A Pinch Of This, A Dash Of That

© Barbara Howe ... yes really: a copyrighted picture of waffles.

The period from last Friday to this Friday was really unconventional.  It didn’t make me any fitter, and I’m still committed to avoid racing until next year, but at least I made an effort to mix things up.  Last Friday I did my first indoor trainer ride since Apr. 20.  Then on Saturday I went out and got flogged in the Halloween Cross race at Washington Park in Milwaukee.  On Sunday I watched Internet coverage of the Boulder Cup pro cyclocross races.  After work on Monday I went to Ridge Run County Park for a brisk 60-minute hike, my first since Feb. 23.  On Tuesday I started reading Geoff Drake’s history of Team 7-Eleven, the pioneering American cycling team of the 1980s.  On Wednesday I reached 4,500 miles of cycling so far this year, riding 20 miles after work on a combination of roads and trails.  Early on Thursday I watched Flemish-language coverage of the Koppenbergcross, won in impressive style by Sven Nys.  Later on Thursday I did my first treadmill workout since Mar. 30.

Today I dropped off my 29er at Pedal Moraine for a little post-Sheboygan mudfest service.  Pretty sure I don’t have any brake pads left.  If you were on the Ride of Krankenstein with me last Friday night, then you know my front brakes were screaming all the way up to Kewaskum and back.  This evening I began a new phase of my upper body strength training, adding weight and a couple of new exercises to shift out of maintenance mode and into gain mode.  I will look for strength gains throughout the winter, then return to a maintain strength / prevent injuries plan in early spring.  Dinner was an unexpected highlight today.  My wife offered pancakes, I suggested waffles as an alternative, then she remembered this recipe.  I found it a few years ago while reading up on former cyclocross champion and fellow Pittsburgh native Barb Howe.

My plan for the weekend is to ride at the warmest point of the afternoon … 90-120 minutes each day, probably.  Looking for enjoyment more than training.  I’ll have the 29er back for next weekend and if the weather is OK I think I’ll go to Glacial Blue Hills to see whether I can unlock a few more of its mysteries.