A couple of quick Saturday afternoon notes. This morning's 90 minutes in the HoM, to the accompaniment of the the 33 miles of Chilly Hilly filmed by the RCVman crew WAY BACK in 2009, was designed to test. That old easy/hard thingy. We did non-stop four minute standing climbs with a 60 second up-tempo recovery for the duration. I then guaranteed that anyone riding our little local 33 tomorrow will call it easy in comparison. A money back guarantee at that!!!
Announced just prior to the first climb was the exciting news that Alaska Airlines is providing two Space A tickets to anywhere they fly as prizes for the wining team in next months Madness in March Indoor Cycling Tournament. Ladies and gentlemen of the VBA and HoM, let it be known that this means business. I am quite confident that my FTP just went up several watts, as well as the same for my partner. Whomever draws us in the first round (ahem, Bernie & Stephanie) had better make their plans for coming out of the losers bracket, 'cause as of today, we (Team Six) will no longer be taking prisoners. BIG thanks to Garry O for his part in the prizes. I am continuing the hunting and gathering of additional prizes and will announce as they are formalized. Stay tuned, stay ready and stay hungry.
Lastly today, I took a rare opportunity to have my troubled hamstrings professionally massaged after class. Yes, they are still tender, but the main culprit was identified, through process of elimination that was both relaxing and rejuvenating, to be my left vestus laterals. Liz found a knot in there about the size of a burrito and managed to kneed it into submission with a grim determination and relentless resolve. I can honestly tell you that I sit here typing feeling like a new man of la mancha. Gracias, senora.
And dreaming of Mexico (see Alaska Mexico flights here) I am putting the wraps to The Crossing, second novella in McCarthy's Border Trilogy. Here he describes supper with a blind man and the protagonist. As preface, I admire art in many forms. I like the well crafted hut as much as I admire the pentatonic scale in D-Minor. Crimson on canvas, soft back-lighting, the perfectly executed off-tackle dive, the turn of a phrase, the perfect race. I could go on, but wanted to share with you a passage that comes as close to perfection as I have read in a while. I am going to leave you with it, and go about my preparations for tomorrow's ride.
"There were no eyes in his sockets and the lids were pinched shut so that he wore a constant look of painful selfabsorption. As if old errors preoccupied him."
Enjoy the weekend amigos y amigas, vaya con Dios, and pass the beans por favor.
2 comments:
Glad to hear the legs are recovering. Missing the Sat spin classes but too many conflicts with kids sports! Saw your post on tour of CA - sounds fun. I was in Fresno this week, and already thinking of whether I could time a client trip with ToC. Might be too ambitious for me given other schedule conflicts. Enjoy the chilly hilly tomorrow. I may be going a slower pace - we are doing a father-son ride the first 8 miles or so. Maybe it will snow again this year!
The ToC will be cool. Logistics are coming together. Let's get another IMC scheduled for March. Have a great CH ride and see ya soon!
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