Pre-OTC Weekend

The weather this weekend decided to turn (hopefully for the last time this season) cold and rainy. This meant that the usual weekend world championships (aka trinity ride) didn’t go off as normal, and I stayed in to do a 2 hour trainer workout. I made a comment about that on Facebook, and someone commented back that they didn’t know how I could stand to be on the trainer so long.

My secret? Intervals and Three 6 Mafia.

After that, I went to work. Normally, I’d be off all day on Saturday, but the shop is incredibly busy right now. We needed some bikes built, so I headed in after lunch to help get it done. Afterward, Matt and I went to Flying Saucer found someone who could quite possibly qualify as the dumbest waitress in Memphis. At least she was good looking? We appreciated each others company nonetheless- Ryan was off to Tuscaloosa for some road racing, and Matt’s potential woman was upset because he didn’t respond as she’d hoped when she expressed her deep concern over the eternal damnation of his soul.

I’ve recently come to the realization that “Hope” is just short for “setting yourself up for disappointment.”

I digress.

Sunday morning was still cold and damp-ish. Fortunately for me, the Ouachita Challenge taper had begun, so rather than a 5 or 6 hour solo endurance ride, I headed out for an urban singlespeed venture from near the University of Memphis to Overton Park and back. Along the way, I saw a reminder of past life-

No, I’m not Kalus… but I’ve hung out with the guy (and his little brother). The story is that they’re the children of gypsies and don’t live in one city long enough for their past to catch up with them. Or something like that.

After Overton park, it was back home to do a little work on my own bikes. I needed to get the suspension fork swapped back onto my geared MTB and the rigid fork back on the singlespeed. Since I’ve been spoiled with a climate controlled bike shop, I have taken to doing at-home work in the comfort of my living room rather than out in the garage. The animals (especially Thor) find this to be quite entertaining…

I can’t remember the last time I was this glad to be cutting back on training volume. Not that I don’t enjoy it- it’s just that the harder you work, the nicer it is to play.