Epic and humbling. My mind is abuzz with lessons learned and a fresh reminder of what life can be. First things first, I did not complete the 400 miles. There is no way to lessen the embarassment caused by my preparation falling so far short of the challenge. The Appalachian Mountains are unmoved and impassive. They hide nothing and accept no challenge. The shame is that I, a supposedly sentient being, was surprised by an obstacle that should not have been surprising. It has been in its present location for over 400 million years. Simply put, I was not prepared and I have no excuse. Why is this so important? Because this kind of gulf between expectation and reality with regard to an event like the Tour Divide could be disastrous. Clearly, I have some work to do on the mental side.
Now on to what I learned from this weekend.
1. Do not attempt this again unless I am 100 percent. Considering that I did not train hills and I was too heavy, a healthy me had a razor thin margin of error. Perhaps my heart would still have sounded like a trip-hammer in my ears on the steeper sections of the climbs if I were virus-free, but I doubt it.
2. Do not take equipment without testing it first. My sleep system was a farce. I had no confidence that it would work at all. Consequently, when it came time to consider sleeping options on Friday night, I did not seriously entertain the idea of pitching my tarp and sleeping outside. File this under the heading "train like you race."
3. Don't eat things you haven't eaten during training. My mental focus began falling apart after a stop at Subway Friday afternoon. I ordered two BMTs which I always top with vinegar and oil. I get the feeling it was the vinegar but I can't be sure. All I know is that I was nauseous for the next six hours. Almost all training rides leading up to the AML included Subway, but I would have turkey or chicken breast. I don't know why I changed, and the details aren't particularly relevant. What I do know is I have to train as I will race.
4. Think small or stated in New Age-speak, "be in the now". I have been working on this but I still have work to do. My brain has a tendency to want to jump ahead on the route. This is bad because my body hasn't covered the distance to catch up with my mind, and one of two things will happen without intervention. One possibility is that I will grow increasingly frustrated as my head thinks I am moving too slow. The other possibility is that my body will try to keep up with my mind, and I will burn out.
5. Know the route. I missed a bakery. REALLY?! Without a well-placed campground I certainly would have run out of water, and who wouldn't benefit from some warm, flaky confection. MMMmmmmm...
As for the ride itself, the 40 hours from the time I left Blacksburg until I returned will take up a lot of space in my memory. Similar to the way eight weeks of Basic Training hold more space in the banks of my mind than some entire years, this ride had so many noteworthy moments and lessons to teach I will be reflecting and recounting them for a long time. I think this blog post has reached a reasonable size so I will write up the trip report and post it separately.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Kit
Here's a couple of pictures of the bike with the kit nearly complete. The seat bag still needs to be added which will require a rethink of the bottle carrier though I think I've got that solved. Nothing I'm using is custom. Without some experience, customizing seemes like a waste of time.
Garmin eTrex 20
NiteRider 1400 PRO
Profile Design aerobars
Revelate bags; Gas Tank, large Tangle, and Viscacha
Seat tube bottle holder
Kenda XC Smallblock 8s (32mm) w/tubes
Pearl Izumi bibs
Spare shorts (to double-up possibly)
Nike Dri-fit (15 years old and fantastically warm on 40-degree mornings)
Long-fngered windproof gloves
Halo sweatband (love this thing!)
Generic lightweight rain gear (from my bike messenger days)
RayWay Quilt and tarp (didn't finish the Net-Tent in time, could be trouble)
1/8" ultralight sleeping pad (cut to 4 feet)
Perpetuem
Aleve
Generic multi-tool, mini-leatherman, tire levers
two spares tubes
Pump and CO2
Assos chamois cream
Vaseline
Baby Gold Bond powder (for the nethers at sleepy time)
NiteRider 1400 PRO
Profile Design aerobars
Revelate bags; Gas Tank, large Tangle, and Viscacha
Seat tube bottle holder
Kenda XC Smallblock 8s (32mm) w/tubes
Pearl Izumi bibs
Spare shorts (to double-up possibly)
Nike Dri-fit (15 years old and fantastically warm on 40-degree mornings)
Long-fngered windproof gloves
Halo sweatband (love this thing!)
