10.8.2010 MTN Bike, MTN Bike how do I love thee
Let me count the ways.
I have a new drill for mountain biking. Coasting, ride without pedaling only using your body to manuveur the bike. Pedal as little as possible, practice turning through the apex, so don’t be surprised if you see this on your workouts or in a tip of the day.
I’m getting better and better at handling the bike and for that I am grateful.
Today after work, I went for therapy at Horseshoe. Nothing dramatic, just a once around, thought it would be an hour, not even close. So any way, it felt soooo good, and it reminded me again how much Mountain Biking is a simile for life. Today it was a matter of getting over stuff. See?
It feels so good to be back. I even rode on my weak hand on the handlebars. I even road no hands on smooth trail. It feels so good to be back. Mountain Bike, Mountain Bike, How did I miss thee.
I’m in Austin, and it’s way, way, way past my bedtime. Like way, and I have a 4:30 AM wake up call. I have to take a shower and shave before going, as well, as cooking my 4 eggs, and warming up my coffee. I love the way I travel. It’s so easy. Not to get ready for, once I’m there.
There’s some stuff you probably don’t know about me:
1) I jumped off a boat in San Francisco Bay @ Alcatrez Island and I swam across the bay to shore. 1.5 miles. It was a slow swim, because I took the advice of the author of the book who wrote how to swim Alcatrez and I did breast stroke and backstroke to fully understand the marvel of being in the middle of San Francisco Bay. It’s truly amazing. It was a scary swim, there’s a lot of current and I only saw one person the whole time I was out there, not even a kayak. I did see one boat. I kept thinking I was going to drift out of the bay and up to Angel Island to the Great White Shark nesting area. I can’t wait to do that again. I told my oldest monkey, I would like to swim Alcatrez Island with you some time. I didn’t know at the time, it’s was the worst swim ever in the history of the race. It didn’t seem hard to me, but that’s what Ken told me upon finishing, he had over heard the swim directors talking. Apparently there were 6-8 foot swells out there. Oh, that’s why I didn’t see anybody while I was out there. The crazy thing was, I saw nothing/nobody and when I saw pictures in a magazine I saw that the course was heavily marked, like a street, lined with kayaks. It was fun and I”m really looking forward to swimming it again, faster.
2) I swam across the widest part of the Mississippi River from Pepin Wisconsin to Lake City Minnesota. That was awesome too. No wetsuit for that one. It was 2 miles and it took me an hour, with resting on my dear friend Kim’s kayak. That must have been one boring paddle for him. There were 4-6 foot swells there. I would do that again too.
3) I got hyperthermia training for Alcatrez, jumping into the Mississippi when there was still ice in it. Brr. It wasn’t the water, it was the ambient air. That part I wasn’t going to really say, the memory came to be, and frankly it was fond. Even though I was so cold I almost fell back into the river.
So tomorrow I do my third long swim of my life. I guess, when you get so old you fart dust, you begin to do these things in multiples. I swim across Lake Travis in Austin Texas. I have wanted to do it for years, I was blinded by the bike. And then, I realized, swim long in the summer of Texas pick an endurance swim in the fall to train for. I wasn’t really sure if I would be where I needed to be because of the whole jaw thing, I managed. And I learned how to swim without my jaw slipping 6 mm back into joint.
I’m not swimming the whole 12 miles on my own. I am swimming on a 6 person relay, with a pontoon boat, and a kayak, so we’ll each put in 2 miles, or there abouts. If given the chance, I would swim more. If I were able to. I’m the kind I would push it. I can swim a 4k, so why not.
There is one person, I can’t wait to check it out, they are swimming the whole thing solo. That is admirable. Very admirable. I want to shake his hand, while I drop to my knees in praise about what a mighty warrior he is. Or maybe I want to just slap him and tell him he’s crazy. 😮
So I’ll fill you in, I only know 2 of my teammates, and not very well, so it is going to be interesting.
In the parking lot, I was already breathing better.
OK, about 5 hours of sleep it will be if I’m lucky. This is going to be brutal. Let’s hope it’s the best 5 hours, ever.