Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Swimmin' With The Fishies
I think I'm going to like my new routine of going to the gym before work on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So far the pool has never been so sparsely populated that I could have my own lane, but the folks I've shared with have all been very good swimmers. In fact, I suspect that most of them are from the now-defunct 5:30 am Master's class, because they either bring their own drills in protective plastic covers, or they do the drills left on the board from the evening Master's class.
And why don't I go to Master's class myself, you ask? Well, I tried it for awhile, then went away and did some drills and went back again, but I could never even come close to keeping up with all those Michael Phelps wannabes and I was just in the way. Besides, it's probably not for the best that I spend my evenings hanging around with a handsome, built, Speedo-clad coach named Dirk.
'Nough said, I hope.
Interestingly, the best swim advice I've gotten since my lessons a few years ago came just last week from the fishie I was sharing a lane with. For starters, I knew this girl was good when I saw that she could backstroke and keep to her side of the lane. When she repeated the phenomenon breaststroking, I knew I was in the presence of a swim goddess, or at the very least a minor deity.
So I joined her lane and tried to just stay out of her way, which was a piece of cake, since she was so obviously experienced and although I'm slow, I don't tend to wander much-- I can keep my lane like an expert. I was taking a little breather at the end of the lane, when Fishie stopped and looked at me. "You're a runner, aren't you?"
Wow. Good call. "Is my form that bad?" I laughed.
"Oh, no," Fishie said. "Your form is great. But you're not getting much power from your stroke." She turned to face me sideways and ran a hand down her side, from shoulderblade to hip. "Are you pulling from here?"
I shook my head while a little light bulb turned on in my brain. We continued to chat for a few minutes and the way-too-extroverted-for-so-early-in-the-morning lifeguard strolled over and added his two cents, but Fishie's words had already struck pay dirt. When I hit the water again, instead of pulling with my arms, I focused on pulling with my lats, just like she had shown me.
A miracle! All of a sudden my roll happened naturally, I was gliding through the water on every stroke without having to think about it, and best of all my stroke count dropped like a rock! OMG! How could something so simple have eluded me in all those lessons, books and Master's sessions with *cough* Dirk?
Okay, so I'm not going to be giving the Thorpedo a run for his money any time soon, but huge improvements have been made with almost no effort whatsoever! I've got a long way to go before I can even consider joining the fishies for some training sets, but for the first time I see some potential here for me to be able to maybe tag along on a good day.
I think I'll skip Dirk's class, though.
Recent Workouts
Saturday: 15 mile run
Sunday: 2 hours bike-Spinervals 9.0 Have Mercy, 3 mile walk
Monday: 45 minute core and strength training, 5 mile run
Tuesday: 1000 meter swim, 1 mile run, 2 mile walk, 35 minute bike-Spinervals 1.0 No Slackers Allowed
And why don't I go to Master's class myself, you ask? Well, I tried it for awhile, then went away and did some drills and went back again, but I could never even come close to keeping up with all those Michael Phelps wannabes and I was just in the way. Besides, it's probably not for the best that I spend my evenings hanging around with a handsome, built, Speedo-clad coach named Dirk.
'Nough said, I hope.
Interestingly, the best swim advice I've gotten since my lessons a few years ago came just last week from the fishie I was sharing a lane with. For starters, I knew this girl was good when I saw that she could backstroke and keep to her side of the lane. When she repeated the phenomenon breaststroking, I knew I was in the presence of a swim goddess, or at the very least a minor deity.
So I joined her lane and tried to just stay out of her way, which was a piece of cake, since she was so obviously experienced and although I'm slow, I don't tend to wander much-- I can keep my lane like an expert. I was taking a little breather at the end of the lane, when Fishie stopped and looked at me. "You're a runner, aren't you?"
Wow. Good call. "Is my form that bad?" I laughed.
"Oh, no," Fishie said. "Your form is great. But you're not getting much power from your stroke." She turned to face me sideways and ran a hand down her side, from shoulderblade to hip. "Are you pulling from here?"
I shook my head while a little light bulb turned on in my brain. We continued to chat for a few minutes and the way-too-extroverted-for-so-early-in-the-morning lifeguard strolled over and added his two cents, but Fishie's words had already struck pay dirt. When I hit the water again, instead of pulling with my arms, I focused on pulling with my lats, just like she had shown me.
A miracle! All of a sudden my roll happened naturally, I was gliding through the water on every stroke without having to think about it, and best of all my stroke count dropped like a rock! OMG! How could something so simple have eluded me in all those lessons, books and Master's sessions with *cough* Dirk?
Okay, so I'm not going to be giving the Thorpedo a run for his money any time soon, but huge improvements have been made with almost no effort whatsoever! I've got a long way to go before I can even consider joining the fishies for some training sets, but for the first time I see some potential here for me to be able to maybe tag along on a good day.
I think I'll skip Dirk's class, though.
Recent Workouts
Saturday: 15 mile run
Sunday: 2 hours bike-Spinervals 9.0 Have Mercy, 3 mile walk
Monday: 45 minute core and strength training, 5 mile run
Tuesday: 1000 meter swim, 1 mile run, 2 mile walk, 35 minute bike-Spinervals 1.0 No Slackers Allowed
Monday, June 20, 2005
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Unintended Tri
I did a triathlon today. At the gym. I didn't plan to, it just sort of happened by accident.
I went to the Y for a spin class, and when the hour was over, I had a sudden notion to go check out the rooftop track, which has been resurfaced recently. My intention was just to run a mile, since I ran long yesterday, but I was having such a good time that I did three miles. I've always liked the rooftop track for some reason. It's best at night though, with the downtown lights sparkling off the glass of the skyscrapers all around. I don't usually go up there in daytime like today, but there was a nice little breeze and it was fun being up there.
After my run, I figured I had better go do what I had originally planned to do after spin class, which was swim. Only one lane was in use, so I could make no excuses and didn't really want to, anyway. I had a lane to myself for the first ten laps, then a guy joined me and started breaststroking. What the--- this makes twice in one week that some clueless bozo with no concept of pool etiquette has gotten in my lane and then interfered with my workout! Word to the clueless: If you have the lane first, do whatever stroke you want. But if you try to join in on someone else's lane, do not breaststroke, backstroke or butterfly unless you make some sort of arrangement with the person who was there first!
Geez, is it that hard to figure out? Do people really need to be told these things?
Anyway, I complained to the lifeguard while the guy was hogging my lane on his way to the other end of the pool. Then I took off, hoping he would stay there long enough for me to swim the length of the pool, since I had no particular desire to get kicked in the face today. I don't know if the lifeguard said something or if the guy grew a brain, but I never got my chance to tell him anything because he changed lanes before I got to him.
Good riddance.
The next guy who wanted to share my lane was sane, polite, and stayed on his side of the lane. Thank goodness. I finished my twenty laps in peace and ended my accidental tri with a relaxing soak in the hot tub followed by a shower.
