Give Thanks...

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time of giving thanks for all the wonderful things in your life.  I suppose it was originally somewhat of a somber holiday, but over the years it has turned into a day of watching not one or two NFL games, but now three games, eating yourself into some sort of pants unbuttoned, lying on the couch in a carbohydrate and tryptophan fueled coma and (for some of us) planning to cap our giving of thanks by trampling over our fellow citizens to get a dumb-assed toy for 99 cents at Wal-Mart at midnight that will be collecting dust in the back of the closet by December 29th.

Let me put all of it into perspective for you.  Last night I got a call from a friend telling me a friend, classmate, and fellow Queen City Rambler-Colorado Division, Scott Marr was in a serious car accident.  The accident sent one of his children, via helicopter, to the hospital and took the life of his wife.  Even as I type this, and I've had 12+ hours to digest it, my stomach is turning and my hands are shaking, I can't imagine what he is going through right now.

I have all these things I want to say about this situation but as I type, none of them sound right.  I've typed and deleted more lines than I can count.   I want to tell you what a solid person Scott is and how amazing his family is and nothing sounds right (although I suppose I just did).  I want to offer my condolences and express my feelings on this but it all rings hollow and nothing can take away what the Marr family is going through right now.

You'd think at a time like this I could muster up at least one funny anecdote to inject a moment of levity, but I can't, so I apologize.  So, for the Marr family, (and your own) today at your Thanksgiving meal understand what it is to truly give thanks.  Hug your family and friends and be glad for all the wonderful people you have in your life.

Takin' Time Off...

I know I said my next post was going to be about the shenanigans on our recent Mickelson ride, but recently there's been a lot of chatter around the guys I ride with about the #ahhffseason or the lack thereof for some guys and I couldn't let it go (I'll get to the Mick ride soon).  A couple guys are still out hitting up 5+ hour rides and some of us say this aggression will NOT stand!

C'mon guys...let's have an off season!

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for going out when the sun is shining and it is a beautiful autumn day and hitting up your local trails for a FUN ride, but this heart-rate-monitor-wearing-power-meter-watts-tracking-Strava-KOM-points-collecting stuff is no buenos.  The off season is a time to rejuvenate, to take some time off the bike so you can see your family again, you remember those people that you saw sleeping in their beds as you slipped out the door at 5 am to go on a training ride before work, those people that you waved goodbye to as you headed out on a weekend to go on a 50 mile mountain bike ride, those people that supported you at your races all summer long?  Yeah, recconnect with those people.  

Ahh, rollers, the road to nowhere.

Off season is a time to watch football, to get chores you've neglected around the house done, to rediscover Sunday afternoon naps, to drink all the great fall beers that are available, to, well, do all the crap you haven't done since April 'cause you were too damn busy riding your bike.  Will your fitness wane?  Probably, but only if you don't do anything.  Will your biking ability fall off?  Most likely. 

And actually, that's what I'm hoping for.  I need every advantage when spring rolls around and if more guys I rode with would take more time off, I'd have more advantages.  So, please, take some time off...get slow and out of shape.  I'll keep riding rollers, swimming, lifting weights all winter so once spring comes around, if only for one or two fleeting moments, I can see what the front of the pack looks like.