Man Down

I'm Hit! Today I was a casualty in the Great Skiier vs. Snowboarder Holy War. Last run of the day, and the guy plows into me from nowhere. Never saw him coming. Thank god for the helmet, because I went down hard. Whiplash is already creeping in. In retaliation, I plan on tripping a skiier as we get off the lift tomorrow.

Seriously, I'm done with snow and ready for road. With idle time on my hands, I've been spending way too much time trolling through the interwebs for all things bikely, and can't wait to get back in the saddle. Check this site out for really well produced mini-docs on the Cervelo Team over the 2009 season. Witness: scary driving/sandwich eating by their DS, the biggest watches you've ever seen, racy shots of Heinrich Hausler on the massage table, and the narrator's cute Canadian accent. I really liked the Flanders episode.

Tomorrow I can look foward to another extended spin session at the rec center. So sweaty.

Routine. When I snowboard alone I sometimes get in my own head. Today, I began to notice the little chair lift routine that I repeat on every run:

1. Hockey stop.
2. Unstrap back leg.
3. Loosen front buckles.
4. Get on lift.
5. Pull down footrest/safety bar.
6. Pull up gaiter to cover mouth and nose.
7. Pull hood over helmet.
8. Draw fingers out of mitts and clench thumbs for warmth.
9. Sit and plan my next run.
10. Re-insert fingers in mitt.
11. Push off hood.
12. Push up safety bar.
13. Get off lift.
14. Pull down gaiter.
15. Strap in back foot
16. Tighten front buckles.
17. Rip shreds to the extreme!!!!

This pattern somehow made me feel all warm inside - literally and figuratively. I am a self-admitted creature of habit, and take odd satisfaction from learning and internalizing a system that works efficiently and consistently. I have routines for getting out the door to go snowboarding, taking a shower in the gym after spin class, and prepping for a bike ride. Oddly, the Rain Man routine of prepping the bottles and food, laying out the clothes, getting out the bag, and packing the gear is part of what I enjoy about riding bikes.

I'm not alone in this. See Joe Parkin's description of pre-race prep in Belgium. I love that post.

All I Want for Christmas is Snow

Sadly, despite the solid base, Whistler/Blackcomb is hurting for some fresh snow. Is it possible for 8,100 acres to be skied out? Apparently. It's ok, though - with the big board, I'm happy to just go fast on the groomers. All 172 cm are super stable at speed, and make for super fun carving.

First Day of the Other Riding Season

A great first day on the slopes! There was plenty of powder to go around, though a bit on the heavy side. Plus, the drive was traffic and pain free - at least for me. Ken did the heavy lifting; I sat in the back eating pretzels, peeling oranges, and drinking tea.

First day of the season is always a struggle, and yesterday was no different. My legs never quite felt the rhythm, but I was happy to get the cobwebs off before heading up to Whistler next week. We rode from 9am to 2pm and were cooked. I'm sore today.

On the way home, we stopped at In 'N' Out in Auburn, and Ken had a 4x4. It's four patties with cheese, plus the usual trimmings, wedged uncomfortably in a little bun. Sadly, I forgot my camera in the car, because this thing looked like a medical journal photo. I mean, I like meat and cheese as much as the next guy, but good god.

I got home by 6pm, in time for second dinner. La Roleurette had cooked up a storm all weekend, and busted out containers of mac n cheese, pork and persimmon stew, chili, polenta, brussel sprouts, and chocolate chip cookies. Fortunately, EZ and the Ladies were spending the night, in town for work, so they assisted with the eating. There's still plenty leftovers for the week, though.