All Dressed Up With No Place To Go

With five weeks to go before my Alyn Bike Ride, I am experiencing my annual September-October swoon.

I usually peak around Labor Day. Work tends to be slowest during August, the weather is usually ideal, and vasikin is early enough so that I can ride really early in the morning and get a good workout.

In mid-September everything changes. The weather, vasikin and work.

This year, because of the financial crisis and mid-week yom tovim, it's worse than ever.

I am getting to work by 8 every morning and finding it almost impossible to get to the gym for a spin class. When I get home, often later than usual, I am too tired to ride on my own spin bike. (I am also not, and never have been, fond of exercising at night).

So, I was looking forward to a 45 mile ride on the North Shore this morning which would include a number of tough hill-repeats.

I did my usual hachanos last night, getting my kit ready, checking my bike, getting my various energy fuels prepared, filling my tires to 120 psi. Then, I set my alarm for 5:15 a.m. so as to be able to catch the earliest minyan and get on the road by 7:30.

Sadly, when the alarm went off I heard the unmistakable sound of rain. Pouring rain. (That's one of those mixed-feeling moments: the realization that I had an excuse to go back to sleep coupled with regret that I wasn't going to get my ride in).

So, I reset my alarm and went back to sleep. But, I did not sleep long and ended up going to another very early minyan, hoping the weather would clear up. Which it did not.

By 8 a.m. I was on my spin bike and worked hard for 65 minutes. But it's just not the same.

At this rate, I should be in top shape for the regular road course by next month. Unfortunately, I am signed up for the challenge ride and will probably, once again, be sucking wind for five days at the back of the pack.