Ouch.
I hurt. I hurt when I reach off the chair to pick up my waterbottle, to say nothing of when I actually get up out of the chair. I haven’t hurt this much in quite a while. All year, perhaps? Nice to be back at it.
I love the fickle spring weather here. Hot yesterday, and today I top out University Mountain at 5800′, wearing arm warmers, knee warmers, and a hard shell, and get blown over sideways on the final stretch by 50+ mph gusts. The fall line kitty-litter-on-hardpack-descent, which is sketchy in and of itself, was just not doable for me with that wind. Being crosseyed from the climb didn’t help. I was feeling dumb for suffering and blowing up on that damn fire road, and then read Kurt’s KTR report, and realized that the numbers compare with the Shandies from the creek in Cottonwood to the top. The surface doesn’t suck as much, but it’s still stout. It’s ok to internally curse such a road.
I rolled home, still mildly cross eyed, and bonked out enough to not feel hot in all my clothing, and have spent the last four hours eating, foam-rollering, and laying around in a stupor. I used to do this all the time, it used to be my default. Training hard is an amazing justification for purposive sloth. My hunger also left me wondering how vegetarians do this. Days like today leave me screaming for protein. For today, turkey tenderloins seared in olive oil then covered in BBQ sauce and orange slices and broiled while I took a shower. Sliced and eaten in burritos with avocado, salsa, and fists of salad greens from the weekend market. Then a couple Mighty Arrow’s and lots of water, and I’m happy.
So I can go into my new job tomorrow content in turpitude. I’ll be picking up shifts at the Povorello, the homeless shelter in Missoula, not doing anything specific beyond daily operating stuff. Missoula, being the warmest, largest (if you count the 30 mile radius), and most liberal city in Montana naturally gathers the largest homeless population. I’m looking forward to doing something serious but part-time, and totally new. And to having time to train, adventure, and lay around on our comfortable furniture. My apologies to all those who visited us in Arizona, for whatever reason we waited until now to finally get a plush sofa. Which is good, because we don’t have a guest room.
I’m really getting excited for the KMC. And for the riding.
Bedrock & Paradox 
Leave a comment