22 May 2008

De-Motivation

I am not sure how or why it happened, but it has been an absolute struggle to motivate myself to blog. Usually I look forward to posting, but it has seemed like more of a job than something fun I enjoy doing. It probably has something to do with a) the weather that totally sucks, b) bike racing season is in full force, c) Lander has begun another round of swim lessons for the summer and d) landscaping the yard.

Today was the first day that I seriously considered selling my house and moving someplace that isn't 50 degrees and rainy right now. Last weekend was so completely awesome. It was nice to wake up and only have to concern myself with what SPF of suncreen I am going to wear when I ride. Now it's back to the rainy, drizzly crap that I am so, so tired of!

The racing season has been slow to start for me. Since we can't race at the velodrome when it rains (the track has 43.5 degree banking and is like a sheet of ice when wet) it makes it really difficult to get any training races in. The annual Eric Kautzky Memorial track race got rained out after only one race of three. I did manage to make it onto the podium even though we only did one race so it was a good day. We raced a Miss and Out which is a fun race, but not a race that I do very well in because it is so short. Basically you ride a few laps and then they start pulling the last rider across the start/finish on every lap until the last two are left to duke it out for the win. There is a lot of jockeying for position at the front as people try not to get pulled. I lucked out and ended up third from the front when Andrea attacked. A lap or so later there was a crash behind me and Heather attacked, then I attacked and Jen and I got off. I knew I was hosed as Jen is one of the best sprinters I know and she and I were left to duke it out for the win. Yeah, that didn't go so well for me. So, I got 2nd, which is the 1st loser right?

L to R: Me, Jen, Heather
Moments before this picture was taken Heather showed us the proper podium posing technique to make our quads look super-sized (yeah, like I need help doing that)

So, here are some other random pictures of the last few weeks that I took when it wasn't raining (miracle, I know):

Mother's Day gift: Bike tools and Gerber Daisies. I couldn't be happier!

Mid-morning visitors, a rare sight during the day. They ate all the dandelions.

Boulders arriving for landscaping

Lander playing king of the hill on the dirt piles


Post rain fun

Sunset with moon