The Sick and Inferm

I joined the illin' club for the month of October. All of October, from start to finish. The start date was September 28th but the ending date is a little vague since I started bike commuting to work again last week, but I didn't dare race last weekend for fear of a relapse. Hopefully I'll be doing the double this weekend and I'm hoping that my legs will come back around quickly although I know that I'll be disappointed -- there's no way that I will have it back yet. If only...

Life kinda sucks when you're out of commission. One of the great joys that I have every day is my 13-mile commute each way to work and back because right now its just about the only "me" time that I get in a day. We are slammin at work, and when I get home I'm tackled and its non-stop until Kian goes to bed. When Kian goes to bed I'm usually so whooped that I'm not far behind. So while I was sick I had to forgo that pleasure and it made life seem so much more pointless: why am I doing all this? Speaking of commute...

I don't understand how so many people do the car thing. Its pathetic, really. If they only knew how much better they'd feel -- physically, emotionally, mentally, even morally, if they gave up the comfort of their damn cars and connected with their "world" a little bit. Physically its not that hard and after a few weeks of riding just about anyone could tackle just about any commute under 10-miles and then your time is better used -- who doesn't want to get fitter, healthier = happier? Emotionally it is such a "high" to be out in the environment -- even the urban landscape gives you such a satisfactory connection to your world. Mentally its vital -- instead of falling into lazy repetition, wake up and connect, engage, and you will find you are way more stimulated. Morally? I don't mean to play the highroad card but lets face it, traffic sucks and by extracting yourself from the rat race you feel as though you can look down upon the peons from on high. Choose the lowroad, but its your choice.

Stepping down from the soapbox, I'm leaving work early today to go train with the Danimal -- a local masters racer who has the monetary capacity to pay for me to be his ride buddy: Lang is his coach and sets up his plans, and I just ride along with him once or twice per week and crack the whip. This evening I'll be crackalackin!