I picked up some lunch at Central Market before going home, then started a crock pot of veggies for the week. I made my yogurt last night, so that part of my weekly cooking was done. I'll do some brown rice later today and maybe some bread pudding after my regular Sunday evening walk with Dan. I just love it when we have enough old naan and french bread for a batch of bread pudding!
Today's Workouts
1 hour spin class
3 mile run
1000 meter swim
later tonight: 3 mile walk
I went to the Y for a spin class, and when the hour was over, I had a sudden notion to go check out the rooftop track, which has been resurfaced recently. My intention was just to run a mile, since I ran long yesterday, but I was having such a good time that I did three miles. I've always liked the rooftop track for some reason. It's best at night though, with the downtown lights sparkling off the glass of the skyscrapers all around. I don't usually go up there in daytime like today, but there was a nice little breeze and it was fun being up there.
After my run, I figured I had better go do what I had originally planned to do after spin class, which was swim. Only one lane was in use, so I could make no excuses and didn't really want to, anyway. I had a lane to myself for the first ten laps, then a guy joined me and started breaststroking. What the--- this makes twice in one week that some clueless bozo with no concept of pool etiquette has gotten in my lane and then interfered with my workout! Word to the clueless: If you have the lane first, do whatever stroke you want. But if you try to join in on someone else's lane, do not breaststroke, backstroke or butterfly unless you make some sort of arrangement with the person who was there first!
Geez, is it that hard to figure out? Do people really need to be told these things?
Anyway, I complained to the lifeguard while the guy was hogging my lane on his way to the other end of the pool. Then I took off, hoping he would stay there long enough for me to swim the length of the pool, since I had no particular desire to get kicked in the face today. I don't know if the lifeguard said something or if the guy grew a brain, but I never got my chance to tell him anything because he changed lanes before I got to him.
Good riddance.
The next guy who wanted to share my lane was sane, polite, and stayed on his side of the lane. Thank goodness. I finished my twenty laps in peace and ended my accidental tri with a relaxing soak in the hot tub followed by a shower.
I picked up some lunch at Central Market before going home, then started a crock pot of veggies for the week. I made my yogurt last night, so that part of my weekly cooking was done. I'll do some brown rice later today and maybe some bread pudding after my regular Sunday evening walk with Dan. I just love it when we have enough old naan and french bread for a batch of bread pudding!
Today's Workouts
1 hour spin class
3 mile run
1000 meter swim
later tonight: 3 mile walk
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Home Again - One Week Later
I've been back home for a week now and things are finally starting to feel somewhat normal again. I'm back in my old routines, I'm caught up on groceries and laundry, and I've about gotten my brain back at work. Funny how much you forget or lose sight of when you're out of the office a couple of weeks-- What happened with that new hire? Did that purchase go through yet? Is that manager still unhappy about the chairs? Did the furniture specs get reviewed? Are the printers are already here? What the heck is my password???
Now that I've had a week to settle in, I'm going to try doing something new. Since September I've had to be in a late meeting every Tuesday, which has led me to often wish that I could come in late that day, so as not to make it a 10 hour workday. But with a vacancy I wasn't allowed to fill and an assistant whose health was uncertain, I had little choice but to show up every day at 7 to ensure that someone would be there to open doors and handle problems from our early-arriving programmers.
But no more! Right before I left, I got a new person transferred to me-- someone reliable, who I've worked with before. So starting next week I'm going to go to the Y on Tuesday mornings. I'll either swim (if lanes are available) or hit the 6 am spin class. If I like Tuesday mornings, I'll add Thursdays as well. I'm pretty excited about this and I think I'll have a lot of fun with it. And if I don't, well, my weights, music and stretch cords are still waiting for me here at home. Or I can go for early morning runs or something. Either way, some serious early workouts are about to become a reality.
I also picked up a copy of Mark Verstegen's Core Performance this weekend. Already I can see why it's gotten so much praise in triathlon circles. Now that it's out in paperback and available cheap online, I highly recommend it to just about everyone. You don't even have to do sports to benefit from this book-- you just have to want to have a well-functioning body for the rest of your life. But hey, if anyone out there really wants to be a shuffling, hunched over old thing with back and hip problems some day, have at it. I'll even try not to say I told you so.
I had a good run this morning, in spite of being nearly three weeks out from my last massage. I saw my young cottontail in his usual spot on the bayou trail. Funny little thing, it's interesting to watch him grow more confident as early morning runners pass his favorite breakfast spot. I saw a lady walking along the trail inexplicably wearing a washcloth on her head. It wasn't even wet, so I can't imagine what its purpose might have been. And I saw a race going on! I hadn't even known there was a race today, but I was near the outdoor chapel when a tall guy ran past me and then turned off the trail to do a hill repeat on the steep bank. As he ran up toward the street level, I heard cheering. Wow, does this guy have a fan club or something? I turned to look and saw that there were runners passing a water station at street level on Memorial. Hey, where did they come from?
The really odd thing was that when I came around the Allen Parkway side of the bayou, I saw walkers on the street, then some fast runners wearing numbers. It didn't seem likely that this was a 5K fun run/walk because there were so few of them and the route was too long. It was the route of the annual 20K/25K, as far as I could tell. But then I doubted myself because as I got to a spot where I could see Memorial and Allen Parkway simultaneously, it didn't look like it was the same event on each side. Or maybe it was. I'd seen no crossover between the streets at Shepherd or Sabine, but maybe it was someplace in the middle, such as Montrose where the bayou trail goes below the street level and I wouldn't see them. I don't know. It was definitely a race though, because I heard people calling split times. But where did the walkers fit in? Odd.
After running along the bayou, I did a loop through River Oaks, then went up to Memorial Park and did a loop there as well. It wasn't as crowded as it could've been, so I guess the race siphoned off a few folks. Luke's Locker had their Gatorade tent set up, and the ice-cold Gatorade was very welcome.
Then I headed home, encountering only one weirdo on the way-- a lady on the bridge over Memorial that puts me back home. She was striding along briskly, elbows out, hands in the air, waving her fingers. I couldn't figure out if she was practicing chisenbop or doing some sort of mental rehearsal of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," but I passed her twice-- once on the bridge and a second time on my cooldown by the softball park and she was still ambling along, waving her fingers in the air. Very strange.
Tonight I'm trying to decide between going to the Y in the morning for a short spin class and a swim (if I can get a lane), or just spin at home and make some yogurt. I'm leaning toward the Y in the morning, but that would mean I'd have to get off the computer now and make yogurt.
Decisions, decisions.
Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 45 minutes core and stretch cords, 45 minutes bike - Spinervals 7.0 The Uphill Grind
Wednesday: 45 minutes core and weights, 5 mile run
Thursday: 45 minutes core and stretch cords, 45 minutes elliptical, 15 minutes stairmaster
Friday: 45 minutes core and weights
Saturday: 14 mile run
Now that I've had a week to settle in, I'm going to try doing something new. Since September I've had to be in a late meeting every Tuesday, which has led me to often wish that I could come in late that day, so as not to make it a 10 hour workday. But with a vacancy I wasn't allowed to fill and an assistant whose health was uncertain, I had little choice but to show up every day at 7 to ensure that someone would be there to open doors and handle problems from our early-arriving programmers.
