Protect your privates, guys...

Thursday, January 17, 2013

It was slightly colder than it had been the day before…which was already too cold to ride…but I really wanted to ride.  I felt like I could ask myself maybe for the last time ‘what would Lance do?’ and I knew the answer was ‘he’d ride.’  I suited up.

I was cold early on, but it didn’t take long for my body to warm.  The problem of course are the hands and feet.  I’d decided to go a little longer than the day before and by the end of the ride I was paying for that decision.  Both my hands and toes were getting cold as I climbed the last hill out of the park and turned into the wind for the final three miles to the house.  As I rode, I thought about Lance Armstrong and the interview with Oprah that I was going to see with John.  I’d already had my initial reaction to the news that he would be confessing to doping, but I’d yet to hear it from his lips and so, for at least a little longer, I could pretend he’d been the greatest cyclist that ever lived.  And regardless of drug use, I knew I could still respect his training regimen.  I really was out riding in conditions that were quite uncomfortable because I knew he would train in worse and for much, much longer. 

When I finally rolled up to the garage door, I could hardly feel my toes.  I’d been out for 95 minutes…about 15 longer than I should have.  I hung the bike and went inside to strip out of my gear…much of which was wet from my sweating.  It was then that I started noticing some disconcerting pain.

If you have ever watched older clips of the Tour de France during mountain stages, you would have spotted an unusual, but critical event towards the top of some of the alpine peaks.  Riders would reach these summits sweating and then begin descents that would take them to speeds in excess of 60 mph.  And since they were at 8,000 feet or higher, it would be cold.  Fans standing along the route would be handing the cyclists newspapers so they would have something to stick in the front of their cycling shorts to protect a part of their anatomy that, at those tremendous downhill speeds, would be susceptible to mild to severe frostbite.  On my ride, there were no fans and there was no newspaper down the front of my shorts…and now there was pain.  I headed for the shower and the healing power of warm water.  For the record, I will wear more protection in future cold weather rides.

I went to John’s to watch the Lance interview and was surprised to find that it was a two-part showing with the conclusion being aired the following night.  I will say that I was disappointed in Lance’s demeanor though I don’t think he got to the really hard questions during this show; that will come tomorrow.  I will say that I thought he was very controlled in all that he said.  It seemed that each word he uttered was thought out for the implications they could lead to later.  He seemed very cautious…and not contrite.  I think I'll wait to say much more; to see if the conclusion of the interview will change my impression.  I've been wearing my 'Livestrong' yellow band to honor his achievements for almost ten years now.  I really don't want to take it off, Lance, so please...help me.

Bike duration: 95 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  120 bpm.

Calories burned during workout:  1300.