update 1: exercise

so i have been severely slacking on the blogging. sometimes i have these little internal blog posts that i think i write, but i guess they just exist in my head, because i do not see them in my archives. in general, i need to keep reality check, because in addition to fake writing of blog posts, i think a lot of things go in my happy place that are not so much grounded in my temporal existence.

so since nationals, let me give a few high points in life. [ i will avoid the low points because i do not need anyone emailing me my favorite "cry for help" category of someecards: "the small of fresh country air makes me want to jump off a cliff" or "i like playing cards with no one" or " i usually set aside sunday nights for debilitating self-pity." trust me, i've seen them all. ]

exercise:
some people find the need to compulsively exercise and stay in shape. i am not one of them. in fact, good thing for my heart and overall health that i enjoy competitive sports, because otherwise i would be big, fat, out-of-shape, with congestive heart failure, diabetes, and hypertension. i missed exercising for approximately one day when i decided to go for a run. this was interesting. i did my standard 3 mile loop that i used to do regularly when i ran. it included going up the hill of death (jean ave, by the rose garden). i didn't go terribly fast, but still couldn't walk for the next three days. well, i could walk, but only in incredibly small steps like an old woman with a handbag stuffed with stolen sugar packets. you think i am kidding. i am sure i could have run again, but then i thought: why?

i don't enjoy it all that much any longer. i laughed as i was getting ready to go running. i put on my standard ratty old umbros from 8th grade and an old t-shirt. then i realized it might be cold, so i went through my closet to find some long pants. these were some kinda cute spandexy pants my friend had given me. then as i was rummaging through my closet, i ran across this cute nike tank top nike gave me when i was doing test product for them, which i had never worn, cause i don't run anymore. so i put it on, tied my shoes, and then as i was running VERY SLOW i realized i had become that woman that i always made fun of when i was an actual runner in high school and college: the slow woman in a cute outfit shuffling along at a slow clip. my track/xcountry friends and i would always laugh about these OLD women in these official getups going so slow. that was me. whatever. sometimes you sell out.

so i kinda sorta went running for less than 25 minutes one day. and i kinda sorta went on a mountain bike ride where i probably spent more time off the bike than on it. and on that same day i kinda sorta went on a really slow road ride where i represented like a true track rider with my incredible descending skills.

next piece of exercise were some goldsprints. for my new readers, these are some roller races with a fixed fork. my friend morgan wanted a track bike, so i was going to win her one. maybe i was a bit too cocky and sure of myself, figuring that of course i would win because i am undefeated and must be fast now that i took two full weeks off since track nationals. well, i lost. "cause, if you aren't first, your last." actually, i was second, with a poor time for myself. i felt bad for about 5 seconds that i lost cause i didn't win morgan that bike frame. but then i remembered two important things: 1) i lost to martina who is PRO. in fact, she should be embarrassed that she only beat me by a tenth of a second! 2) it would have cost mogan more to build that bike up than get a stock track bike from a store.

in review, we have:

1x 25min run

1x mtn bike ride/walk

1x 1.5hr rd ride where descending hill took longer than climbing hill

2x 22 sec gold sprints

of course i am ready for some racing at the track. ESPECIALLY, when the night before it is proceeded by a riveting game of big buck hunter. let me just say, i didn't feel so good getting up and getting to the track. then i had to find all my shit that i had just left sitting around the house since nationals. using a chainwhip hungover is almost as bad trying to do a race hungover. but, back to buckhunter. karla is my conspirator in this game. except i guess she wasn't as big as a lush as i was, although, she agreed that the HUGE hill up college ave toward broadway was WAY WORSE than any hill at the redlands classic.

so, anyway, the warmup was pretty awful. especially when hernando shook me from behind. that wasn't cool. before my race, i got my number pinned on by BJM. sure, other people were around and offered after they realized i had asked a superpro to pin on my number, but i told them i wanted a professional pin job. and now when i meet with michael ball about my keirin cut jeans, i am just going to say: "don't you know how important i am? ben jacque-mayne pins my number on." boom. who could argue with that logic.

so i signed up for the B scratch race. it hurt. i knew we were going slow, but anytime the pace got high and i had to get out of my saddle, well, that upward movement made me not feel good so i sat back down. that whole 12 minute race or whatever eternity it was, i just kept thinking: "you shot a doe!" and was hoping the video game would cut me off, but it it didn't. i kept getting dropped and thought i could get lapped, but then the stupid pack would keep slowing down so i would have to get back on. finally, i really gave up and got lapped. that was the best part of that day. then i changed clothes and opted out of the points race and instead ate a banana, a few apples, salad, and steered clear of that beer. yeah, i probably socialized a bit too, but i didn't feel much like talking.

well, i do have other pieces of news... but that will wait for another post, cause this one is already too long.

oh, but before i go-- check me out-- www.unattachedrider.com