But no more! Right before I left, I got a new person transferred to me-- someone reliable, who I've worked with before. So starting next week I'm going to go to the Y on Tuesday mornings. I'll either swim (if lanes are available) or hit the 6 am spin class. If I like Tuesday mornings, I'll add Thursdays as well. I'm pretty excited about this and I think I'll have a lot of fun with it. And if I don't, well, my weights, music and stretch cords are still waiting for me here at home. Or I can go for early morning runs or something. Either way, some serious early workouts are about to become a reality.
I also picked up a copy of Mark Verstegen's Core Performance this weekend. Already I can see why it's gotten so much praise in triathlon circles. Now that it's out in paperback and available cheap online, I highly recommend it to just about everyone. You don't even have to do sports to benefit from this book-- you just have to want to have a well-functioning body for the rest of your life. But hey, if anyone out there really wants to be a shuffling, hunched over old thing with back and hip problems some day, have at it. I'll even try not to say I told you so.
I had a good run this morning, in spite of being nearly three weeks out from my last massage. I saw my young cottontail in his usual spot on the bayou trail. Funny little thing, it's interesting to watch him grow more confident as early morning runners pass his favorite breakfast spot. I saw a lady walking along the trail inexplicably wearing a washcloth on her head. It wasn't even wet, so I can't imagine what its purpose might have been. And I saw a race going on! I hadn't even known there was a race today, but I was near the outdoor chapel when a tall guy ran past me and then turned off the trail to do a hill repeat on the steep bank. As he ran up toward the street level, I heard cheering. Wow, does this guy have a fan club or something? I turned to look and saw that there were runners passing a water station at street level on Memorial. Hey, where did they come from?
The really odd thing was that when I came around the Allen Parkway side of the bayou, I saw walkers on the street, then some fast runners wearing numbers. It didn't seem likely that this was a 5K fun run/walk because there were so few of them and the route was too long. It was the route of the annual 20K/25K, as far as I could tell. But then I doubted myself because as I got to a spot where I could see Memorial and Allen Parkway simultaneously, it didn't look like it was the same event on each side. Or maybe it was. I'd seen no crossover between the streets at Shepherd or Sabine, but maybe it was someplace in the middle, such as Montrose where the bayou trail goes below the street level and I wouldn't see them. I don't know. It was definitely a race though, because I heard people calling split times. But where did the walkers fit in? Odd.
After running along the bayou, I did a loop through River Oaks, then went up to Memorial Park and did a loop there as well. It wasn't as crowded as it could've been, so I guess the race siphoned off a few folks. Luke's Locker had their Gatorade tent set up, and the ice-cold Gatorade was very welcome.
Then I headed home, encountering only one weirdo on the way-- a lady on the bridge over Memorial that puts me back home. She was striding along briskly, elbows out, hands in the air, waving her fingers. I couldn't figure out if she was practicing chisenbop or doing some sort of mental rehearsal of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," but I passed her twice-- once on the bridge and a second time on my cooldown by the softball park and she was still ambling along, waving her fingers in the air. Very strange.
Tonight I'm trying to decide between going to the Y in the morning for a short spin class and a swim (if I can get a lane), or just spin at home and make some yogurt. I'm leaning toward the Y in the morning, but that would mean I'd have to get off the computer now and make yogurt.
Decisions, decisions.
Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 45 minutes core and stretch cords, 45 minutes bike - Spinervals 7.0 The Uphill Grind
Wednesday: 45 minutes core and weights, 5 mile run
Thursday: 45 minutes core and stretch cords, 45 minutes elliptical, 15 minutes stairmaster
Friday: 45 minutes core and weights
Saturday: 14 mile run
Monday, June 13, 2005
Jury Duty And More!
There's something kind of nice about getting back from vacation with the whole weekend ahead of you. Vacations are great, but they're exhausting and it's nice to have a couple days to settle back into the old routine before having to hit the office again.
This time, I had an extra day out from work, though. Jury duty.
I had tried to get my date changed from June 6th, which was when I was inconveniently far from Houston, but the lady on the phone copped an attitude with me and insisted that it was the Monday of my return or nothing. Geez, lady, check your records-- I've served before, I'm not some lying deadbeat trying to weasel out of this, I just want something reasonable. Asking me to do jury duty after being gone from the office for two weeks is a recipe for a hostile, grumpy juror. But whatever, she's probably heard everything, so today was the day.
Since I really didn't want to be picked this time, I decided to forego my usual professional attire, and dressed a bit sloppily. This was hard to do for me, because the remnants of my teenage vanity got in the way, but I managed to put together an outfit that, combined with an unattractive hair arrangement and no makeup, managed to make me look (and feel!) dowdy, ugly and hostile. I made sure to take a slightly radical Chicano book with me, one that has a sombrero-clad guy holding a gun on the cover. I would've preferred Dan's copy of Naked Lunch as a you-don't-want-me-in-your-jury-box tome, but I couldn't find it. Oh well. I think next time I see the LaRouche-ites passing out literature on campus I'll get me an armfull for future emergencies like this.
I had Dan drop me off downtown, since Parking is $8 at a minimum, and they only pay $5.50/day for jurors. Thanks, guys. I went through the whole cattle-like rigamarole in what was literally a standing-room only juror selection area. We filled the room, we filled the halls, we filled the breakroom... it was obvious some of us would get sent home. When my number was selected, I trudged off with the other cattle to sit some more on the floor outside the court, since there weren't enough benches for us all. Criminal court. Hm. Not bad. Maybe it'll involve a Hispanic and the opposing lawyer will see my book and reject me. Too bad I can't turn my Spanish accent on and off at will. Maybe if I read the juror instructions in Spanish, it will get me in the right accent.
Luck was with me today though, and the trial my group was selected for got postponed. No one else needed our panel, so they sent us away. Hooray!
So no one thinks I'm a regular grump about these things, I'm simply inundated with work right now that's been backing up. Normally I like jury duty because it's a nice excuse to do something different, hang out downtown for a few days and such. In fact, I've been wondering lately if there shouldn't be a way to volunteer for jury duty and be able to avoid getting called up for it at inconvenient times. I would've loved to have gone in February or April, for example, when I didn't have a lot going on. Wouldn't a volunteer option be nicer for everyone? Between jobs? Go get your jury service out of the way! Bored at the office? Go see if they need you on a panel! Of course most people would still have to be drafted, so to speak, but it sure would be nice if we could have the option of choosing. Getting to postpone your date by a couple of weeks isn't exactly choosing, because it assumes that you have busy days or weeks, as opposed to busy periods of the year.
Anyway, it was eleven o'clock when I got dismissed, and with no car handy, it didn't make much sense to try to make it to work. The buses back to where I live (only 3 miles away, of all things) were several blocks away and run at 40-60 minute intervals, depending on whether I take the #18 or the #70. They take 20 minutes at a minimum to get me near where I live, then I would've had to still walk the rest of the way home, change clothes, eat a bit of lunch, drive to the office, etc, etc. So going to work didn't make much sense at this point. Anything that needed to be done could be done online in the evening or the next morning.
