Rules and observations

1. Drinking out of normal water bottles sucks except when on the bike. I don't like the taste of plastic.

2. A 20 cent PB&J is the exact same, nutritionally, as a $2.50 energy bar.

3. Don't spit, snort, or drink when at the front of a paceline, no matter how small.

4. If you can't ride no-handed, chances are you probably can't take your jacket off without getting off the bike. Don't try, or at least, be behind me when you do.

5. Racing kinda sucks.

6. Going fast is great, but getting fast sucks.

7. Most cyclists don't know how great running is.

8. Aerobars.

...

Out this morning for an interval session at 6:50 AM of 6x6@a-pace-good-enough-to-sting and I started to feel good. The humid air left me dripping after the first of 'em, but with each hard effort, the two minutes of recovery between left me aching to go at it again. Well, until the last, but that's because I was running out of time before I had to be at work, ready to start the day.

Today's prediction of 80 degrees is darn near spot-on. Lunch in Millennium Park was toasty in my dress clothes -- can't wait 'til I can wear shorts every moment that I'm off the clock.

Tomorrow's calling for a thunderstorm or two. I'm planning on 60-80 miles up north with the crew to sweat some, have some fun, and urge on the coming of summer.

Celebrity Lifestyle

Joe and I were out on Friday morning before work, just getting an easy spin in with some jumps, and moving the legs. The Chicago Tribune took a photo of us and included our picture in a photo gallery, just because having good lookin' dudes in lycra on your website helps draw web traffic It feels good, no great, to be back riding again without fear of messing myself up. I have lost some fitness -- my heart rate spikes to about 95% of max where before it would stay steady. I figure the three weeks I wasn't training will necessitate some serious work to recover. I re-start my intervals this week in hope of getting a few more road races in before focusing on time-trialing and building for 'cross.

Saturday, I got out with a huge crew to ride my recently-acquired Bontrager OR Race mountain bike in the Palos Forest Preserve. 2.5 hours of hard riding following some real hot-shots, and I was spattered in mud, exhausted, and bloodied. Now I know why MTB racers are so durn fast when they race road -- riding MTB is unbelievably hard and a hard workout. Your upper body takes a beating coincident with the legs. I'm hooked on getting dirty, is all I'm saying at this point.

Wasting

I haven't ridden outside in little over a week and a half, and the only training I've done has been about four 1/2 hour trainer sessions at 100 watts. I ended up tearing muscle fibers in my left quadricep somehow from my accident and I've been laid low.

I've taken the time to get well-acquainted with working on strengthening my core, back and arms. Y'know, the parts that don't exactly propel a bike but make a big difference in the ability to do it well. My personal favorite activity? Plank exercises. Those hurt; they hurt in a good way. I miss feeling the springy tiredness from a good morning ride, but these are a good substitution until I am able to pedal with any kind of force.

I might ride tomorrow to work, easy of course. If not then, maybe this weekend.