When I can't ride

Saturday, 21 October

After my too-close encounter with wet pavement last Sunday, I spent today doing everything but riding my bike.

First, I got to track Leslie and Jamie and their WINS at the Head of the Charles. You guys are awesome! I hope you're celebrating in style!

(Well, truly first, I got to SLEEP IN!)

I got to attend the annual WSBA calendar meeting. Highlights for 2007 are a bunch of time trials, somebody's theory that we need a state circuit race championship race, and a new state stage race/omnium championship in Bellingham and environs. Also found out that masters nationals are scheduled to begin next year on the 5th of July, again in Seven Springs.

I pursued alternative healing techniques. One I've known about for a while is pineapple, which is good for reducing bruising. A new one for me is getting my feline to purr, which is supposed to help bones heal faster. My cat doesn't seem to mind being used in this way.

I went to the gym to burn some calories. The recumbent stationary bike does a pretty good job of making me work up a sweat and also supporting my sore ribs, but 40 minutes was all I could take of that seat (I'm sorry, but it's not a "saddle"). I almost fell asleep in the sauna!

And I had the energy to cook something that took more than 20 minutes! Tonight's repast was pumpkin/spinach/ricotta ravioli with sage cream sauce (which used nonfat milk, not cream). Yummmmmmy. There was plenty of pumpkin left for pumpkin cranberry bread, too. I was reminded that recipe yields do not apply to cyclists and that food photography is very difficult. Quite frankly, the very best part of the whole meal was the late tomato out of the garden that I used for garnish. "Bursting with flavor" would be an understatement.

Oh, and for those skeptics out there, I even had a few live, face-to-face conversations with Old as Dirt. Since I heard last weekend that it was bad form for me to miss his cyclocross debut, I will head down to Donida Farms tomorrow.