I had brought my gym bag with me, just in case I got dismissed early, so I headed off cheerfully to the downtown Y for my first swim of the season. Yes, first. I'm part cat, I think. I really hate water unless it's to drink.
The pool was busy with lunchtime swimmers, but I found a slow-moving guy in a lane by himself who looked like he wasn't terribly serious. Luckily he wasn't, and within minutes of my arrival, he left. Yay! I got in and immediately remembered why I hate the pool. It's wet and cold. Why do people do this on purpose?
Okay, buck up camper. Get wet, try not to shiver like the wimp you are and get swimming!
For the first five laps I had the lane all to myself. Once I was moving, it was fun to be back in the water. I was slow, but that was okay. Can't expect speed if I'm not training. Pull, breathe, small kick, not too much, this is triathlon swimming, after all.
Then after about five or six laps, I got company.
I knew she was trouble when she asked me and the guy in the lane next to me how deep the deep end was. Uh, I'm not sure, but it's deeper than me and deeper than you. Does it matter?
Apparently it did, because she only swam out about halfway, then turned around and came back.
Breaststroking.
Great.
What kind of damn fool goes to the pool at a busy time of day when everyone is sharing lanes, and then insists on breaststroking? And it's not like she was good enough for us to circle-swim, she had to do her slow little out-and-backs in the shallow end, forcing me to pause at the far end on each lap and wait for her to get near the wall before starting my return lap.
Grrrrr.... Having learned to swim as a thirtysomething, I'm hugely sympathetic to being new to swimming, and if anything, I'm supportive and enthusiastic about people's efforts. But there's a time and place for everything, and the busiest time of day at the Downtown Y's four-lane pool is not the time or place for someone to be learning how to swim!
Luckily by the time I hit lap 12, Newbie had had enough and left. I hope she comes back, but at a much less busy time when she can have a lane to herself and the full attention of a lifeguard.
Almost immediately I got a new lane-mate, a guy who had the body for his Speedo, but nevertheless looked just wrong in it, if you know what I mean. Having the body for a fashion doesn't always make it right. He started circle-swimming, which irked me at first because even my "sprint" sessions are slower than a slow boat to China. But once I realized that his warmup was also his top speed, I settled in happily and finished off my 20 laps.
Then I had a nice little session in the hot tub, nice and hot with very strong jets to work the mountain-climbing stiffness out of my legs. Then a cool shower, shorts, tank top and running shoes, and I was ready to face Houston's great outdoors again.
I didn't even botther looking for the bus stop. I ran the numbers quickly in my head and realized it would take just as long to walk as to take the bus, so I bought a 20 oz bottle of water and struck out for home.
I got in damp and sweaty from the humidity, took a shower, made some no-bake peanut butter cookies and had some lunch. I did a little office work online, thanked my personal jury deities for sparing me duty this week, and took a nap.
Tomorrow it's back to the salt mines.
Is it good to be home? Well, if home were elsewhere, I think I'd have a more ready answer to that. Dan and I are seriously considering moving to New Mexico after this trip. I want to get my ten years at the university, so that means not leaving before January, and we're in a lease until May, so we've got plenty of time to work on the matter. We'll need it. Jobs at my level take a long time to get. But I think we're serious this time about leaving. And since I have too much to say about this matter tonight, I think I'll save future musings for another blog post.
If home is where the critters are and where you always know where to find stuff, yes, it's great to be home!
Recent Workouts
Saturday: Run, 14 miles
Sunday: Bike, 2 hours - Spinervals 9.0 Have Mercy
Monday: 45 minutes core and strength training, 1000 meter swim, 3 mile walk, 30 minutes elliptical
This time, I had an extra day out from work, though. Jury duty.
I had tried to get my date changed from June 6th, which was when I was inconveniently far from Houston, but the lady on the phone copped an attitude with me and insisted that it was the Monday of my return or nothing. Geez, lady, check your records-- I've served before, I'm not some lying deadbeat trying to weasel out of this, I just want something reasonable. Asking me to do jury duty after being gone from the office for two weeks is a recipe for a hostile, grumpy juror. But whatever, she's probably heard everything, so today was the day.
Since I really didn't want to be picked this time, I decided to forego my usual professional attire, and dressed a bit sloppily. This was hard to do for me, because the remnants of my teenage vanity got in the way, but I managed to put together an outfit that, combined with an unattractive hair arrangement and no makeup, managed to make me look (and feel!) dowdy, ugly and hostile. I made sure to take a slightly radical Chicano book with me, one that has a sombrero-clad guy holding a gun on the cover. I would've preferred Dan's copy of Naked Lunch as a you-don't-want-me-in-your-jury-box tome, but I couldn't find it. Oh well. I think next time I see the LaRouche-ites passing out literature on campus I'll get me an armfull for future emergencies like this.
I had Dan drop me off downtown, since Parking is $8 at a minimum, and they only pay $5.50/day for jurors. Thanks, guys. I went through the whole cattle-like rigamarole in what was literally a standing-room only juror selection area. We filled the room, we filled the halls, we filled the breakroom... it was obvious some of us would get sent home. When my number was selected, I trudged off with the other cattle to sit some more on the floor outside the court, since there weren't enough benches for us all. Criminal court. Hm. Not bad. Maybe it'll involve a Hispanic and the opposing lawyer will see my book and reject me. Too bad I can't turn my Spanish accent on and off at will. Maybe if I read the juror instructions in Spanish, it will get me in the right accent.
Luck was with me today though, and the trial my group was selected for got postponed. No one else needed our panel, so they sent us away. Hooray!
So no one thinks I'm a regular grump about these things, I'm simply inundated with work right now that's been backing up. Normally I like jury duty because it's a nice excuse to do something different, hang out downtown for a few days and such. In fact, I've been wondering lately if there shouldn't be a way to volunteer for jury duty and be able to avoid getting called up for it at inconvenient times. I would've loved to have gone in February or April, for example, when I didn't have a lot going on. Wouldn't a volunteer option be nicer for everyone? Between jobs? Go get your jury service out of the way! Bored at the office? Go see if they need you on a panel! Of course most people would still have to be drafted, so to speak, but it sure would be nice if we could have the option of choosing. Getting to postpone your date by a couple of weeks isn't exactly choosing, because it assumes that you have busy days or weeks, as opposed to busy periods of the year.
Anyway, it was eleven o'clock when I got dismissed, and with no car handy, it didn't make much sense to try to make it to work. The buses back to where I live (only 3 miles away, of all things) were several blocks away and run at 40-60 minute intervals, depending on whether I take the #18 or the #70. They take 20 minutes at a minimum to get me near where I live, then I would've had to still walk the rest of the way home, change clothes, eat a bit of lunch, drive to the office, etc, etc. So going to work didn't make much sense at this point. Anything that needed to be done could be done online in the evening or the next morning.
