Easy Out…Frantic Return

Tuesday, April 24:
As itz my recovery week, I took off from our cozy little enclave in East Duluth, up the scenic Tischer Creek, where I took a few pics of the little river that runs parallel to our house not more than 400 yards away…continued up the trail and then headed out on Jean Duluth Road. I was wearing my heart-rate monitor so I would purposefully not go above “recovery“ mode…the plan was to ride out for an hour or so and return the same way; all the time with my big old lovin’ heart under 120 bpm. It was a beautiful day in the Northland, I even walked part way up the Tischer trail just cuz it was so gosh darn purty and I did not want the old ticker to have to work at all…just recovery…Did I mention that recovery week is when I really shine on my training? During these seven days [every fourth week], the idea is to keep it real slow and mellow…The idea basically goes something like this: Week Number-One goes hard; Week Number-Two goes harder than Week Number-One; Week Number-Three goes harder than Week Number Two; Week Four is all about rest and recovery…then the Build Phase repeats itself at even a harder pace…and so it goes until the Race Phase starts…With me, given my many glandular problems…it takes a long time to get fit enough to enter Race Phase…Typically, the Race Phase lasts only a few weeks and then itz back to Base and Build Phases. Personally, I usually hit my peak form in about August, but it only lasts for a few minutes, so it is of little practical use :)

So anyway, I am riding out on this beautiful day, taking it easy, spinning along with a favorable wind heading out from town without a care in the world. I get to the 60 minute turn-around point and so I make a big semi-circle and head for home. The wind blows me in the face and then it hits me as my eyes get raked with blowing dust…MY GLASSES!!!! Where are my expensive SMITH sunglasses??? The ones that my wife gave me for Christmas with the warning that I better not lose them!!!! Remembering that I left the glasses at that blasted river, right next to our home that the bank really owns, on the cig-littered trail, where all the strange pet people walk their spiteful anti-biker, spoiled-rotten, little dogs and carry little plastic bags so they can clean up after their dirty little maladjusted evil-tempered dogs, I take off in full-on Time Trial Mode…so much for recovery as I redline my heart rate as I hammer back to the trail, hitting 190 bpm and beyond…luckily the sunglasses remained where I left them…Salvation is mine!!!!!!!!!! Dodged the bullet, cheated fate, beat the odds, the sweetness of salvation…REDEMPTION...oh yeah!!!

Placating the Demons: 115 minutes…with 47 minutes going wide #$%* open!