Generic lightweight rain gear (from my bike messenger days)
RayWay Quilt and tarp (didn't finish the Net-Tent in time, could be trouble)
1/8" ultralight sleeping pad (cut to 4 feet)
Perpetuem
Aleve
Generic multi-tool, mini-leatherman, tire levers
two spares tubes
Pump and CO2
Assos chamois cream
Vaseline
Baby Gold Bond powder (for the nethers at sleepy time)
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Gear purchases for the AML
Decisions have been made. Websites have been visited. Paypal has been remunerated. Gear has been ordered. I settled on Revelate for bags. I liked Ollie's TD setup so I stole it. A Viscacha, Tangle, and Gas Tank are en route from Alaska as I type this. For not-getting-lost I chose the Garmin eTrex 20. Again, this appears to be a popular choice amongst the Dividerati. I am a little puzzled as it appears at first blush as if you can attach a bike mount OR a carabiner as a tether, but not both. I need to give it a closer look this evening.
As I've stated in a previous post, I am going with the RayWay Quilt, Tarp, and Net-Tent. This choice necessitates a sleeping pad as the quilt has no bottom. For that I chose a ProLite Gear EvoPad 1/8. It's 7' long and weighs 3.5 ounces! Pretty cool. Hopefully it's comfortable. I'll cut it down once I've figured out my sleep position and how warm my legs need to be. One final, small purchase that I expect to be very important is a Halo Headband. I've recently gone away from wearing contacts while riding to 'scripts sports glasses. They have two drawbacks; one, they collect sweat on the inside, and two, they fog up on really humid days especially as it cools in the evening. I'm hoping the Halo will fix both problems though the fogging problem may require some spit as well.
My choice of light was picked a while ago and I've used it extensively over the last two months, a Niterider PRO 1400. It's super-bright, and works great for single-track except that it sometimes comes off its mount. I don't ride much single-track in the dark so I haven't yet figured out what makes it stay on which is about 40% of the time. While the PRO 1400 should be fine for the AML I may need to consider the Mi-Newt for the TD. The time and resources to charge the PRO 1400 8-cell battery seems like it will put some unnecessarily harsh limitations on my lodging options. Finally, I'm taking a closer look at my tires. 235 miles of pavement versus 78 miles of rail-trail, 65 miles of forest roads, 22 miles of easements, and NO single-track has me strongly considering cross tires instead of the standard MTB tires. I hope to have pictures up as soon as I get the bags and pack them.
As I've stated in a previous post, I am going with the RayWay Quilt, Tarp, and Net-Tent. This choice necessitates a sleeping pad as the quilt has no bottom. For that I chose a ProLite Gear EvoPad 1/8. It's 7' long and weighs 3.5 ounces! Pretty cool. Hopefully it's comfortable. I'll cut it down once I've figured out my sleep position and how warm my legs need to be. One final, small purchase that I expect to be very important is a Halo Headband. I've recently gone away from wearing contacts while riding to 'scripts sports glasses. They have two drawbacks; one, they collect sweat on the inside, and two, they fog up on really humid days especially as it cools in the evening. I'm hoping the Halo will fix both problems though the fogging problem may require some spit as well.
My choice of light was picked a while ago and I've used it extensively over the last two months, a Niterider PRO 1400. It's super-bright, and works great for single-track except that it sometimes comes off its mount. I don't ride much single-track in the dark so I haven't yet figured out what makes it stay on which is about 40% of the time. While the PRO 1400 should be fine for the AML I may need to consider the Mi-Newt for the TD. The time and resources to charge the PRO 1400 8-cell battery seems like it will put some unnecessarily harsh limitations on my lodging options. Finally, I'm taking a closer look at my tires. 235 miles of pavement versus 78 miles of rail-trail, 65 miles of forest roads, 22 miles of easements, and NO single-track has me strongly considering cross tires instead of the standard MTB tires. I hope to have pictures up as soon as I get the bags and pack them.