I had brought my gym bag with me, just in case I got dismissed early, so I headed off cheerfully to the downtown Y for my first swim of the season. Yes, first. I'm part cat, I think. I really hate water unless it's to drink.
The pool was busy with lunchtime swimmers, but I found a slow-moving guy in a lane by himself who looked like he wasn't terribly serious. Luckily he wasn't, and within minutes of my arrival, he left. Yay! I got in and immediately remembered why I hate the pool. It's wet and cold. Why do people do this on purpose?
Okay, buck up camper. Get wet, try not to shiver like the wimp you are and get swimming!
For the first five laps I had the lane all to myself. Once I was moving, it was fun to be back in the water. I was slow, but that was okay. Can't expect speed if I'm not training. Pull, breathe, small kick, not too much, this is triathlon swimming, after all.
Then after about five or six laps, I got company.
I knew she was trouble when she asked me and the guy in the lane next to me how deep the deep end was. Uh, I'm not sure, but it's deeper than me and deeper than you. Does it matter?
Apparently it did, because she only swam out about halfway, then turned around and came back.
Breaststroking.
Great.
What kind of damn fool goes to the pool at a busy time of day when everyone is sharing lanes, and then insists on breaststroking? And it's not like she was good enough for us to circle-swim, she had to do her slow little out-and-backs in the shallow end, forcing me to pause at the far end on each lap and wait for her to get near the wall before starting my return lap.
Grrrrr.... Having learned to swim as a thirtysomething, I'm hugely sympathetic to being new to swimming, and if anything, I'm supportive and enthusiastic about people's efforts. But there's a time and place for everything, and the busiest time of day at the Downtown Y's four-lane pool is not the time or place for someone to be learning how to swim!
Luckily by the time I hit lap 12, Newbie had had enough and left. I hope she comes back, but at a much less busy time when she can have a lane to herself and the full attention of a lifeguard.
Almost immediately I got a new lane-mate, a guy who had the body for his Speedo, but nevertheless looked just wrong in it, if you know what I mean. Having the body for a fashion doesn't always make it right. He started circle-swimming, which irked me at first because even my "sprint" sessions are slower than a slow boat to China. But once I realized that his warmup was also his top speed, I settled in happily and finished off my 20 laps.
Then I had a nice little session in the hot tub, nice and hot with very strong jets to work the mountain-climbing stiffness out of my legs. Then a cool shower, shorts, tank top and running shoes, and I was ready to face Houston's great outdoors again.
I didn't even botther looking for the bus stop. I ran the numbers quickly in my head and realized it would take just as long to walk as to take the bus, so I bought a 20 oz bottle of water and struck out for home.
I got in damp and sweaty from the humidity, took a shower, made some no-bake peanut butter cookies and had some lunch. I did a little office work online, thanked my personal jury deities for sparing me duty this week, and took a nap.
Tomorrow it's back to the salt mines.
Is it good to be home? Well, if home were elsewhere, I think I'd have a more ready answer to that. Dan and I are seriously considering moving to New Mexico after this trip. I want to get my ten years at the university, so that means not leaving before January, and we're in a lease until May, so we've got plenty of time to work on the matter. We'll need it. Jobs at my level take a long time to get. But I think we're serious this time about leaving. And since I have too much to say about this matter tonight, I think I'll save future musings for another blog post.
If home is where the critters are and where you always know where to find stuff, yes, it's great to be home!
Recent Workouts
Saturday: Run, 14 miles
Sunday: Bike, 2 hours - Spinervals 9.0 Have Mercy
Monday: 45 minutes core and strength training, 1000 meter swim, 3 mile walk, 30 minutes elliptical
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Off to New Mexico!
Dan and I will be on vacation through June 10. We'll have a laptop with us and it is my goal to give regular updates of our travels at my new vacation blog, so check it out, then check back here after the 10th!
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Exciting Announcement!
Okay, it's sort of exciting. It's exciting to me, at any rate.
I've created a vacation blog!
I've posted the last three years of vacations and pictures, taken from posts to my home page that I'm too lazy to ever update. Personally, I think 2003 is the best, with lots of pictures of Acadia, Monhegan, and the Hancock Shaker Village. But anyone who likes beaches and lighthouses should check out 2002, when we went to Cape Cod.
And very, very soon, I will be adding new vacation posts from my upcoming New Mexico vacation. My goal is to post to the vacation blog daily while I'm gone, so we'll see how far we get with that.
In other news, it's just been the same old, only more so now that everyone knows I'm leaving. Work was crazy this week, and I come home to a thousand things I think I should be doing. Just your ordinary pre-vacation insanity.
At least I have a long weekend to get prepared.
Recent Workouts
Saturday: 14 mile run
Friday: 45 minute core and strength training
Thursday: 45 minute core and strength training, 45 minute bike: Spinerval 7.0 The Uphill Grind
Wednesday: 45 minute core and strength training, 4 mile run at Memorial Park
Tuesday: 45 minute core and strength training, 45 minute elliptical - interval session
Monday: 45 minute core and strength training, massage day - no evening workout
I've created a vacation blog!
I've posted the last three years of vacations and pictures, taken from posts to my home page that I'm too lazy to ever update. Personally, I think 2003 is the best, with lots of pictures of Acadia, Monhegan, and the Hancock Shaker Village. But anyone who likes beaches and lighthouses should check out 2002, when we went to Cape Cod.
And very, very soon, I will be adding new vacation posts from my upcoming New Mexico vacation. My goal is to post to the vacation blog daily while I'm gone, so we'll see how far we get with that.
In other news, it's just been the same old, only more so now that everyone knows I'm leaving. Work was crazy this week, and I come home to a thousand things I think I should be doing. Just your ordinary pre-vacation insanity.
At least I have a long weekend to get prepared.
Recent Workouts
Saturday: 14 mile run
Friday: 45 minute core and strength training
Thursday: 45 minute core and strength training, 45 minute bike: Spinerval 7.0 The Uphill Grind
Wednesday: 45 minute core and strength training, 4 mile run at Memorial Park
Tuesday: 45 minute core and strength training, 45 minute elliptical - interval session
Monday: 45 minute core and strength training, massage day - no evening workout
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Monday, May 16, 2005
The Rest of My Weekend
If anyone thought I was going to rest on Sunday after my long bike ride, they are sadly mistaken.
Thanks to the nice massage I got after the ride, my legs felt pretty decent on Sunday morning. I've felt a lot worse. So I went for an early run, letting my legs dictate the pace. It was a bit slower than I would've liked, but it wasn't a day for pushing myself. I did 12 miles, sticking close to home and felt pretty good until the last couple of miles. But by then I was on the way home, so it was just a matter of whispering encouraging thoughts to myself and before I knew it I was back home.
It was early still, so I made a batch of yogurt. This time when I separated out the part that I wanted to be vanilla, I was much more aggressive with the flavoring. Last week I made the mistake of forgetting that warm sweet milk is going to taste vaguely vanilla anyway, so you can't go entirely on what your taste buds are telling you. So I made it vanilla, then vanilla some more. And by late evening when I took the jars out of the warm water bath in the cooler, the vanilla tasted like vanilla yogurt should. Yummy! I also remembered this time to put a small jar of plain yogurt aside to be left unopened until I need it as starter for the next batch. No more yogurt buying for me! Now I just need my own cow or goat and I'll be in business! That is, until the apartment management finds out.
