I spent the last week getting trashed by a flu bug. Of course it came during a week of GREAT weekend weather, in which the entire fitness community no doubt gained great strides in fitness levels as I weakly sulked thru the days with pain, lethargy, and fever. Coming out of it I feel like I'm just starting an exercise routine. Even after a week I still don't feel 100%. So this past Tuesday, after a ridiculously early day at work (start time 4:30am) partly blamed on a recent run of reoccuring insomnia WTF?!, I hit a nearby starbucks, scrambled home and was in and out of the house in 30 seconds flat, well give or take a few LOL. Finally out for a ride! Temps were around 70 but came with with the penalty of strong constant winds. I was still a bit sluggish, but I was rollin... Of course I decided to get 50 in, after all I've got some major catching up to do! So what else but to ride out and see how the roads around Bluff road are doing. After riding into the winds solo, I wasn't even going to attempt to hang with a couple rider who came upon me. Not that I didn't WANT to, but I didn't have it in me. That was a bit disapointing but how do you expect to be strong, when you haven't been doing much over the last month? Again, to make up on lost time, I decided to swing back around and head into Lemont, crossing the bridge, I honestly thought I was going to be blown over,
not cool...Then came the snake bite in both quads as the evil Stephens street punished me with the added bonus of wind. However the ride back was with a tailwind so it was all good.
My cell rang quite a few times while out. Calls from my little guy wanting to know when I was going to be home, they wanted to go OUTSIDE. The calls reminded me they are only young once, and eventually I will be an idiot they probably don't want to be around. I'm at that point with my older one :( YEAH, the kids love ya, but they change. I loathe losing their admiration and desire to be around me all the time.
It did put a few things in perspective for this season. GOD I want to ride myself into Merckx like shape, but I may not have time to train enough for racing. I origonally stopped racing when my first little guy needed a coach, scout leader, and WANTED me to be around all the time. One of them is a bit older and I'm not his primary focus, and I now embarras him etc. My younger guy still wants me around - A LOT, and truth be told I won't miss out on any of it! They grow too fast. So its a bit of a dillema, but I will search for balance, and focus on what's always been most important. However the truth remains - NOTHING changes the pure joy of riding that I experience, even when tired and stupidly deciding to get some extra miles in by taking on Stephens street in headwinds after being out for a quite a while on one of your first solo long rides after some hefty down time. I came home "stoned on endorphins" got in a quick shower and off with my little guy for a spin around the neighborhood on his new BMX bike. I guess its called balance, priority and acceptance. Something we all need to work on.
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