... the insides of my eyelids!
I had a bit of a sleep-deprived night. To top that off, my legs aren't quite accustomed to being used full-on. My knees are hurting a bit, and my right foot has been hurting too. This is only since I've gone back to the road bike. It could be anything: Bike fit, re-learning clipless after 3 months off, or just not being used to the additional distance and saddle time. My bike feels like it fits okay. I don't do a whole lot of forceful pulling on the up-stroke but I'm also far from spinning perfect, smooth circles. I don't really have to justify myself, so I don't know why I'm wasting my breath. Despite nearly identical weather to yesterday morning (but without any wind at all), I chose to head to the bus.
I also used my backpack today instead of the panniers. It's supposed to start pouring cats and dogs today as well, and the backpack works better than the panniers for keeping my stuff dry. While not the most comfortable thing in the world, it's not really a big deal to carry the backpack for the whole trip. I do it whenever I take Hybridzilla downtown, but she offers more upright seating.
Despite having put more than 80 miles on The Twelve since I switched over to it as my primary commuter again, I'm still getting used to riding it. Mostly, it's still surprising me. Trading back to an efficient and nimble bike with a more direct connection to the road is simply amazing. Don't get me wrong -- trading efficiency for winter durability and terrain-conquering antics was fun, but now a road bike simply flies. The grass is always greener on the other side, isn't it?
Let's see. It's FINALLY Thursday, and it's taken what seems like a long time to get to this point. Yesterday seemed like it was just about the longest work day of my life. Partially because of this:
Oh yeah. I was too wrapped up whining about Evil People yesterday to mention the HEAT in my office. Yes, it's what you think. That had been sitting on my desk away from computer equipment all day. It was registering Eighty. Flipping. Two. Degrees. Fahrenheit.
Can you grasp that? 82° is when I take almost all of my clothes off and go swimming. It's when I start making sure that I have my water bottles filled completely with ice and just topped off with water before I go on a nice, long bike ride. Needless to say that I was having trouble concentrating and getting work done. Even My little fan felt more like a hair dryer than a source of relief, forcing me to switch to active evaporation techniques just to keep my sanity. That means wetting my face with a rag wrapped around ice cubes and letting the fan dry it off. And believe me, I dried off quickly. We're already up to 75° in the office this morning. I'm not sure I can handle another day in the office like yesterday.
Random Tunage:
Steve Winwood - Back In The High Life Again
Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes
Thursday, March 13, 2008
I am Contemplating...
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4 comments:
Hey Noah, what time do you and the others normally grab coffee downtown? I decided tomorrow is as good as any to start bike commuting so I'd like to say hello in person if my schedule allows it.
What's with the heat? Is the thermostat stuck? At first I thought you were impressed with the outdoor temperature -- and that would be impressive -- but that's indoors?
A wonderful alternative to a back pack is a messenger bag. One with a belly strap. I have a jannd humongous expandable monster I can fit 28 cans out of a 30 pack in and still have room for the bottle opener.
What makes messenger bags great is they hang down off your butt with the belly strap keeping the side to side motion under control. The newer high end bags also offer water proof capabilities. Or do what I do. Just put everything in a plastic bag first.
I sure am glad I am in control of my climate where I work. 82'F inside would make me go home till they fixed it. I keep my bike shop around 55'F in the winter. I love it. Summer temp inside is at the whim of Mother Nature.
Andrew: We get there around 6:45 and sometimes we're there till 7:30. IT's the star*ucks at 12th and main (not 13th and main, don't ask why they put one a block away). I've run into you before but company's always welcome and I'd be glad to kick it with you again.
Jett: Our HVAC is all computer controlled. Temperature sensors for this setup are thermocouples, and the closest thing to a thermostat is a computer controlled relay. The most likely problem was a mechanical failure such as an expansion valve or compressor malfunction. Yes. Indoors. And not much cooler than that outdoors, so escape was not easy.
Crum: I dislike messenger bags, and found a great sport backpack meant to carry a laptop with plenty of room to spare. It's no Chrome Kremlin mind you, and I prefer my panniers for huge loads.
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