After I got my yogurt started, Dan and I went out for Indian food and to run a few errands. I picked up some prescriptions and got some really great peppermint cream that I can use on my legs post-run. The last time I got a shoulder massage, the therapist used some of this cream and it was so good I knew I had to have some. It was $21 at Origins, but it's a big tube and will last forever. How strong is it? Well, after we got home I was sitting on the bedroom floor rubbing it into my legs, marvelling at how tingly it was when Dan opened the door and gave me a funny look. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Uh, yeah. Why?"
"I can smell that stuff all over the house, that's all."
"Oh."
"So you're okay?"
"Yeah. Just tingly and pepperminty. Is it bothering you?"
"No, just checking."
He shut the door. Hm. I wonder what that was all about.
I took a nap soon after, but my sheets still smell a bit minty today. I guess that means mid-week laundry.
After my nap I started a crock pot full of veggies and we went to Memorial Park. I walked the three mile loop while Dan ran it, then met me to walk the last half mile or so. It felt good to get out and just walk a bit.
Back home, I scooped my cooked veggies into individual bowls for the week and started some quinoa and lentils in the broth remaining in the crock pot. I then forgot about the quinoa until it was just slightly overdone. But it had good flavor and it was too late to start again, so I figured there were worse things than mushy quinoa.
And then it was time to iron, stretch, empty litterboxes and give the bunny her evening vegetables. Her garden continues to do pretty well, by the way. I thinned the carrots again this weekend and fed Tid the sprouts. I think she likes having a garden!
And finally, I got my plane tickets reconfigured. I'll be going straight to New Mexico instead of to Hartford first. I have a credit with the airline that I can use later this summer when we have an exact date for my grandmother's service.
I'm looking forward to getting out to New Mexico. It's been too long since I've seen the farm, and even though the reports are good, I want to see how things look for myself.
Sunday's Workout
12 mile run, bayou and Memorial areas
3 mile walk, Memorial Park
Thanks to the nice massage I got after the ride, my legs felt pretty decent on Sunday morning. I've felt a lot worse. So I went for an early run, letting my legs dictate the pace. It was a bit slower than I would've liked, but it wasn't a day for pushing myself. I did 12 miles, sticking close to home and felt pretty good until the last couple of miles. But by then I was on the way home, so it was just a matter of whispering encouraging thoughts to myself and before I knew it I was back home.
It was early still, so I made a batch of yogurt. This time when I separated out the part that I wanted to be vanilla, I was much more aggressive with the flavoring. Last week I made the mistake of forgetting that warm sweet milk is going to taste vaguely vanilla anyway, so you can't go entirely on what your taste buds are telling you. So I made it vanilla, then vanilla some more. And by late evening when I took the jars out of the warm water bath in the cooler, the vanilla tasted like vanilla yogurt should. Yummy! I also remembered this time to put a small jar of plain yogurt aside to be left unopened until I need it as starter for the next batch. No more yogurt buying for me! Now I just need my own cow or goat and I'll be in business! That is, until the apartment management finds out.
After I got my yogurt started, Dan and I went out for Indian food and to run a few errands. I picked up some prescriptions and got some really great peppermint cream that I can use on my legs post-run. The last time I got a shoulder massage, the therapist used some of this cream and it was so good I knew I had to have some. It was $21 at Origins, but it's a big tube and will last forever. How strong is it? Well, after we got home I was sitting on the bedroom floor rubbing it into my legs, marvelling at how tingly it was when Dan opened the door and gave me a funny look. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Uh, yeah. Why?"
"I can smell that stuff all over the house, that's all."
"Oh."
"So you're okay?"
"Yeah. Just tingly and pepperminty. Is it bothering you?"
"No, just checking."
He shut the door. Hm. I wonder what that was all about.
I took a nap soon after, but my sheets still smell a bit minty today. I guess that means mid-week laundry.
After my nap I started a crock pot full of veggies and we went to Memorial Park. I walked the three mile loop while Dan ran it, then met me to walk the last half mile or so. It felt good to get out and just walk a bit.
Back home, I scooped my cooked veggies into individual bowls for the week and started some quinoa and lentils in the broth remaining in the crock pot. I then forgot about the quinoa until it was just slightly overdone. But it had good flavor and it was too late to start again, so I figured there were worse things than mushy quinoa.
And then it was time to iron, stretch, empty litterboxes and give the bunny her evening vegetables. Her garden continues to do pretty well, by the way. I thinned the carrots again this weekend and fed Tid the sprouts. I think she likes having a garden!
And finally, I got my plane tickets reconfigured. I'll be going straight to New Mexico instead of to Hartford first. I have a credit with the airline that I can use later this summer when we have an exact date for my grandmother's service.
I'm looking forward to getting out to New Mexico. It's been too long since I've seen the farm, and even though the reports are good, I want to see how things look for myself.
Sunday's Workout
12 mile run, bayou and Memorial areas
3 mile walk, Memorial Park
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Shiner B.A.S.H. Ride
Otherwise known as The Road to Bugville.
This was my third time to do this ride. It's an interesting concept-- riders start at the same time from Houston, Austin and San Antonio and all converge on the town of Shiner for a concert and post-ride party. I've never been too crazy about the whole post-ride scene (how can anyone care after 96 miles?) but I've always enjoyed the ride itself. In past years I've taken the bus home. For $15 you can purchase a ticket, and they line up the buses to take riders home starting around 3 or 4 pm. But this year Dan's friend Neal wanted a ride home and lent his truck to Dan for that purpose, which meant I had a ride home too.
The morning started with a bit of anxiety because Neal was scheduled up pick us up at 6 am for a 7 am ride that started 34 miles away. Neal had picked up his packet the week before, see. But I hadn't. I didn't ask any questions until the night before, and Dan didn't snap that we had a little math problem until it was too late to do anything about it. So by the time we got to the ride start, we had no time to dilly-dally. Dan got my bike ready while I ran inside, got my packet and used the restroom. Luckily the lines by this point were short in both cases, since most people were lined up with their bikes at the starting line. I guess a late arrival has its advantages.
Back at the truck, Neal took off for the start while Dan pinned my ride number on me and filled my water bottle. Just a few more last-minute items and I was ready. I had a moment's intense suspicion that I was being stupid to leave Dan in charge of my bag instead of putting it on the truck to Shiner, but I had no time to really think the matter through and so I jumped on my bike for a quick test that everything worked just as the announcer wished everyone a great ride and sent off the first wave. I gave Dan a kiss and headed up to the start, resetting my computer mileage to zero and merging with the second wave.
And after that, nothing much happened for a long time. The pace was typically slow for the first mile as we wound our way out of absurdly gigantic Katy Mills Mall and down some two-lane roads. I worked my way around a few packs of slowpokes and finally settled into a pretty good pace. The morning was foggy and windier than advertised on weather.com, but nice cycling weather for all that.
