I've been waking up to write some days, writing when I find time other days. I'm in this slog of an editing phase, which I imagine can take 2-3x longer than actually writing the damn thing. You don't realize the habits you fall into until you read your own words with a critical eye. I've always been kind of critical of myself when I write, but I just wrote something that bugs me. Writing out the words "kind of" in that last sentence. If I were to edit this, which I will, I'd remove it. But I'll leave it in for this exercise. I also realize that it is easy to fall into the overuse of pronouns. I've recently been working this out. It's a neat exercise, learning experience, and pain in my ass. Anyway, I am around halfway through editing, though I have now added a layer to the editing, which means I'll need to go back and re-edit many of the original chapters. I am not going to reread this paragraph until after I submit, which means I won't edit this one.
Today was a fairly mundane day in the life & times of Things That Happen to Norm. I'm happy to see @taylor185 hasn't dropped off the face of the Earth. Barriers have never been a big problem for me. I don't know why it is the case, but beyond barriers, running hasn't typically been a big part of my racing career, and hasn't been a huge deal. I did manage to upgrade to a cat 2 despite being shit at running. This year, I've found both of the races I've done to be bit more of an issue in this regard. That's probably a combination of things, but I do have a considerable unwillingness to run, which is in itself a problem (as a side note, a topic I don't want to delve into just yet, is that my back has been sore under these race efforts, a new phenomenon which I also need to adapt to & address). What I'm seeing happen is this. Let's take Hippo as an example. By the time I am mired to a stop, my HR is skyrocketing, and getting off then on the bike is Under a Code Red Sky, if you will. I need to be trying to get off the bike in Orange, then run, then get back on while not blowing out entirely. I need to get better at regulating my effort. Even if I am not running like Usain Bolt, just a moderate jog & efficient remount would have been a massive advantage over that weak sauce I brought to Frenchtown.
I need to work on being ok with a more moderate relationship with getting off the bike and placing myself back on it when it is more prudent to do so.
My cross bike is done & clean. I may take it to the park and start to address this relationship tomorrow. I'm not quite full-ON a build just yet. But I do want to get 2 hard workouts in the next 4 days, then maybe a volume day depending. Today was just Zwift easy-moderate again. Black Mirror, White Christmas, the end of season 2. Good enough, some interesting things. We're 2 seasons in now, still no home runs.
@jShort - the aero press is a daily usage item. More than once a day. I'm getting it dialed now. It makes a good, clean cup and it's great when I have 5 minutes until my next meeting is going to start.
Also, you replied to my thread while I was writing it. I'm not sure if I will go back to this paragraph and add more, or wait until tomorrow. I'm not feeling especially verbose tonight so I may pull a Ray Guy and punt this one to tomorrow.
I was going to try to outline what is in store for the weekend both on & off the bike, but it's too complicated right now. So I'll go day-by-day. Right now tomorrow looks like this:
* Start the day with 10 hours needed to hit 40 for the week. Will try to knock out as many as I can. My goal is to be done with work by 10:30am on Friday, when my daily call ends.
* Get on the cross bike and check out my East County loop potential. Maybe do some hard work. WORK!
* Pick up Julia & her friend Briana from the school newspaper meeting, then get Simon, or vice versa. Actually vice versa.
* Go watch Zac's soccer game, which is in Warren, across the street from East County.
* Drop Simon off at his soccer practice at 4:30. Go back to get Zac from the game.
* Try to finish up D's bike. I took hers apart today. Her left side BB was almost totally seized.
* Reply to @jShort at the very least
Also, based on @2Julianas I may need to drive out to Brew362 and hang out and work there one day in the not-too-distant future. Google says 30 minutes by car.
Today was a fairly mundane day in the life & times of Things That Happen to Norm. I'm happy to see @taylor185 hasn't dropped off the face of the Earth. Barriers have never been a big problem for me. I don't know why it is the case, but beyond barriers, running hasn't typically been a big part of my racing career, and hasn't been a huge deal. I did manage to upgrade to a cat 2 despite being shit at running. This year, I've found both of the races I've done to be bit more of an issue in this regard. That's probably a combination of things, but I do have a considerable unwillingness to run, which is in itself a problem (as a side note, a topic I don't want to delve into just yet, is that my back has been sore under these race efforts, a new phenomenon which I also need to adapt to & address). What I'm seeing happen is this. Let's take Hippo as an example. By the time I am mired to a stop, my HR is skyrocketing, and getting off then on the bike is Under a Code Red Sky, if you will. I need to be trying to get off the bike in Orange, then run, then get back on while not blowing out entirely. I need to get better at regulating my effort. Even if I am not running like Usain Bolt, just a moderate jog & efficient remount would have been a massive advantage over that weak sauce I brought to Frenchtown.
I need to work on being ok with a more moderate relationship with getting off the bike and placing myself back on it when it is more prudent to do so.
My cross bike is done & clean. I may take it to the park and start to address this relationship tomorrow. I'm not quite full-ON a build just yet. But I do want to get 2 hard workouts in the next 4 days, then maybe a volume day depending. Today was just Zwift easy-moderate again. Black Mirror, White Christmas, the end of season 2. Good enough, some interesting things. We're 2 seasons in now, still no home runs.
@jShort - the aero press is a daily usage item. More than once a day. I'm getting it dialed now. It makes a good, clean cup and it's great when I have 5 minutes until my next meeting is going to start.
Also, you replied to my thread while I was writing it. I'm not sure if I will go back to this paragraph and add more, or wait until tomorrow. I'm not feeling especially verbose tonight so I may pull a Ray Guy and punt this one to tomorrow.
I was going to try to outline what is in store for the weekend both on & off the bike, but it's too complicated right now. So I'll go day-by-day. Right now tomorrow looks like this:
* Start the day with 10 hours needed to hit 40 for the week. Will try to knock out as many as I can. My goal is to be done with work by 10:30am on Friday, when my daily call ends.
* Get on the cross bike and check out my East County loop potential. Maybe do some hard work. WORK!
* Pick up Julia & her friend Briana from the school newspaper meeting, then get Simon, or vice versa. Actually vice versa.
* Go watch Zac's soccer game, which is in Warren, across the street from East County.
* Drop Simon off at his soccer practice at 4:30. Go back to get Zac from the game.
* Try to finish up D's bike. I took hers apart today. Her left side BB was almost totally seized.
* Reply to @jShort at the very least
Also, based on @2Julianas I may need to drive out to Brew362 and hang out and work there one day in the not-too-distant future. Google says 30 minutes by car.