So, I started training for the Death Ride last week, and am continuing with my second week of training. It’s tough – not so much physically, but mentally, because suddenly I have no free time -between things being crazy at work and starting up training, I’m nearly 100% committed. Mike and I are still finding time to cook dinner together, but that’s about it. I haven’t had a chance to do anything creative thus far this week, and it’s starting to bother me. Hopefully I should be able to find some time this weekend. It’s not impossible, it’s just a shock to the system, especially after three weeks of having zero routine.
Lorri is having me do some long rides, some strength training, and gear-up drills. Gear-up drills are essentially just that: you start in a low gear, and crank up the gearing by one notch every minute, maintaining the same cadence. Ideally I should be able to do that for four minutes (= four gears), but I could only manage three yesterday, perhaps because I was starting in too high a gear. Other than that the workout was relatively easy, if boring (I was on a trainer); I watched the first 1.5 hours of “The Hunt for Red October”. (Netflix is your FRIEND!)
Physically, I feel sore – partly from weightlifting, partly sore butt syndrome from not having been in the saddle. THat was probably the hardest part about yesterday’s workout, being on the bike for an hour and a half while still sore from Sunday’s ride. Oh well – that part will improve rapidly.
I’ve decided not to do AIDS Lifecycle this year. I have too many other commitments and don’t think I’ll be able to manage it and the other stuff I’ve taken on. So it will be “only” the Markleeville Death Ride for me.
That’s all for now – I’m hoping to finish up the last square of the second row of my entrelac sampler shawl on Saturday (have only 12 rows left to go), and will take photos then. I’m also hoping to start winding the warp for my next set of weaving exercises. I’m starting to think I should make this a narrow strip project so I can keep my exercises in a notebook – weaving a set of towels is nice, but I have the feeling I’m really going to want to hang onto these exercises for future reference. And it’s time I started keeping a notebook anyway. So, that’s the plan.
