race against the clock tonight

Am I ready? I dunno. Here's to a nice tailwind or something.

I've go the rig ready to go. Trail #4 mixed up. I took it easy this morning, mellow and chill. I even put arm warmers and a sleeveless baselayer on before taking the littlest down to camp this morning.

Oh and what a trip down it was. So cool. First we see a blue jay and a few other birds on the side of the trail, only to have them fly off to see a little mouse chasing its tail on the bike path edge. Weird. We turn the semi-truck around (the Giant with the T-a-B on it) so L can get a better view. Sure enough, this little cute mouse is just running in circles. Paying no attention to us at all. Weird. I nudged it with a stick. It stopped for a minute then just continued chasing his tail in circles. I wonder what was wrong with him. He's dog/cat or bird food by now. Then a couple hundred yards down we spy a red wing black bird. Dead. So we circled back around to get a better view.

Already the ride in was fun. Cold. But L had changed out of her shorts and into pants and the sweater was keeping her warm. Yeah, on July 9th (my little sister's birthday), sweater and long pants.

We get down to where I have seen a woodchuck/big fat rodent thing on a regular basis and talk about seeing it but not today. Then just before we get to the pond, I look down the overgrown access road/path to see a deer in profile. Swing the semi-truck around so the little one can have a good view of it. And so we added a Deer to what we saw.

Down by the pond there were three families of Canadian Geese. The babies had most of the adult colored feathers, just a few bits of the juvi fuzz on their necks. The mommas and the pappas were hissing maddly at us. But no attacks fortunately.

So...
mouse running in circles
red wing black bird that was dead
a deer
big baby Canadian geese

Quite the list on a 2.5 mile trip from our house to the Y. And with the T-a-B she get an even better view of what's around us than in the trailer.

Last night is was pouring and dumping all around us. I left work, headed home, grabbed the T-a-B with the black clouds all around but blue sky above, calls from my wife saying "it is storming up here" "it isn't here i'll still get her" "call me if if gets too bad" "okay" back to time trial mode.

Got there without a drop. Clouds passing around and over head. Load her up. Put her jacket on for good measure. And we start going fast. She's even pedaling a bit to help. We're racing the rain. Last week the positive thoughts worked to keep the rain away from a party, so I told L that we needed to think positively that we could get home without the rain. Faster daddy faster. L saying there is a lot of wind (and there was blowing off the pond).

Full on TT mode (well as much as possible w/o taking hands off the hoods and with a kid on the T-a-B). We got w/in a 1/4 mile of the house and it started very very lightly raining while still being bright and sunny. We pull into the house, go around back and come in only to hear "It is POURING out here" I look back outside where i just was in the back yard, "No it isn't, it isn't even raining." Walk around to the front of the house. Holy crap. The Golf is getting absolutely DRENCHED in a downpour, but the Passat is completely dry. The rain line stopped exactly where we turned up along the Passat to go around to the back yard. Crazy. Not to mention seeing such an absolute hard edge of rain/no rain.

Oh one thing on the way in, I felt the bike jerk to the left and peaked back over my shoulder to see L leaning all the way over on that side trying to look around me. I asked what she was doing "Trying to see around your BIG BUTT Daddy!" That made me crack up. Just look at the size of me there in Russ's shot from the back of the 3/4 race in CT. I do have a big butt. But then sitting there next to this guy, not so big looking. Man do we has some wicked small wheels on those bikes eh?

TT tonight and I'm taking my big non-aero Butt (what's the point in having wicked narrow aero bars if your ass sticks out 6" a side) and gonna see what I can do. Might even try and pick up a pacing device of some sort.

What a stage of the tour. Millar almost hanging on, but big Thor powering out and crushing everyone. That was awesome. And hey - Velonews has some coverage of the Giro Donne! Check it! Good stuff!

I think i should maybe remember to eat lunch today... i've got 10 minutes to scarf something down... no problem.

heddwch
G