Ride Motivation

So I've eaten ham for the last 7 meals.  It is the best ham in the entire world, so you can't blame me.  But it's getting a bit ridiculous.  So I'm using my ham obsession as incentives to do some serious bike training.  Whatever it takes, right?  If I eat ham, I must exercise. Today, I did a great spin class at the gym so that I could eat ham for all 3 meals.  Tomorrow, I am having dinner with a friend, so I will likely not train nor eat ham.

But first to justify my silliness or ham-illiness, you need to know the ham was just accepted into the 5th World Congress of Dry Cured Ham in Spain. The Spaniards love their hams, so they would know.  I've tried a lot of other hams, and this one deserves its place in the Ham Hall of Fame. It's a ham like no other.

Alrighty, now onto some biking updates.  We did a lovely ride in Pleasant Hill and Martinez on Saturday.  25 miles or so with some spectacular views.  I'm glad to learn more about the East Bay this season. I managed to lose a screw on my cleat at some point and was unable to clip out. We spent a good 15 min on the side of the road with me standing in my socks trying to figure out how to get my shoe off the bike.  A few clever uses of the the multitool and I was on my way again. 

Our team is divided into to smaller groups of people who ride about the same speed.  We're a smallish group of 6 ladies and our coach Jim.  This was my first ride with them so far since I've had the flu of some sort (the H1N1 status is still up for debate).  Though I serenaded my ride group with my phlegmy hacking the whole way, they still seemed to talk to me afterwards.  Anyhow, I like the small group riding, and I'm hoping to learn more about pace lines in the near future. 

Our team seems to be on the whole older than the Tri team.  This is good and bad.  The team doesn't quite have the youthful/drunken/high energy of the tri team, but I like the more mellow approach and I don't feel so old.  Actually, I really like the It's Just a Ride Not a Race mentality.  Tri's will always have a place in my heart, but this lack of the need for speed is just what I need right now.

And I know you're all wondering about the tushy.  So far so good.  Had a minor set back when I had the flu and was lying in bed for 5 days straight.  But now that I'm moving around again, I think its going to be okay on the bike.  Still seeing the Butt Doc but we're making steady progress.