This morning it is pretty brisk up here in Cable, Wisconsin. It is -8 right now and the ski race that Dennis runs starts in 45 minutes. There are close to 600 people signed up to ski either 42 or 24 kilometers. Classic skiing, not skate.
I don’t have any desire to do that/this, even if I could. For one, I don’t classic ski, don’t even own classic skis. Two, I don’t get enough personal reward from it to justify the potential suffering. I’m pretty sure I my number one sport could never be a winter sport.
Unless you are going to travel the world, following the cold weather, most winter athletes end up training way more than racing. Using nordic skiing for an example, the season is relatively short compared to cycling. The rest of the year you are doing some other sport to train. That isn’t that appealing to me.
Then, the first line of the paragraph above. Following the cold weather. Who wants to do that. I would be happy following warm weather around the planet, but going out of my way to be in cold weather doesn’t do it for me.
I say this, but am happy riding a cyclo-x when the conditions are harsh. But that is usually the exception and not the rule. And I do seem to function better athletically when I have cold water spraying on my legs, which isn’t the the optimal situation for road racing. But again, that doesn’t happen very often.
Anyway, cycling is my sport. We’re lucky there are so many different disciplines of it to keep us amused. It sort of amazes me when someone says they only ride road bikes. I try to convince them maybe they should expand their horizons and try riding on gravel some. No, I’m a road rider. There would be no way to convince them to ride MTB. I like it all and like switching around during the season. I like it all.
Funny observation. The afternoon before the night I was violently ill, I was horrible riding the trainer. Like 2/3’s the wattage as normal and I was struggling. Then yesterday, last night, I rode and I felt pretty good, nearly great. I think I must have been sick before I ate dinner that night and it just took that long to set in and progress to being terrible.
I’m going to suit up pretty soon and try to ski to the North turn around of the ski race. Trudi, Jeff Bradley, Deb Wood and George’s family are there feeding the skiers. I’m trying to figure out the quickest way to get there. I’m not going to ski with poles. That really didn’t work a couple days ago. Kind of setback for my ribs and thumb some.
The puppy is still lost. I’m hoping now that someone took her. Update**** Puppy found.
They put her dog bed out in a field and then this morning she was there. Pretty great.
Brooke is found!
This is Tesse, Mick and Beth’s puppy. I’m teaching her back habits with my cast.
