Where the hell have I been?

It just occurred to me, that I haven't blogged in a century! So yes I am back. Where was i?  I was dealing w/ some personal stuff.  It took me about a month to go through it and get my bearings again.  But since my last log was in August, thats more than a month, isn't it.

The dust has settled and I'm settling into my new life.  I'm ok. The sadness that I felt is waning. I'm finding my center and my friends again. I am so sorry I was absent for so long.

Where have i been since the HHH?  I rode in the WIsh100. Snaps to me for accidentally missing the 40 cutoff and riding 100k.  It was good and bad. The good was, since it was urban, there was little to no wind, and i shave 1.5 hours off my overall time, and .5 off my riding time.  The bad news was, that i didn't feel near as strong. My hill climbing was weak.  In fact, i felt pretty weak the whole time.  I hadn't kept my training up, and i paid for it. How is that possible that a ride 1 month after the HHH, and i'm weaker?

My stupid bod, i suppose. I'm not as young as i used to be.

So what's next?  since there are no organized races coming up. I plan to focus my training on these points.  One..keep riding. Even if i only get a few rides a week, if i can not box my bike through winter, that's a plus. Second, get a trainer.  I need to keep riding, even if indoors. That might be like putting a gun to my head though.  Third, core.  I need need need to get my core stronger.  Fourth, running. I hate running.  I really do. My knees hate me everytime i try.  But, i am back in my running group, and even if i walk part of the way, it's getting my fat booty out of the house and working out.

Speaking of working out..i hate going to the gym. I would much rather be doing an activity that lends itself to a workout, then going to a gym anyday. Be that as it may, I may end up at one.

To that end, i've taken back up Hashing.   It's adventure running w/ beer.  This weekend marked my return to the shiggy hashes.  We ran thru 7 miles of swamp, rivers and mud.  I haven't been that cold since i stood outside in the freezing rain to see At The Gates in the 90s in NY.   When the sun started to set, the cold crept in. What was weird, was tromping through a field of tall grass, the temp just suddenly dropped, like someone turned  on the AC.  It reminded me of an ocean thermocline.  Do they have those above ground?

It took me washing my nasty clothes 3 x before i felt comfortable, and i showered twice. I still feel like I've got forest creepies crawling over me.

I think that will be my last shiggy run for a while.  It was fun, but honestly, unless i'm getting paid for it by the military, screw that!