It's nearing Portugal time. Need to ride. Got in 5 hours today. Rode through more snow than has been in [most] of Portugal since the last ice age. It's been a while since I rode the Moots MootoX. Big, comfy, slow. Rolhoff is perfect, Schmidt dynamo hub is perfect. Added resistance and weight.
I talked to a few people - most just spew out some derivation of "you're crazy". And maybe I am just a touch. But I also know that I'm not going to improve my fitness by watching the snow fall.
Stopped at Second Cup for a beverage, where the owner was chatty and perceptive. "That must be hard, like running on soft sand or something right?". Yeah that's not a bad analogy. "Something must have you motivated to get out?". Brief Portugal story in response. "Well that's great, at least it's not really cold, have fun."
Sat next to a table of 8-10 year olds and heard a conversation that blew my mind. The little girl wanted to be a professor of the classics, probably mythology. A little black boy didn't want to be some stereotype like a sports star, he wanted to either choreograph or costume design on Broadway. The other little girl wanted to be a CGI animator and work for Pixar or Disney. I think the babysitter's mind was sort of blown too. What ever happened to wanting to be in the NHL or a veterinarian? It sounded more like a group of NYU twenty year olds than suburban Calgary kids.
Anyway, back to the bike thing. Last time I rode Trans Portugal and struggled with the heat, someone told me I should train in the heat more. Easier said than done:
Trans Portugal - now of course everyone puts prime weather in their marketing photos, but there's a limit to how much the truth can be stretched. Do you see any snow here? I don't. I see sunflowers and riders in jersies and shorts.
Calgary - no jersies and shorts (well, if you're wearing them, they'd better be base layer). No sunflowers. But who cares... as long as I can ride I'm happy.
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