Yesterday was a nice day. But, I don’t know where it went, much like a lot of days for me. Since Monday was a bank holiday, yesterday really felt more like Monday than Tuesday, thus today really feels much more like Tuesday, not Wednesday. I’m 90% sure I’m heading down to Texas tomorrow to race this weekend. So, I only have today to do everything I need to do to be gone a couple weeks. I’m not sure how that is going to go. But, like I’ve written before, it is much easier getting ready to road race than most the other disciplines of the sport I participate in.

I went by the “rental” house that I got the 3 cars stolen from last year and picked up the trash laying around the bushes yesterday morning. It is amazing to me how much trash blows around in the winter in those neighborhoods. I rarely need to pick up any trash in my neighborhood. I wonder what the difference is? I don’t see a bunch of people walking around throwing their garbage on the ground. It just seems to blow in from the North and get lodged under the bushes. I can say for certain, from vast trash picking up experience, the number one piece of individual trash is plastic grocery bags. 2nd is anything with a McDonalds emblem on it. I guess people must go by McDonalds, get take out and then just throw the bag out their car windows. That is the only explanation for all the McDonalds bags, cups, etc. laying around for me to pick up. Because I’ve picked up a ton.

The back yard of this house is fenced. When the last people moved out, they left a car tire there. Now they seem to be multiplying. I have no way to explain this either. It’s like someone came by and said, “Hey, there’s a car tire. I should go get my extra tires and bring them over here to keep this one company.” I really don’t even understand the process of how the tires are here. But they are.

I’m kind of thinking of getting one of those infrared camera systems that has 6 cameras that can record up to 1000 hours, or some stupid number, and mount them all over the house, just to learn what goes on when I’m not around. I bet it would be super entertaining.

Last night, Keith Walberg came by and did an interview for a film he is making about Snake Alley. It took a long time for him to set up his lights and all the equipment, just for a few minutes of footage. He’s been filming there the last couple years, so I’m sure he has some good stuff. He is a professional.

Anyway, I’ve been feeling pretty good riding my bike. Good enough that I really don’t what to do anything else other than ride my bike. That makes accomplishing any of the 5000 jobs that I have to do around here nearly impossible to start. And most of my projects aren’t just hour projects, they are much bigger.

So, today, I’m going to get on my cross bike and ride to Lawrence and back on gravel. It is supposed to be in the upper 60’s, but really windy. Really windy by Kansas standards, which is super windy. The river road should be the easiest to try to stay out of that wind, but it is pretty impossible to hide from totally. Then I’m going to glue on another tire to race this weekend, pack up my stuff and by then it will be midnight and I have to leave in 6 hours. That is going to make for a short night, but that is normal.

Trudi is flying back to Europe for Pairs-Nice on Tuesday, so she is packing for two months. It might be a couple months before she knows what day of the week it is again. I have it easy compared to her.

One tire has turned into 5.

Catherine using pipe wrenches as weights while Keith is messing with his equipment.

Doing an interview in the back of my basement was a first for me.

Fran, one of the kittens, that is now nearly a cat, was enjoying the commotion from a geranium pot, wintering in the basement.

Fran also has taken a liking to waffles in the morning. I think it is because Bromont likes them so much and she likes Bromont.

Being an athlete is pretty frustrating at times. I’ve been feeling pretty great training since returning from Wisconsin and skiing. I’ve been riding fairly long miles and have felt good the whole time. Twice out of the last three days I’ve ramped up the speed at the end of the ride. Both times I’ve felt great. I would take this form anytime of the year.

But yesterday, it was completely opposite. I didn’t feel good riding out the driveway. I probably should have just turned around and called it a day, but I kept riding my bike, hoping I’d snap out of it and feel better. I was riding on gravel down by the river, over to Lawrence, with a pretty good tailwind. And I still wasn’t going that easy. I was getting winded on the climbs and nothing seemed to be easy.

I got a cup of coffee in Lawrence and then started back against the headwind. I was starting to get mildly motivated, because I was still going over 20 mph most of the way back. But, I wasn’t feeling all that great. I was sometimes, but most of the time I was pretty iffy. 70 iffy miles. I then struggled walking Bromont last night and my leg muscles were still firing when I went to bed. None of this was good for my mentality.

I don’t get it. I don’t see what changes day to day to make you feel that much different riding one day to the next. I’ve never been one to call my shots. I have never understood it when I hear an interview from someone and he says that he is going great and is going to have a great race. Even if I’m supremely confident, I’d never say that. I would have to use the word hope instead of have. That is because I’m never 100% sure that it is going to be there, the form that is. Actually, it isn’t the form. The form is there. It’s the ability to access the form.

It’s not an age deal, I’ve always been like this. The best guess I have is something to do with allergies. That is historically. They have been burning some the last few days, so maybe that is it. Plus, I’m still having a tooth issue. A big enough issue that I’m staying here today to see the dentist and then hopefully going to Austin Friday early. I’m not going to put any pressure on my pedals the next two days. Well, a little, but not enough to get my legs tired or allow me to test myself. I was really looking forward to this weekends races in Austin, but now it’s a big question mark.

It is just February, I know, but since I have this left over cross fitness, I thought I would use it. Maybe not now, I guess I’ll see.