The deep breath before the plunge
I am afraid, excited and afraid. I am three days away from the AML and I started developing a sore throat Sunday night. It's no worse today but it is still there. I haven't done any serious riding for more than a week. My sleep system is still not done which means I'll be field testing it during the ride. At least it's not supposed to rain so maybe it won't be too bad. And last but not least, my back has started tightening up. Any cyclist knows how deadly this is as the back is the plane off of which your hips and legs generate their power. Any loss of suppleness correlates to a loss of power. I visited my chiropractor yesterday but the adjustment did little to address the root problem. At this point, stretching is all I can do.
This whole build-up reminds me of the 1992 Duathlon World Championships. I raced the qualifier on a whim with almost no training though I was much more active than I have been over the last few years, and rarely did I weigh more than 190 pounds. I ended up 13th overall, and 2nd in my age group which got me an invite to the World's. One week before leaving for Germany I caught some kind of living death from a classmate, but I still went, and I still raced. I survived. That's all. All week I woke up in a pool of sweat, and the only thing I could keep down was water. I survived.
So that's what I need to do here; survive. I have let go of all expectations. Let's be clear; I needed to do this anyhow. The stupidest thing I could have done was line up on the starting line with a finishing time in mind. So many things are going to happen that I am likely not prepared for that adding another requirement (because that's how my mind will view it) will only serve to wreck whatever positive mental attitude I have. Yes, letting go of some baseless goal was necessary, I just wish I didn't have to get sick to do it.
The race is still 90% likely for me. The potential severity of the cold has me a little unsure of how I should proceed. I have to consider the possibility of getting walloped by this thing on Friday night after I've spent the day draining my energy and compromising my immune system. I cannot be wiped out 150 miles from my car with no transportation other than my bike. Or maybe I can. This whole adventure is an exercise outside of my comfort zone. Just how far outside I go is a question still to be answered.
This whole build-up reminds me of the 1992 Duathlon World Championships. I raced the qualifier on a whim with almost no training though I was much more active than I have been over the last few years, and rarely did I weigh more than 190 pounds. I ended up 13th overall, and 2nd in my age group which got me an invite to the World's. One week before leaving for Germany I caught some kind of living death from a classmate, but I still went, and I still raced. I survived. That's all. All week I woke up in a pool of sweat, and the only thing I could keep down was water. I survived.
So that's what I need to do here; survive. I have let go of all expectations. Let's be clear; I needed to do this anyhow. The stupidest thing I could have done was line up on the starting line with a finishing time in mind. So many things are going to happen that I am likely not prepared for that adding another requirement (because that's how my mind will view it) will only serve to wreck whatever positive mental attitude I have. Yes, letting go of some baseless goal was necessary, I just wish I didn't have to get sick to do it.
The race is still 90% likely for me. The potential severity of the cold has me a little unsure of how I should proceed. I have to consider the possibility of getting walloped by this thing on Friday night after I've spent the day draining my energy and compromising my immune system. I cannot be wiped out 150 miles from my car with no transportation other than my bike. Or maybe I can. This whole adventure is an exercise outside of my comfort zone. Just how far outside I go is a question still to be answered.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Check myself before I wreck myself
Yes, I've been racking up mileage, but have I been climbing? Well...no. This past Saturday was my first attempt to remedy that. With the help of my new eTrex, Google Maps, Google Earth, and GPSBabel, I created a GPX file that would get me to Malabar Farms, home of many short and steep climbs. I still don't think I approached anything close to what I'll see on the Appalachian Mountains Loop. About the best I can hope for within 100 miles of the house is 400-500 feet of elevation change total, and none of the climbs are more than maybe 300 feet of vertical gain. The kicker is that I more or less had my lunch handed to me over 146 miles. Matters were not helped by me forcing my body into a total bonk. It's kind of funny now, but at the time I thought it would be a good idea to see how I would react mentally and physically if I ran out of food and water. It could happen on the AML so why not be prepared, I thought. So how did I react? Uh, not well. The only lesson I learned is make damn sure I don't run out of food and water. My mood could have best been described as blackout. Just guessing but I was probably about 15 minutes away from going feral. Not surprisingly the ride taken as a whole was a bit of a confidence shaker.
