Hills Are My Frenemies

Ahhhh May. Love this month, and why not?  It's the aperitif of summer. A season much too short but one that makes you appreciate it's fleeting visit by the other seasons which tend to wear out their welcome.
I've been busy like the rest of the world watching the days melt into each other and (trying) to keep fit and sane.  You see, if I'm not even modestly fit  then my happy place (sanity) isn't fit either. Hell hath no fury  like the insanity of TGP...  :-)


This past weekend, I participated in the Northeast Hill Climb Series. There are 10 in the series, the first event being held here in MA at Wachusett Mountain in Princeton.
 My expectations of myself were all but non existent.  I'm not a particularly good cyclist as I've mentioned to begin with and if you decide to sprinkle in some vertical-ness to my  eh... cycling, you've got yourself a double shot of mediocre . 


I was perfectly content with this and after viewing the results and seeing me down at the bottom. There was no disappointment and or TGP pouting to be had.


It is what it is.  I signed up to focus on a limiter ( climbing) and I did precisely that. I did the best I could with the fitness I had and no excuses to pull out of my back pocket. I didn't go out too hard too soon. I didn't die at the end.  Simple as that and I walked away with a good hill climbing workout to boot.

The  3,7 miles to the top was almost pleasant and I say that because usually when I've reached  the base of Wachusett on any given training ride, I'm 30 miles in and already feeling the affects of the hills that preceded Wachusett itself.  Saturday I was fresh as a daisy and ready to climb. It was fun seeing some friends and hanging out with my TP team mate KS who I rarely get to see and catch up.. She is 50 now and showed she can still blow the doors off of a large percentage of athletes many younger and male.  Giddy up! 


 Instead of packing up the bike and heading home right away, I hung around, had a burger with Karen while sitting in the sun and enjoyed watching all the goat-like cyclists get their awards.


It was short, It was sweet,and nothing like this weekend to come. (Insert scary music) 
My  Team Psycho Training Weekend starts Friday morning at 6AM and ends after one last pummeling on Sunday. Three days of glorious self inflicted pain while simultaneously trying
to grind each other down in order to keep our reputation intact and have something to talk about over the flowing Harpoon beer that will be present.


Fingers, toes and eyes crossed in hopes of the absence of broken collar bones and wind swept rain this year. 




Thanks for stoppin' by!