How I Feel

Yes, that's how I feel, despite the absence of Nutri Grain bars from my diet recently. I feel great, let's hope its an omen for 2010... I'm now home from the first Calgary ride of the year, 10 guys out having a blast, in nice weather. I'm riding an entirely badass new bike that's finally found its stride. I'm a different weight, metabolism, musculature, and mindset from pre-Christmas when I left (more on that later when I feel I've reached the goal).

Craig dropped by shortly after 9 this morning. I rolled into the driveway at 4:15, with no activities in between but coffee drinking, telling tall tales, and turning pedals on snow covered backroads of Alberta. For the last hour, I felt golden - no fade. I wanted to let it rip, but that's not the kind of ride it was, and yes in truth I'd quickly fade, and heck it is January anyway. I'm not saying I'm anything different from a middle aged guy who likes riding bikes - this isn't laying claim to big performance claims that aren't true or won't materialize... it's saying that corporate dinner laden, working 24/7 for 6 months guy that left for the airport in December to see Tori got left behind, somewhere on the other side of the world, and I'm back much closer, and on the right track, to the shape I prefer to be. It's the feeling that counted, nothing beats knowing the tank is full. Like Emeril says, BAM!

It always amazes me the quality of the people I'm able to count as riding partners (and friends!), at least until they turn up the pace to what their talents allow. This time of year that's not in the cards so much, which works in my favour. Besides being just good people in the broadest sense, the Watts at the disposal of the Dallas, Bunnin, Sparling, Stappler, Nutbrown, McNeil crowd are always impressive. Dylan Snowdon was a new introduction (to me) today, and Thomas Yip is working it hard - it'll be rewarded, that's not a group that picks easy January rides, and even if the hammer wasn't dropped too severely, the "easy pace" can still be brisk. Awesome!