It's a funny thing, how coffee is so good but can be so bad. For instance, when one is feeling terrible, perhaps a bit sick and tired from the lack of zzz's thanks to the bout of virus one is getting about with? Have a coffee, feel AMAZING for about 40 minutes, but then feel worse than before. The strangest thing (ok, it's a bit gross if facial virus eruptions freak you out...) is when downing i'm a short black, that I know I probably shouldn't be having because i'm sick, soon after when I can feel that liquid gold pumping through my veins it makes manky cold sores throb.
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| A personal favourite of mine. Ah, so true! |
Ideas? Excess sympathetic innervation? I don't know, but it makes me very aware that i'm doing something I shouldn't. Even though it feels so good at the time.
Addicted much?
Anyway, it's State Champs this weekend at Adare. I am in two minds about it. I'll probably go, race around, hurt a lot and feel unfit. But i'm kind of sick of being underdone at races. Theoretically it should help get me fitter, but racing as a training exercise sucks. Why? Because I don't like riding slowly, and that what ends up happening.
Aiden gets mad and says 'you're not unfit, gawsh' in a Napoleon Dynamite-esqe manner. And I guess I am not, but not being fast—as fast as I know I can go, sucks. It's all part of the long road back, and really, the need to get out for x amount of hours per week has been quelled since Elva. I still need to get out, but to obsess about getting 15 hours of training in, or whatever, just doesn't work with a kiddo. It makes the time had out there better, i'm sure.
The toughest thing is not knowing what i'm working for. The Victorian National series is really, really inconvenient for XC riders in SEQ, even moreso with a baby. Nope, don't really fancy travelling by air, followed by an epic roadtrip with a 1 year old, to go race what will no doubt be a diminished field of elite women. It doesn't make sense!
So, National Champs are in, but what else?
A near-entry in the Highland Fling 112km race on a singlespeed was quashed by rising airfares, and it was my fault for being a master procrastinator so when I went to commit to doing it, fares were $100 more expensive.
There are some cool stage races to be had, including the Hellfire Cup, Ingkerreke MTB Enduro and Wildside (which is biannual, which gives me plenty of time! Plus there is the Cape to Cape but i'm not organised enough for that yet...plus i'm still feeding Elva, like, ALL the time so will have to sort that out in time too).
Meanwhile, the Chariot is being rocked out as much as possible (apart from a week's hiatus corresponding to aforementioned lurgy), and I have even got some new MTB shoes, replacing the ones with the absent buckle which was ripped off during my first race post-Elva.
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| Swanky. |
I tried for an action shot, but failed. Here's the best attempt;
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| Handheld iPhone shoe-while-cycling photo attempt: Fail. |
And here's a picture of my child trying to escape the (convenient) confines of the baby bouncinette:
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| We call it baby alcatraz, but no doubt one day we'll be doing something and look at her and she will have successfully escaped its buckled confines. |
So, that's it! See you on the trails!