a heartbreaking act of staggering stupidity

[kirkcudbright]

Today I tested a daft notion I've privately held for a while: that I could do a century cold. Translation: I did a 100-mile bike ride, without any training or other preparation. As in, this was the first time I'd been on a bike this year. The thinking (to the extent there was any) was that a) I'm in moderately good physical condition, and b) I know how to pace myself. I mean, hey, I did back-to-back centuries in the desert (on I-80, no less) a couple years ago.

I clicked into a groove pretty early, and the section to the first rest stop (at 43 miles) went pretty quickly. At the 55 mile mark, I had to choose between the metric century (62 miles) and the full century. I'd already proved my point (more or less), but I'm kind of a fuck-head about things like this, and I wanted to do the whole thing. And I did the whole thing; I now hurt pretty much everywhere. I feel, as my cow-orker Bruce so poetically put it, like a "sack of smashed assholes."

For all that, I did it in a respectable 6:31 (time in the saddle, not counting breaks). Not a personal best, but not my worst time either. It's actually a better time than a fellow I was talking to afterwards, who's admittedly older and plumper than I am, but who's also logged 1000 miles this season. Of course, he probably didn't need to soak his back and take a nap afterwards.

So while I can't condone (and shouldn't encourage) such manifest stupidity, I do feel compelled to whisper in your ear: "You know that thing you've been meaning to try? Go for it." It's almost worth it to find out.

Next up: more pictures of Scotland.

Comments

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

congratulations! you do scare me.
I recommend the green salt.

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure whether to be very very impressed or very very unnerved.

But in either case, wow. Just--wow.

[kirkcudbright.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I had a hot salt bath, a cool shower, and a warm nap before I did anything else. I'm feeling pretty much all better today (except that the gym was hazy, hot, and humid; plus I was the lowest-ranked person on the mat, so it was kind of intense). Miss you!

[kirkcudbright.livejournal.com]

Thanks. The gods are supposed to punish hubris, but the gods are also easily bored by too much clean living, so they won't prevent you from doing it again. Just saying...

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

The gods are supposed to punish hubris, but the gods are also easily bored by too much clean living, so they won't prevent you from doing it again.

Nice. I may have to use that one at some point. I'll give you full credit if I do.