Over the last couple of days I've reflected on the ride and looked at the component pieces that conspired to knock me off my perch, and I realize it's probably for the best. I've been starting to form some unrealistic expectations of what can be accomplished during the AML. As much as I am about the journey and not the destination, I have a bad habit of setting unrealistic goals that aren't based on anything other than mostly wild-ass guesses. Saturday's ride was a Chuck Norris roundhouse to the temple, shattering some of the crazy notions I had about how I was going to conquer the AML. Humility is once again my watchword, and my ego is riding in the backseat with it's mouth taped shut.
Over the last couple of days I've reflected on the ride and looked at the component pieces that conspired to knock me off my perch, and I realize it's probably for the best. I've been starting to form some unrealistic expectations of what can be accomplished during the AML. As much as I am about the journey and not the destination, I have a bad habit of setting unrealistic goals that aren't based on anything other than mostly wild-ass guesses. Saturday's ride was a Chuck Norris roundhouse to the temple, shattering some of the crazy notions I had about how I was going to conquer the AML. Humility is once again my watchword, and my ego is riding in the backseat with it's mouth taped shut.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Roll with it
What a weekend! It had all the hallmarks of being an ordinary, "didn't ride as much as I wanted" weekend. Instead, I racked up 205 miles over two days, and got my ass handed to me at Frankenbike.
The week had been less than stellar, riding just 2 of the five days so I was pinning a lot on the weekend. I rode Friday morning in the hopes of fitting in two rides, but it just wasn't to be. I still want to be a father and husband so I bagged the afternoon ride in favor of a family dinner and the wife and I working our way through season 5 of Dexter. It was a good evening and I was excited about the weekend cycling plans. Keith, a seasoned MTBer and I had planned for Saturday at Mohican with 24 miles of singletrack as our playground. Unfortunately, the threat of thunderstorms forced us to push to Sunday which opened up the day for me to plan a day-long ride. Then came the curveball.
My wife scheduled an aerobics class for 9:15 on Saturday morning. My daughter had a friend sleeping over and I could not provide adequate parental supervision, or make pancakes, from sixty miles away. Improvisation demanded and delivered. I had a quilt and tent that needing sewing and I needed to learn how to sew. OK, I can adapt. My mother-in-law was hastily called in to teach me to sew on Saturday morning. Fine.
Except Saturday morning my wife was home from aerobics at 9:30 from a class that doesn't end until 10:15. What the hell?! Suffice it to say, she did not attend. I'm sorry to say that I was more than a little annoyed and was feeling very self-righteous; something along the lines of "does she have no respect for what I trying to do?" I can't change the fact that I thought this, but I am thankful I did not give voice to these thoughts, and with a little reflection I realize just how much she is accomodating me and my lunacy; just another lesson in humility and perspective.
So the net of all these changes was that I left for a ride around 11:30 with a brief stop at the Westerville Bike Shop to discuss cleat position and knee issues with Mike. And just in case I haven't said it before, Mason and Mike are awesome. Forget Trek, Roll, BicycleOne and BikeSource, if you want good advice that comes from a lifetime of riding and repairing bikes, go see Mason or Mike at the Westerville Bike Shop. They are not interested in getting rich. They just want everyone to ride a bike and enjoy it. Love those guys!
