Against My Better Judgment Pt. 2 – Here We Go Again
It was nasty out all day today, in fact it started raining shortly after I left for a meeting down at the south end of the state. Meeting done, I headed back to the office to get caught up on some small items that needed it. At about three it started clearing up so I checked the weather channel real quick, saw that we had a clearing before some thunderstorms roll in tonight and headed out the door. The minute I got home, I changed and headed out the door.
As is usual on days like this, after a couple days of hard effort, I had every intention of taking it easy – and as usual that lasted roughly until I got my second foot clipped into my pedal. After seven miles in twenty minutes I got a call work call that required my attention (I always wear my phone and blue-tooth ear set when I’m out on work evenings). So I slowed down and pulled into a neighborhood and took my call and then took it easy for the rest of the ride. What an awesome day – and no jacket or foot warmers.
Legs are responding well too. I feel a lot better than I did a couple of hours ago.
Rockin’ the Red, White and Blue – and Bike Safety
Micheal Fioretti commented on my short post about matching my bike and kit up about some intricacies he’s trying to work through with his new ride and that gave me an idea for a new post that I’ve found really helps with riding on the roads… It looks like this coming Wednesday is going to be a good day for photos – sunny and somewhere around 70 F (YES!) so I’ll post some in my full getup (and if I get a good enough one I can finally change my gravatar picture to something more, um…shirted).
Now, I’ve never made a big deal about this on my blog, but I’m a huge fan of my country – not my mom’s country of origin (Ireland) or my dad’s (Italy), technically they’re both mutts to a degree that figuring it out just gets ridiculous so I stick with the two main nationalities – but the good ole’ USA. I’m rocking an American Flag tattoo on my right shoulder, both of my road bikes are done up in red, white and blue, I have a USA jersey, hell I even have a pair of Old Glory swimming trunks – you get the idea… I’m as American as my mom’s apple pie, which is only bested by my mother-in-law’s apple pie. This is not a “my country is better than yours” pampas bloviation, it’s not an ego thing, I just love being American.
That being said, and having ridden in all types of colors, the best times I have riding on the roads are when I’m fully decked out in my red, white and blue regalia. I’m sure there are some America haters out there who contemplate running me over, at least for a second, but the vast majority of people give me more leeway than usual when they pass. On top of that, I’ll get well intentioned honks from passing cars, the thumb’s up out the window and even the occasional “woo-hoo!” It’s really quite cool. Now, I live in a very small town in Michigan, a town in which the normal folks really appreciate exercise and those of us who are out there. I feel very blessed to be able to ride relatively comfortably and safely wherever I want to go and have only ever run into two jerks and two idiots in over 2,000 miles. However, my rides are noticeably much safer in the red, white and blue. This is, of course, because I stick out – it’s not often that you see a riding American Flag on the road. I’ve tried other tactics before but they lack, um… panache. I’ve written often about riding down to my running club on Saturdays…well before I picked up the proper gear I had to use one of my daughter’s back packs to bring my running shoes with me. It happened to be a Betty Boop leopard print back pack with red piping… I couldn’t see myself, but if I had to guess, I stuck out (I’ll guarantee you that) and I looked absolutely A#1 hilarious.
Red, White and Blue = Safer Riding
What’s Bugging Me?
So, the title of this post is what’s bugging me, but I’m interested in what’s bugging you too… Here’s a short list of mine to start:
1. Supplements that cram 500 pounds of [insert fruit or vegetable or plant here] into a pill. A human being can’t possibly eat 426 bushels of tomatoes so cramming all of the beta carotene or whatever the hell it is that’s good in a tomato, just seems ludicrous to me. There’s another one out there that claims to cram the good stuff from 500 saw palmetto pills into one of its own pills. Really? 500!!!? I’d be willing to bet the original pill crammed the good stuff from 200 quarts, or so ,of saw palmetto fruit into one of their pills… So you’re looking at somewhere around 100,000 quarts of saw palmetto fruit… In one pill? Gimme a freaking break. If a human can’t possibly eat it naturally, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you probably don’t need it in a stinking pill.
2. Geraldo Rivera. If ever there were a media whore, he’s it. I hate the time change, I always feel like I need a shower after watching five minutes of his show.
3. Female Sideline Announcers. I get it, in an attempt to draw more women to watch men’s sports (football, hockey etc.) they’ve gotta throw a few female announcers in there. I get it, but I am utterly exasperated with having to sit through the soap opera side of sports. Suzy Kolber doesn’t count here because she actually understands the sport she’s commenting on and can speak intelligently about said sport without resorting to the mushy theatrics. Nice work Suzy.
4. Ditto the soap opera stories involved in endurance sports. Lance Armstrong’s story aside, because he’s the one who overcame cancer – not his cousin’s, wife’s, neighbor’s brother. Could you imagine trying train through your cousin’s, wife’s, neighbor’s brother’s illness? It’s so hard! Illnesses suck and training is hard. I know, but life happens to all of us.
5. That stupid contraption that will clamp your phone to your head. I can’t wait to start seeing people walking through the grocery store with their cell phone clamped to their melon – that’s gonna be awesome! Cripes.
6. Young people who drag their feet on their way into a store – at about a 50 minute per mile pace. Old folks obviously get a pass here, it’s awesome they’re out in the first place. Oh, and pajamas in public!
I feel much better now.
I’ll be traveling for work today so please load up the comments section, I’ll need a laugh.
Fit Recovery 