I ran into friends and former cycling buddies Phil and Harold early on. I passed Phil as I went past a rest stop. Much later, he and Harold caught up to me and started to tease me about catching up until I pointed out they had needed to draft off a pace line to do it. We rode more or less together down a rough road to the third rest stop (Eagle Lake), where I guess they stopped because I continued straight through and never saw them again.
I didn't stop until the fourth rest stop, around mile 50. By then I was out of water and hungry for a bit of solid food. I topped off my water bottle, grabbed a banana half and scooped a cookie into an indusrial-size can of peanut butter they were using for sandwiches. Not bad. I put the water bottle back on my bike and continued on my way.
After mile 60 was where things got nasty. In addition to the road, which had been rough and slow for much of the way, now we had to contend with love bugs-- those red-eyed mating flies one often sees in the spring. I've ridden buggy spring rides before, but this was far and away the worst I'd ever seen. The flies were literally swarming, so that all of us slogged on for mile after mile with their soft bodies pinging our faces, arms, legs and bodies non-stop. They got in my helmet. They got stuck on my sunglasses. They landed on my legs, arms and water bottle and took up residence. They hit my face. They hit my chest and I feared I would find them inside my jogbra at the end of the ride. (I did not, thank goodness.)
After twenty or thirty miles of this, it became maddening. I suppose if this had been a race venue with something at stake, I would've pulled out the mental resources to try to make something humorous out the situation. But instead, the rough road and my tight IT bands (which had been bothering me from the start) combined to put me in a grumpy mood with brief moments of near desperation over the constant plop of insects hitting my body. It was positively Hitchcockian. The only thing you could do was put your head down and hope for a clear patch. There were precious few of these.
My only other stop was in Halletsville. I always like this stop because it's at the old town courthouse-- one of those beautiful old buildings that always seem way too fancy for some little country place, but that one nevertheless finds all over Texas. So I like this stop for its location. But even more important, we have access to the courthouse restrooms. My ride philosophy is that if there's an opportunity to use a flush toilet in a clean restroom with all the trimmings, do it! So I parked my bike, used the restroom, washed my face and reapplied sunscreen, put an IcyHot patch on my aching lower back, filled my water bottle, stretched and ate a Clif Bar. I dawdled. It was my only indulgence that day, and I needed it if I was going to face those %#^%^#@! bugs again.
We finally got free of the bugs as we made the turn off the highway onto the back roads near the Spoetzl Brewery. In previous years the ride has ended at the brewery, but this year we were directed an additional mile to a large park. For many of us, this kind of defeated the purpose. The whole point of the ride is to go to the brewery, but the ride and post-ride party have gotten bigger in recent years and this year they figured a bigger venue was needed.
To say I was disappointed with the new venue would be an understatment. We got there on a road pitted with small holes, and there were no people cheering at the finish line, no volunteers handing out water. Instead, we had to get off our bikes and start trudging in the direction of the Rider Check-In. The showers were on the way, so I stopped and called Dan to see if he had made it in yet. He hadn't. I wasn't surprised. Somehow he had taken our instructions of the morning, where we said we'd be there by 2:00 at the latest to mean he should be there at 2:00. It was 12:30, I was sticky and buggy, and he was still an hour away with my bag. No shower for me. I knew I should've put my bag on the truck. I should've trusted my instincts on that one!
So I stopped at some sinks and washed my face, arms and legs. That helped a little, then I went up the hill, got my post-ride tickets and trudged what felt like a quarter mile toward the food. At this point there still wasn't anyone giving out water to the riders. I was starting to be pissed.
At the entrance to the concert/food area, they were doing metal checks. Metal checks? I couldn't believe it! What was this, an airport? A prison? A high school? Who ever heard of needing to be gone over with a metal detecting wand in order to get a stupid bottle of water and something to eat after a 96 mile bike ride???
Okay, whatever. I got inside and it was huge! I got me some water, which I had to use one of my tickets for (another annoyance, since all other rides give the riders their water for free), then checked out my food options, keeping an eye out for Neal all the time. I wasn't terribly impressed by the food. It was heavy on carnival fare, such as funnel cakes, turkey legs and the like. I just wanted some pasta or ice cream or something, but no such luck.
Thoroughly out of sorts, I went to the massage tent and got on the waiting list. There was a long wait, but hey, no hurry. Dan wouldn't be arriving for awhile. Then I bought me a chicken shishkabob that was way more food than I could eat, so I only ate half of it. If I'd had a means to save the rest for later, I would've. Instead I had to throw it away, which seemed wasteful. I finally got my massage, and then tried to call Dan again. His cell phone wasn't responding, and I later learned his carrier doesn't give a signal in Shiner. Great. So I gave the last of my food/beverage tickets to a good-looking guy who had been complaining that he couldn't afford both a massage and extra tickets for beer, and then I headed to the Rider Pickup area, trusting that this would be my best bet for finding Dan.
Once there, I ran into Neal who had had the same idea. He'd looked for me earlier, as I had looked for him, but the venue was just way too big for people to find each other unless they had a pre-arranged meeting place. We hung out in the shade of a tree and waited about ten minutes or so, and then saw Dan walking up the path from the parking area. We hurried down to him, and were pleasantly surprised that he had brought us our shoes. It wasn't a huge deal for me because I use mountain bike shoes on these sorts of rides, but Neal had been stumbling around on his slick racing shoes with their big clips in front. We put on our shoes while Dan apologized for his tardiness and related his misadventures (traffic tieups, misdirections, etc.). We hardly cared at that point. We racked our bikes, changed into clean t-shirts and piled in.
The drive home took two hours, including the usual I-10 slowdowns once we were back in the city limits. The first thing I did when I got home was take a shower! Finally clean, I put my gear away, cleaned my helmet and sunglasses, hung my damp clothes to dry and then settled in to eat and check my email. I was still keyed up from the ride, but everything hit me within about 30 minutes. It was nap time.
I had earned it.
Today's Workout
Shiner B.A.S.H. Ride: 96 miles, Houston to Shiner
This was my third time to do this ride. It's an interesting concept-- riders start at the same time from Houston, Austin and San Antonio and all converge on the town of Shiner for a concert and post-ride party. I've never been too crazy about the whole post-ride scene (how can anyone care after 96 miles?) but I've always enjoyed the ride itself. In past years I've taken the bus home. For $15 you can purchase a ticket, and they line up the buses to take riders home starting around 3 or 4 pm. But this year Dan's friend Neal wanted a ride home and lent his truck to Dan for that purpose, which meant I had a ride home too.
The morning started with a bit of anxiety because Neal was scheduled up pick us up at 6 am for a 7 am ride that started 34 miles away. Neal had picked up his packet the week before, see. But I hadn't. I didn't ask any questions until the night before, and Dan didn't snap that we had a little math problem until it was too late to do anything about it. So by the time we got to the ride start, we had no time to dilly-dally. Dan got my bike ready while I ran inside, got my packet and used the restroom. Luckily the lines by this point were short in both cases, since most people were lined up with their bikes at the starting line. I guess a late arrival has its advantages.
