Stationary Cycling #1

It's a new day.  I've been thinking a lot lately about how to play the whole cycling thing in the coming year.  I'm having a difficult time talking myself into the usual rides, and have been resigning myself to even more time on the trainer than I usually spend (minimal).  So today I did the following:

yes, I can ride at 1PM in Oak Park!

view from the ride.

wildlife, again. They are everywhere.

 Returning home from midday activities, Ashby said: "The crazy Mama movie on her trainer."

Ashby: ride like you're out with the guys....

has everybody finished cleaning the house, yet?

A day in Madison...

hmmm....do i know you?

 Another evil twin!  I was in Madison today for a conference on progressive education.  I met many interesting people, including someone who has lived in all of my places: East Bay, VT, OR, Madison.
When it was time to leave the conference, there it was, the car!  Witness: i heart Oregon; VT euro sticker; Vermont farmers buy local; keep Tahoe  blue; OR license plate; OR public broadcasting, and of course the roof rack.

here we go again!

The upshot of the day was fabulous. Great conference and great people.  Well spent time with my own colleagues.  I gave a presentation on safe and inclusive Physical Education.  It's always great to get adults running around, playing things like "everybody's it".

The year of the six-pack

the face or the ass

So Jim & I were out running a few weeks ago and he brought his camera.  It was a truly gorgeous day, and we were saying..."how could it be any better?"  It couldn't have been any better. The air was crisp, sun was warm, trees were shady and beginning to turn.  We topped it off with a fabulous LaGrange restaurant that Jim had discovered.

Jim took a few shots of me running, just to prove how happy I was on that day. This, a sign of a true friend.  He knew what I'd do with these photos.  Jim says that the pictures aren't any good  because my face isn't showing.  Doesn't he know that I don't do all this training so my face will look better?

six pack or flab?

And here we are, left with proof of the results of the year of the six-pack. The best I could muster. I was thinking that at the end of the season we could all compare our six packs, for fun, of course, but by the bitter end I could tell that my friends were more sensitive about these issues than myself.At least one person won't let us see their abdominal area, others insist that they need to lose weight in the next few months, some always change the subject, and on and on. What do you expect from a gang of male triathletes who don't even shave down?

Santa Monica Beach State Park

I guess it's really a political hotbed, whether one is willing to display their abdominal region. It must be the Californian in me.  Only days after this photo was taken, I enjoyed being in LA, on the beach.  I was sweetly reminded that there are all sorts of body types in Southern California and everyone is wearing a bikini.  Yes! Sun! Summer! Warmth! Physical Activity! 





Sometime ask me about the jogger in the velvet skirt and tank.  Now That was a great LA moment!

Wildlife Oak Park

 We walked out the door, ready for the day, and lo and behold, Addie spotted a live critter in the shrubbery right outside the back door.  Look, everybody!!! It's a real cute wild animal!!!  Hey Mom, what is that?

Is this creature afraid of the dogs? the chickens next door? the cats? the squirrels? Apparently not.

absolutely NOT camera shy.

That, my children, is called a possum.  Peter was clever enough to insist that I grab the camera.  But of course!!!!

"Chicked"

OK, enough with all this madness.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=chicked

Look at the definition carefully. A man is passed by a woman when he should outperform her. That's just the thing. How can one man be upset that he is passed by a woman, any woman, not knowing or even really caring what her athletic background, ability is.  I'm so tired of these mainstream guys invading my wild outdoorsy sports. Remember the '70s and '80s?  Half of these guys were either still in grammar school or were still playing rugby and hockey. Capital H harumph!!!!!

no...you had the extra glass of wine, honey.

Today we rolled out of bed, made some coffee, and hightailed it to the corner to watch the annual Frank Lloyd Wright 10K.  It's always fun to spectate after a busy summer slogging through Ironman training. 
Meanwhile, I am near the completion of my first afghan.  It's the '50s pattern that has bedevilled me for nearly a year.  The piece is quite complicated, requiring constant attention and often unravelling.  It's beginning to serve it's purpose now that I'm so far along. 

Ironmen

We saw a lot of our friends running about a mile from the finish.  I was out about an hour before racers passed, so I got a chance to meet neighbors out for their morning routines. We met a guy who used to live across the street, he showed up to chitchat with us carrying a giant lit cigar.  Yes, it's 9AM on a Sunday morning and we're going to watch an athletic event inhaling second hand smoke from a cigar.  We were told by the smoker that, "with cigars you don't inhale."  


We saw Mike, David, Paul, and a bunch of other folks.  I knew that Jack might pull out due to injuries, so it was good to see him come through with big smiles.  I later learned that Mike was running with Jack in order to slow him down. 

The Depot

Through OP, Berwyn, Cicero, Chicago to get there. Chicago, OP back home.

iced tea!

 As I mentioned months ago, in Idaho, we weren't too thrilled with what has happened to so-called road food in the US.  I yearned for the Depot, a real American Diner with awesome food, service, design, and music. Here we are today, enjoying some fried chicken and a club sandwich!

coca cola from mexico....no hfcs, only sugar!