Monday morning the weekend's cold is still lingering but I can't resist a swim. So I haul myself, the bike and all my swim gear over to the pool at 7.30am to rack up laps with the old ladies and gents. I think after 42 laps that I might be able to make it to 60 but foot cramp kicks in. I can't be bothered to have that fight with my body so I give in and take my cold for a hot shower.
The ride from the pool to work is painfully slow
but it's a beautiful day and I have my hat on against the cold so I really enjoy myself. I arrive at the office and my friend Roger (here on to be known as my coach) asks if I'm OK. "Serendipitous" I reply. It's the only word I can think of to describe the feeling of being so tired and yet knowing that at 10am I am already satisfied with my day and work is merely consequential. The ride home in the evening is after sunset but the sky is first orange then inky blue with the tiniest hint of gold disappearing behind the field alongside the driveway. The shoots of green corn hinting at the summer ahead. I have the enthusiasm to manage some strength training, dragging my bags up the hills with the best resistance effort. I arrive home before blackness exhausted.
After a half hour of winding down with some unpacking and a change of clothes I repack for the next day and do it all again. I'd like to take Phoenix for some aero position training but I am committed to taking the hefty laptop to work.
Riding Lovely always makes of happy and I get ready for work with enthusiasm. If ever one of my steeds could be described as trusty it's this one. I go through my usual routine before leaving the house and am horified to find that most of the previous day's nutrition leaves my body in one go. Sorry if you're eating your breakfast but I've not been convinced that sandwich shop that serves work has the best hygeine standards for some time. Apart from the shakes and a slight feeling of nausea I feel OK so I resolutely cook up a 1.25litre bottle of protein drink and slowly ride to work drinking it along the way. To my relief, this solution seems to work.
The spoils of intended road repairs on my country lane routes are welcome but for now I have to head home through the villages so I can efficiently avoid potholes in the streetlighting instead of bouncing about in the thin beam of my bike light. Again I get in exhausted but this time I have the satisfaction that work has a job well done and a deadline met on time.
Pancakes. It's time to cook pancakes.
1 comment:
Sheesh woman, you area machine!
Inspiring and intimidating :)
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