Back at the truck, Neal took off for the start while Dan pinned my ride number on me and filled my water bottle. Just a few more last-minute items and I was ready. I had a moment's intense suspicion that I was being stupid to leave Dan in charge of my bag instead of putting it on the truck to Shiner, but I had no time to really think the matter through and so I jumped on my bike for a quick test that everything worked just as the announcer wished everyone a great ride and sent off the first wave. I gave Dan a kiss and headed up to the start, resetting my computer mileage to zero and merging with the second wave.
And after that, nothing much happened for a long time. The pace was typically slow for the first mile as we wound our way out of absurdly gigantic Katy Mills Mall and down some two-lane roads. I worked my way around a few packs of slowpokes and finally settled into a pretty good pace. The morning was foggy and windier than advertised on weather.com, but nice cycling weather for all that.
I ran into friends and former cycling buddies Phil and Harold early on. I passed Phil as I went past a rest stop. Much later, he and Harold caught up to me and started to tease me about catching up until I pointed out they had needed to draft off a pace line to do it. We rode more or less together down a rough road to the third rest stop (Eagle Lake), where I guess they stopped because I continued straight through and never saw them again.
I didn't stop until the fourth rest stop, around mile 50. By then I was out of water and hungry for a bit of solid food. I topped off my water bottle, grabbed a banana half and scooped a cookie into an indusrial-size can of peanut butter they were using for sandwiches. Not bad. I put the water bottle back on my bike and continued on my way.
After mile 60 was where things got nasty. In addition to the road, which had been rough and slow for much of the way, now we had to contend with love bugs-- those red-eyed mating flies one often sees in the spring. I've ridden buggy spring rides before, but this was far and away the worst I'd ever seen. The flies were literally swarming, so that all of us slogged on for mile after mile with their soft bodies pinging our faces, arms, legs and bodies non-stop. They got in my helmet. They got stuck on my sunglasses. They landed on my legs, arms and water bottle and took up residence. They hit my face. They hit my chest and I feared I would find them inside my jogbra at the end of the ride. (I did not, thank goodness.)
After twenty or thirty miles of this, it became maddening. I suppose if this had been a race venue with something at stake, I would've pulled out the mental resources to try to make something humorous out the situation. But instead, the rough road and my tight IT bands (which had been bothering me from the start) combined to put me in a grumpy mood with brief moments of near desperation over the constant plop of insects hitting my body. It was positively Hitchcockian. The only thing you could do was put your head down and hope for a clear patch. There were precious few of these.
My only other stop was in Halletsville. I always like this stop because it's at the old town courthouse-- one of those beautiful old buildings that always seem way too fancy for some little country place, but that one nevertheless finds all over Texas. So I like this stop for its location. But even more important, we have access to the courthouse restrooms. My ride philosophy is that if there's an opportunity to use a flush toilet in a clean restroom with all the trimmings, do it! So I parked my bike, used the restroom, washed my face and reapplied sunscreen, put an IcyHot patch on my aching lower back, filled my water bottle, stretched and ate a Clif Bar. I dawdled. It was my only indulgence that day, and I needed it if I was going to face those %#^%^#@! bugs again.
We finally got free of the bugs as we made the turn off the highway onto the back roads near the Spoetzl Brewery. In previous years the ride has ended at the brewery, but this year we were directed an additional mile to a large park. For many of us, this kind of defeated the purpose. The whole point of the ride is to go to the brewery, but the ride and post-ride party have gotten bigger in recent years and this year they figured a bigger venue was needed.
To say I was disappointed with the new venue would be an understatment. We got there on a road pitted with small holes, and there were no people cheering at the finish line, no volunteers handing out water. Instead, we had to get off our bikes and start trudging in the direction of the Rider Check-In. The showers were on the way, so I stopped and called Dan to see if he had made it in yet. He hadn't. I wasn't surprised. Somehow he had taken our instructions of the morning, where we said we'd be there by 2:00 at the latest to mean he should be there at 2:00. It was 12:30, I was sticky and buggy, and he was still an hour away with my bag. No shower for me. I knew I should've put my bag on the truck. I should've trusted my instincts on that one!
So I stopped at some sinks and washed my face, arms and legs. That helped a little, then I went up the hill, got my post-ride tickets and trudged what felt like a quarter mile toward the food. At this point there still wasn't anyone giving out water to the riders. I was starting to be pissed.
At the entrance to the concert/food area, they were doing metal checks. Metal checks? I couldn't believe it! What was this, an airport? A prison? A high school? Who ever heard of needing to be gone over with a metal detecting wand in order to get a stupid bottle of water and something to eat after a 96 mile bike ride???
Okay, whatever. I got inside and it was huge! I got me some water, which I had to use one of my tickets for (another annoyance, since all other rides give the riders their water for free), then checked out my food options, keeping an eye out for Neal all the time. I wasn't terribly impressed by the food. It was heavy on carnival fare, such as funnel cakes, turkey legs and the like. I just wanted some pasta or ice cream or something, but no such luck.
Thoroughly out of sorts, I went to the massage tent and got on the waiting list. There was a long wait, but hey, no hurry. Dan wouldn't be arriving for awhile. Then I bought me a chicken shishkabob that was way more food than I could eat, so I only ate half of it. If I'd had a means to save the rest for later, I would've. Instead I had to throw it away, which seemed wasteful. I finally got my massage, and then tried to call Dan again. His cell phone wasn't responding, and I later learned his carrier doesn't give a signal in Shiner. Great. So I gave the last of my food/beverage tickets to a good-looking guy who had been complaining that he couldn't afford both a massage and extra tickets for beer, and then I headed to the Rider Pickup area, trusting that this would be my best bet for finding Dan.
Once there, I ran into Neal who had had the same idea. He'd looked for me earlier, as I had looked for him, but the venue was just way too big for people to find each other unless they had a pre-arranged meeting place. We hung out in the shade of a tree and waited about ten minutes or so, and then saw Dan walking up the path from the parking area. We hurried down to him, and were pleasantly surprised that he had brought us our shoes. It wasn't a huge deal for me because I use mountain bike shoes on these sorts of rides, but Neal had been stumbling around on his slick racing shoes with their big clips in front. We put on our shoes while Dan apologized for his tardiness and related his misadventures (traffic tieups, misdirections, etc.). We hardly cared at that point. We racked our bikes, changed into clean t-shirts and piled in.
The drive home took two hours, including the usual I-10 slowdowns once we were back in the city limits. The first thing I did when I got home was take a shower! Finally clean, I put my gear away, cleaned my helmet and sunglasses, hung my damp clothes to dry and then settled in to eat and check my email. I was still keyed up from the ride, but everything hit me within about 30 minutes. It was nap time.
I had earned it.
Today's Workout
Shiner B.A.S.H. Ride: 96 miles, Houston to Shiner
Thursday, May 12, 2005
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