I guess I'm climbing alone...

Tuesday, September 18, 2012
John and Don confirmed they would not be joining me in the Adirondacks.  Don had lame excuses about too much paperwork and when I told Holly I would be climbing Friday alone, she suggested that maybe it was me.

“No one wants to go with you.  Have you asked yourself why?”

“Well...Donnie will be meeting me there on Saturday...so he wants to go with me,” I said.

“He’s family.  He feels obligated and that doesn’t count,” she said.

Maybe.  I’d asked Kim and Marie to drop classes and come and they’d said they couldn’t.  I’d let more than a few friends know I was going and no one asked if I wanted company.  I don’t know.  I bathe when I travel, though it is in freezing streams.  I’m a brilliant conversationalist...you can ask me if you’re unsure.  I can be charming and humble.  Maybe it’s not me.  Maybe the backcountry isn’t for everyone.  I’m sticking with that.

I wrestled with what to do for a workout.  I should have done a Survival Workout, but I’ve been limited in what I can do by both the elbow and the achilles.  I decided instead to go home and eat.  I scrambled up some eggs and added sautéed mushrooms, onions and broccoli.  I brooded for an hour after eating and when I noticed the skies were clearing, decided to go for a ride. 

I was on the road by six and thinking I had 90 minutes before dark set in.  I was wrong.  Again.  It was cooler and I’d put a cotton t-shirt on under my riding jersey.  There was a strong wind blowing, which was good since it added to the difficulty of the workout.  I headed into Waite Hill, but shortened my normal course to allow for the shortening daylight...only not enough.  My final ten minutes were ridden amongst cars with headlights on.  I pushed hard over the final miles to minimize my exposure and was reasonably tired when I arrived home and pleased that I’d made myself do something on a night that I’d almost blown off.

I got hungry towards the end of the evening and had a taste for baked beans...which I don’t bake, but heat up on the stove.  I added brown sugar, mustard and catsup and had two broiled hot dogs to make the meal as fatty and unhealthy as I could.  I have these cravings now and again, and I try not to fight too hard with them.  What’s the point?  I eat it and put it behind me for another couple of weeks. 

Bike Duration: 95 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1350.