I had no firm plans on my route as I rolled out of Westerville, and I found myself taking the right-hand fork in Galena that leads to Sunbury. Then onto North Old 3C Highway which after two rights and two lefts leads to Centerburg and my old friend, the Heart of Ohio Trail. A few course deviations were required but I ended up riding to Fredericksburg and back, 180 miles and 90 minutes faster thant the first time I rode it. Hurrah! Even better, the cleat adjustment must have been spot-on as there was zero knee pain or soreness. This is welcome news. For the mileage I am planning, my position has to be near perfect. Any misalignment will manifest in a knee, an ankle, my lower back... I know that position is a moving target, and there will be adjustments from season-to-season, year-to-year, and bike-to-bike. It just feels good to be somewhere solid right now. Finally, I arrived home on Sunday morning just after 1:00. I was cold and tired. After 13 hours of riding, I had just 11 hours before Frankenbike started. Yeah, Keith and I settled on Frankenbike instead of Mohican. For me, it was somewhere around the 103-mile point. It was clearly a case of biting off more than I could chew.
Sunday morning...I mean later Sunday morning, I wake before 7:00. Damn my body clock! Coffee, pasta, bibs into the washer and dryer, swap my rear tire for something with some tread, and off we go for who knows what. We arrive 20 minutes before the race (I mean ride!) begins. We make it in time to be treated to a truly magnificent pre-ride briefing. More f-bombs than you could shake a f***ing stick at put everyone in the right mood for what lay ahead. And oh, what lay ahead! Up or down, no flat for me! I weigh about 20 pounds more than Keith but that does not fully account for the difference in climbing speed. I would wager that he might be the best 220-pound climber you'll ever meet. And he is a gifted descender. He will defer and give credit to his full-suspension Salsa rig, but it's a lot more him than it is the bike. Unfortunately, I was cooked after 25 miles and did not (could not) go out for the second loop. I took a nap while Keith tackled the second 25. Yes, I was tired from the previous day's effort, but the real story is that I do not climb enough and I will pay for that at the AML. That is for sure. Credit to Mason and his crew for a great course and some great entertainment. Finally, Scioto Trails has some epic singletrack, and I highly encourage an excursion if you are in the area.
For the record, 283 miles (new high) for the week and a weigh-in of 236.2 pounds (new low).
The week had been less than stellar, riding just 2 of the five days so I was pinning a lot on the weekend. I rode Friday morning in the hopes of fitting in two rides, but it just wasn't to be. I still want to be a father and husband so I bagged the afternoon ride in favor of a family dinner and the wife and I working our way through season 5 of Dexter. It was a good evening and I was excited about the weekend cycling plans. Keith, a seasoned MTBer and I had planned for Saturday at Mohican with 24 miles of singletrack as our playground. Unfortunately, the threat of thunderstorms forced us to push to Sunday which opened up the day for me to plan a day-long ride. Then came the curveball.
My wife scheduled an aerobics class for 9:15 on Saturday morning. My daughter had a friend sleeping over and I could not provide adequate parental supervision, or make pancakes, from sixty miles away. Improvisation demanded and delivered. I had a quilt and tent that needing sewing and I needed to learn how to sew. OK, I can adapt. My mother-in-law was hastily called in to teach me to sew on Saturday morning. Fine.
Except Saturday morning my wife was home from aerobics at 9:30 from a class that doesn't end until 10:15. What the hell?! Suffice it to say, she did not attend. I'm sorry to say that I was more than a little annoyed and was feeling very self-righteous; something along the lines of "does she have no respect for what I trying to do?" I can't change the fact that I thought this, but I am thankful I did not give voice to these thoughts, and with a little reflection I realize just how much she is accomodating me and my lunacy; just another lesson in humility and perspective.
So the net of all these changes was that I left for a ride around 11:30 with a brief stop at the Westerville Bike Shop to discuss cleat position and knee issues with Mike. And just in case I haven't said it before, Mason and Mike are awesome. Forget Trek, Roll, BicycleOne and BikeSource, if you want good advice that comes from a lifetime of riding and repairing bikes, go see Mason or Mike at the Westerville Bike Shop. They are not interested in getting rich. They just want everyone to ride a bike and enjoy it. Love those guys!
