I can’t even show you how crappy my ride was today, because my Garmin Edge 305 decided not to cooperate today by actually recording anything.

About 11 miles in 48 minutes … yee-frickin’ haw! … tried City Creek, but my legs and lungs were having none of it, so I did East/West Bonneville (aka, the horseshoe above Memory Grove Park) a couple times, then dropped down through the Marmalade, rode north to Victory Blvd., and back up the hill from that direction.

Can I blame residual particulate matter in the air from yesterday’s implosion of the old Key Bank Tower? Can I blame it on that rather than my own fat-and-out-of-shape-ness?

I want a pizza … it won’t do anything to improve my physical condition, but the yummy flavor will at least make me feel emotionally better for about 30 minutes.

… and I’ve ridden a grand total of 25 miles in the past month.

Somehow, I don’t think I’ll actually be riding the race next weekend, but I will be up there helping the officials, to make sure they get things right, since the local USCF officials really don’t have much experience doing a cyclocross race.

The big question for today … go out for a short, hard one (i.e., my usual City Creek ride), or for a longer, but flatter through the Avenues, Foothill, and possibly down Wasatch way towards my new apartment/condo in Holladay (I’m calling it mine, even though I haven’t closed, just to keep a positive outlook on that whole process).

I could also ride out to my office, just to see how long it will take me, so I can try to commute a couple times this week … later work schedule and lack of appointments means I might actually be able to accomplish this.

But knowing how I seem to operate, it probably won’t happen.

More later, after I get back from my ride … I’ll let you know what happened.

Hot … hot … hot … hot … hot …

Struggling to do 15-20 miles … hot hot hot hot hot … but I’m still trying to get out there; gotta build up some sense of consistency, because until I do, I’m still going to suffer, and it’s too far into the season to be suffering this much.

Felt like crap. Should have ridden more this past week, instead of letting myself stiffen up from last weekend.

The fact that I’ve not been sleeping well the past week or so, and especially the last couple of nights isn’t helping either … and was totally sick to my stomach on Friday night and most of the day yesterday, but what can you do?

When you feel decent you ride. When you feel like shit; unless it’s so bad that it keeps you from even leaving the house, you still ride.

I really need to start commuting by bike again … it will save me money on gas, and it will definitely help my fitness situation. The weekend warrior thing isn’t really working; and I’m just not being consistent enough about getting on the bike when I get home from work.

Now … off to the store to get something to eat … a nice ham sandwich is sounding really good, and I need to replace my housemates’ pickles and cheese curds … and ice cream.

Dead legs today, could barely keep my heart rate above 160, when usually I’m struggling to keep it below 170.

Couldn’t quite make it to the top of City Creek … my legs are cooked, and this was supposed to be an easy spinner, but it was a struggle today.

First day back on the bike since my fitting with Dave Harward this past Monday, and my most recent adjustment by Greg Freebairn on Wednesday.

I would have been out sooner, but it’s been a busy, busy week. Obviously, the fitting took up Monday night; Tuesday was a late session with my counselor; Wednesday was my appointment with Greg followed by the Cutthroat Racing team meeting/party at Spin Cycle; Thursday was dinner and a movie with pal K.B., and Friday and Saturday were both just too freakin’ cold and wet.

Yeah, I don’t sound much like a Flahute when I bitch about the weather like that, but it’s been long enough since I’ve consistently ridden in shitty weather (back in San Francisco) that it’s very difficult to force myself out in it.

So … I was under strict orders to spin easy, to give my knees and back a chance to adjust to the new position. So what do I do?

Well … the Mistress, the Damsel and left from the Mistress’s house in Sandy, and pretty much immediately climbed up Creek Road to Wasatch Blvd., a mile-long 8-12% grade. JOY!

It definitely will take a bit for me to get back into shape again; I need to be more consistent about riding everyday (or at least almost every day). Today, my legs were willing, but my lungs and heart were not …

Right knee is feeling a few twinges and I’m feeling some slight sciatic nerve radiation down my left leg, but it doesn’t seem too bad, and hopefully the stretches will help relieve what little I am feeling.

Tomorrow is supposed to be the team’s Monday recovery ride from Spin Cycle; perhaps I’ll actually make a showing … if not, then if the legs are feeling good, I’ll take my weekly run at City Creek Canyon.

Throwin’ down, Sly-style!

The Damsel …

… who insisted on an ass-shot!

The Mistress

I’m beginning to think it’s time to get either a compact double, or a triple … but I hope not.

Did a loop yesterday out along the East Bench to the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon then back up via 13th East, 11th East, 8th East, and a zig-zag through the Avenues.

It was mostly rollers, but about 2000′ of total elevation gain, and my knees are feeling it today.

Hopefully my appointment with Dave Harward tomorrow will fine tune any positioning problems if that is exacerbating any of the knee problems I’ve experienced off-and-on for the past several years.

Today will be an easy roll along 11th Avenue towards the University, and if my knees and legs are feeling up to it, then another run at City Creek. My plan is to attack that canyon at least once a week.