D&F 6/04/23

It’s JUNE! I’m beat today, with a pair of legs that feel more like concrete than muscle. Yesterday I did an 60 mile ride with a friend punctuated by a long stay at a market in San Rafael. We were out in the sun from 3 until 930, and even an emergency infusion of spicy chicken sandwich post-ride wasn’t enough to refuel for today. My younger friend is currently doing a bike race, which further reveals the gap in our ability to recover.

Tomorrow is a holiday for those of us who love watching Apple keynotes. With VR goggles and new software supposedly launching tomorrow, it should be an interesting one, even if it’s unlikely to rival one of the best.

This weekend I also planned my first international bike trip, which will be short and sweet—and take me to Canada. The hardest part of this trip will be doing two long days back to back, but I think with ample food and support I’ll make it just fine. My suspicion is the party pace of this ride will be slower than when I push myself, but maybe I’ll spice it up and encourage a little race.

In other news, the new Spiderman is a fun, albeit long, movie. The various animation styles intermixing are worth seeing even if you don’t know your Peters from your Bens. I’ve also been informed by Drew, who managed to watch a certain film in 20 minute increments while feeding a baby that FFX will be available digitally next weekend, sparing me the awkward solo FF viewing.

Beyond that? The news in the US is grim, and I don’t want to get into it so let’s hit up the…

Links

• She might not have ended this weekend’s Unbound on the podium, but I’m still impressed by the cycling ability of Bay Area racer, Amity. It’s still horrifying that another young racer was murdered allegedly by a jealous girlfriend, but I’m glad female cyclists are continuing to band together and build support and training groups. The only way to beat the patriarchal systems in cycling is through mutual aid and community action.
• Tim Wu argues in this piece that our goal of convenience against all else has harmed our society and that real value can be found in inconvenience and how it helps shape community.
• Are Finnish people really the happiest on the planet? Maybe.. Being content is admirable, but don’t expect to see a lot of teeth.
• As I keep planning for a Japanese cycling trip, I’ve found some great resources from the BCC Slack. Doing this ride solo will be a little weird, but I’m excited for the adventure and hopefully a sense of accomplishment and wonder. I tend towards performance-oriented cycling, but slowing down and exploring is a goal of mine that I hope to focus on for trips like this.

Closing

With 18 laps out of 66 finished on my tv, I’m firmly entrenched in the Spanish Grand Prix on this Sunday afternoon. I’ve yet to sip my coffee, or have my oatmeal, but I did eat a handful of blueberries and a pickle, for some reason. Tomorrow, try as I might not to consider it, is my first day back after a week off, and this will be a long one. It’s promo time for my teams, as well as feedback, performance check-ins, and offsite planning.

But for today, I’m going to stay focused on relaxing, a good brew, and Snorri. Until we meet again, if you can’t be content, at least enjoy content, space cowgirls~