I had no firm plans on my route as I rolled out of Westerville, and I found myself taking the right-hand fork in Galena that leads to Sunbury. Then onto North Old 3C Highway which after two rights and two lefts leads to Centerburg and my old friend, the Heart of Ohio Trail. A few course deviations were required but I ended up riding to Fredericksburg and back, 180 miles and 90 minutes faster thant the first time I rode it. Hurrah! Even better, the cleat adjustment must have been spot-on as there was zero knee pain or soreness. This is welcome news. For the mileage I am planning, my position has to be near perfect. Any misalignment will manifest in a knee, an ankle, my lower back... I know that position is a moving target, and there will be adjustments from season-to-season, year-to-year, and bike-to-bike. It just feels good to be somewhere solid right now. Finally, I arrived home on Sunday morning just after 1:00. I was cold and tired. After 13 hours of riding, I had just 11 hours before Frankenbike started. Yeah, Keith and I settled on Frankenbike instead of Mohican. For me, it was somewhere around the 103-mile point. It was clearly a case of biting off more than I could chew.
Sunday morning...I mean later Sunday morning, I wake before 7:00. Damn my body clock! Coffee, pasta, bibs into the washer and dryer, swap my rear tire for something with some tread, and off we go for who knows what. We arrive 20 minutes before the race (I mean ride!) begins. We make it in time to be treated to a truly magnificent pre-ride briefing. More f-bombs than you could shake a f***ing stick at put everyone in the right mood for what lay ahead. And oh, what lay ahead! Up or down, no flat for me! I weigh about 20 pounds more than Keith but that does not fully account for the difference in climbing speed. I would wager that he might be the best 220-pound climber you'll ever meet. And he is a gifted descender. He will defer and give credit to his full-suspension Salsa rig, but it's a lot more him than it is the bike. Unfortunately, I was cooked after 25 miles and did not (could not) go out for the second loop. I took a nap while Keith tackled the second 25. Yes, I was tired from the previous day's effort, but the real story is that I do not climb enough and I will pay for that at the AML. That is for sure. Credit to Mason and his crew for a great course and some great entertainment. Finally, Scioto Trails has some epic singletrack, and I highly encourage an excursion if you are in the area.
For the record, 283 miles (new high) for the week and a weigh-in of 236.2 pounds (new low).
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Labor Day update
I have reached a plateau. I knew it would come sooner or later. I've lost right around 40 pounds and the body seems to be fighting my attempts to lose more. My initial response in the past has been frustration followed by ever more desperate weight loss techniques. This time around I'm shooting for a reasonable response. For instance, I had a flat week and indulged this weekend. I shouldn't really be surprised that I continue to hover around the 240 mark. Fortunately, I can refer to spreadsheet tracking my weight loss for a little bit of reassurance and motivation.
The long Sunday ride (130 miles) was preceded on Saturday by a 56-mile ride where I averaged 16 mph. I am slowly starting to put back-to-back long rides together. Sunday was a pretty important ride mostly because I started out feeling uncomfortable in the saddle and I didn't have the freshest legs. There will be days during the TD where I feel lousy so I need some familiarity. The on and off rain made sure I never really got comfortable. I was constantly up and out of the saddle to give my hindparts a break. I managed about 13 mph but the chafing got pretty bad towards the end and I'm still feeling it 36 hours later. I'm happy to have ridden the distance I intended when not at my best. Clearly though, I'm going to have to find a way to prevent the chafing as it results from pretty much any ride over four hours. I think I'll give Vaeline a try next. I thought Gold Bond powder would be the answer but it's difficult to apply while wearing bibs. Trailside just doesn't seem private enough for a proper application. Not to mention that when the rain is pouring no amount of powder is going to work.
On the kit assembly, I received my materials from Ray Jardine and have begun making the quilt. I had a heck of a time cutting the material with the scissors we own. Today will include a visit to the crafts store for a pair that can cut fabric. I'm really impressed with the package from Ray. For someone that's a total noob with a sewing machine, I find his instructions thorough and extremely helpful. I'm hoping the results are worthy of the design. More importantly, I hope it allows me restful sleep.
