Beer, Biceps & Bikini, beer
I’ve been trying to stack in a lot of L2 junk miles on top of my intervals lately, which has largely worked, because I’ve lain idle now for about 3 or 4 months while others have been racing like mad. I felt the wheels come off a bit yesterday — easily the nicest of the year here in Victoria — as fatigue started to creep up from my legs into my whole body. I elected later in the day to ride out to Thetis lake and dunk my legs for 4 or 5 minutes. The resulting flushing of toxins and reduction of inflammation were felicitous.
The entire “Thetis Lake Scene,” even at 6:30 or so, was not. I though I would evade the crush of champs and their g/f’s; however, I was mistaken; add in the solid wall of lower middle-class beach zealots, and the affair was somewhat of a debacle. I had hoped for some sort of buddhistic retreat which would calm the whole body — not just the legs — and provide an overall restorative.
Words really can’t do justice to the pandemonium and overall negative vibe which received me. Thetis doesn’t provide a great deal of sand or seating opportunity: the middle class are cramped in against the champs — and the dividing line between the two hard to distinguish, except for the bawling and squealing of the camps of the more ‘mature’ champs, graduated into the familial responsibilities of dragging their squawking children to the lake every weekend. Some mums and dads had found a blissful solution: drifting off on an inflatable, beyond the cacophany of low brows. Oh well, next time. I found the cold water on my legs refreshing, but the overall chaos and negative vibe mitigated against any sense of total-body and soul relaxation.
It’s … you can see I’m having trouble qualifying the atmosphere. I rather think pictures and sounds would convey better the nightmare experience. Hieronymous Bosch perhaps, or Giger? A collaboration? I had forgot my ipod and my sandals, two other necessities. I stayed only long enough to ice my legs; upon leaving vitriol and mockery was heaped upon me by the Budweiser crowd, now passing about a football. “Under 3 minutes” I heard as one group of the beer and biceps crowd appraised my “getup”.
I must get more rational order to the tail end of this race season. Now is not the time to focus on stripping weight, but on increasing wattage slightly, and laying off on the volume, racing as much as possible — but most of all, looking forward to next season when I can implement an intelligent plan.
Work continues to grate. I am eager to go back, but would like to receive some verification that my job could be combined with one of the many other openings, so that I get the bump to full-time. If not, I will take another academic leave, and finish the MA. Lots ofthings have occurred to me as possibilities once that is complete: the MA in coaching (a summer programme) through UVic; joining the military or RCMP; or, following through on the PhD. I’m a bit lost but the key, I find, is to retain some hope, even if you have no focus. The bike is the centre of my focus right now. Not an intelligent choice for long-term felicity. For now I’ll stop worrying and just enjoy it.
By the by, the new Laaz Rockit came out yesterday and it absolutely smokes. Incredible album. I’ve started to replenish my cd collection. Having been a long-time downloader, I am eager to repay these bands that (essentially) I have stolen from. I bought Master and the new Hail of Bullets (I think, album of the year). My plan is to occasionally go into Lyle’s and purchase one chestnut and one new album. I won’t stop d/l but I will use it as a tool to discover who is hot and who has underachieved. Many people are raging about the new Evergrey, and while I find it glimmering with a pearly sheen of polish and studio refinement, I don’t find the actual substance all that compelling. I’d hoped this talented band would progress more in-line with Symphony X, adopting a more riff-based structure — grittier, tougher, heavier. Instead all the dripping, unctuous vocal melodies are prioritised over the slick riffs underneath (often cut short for the big ‘choral’ moment). What can I say, an inveterate guitar player…
I am doing the Mt. Washington hill climb today. Probably not a good idea, given my load of late, but, as my good friend HT has said (and I find I agree), often a long ride, accompanied by something very short and very brutal the next day really spikes fitness. we shall see. Apparently the first 3km of Washington are at a 12% grade! Gack!
If not humiliated, a race report will follow tonight.
