My days haven't been demonic lately, but they have been a tad blue. I'm having to end something I wish I wouldn't have to end. I put alot of time, effort, emotion, and dedication into it and never received much in return. It was pretty much a one-sided effort on my part and many miscommunicated (or unsaid) words from the other part. This is tough, really tough.
In other news, the Brandi Carlile concert was amazing. I rode my scooter to the Pageant and had VIP parking on the sidewalk:) Brandi will keep growing as a musician; it's obvious in how steadily her style changes. Next week is Nickel Creek and those folks definitely know how to get down.
My training is going really well. Brian has me doing mainly technique workouts and after 3 weeks I can already feel the improvements. I've been occasionally waking up at 6 to ride before work and it's neat seeing so many cyclists so early in the morning. I don't want this to come across rude, but I feel like the true cyclists are those who have lights and cold weather gear so they can ride all year long. Dedication is shown when one can wake up at 5 or 6 to ride in complete darkness, howling winds, and through neighborhoods with crack dealers hollering at you.
This weekend is blog-worthy. I have so many fun events planned - finally! Because of [paragraph 1] I am learning how to make myself happy again and therefore made sure to be social for the first weekend in a long time. Tonight I'm hanging out with my ex, Jess. Tomorrow I am working out, getting my haircut (lawyer style but still keeping it hip), getting brunch with Beth and Laura (old HS buddies!) and spending the rest of the afternoon with them, then getting drinks with the Conley twins who want to introduce me to a hot bartender. My cousin was going to have a wedding shower that evening, but her fiance's relative died and they are flying to Belgium to visit his family. Sunday is my last day at the bike shop, so hopefully we will go out afterwards and grab some beers to reminisce over.
You may be wondering how my brother is doing. I don't really have an answer. He wrote my mom saying he is doing well and needs music put onto my iPod I lent him and also wants cigarettes. I hate the fact that he's smoking and wish he could divert his addictive behavior toward running and cycling.
Oh, and I called the psychologist to schedule an appointment (mainly because of paragraph 1 and paragraph 5). My mom is sick of hearing about it, and rightfully so, and I think this woman will have more to say.
Bike on!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Century Shmentury
I did my first century yesterday. More to come. I am grabbing coffee with a friend in a few minutes...
...ok, so we started the ride around 7:30am at the Schafly Taproom. It was a nice start because J.D. and I sat behind the Bicycle Fun Club crew who led the way. The route was clearly marked with pink arrows, but it was much easier to keep a steady pace behind riders who knew where they were going.
We only ran into a few mishaps. Getting off the first ferry was a bit humorous, and slightly annoying. All of the riders rode off of the ferry onto the road, but it started with an uphill climb. As you can guess, many could not shift down and either unclipped or fell in front of other riders. I managed to stay clipped in and ride away from what felt like a route covered in land mines.
Later when Damian was pulling J.D. and I along the ENTIRE Alton river road, he rode across railroad tracks diagonally to avoid getting his wheels stuck, and ended up riding too close to the curb and flew head first into a dirt ditch. He hopped back up with a bloody leg and dirty jersey, but was determined to score some chicks with his new road rash (and perfectly unscathed bike).
Riding back along the river and on a desolate Illinois highway was rough, mentally. My feet were KILLING me and the wind was relentless, but I managed to pull for a while and felt strong. Once we rode into the city our moods changed. The Rams game had just let out and people were everywhere. We swerved through traffic and pedestrians and ended up finishing right at 100 miles.
J.D. and Damian, I couldn't have done it without you guys. What a blast! I just need to wait another year to do a century...my feet need some rest!
...ok, so we started the ride around 7:30am at the Schafly Taproom. It was a nice start because J.D. and I sat behind the Bicycle Fun Club crew who led the way. The route was clearly marked with pink arrows, but it was much easier to keep a steady pace behind riders who knew where they were going.
We only ran into a few mishaps. Getting off the first ferry was a bit humorous, and slightly annoying. All of the riders rode off of the ferry onto the road, but it started with an uphill climb. As you can guess, many could not shift down and either unclipped or fell in front of other riders. I managed to stay clipped in and ride away from what felt like a route covered in land mines.
Later when Damian was pulling J.D. and I along the ENTIRE Alton river road, he rode across railroad tracks diagonally to avoid getting his wheels stuck, and ended up riding too close to the curb and flew head first into a dirt ditch. He hopped back up with a bloody leg and dirty jersey, but was determined to score some chicks with his new road rash (and perfectly unscathed bike).
Riding back along the river and on a desolate Illinois highway was rough, mentally. My feet were KILLING me and the wind was relentless, but I managed to pull for a while and felt strong. Once we rode into the city our moods changed. The Rams game had just let out and people were everywhere. We swerved through traffic and pedestrians and ended up finishing right at 100 miles.
J.D. and Damian, I couldn't have done it without you guys. What a blast! I just need to wait another year to do a century...my feet need some rest!
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