Thursday, January 14, 2010

anticlimactic.


it was supposed to be three degrees and sunny today.

it was three degrees and sunny today. however, today is thursday, which means that today is ballet day which means that before and after the hours of 'work', every minute is spoken for by the demon-god of the snowsuit and his/her corollary partner, the mitten god. winter sucks when you have to dress a toddler for any weather beyond 'naked' or 'beautiful and sunny and perfect'. regardless, it was three degrees and sunny, and i went out in it for no reason at any chance i got.

i had resolved yesterday, upon hearing news of this wondrous forecast, to take out the old titanium dream machine and give'r on some hill reps just for the fun of it. really though, i'm suffering from substantial cabin fever and a not-so-subtle longing for higher temperatures, longer days, and a lot less clothing on me and most other people (toddlers among top of the list). sunset happens before we even get home from ballet. i mean, there is a whole lot of sex appeal to sorels and fur-trimmed parkas, but it wears off after about 5 minutes of trudging through snow. and every castelli ad for endless climbs and form-fitting clothing that's built for sun protection instead of windchill tolerance really doesn't help. i am dying to ride in the sun. i would love to have to take extra water because it's humid and sticky and so hot no one should exercise in such weather. and if i spend any more time on my computer, trolling craigslist and the serotta forum for all the groupsets i can't afford (anyone got $500 lying around? come on: it's like a third of the actual price! and my shifting could use some help lately...) and saddles that won't feel like my granny-looking b17, i will end up buying something i don't need for a ride or race that i just wish i could do. and then i'll have to wait three more months anyway to even be able to ride outside without corroding my everything with road salt, only the wait will be even worse because i'll be doing it staring at an even more impeccable machine than usual. ARX stems going for good low prices. carbon setback seatposts just waiting to be joined to lightweight and trendy fizik saddles under brand new bib short chamois. ah, the list goes on. and there's still enough salt on the road to pay a legion of roman soldiers to build it. no serotta today. too salty.

however, the serotta is titanium. this means all kinds of good things for its resistance to corrosion, but only the frame. lots of other stuff on it is aluminum, another non-corrosive element, but there's just something so nasty about crunching over salt. salt seems to mean death and dehydration and punishment. i don't want to punish the serotta. but i do want to punish myself up some hills and test out that new compact crank i got in honor of getting old recently. maybe i'll go out and do it and then come home and shower with it. put a plastic bag over the old brooks and lovingly lather down the metal bits. we'll see.

either way, i still need a sunburn, a warm day, and some sweat in my jersey. here's to chinook.

1 comment:

  1. you are not alone! i suffer alongside you, in the basement, in the dark, on the trainer, for no longer than 30 minutes because that is all i could possibly tolerate staring at the same blank wall. huh...

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