So here's a quick aside about surprises. The scissors reminded me that surprises are generally not good. The last three or four years I've been working on a list of universal truths. One that's been hard to get a handle on is this; the fewer surprises a person experiences, the happier they are. That's the working statement, subject to revision or complete dismissal. My thinking goes like this. As children we are conditioned to think surprises are good. Christmas and birthday presents are often purchased and held under a veil of secrecy while the child eagerly counts the days. Trips to the movies, the mall, or the playground are surprise rewards for good behavior. These are all parental constructs that manufacture the idea of a good surprise. In reality, surprises are seldom good news. In my experience, surprises often grow out of little things that repeatedly escape our notice until they become big show-stopping problems. Stranded on the side of the rode because the car ran out of gas or broke down due to missed maintenance? No milk for the kid's cereal? Getting calls from collections because a bill is past due? Putting on ten or fifteen pounds a year? These things are not inevitable. They usually just require us to pay attention. As I write this, I realize that there are plenty of good surprises; unexpected tranquility probably tops my list. I think what I'm trying to get at is this: we frequently cause our own problems and undermine the peace we seek. My assumption that the scissors would be up to the task put me in a bad mood as I struggled through the quilt project. Not a recipe for success or peace.
The long Sunday ride (130 miles) was preceded on Saturday by a 56-mile ride where I averaged 16 mph. I am slowly starting to put back-to-back long rides together. Sunday was a pretty important ride mostly because I started out feeling uncomfortable in the saddle and I didn't have the freshest legs. There will be days during the TD where I feel lousy so I need some familiarity. The on and off rain made sure I never really got comfortable. I was constantly up and out of the saddle to give my hindparts a break. I managed about 13 mph but the chafing got pretty bad towards the end and I'm still feeling it 36 hours later. I'm happy to have ridden the distance I intended when not at my best. Clearly though, I'm going to have to find a way to prevent the chafing as it results from pretty much any ride over four hours. I think I'll give Vaeline a try next. I thought Gold Bond powder would be the answer but it's difficult to apply while wearing bibs. Trailside just doesn't seem private enough for a proper application. Not to mention that when the rain is pouring no amount of powder is going to work.
On the kit assembly, I received my materials from Ray Jardine and have begun making the quilt. I had a heck of a time cutting the material with the scissors we own. Today will include a visit to the crafts store for a pair that can cut fabric. I'm really impressed with the package from Ray. For someone that's a total noob with a sewing machine, I find his instructions thorough and extremely helpful. I'm hoping the results are worthy of the design. More importantly, I hope it allows me restful sleep.
So here's a quick aside about surprises. The scissors reminded me that surprises are generally not good. The last three or four years I've been working on a list of universal truths. One that's been hard to get a handle on is this; the fewer surprises a person experiences, the happier they are. That's the working statement, subject to revision or complete dismissal. My thinking goes like this. As children we are conditioned to think surprises are good. Christmas and birthday presents are often purchased and held under a veil of secrecy while the child eagerly counts the days. Trips to the movies, the mall, or the playground are surprise rewards for good behavior. These are all parental constructs that manufacture the idea of a good surprise. In reality, surprises are seldom good news. In my experience, surprises often grow out of little things that repeatedly escape our notice until they become big show-stopping problems. Stranded on the side of the rode because the car ran out of gas or broke down due to missed maintenance? No milk for the kid's cereal? Getting calls from collections because a bill is past due? Putting on ten or fifteen pounds a year? These things are not inevitable. They usually just require us to pay attention. As I write this, I realize that there are plenty of good surprises; unexpected tranquility probably tops my list. I think what I'm trying to get at is this: we frequently cause our own problems and undermine the peace we seek. My assumption that the scissors would be up to the task put me in a bad mood as I struggled through the quilt project. Not a recipe for success or peace.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)