longevity is there for the rubber, what about the rider? Better than the alternative. Not trying isn't an option.

Start

Lazy days are getting out numbered by work days, the time is piling up, the legs respond better to each ride. I don't know exactly what I'll have on test 1 but that's not the worry. More good time, volume is key, not lazy volume. I felt good climbing yesterday and the trick was the not the up, the slushy down was the worst, dirty glasses and icy corners at 50/k rough to roll thru and not think about sliding across the road under a car. Low redneck factor, the drivers aren't ready to see us out there yet, I guess. Quietly putting in my time getting thru the days until it's all a bit more hospitible out there and the paths are clear. Good days this week, double digit outside rides, I hope. The ghosts are quiet and the sleep is there, something isn't wrong.

Nothing.

I barely see the bike through the snow and crap that is falling for the last two days. The Colorado race scene is going to be hard to figure out this spring. Lucky for me I don't have to worry about it, show up, ride hard, go home, whether for a teammate or a win for myself the schedule and fitness isn't an issue for months. I started in April last year and finished in December, there is a bit residual high end to be dug out. I like that. No pressure, speed later. Look at a white wall right now. That's what it looks like outside, with a few shadows.

Bloc

The tress looked like they were polka-dotted, one side was void of snow and the other littered with a lot of it in weird little scabs of snow. Wind loading and better scene to see than to describe. I did more time on the two things, skiing is good and if it makes you 40 minutes late for work and nobody really flinches you must have picked the right job! Gliding across the snow at a manageable pace for almost two hours isn't a bad way to start the day. I got lucky, the snow was perfect for going slow, it's only March 1, lots of time to be fast, build the blocks now for the clocktower later.