Applebutter Headwinds, That's Not Fair!

Morning weigh-in (Thursday): 173.5#, 10% BF
Morning weigh-in (Friday): 175#, 11% BF

So I got up this morning, drew up a nice route on Google Maps, then downloaded and converted it to GPX and put it on my Garmin. Worked like a charm, the thing beeped whenever I had to make a turn (though I think it was in "offroad" mode, since it didn't really care about road turns per se, but just noted major changes in direction), all the way until got to where the road was closed -- it had nothing to say fort a while, until I got back to the original route again, but by then I was done.

My route was basically a modified Hellertown loop, only I added Millheim Road and Wassergass Road, and my plan was to got through Freemansburg on River Road, but Lower Saucon was the closed road and I took Applebutter back to Hellertown. Applebutter is a fun downhill in ordinary circumstances, like four miles of just rolling along, but today it was windy, and -- just my luck -- that was where the wind was in my face. I still could roll with almost no effort, but it wasn't the fast or exciting rollercoaster ride I was hoping for. In terms of training, this was a hilly ride and I was working the legs a bit, but my plan was to keep the heart rate kind of lower and more aerobic for the climbs, and, except for one maximum-effort wall on Millheim, I think I hit my sweet spot.

Here's A Little Thing That Is Sure To Please You: I guess I'm on a kick, I downloaded a bunch of other songs Wednesday night, only one I remember right now being Alex Chilton's "Bangkok."

That was after yoga, and after a fairly light (grilled cheese & salad) dinner -- the pork & sauerkraut wasn't quite ready. Since last night was burgers at the newly re-opened Brew Works -- note weight, and that despite a brutal gym workout -- and tonight is a visit to the Mauch Chunk Rod and Gun Club -- stay tuned for a full report, if I live -- we'll probably be eating it (the pork) as an early dinner tonight.

Spotlight On The Mountains Of Madness

Morning weigh-in: 174#, 10% BF

 

Crow Clock Running Faster: I'm usually not ready to get up when the alarm clock goes off, so I just sort of lay there for a while, trying to wake up, and don't actually get up until I hear all the crows flying off to wherever they go for the day -- maybe they're commuters too? -- from their evening roosts by the river. Unfortunately for my wakeup, they time their commute by the sunrise, which means that I've been getting up earlier and earlier each day.

 

I'm Not Gonna Go There: Looks like they shined some radar down through the Antarctic ice, and found the Mountains of Madness. Yikes!

 

Last night was the gym, followed by leftover chicken, and tonight is yoga. I believe Anne has plans to cook pork & sauerkraut tonight.

 

 

I Often Dream Of Trains

Morning weigh-in: 174#, 11% BF

 

Listening: I downloaded a bunch of songs from eMusic last night, including two from Robyn Hitchcock ("I Often Dream Of Trains" and "The Man With The Lightbulb head"), and a whopping 18 by the Dead Kennedys. I also picked up Bikini Kill's "Rebel Girl" and a few others. Much nerdly rocking out by the light of the laptop last night, I must say.

 

Training: Last night was also interval night on the trainer, and (strange as it may sound) I had a lot of fun -- I was playing with the HRM, and the time just flew by. I felt pretty good too, but I was crushed by the time I was done, all rubbery and nauseous. Tonight is plyometrics at the gym.

 

Speaking Of The Man With The Lightbulb Head: Check out this deep-sea fish.

 

Drinking: A friend was singing over in Southside, but I couldn't make it in time, so I just met Anne over at the Steelgaarden, the club-like "martini bar" downstairs at the Brew Works. I had a beer while I was there, but I wasn't hungry at all, which was good because there was no food. The upstairs part of the Brew Works is closed right now, but will re-open sometime this week with their new kitchen, and not a minute to soon as far as I'm concerned -- the fire was more than two months ago, and I am jonesing for a burger, maybe some wings...

Back In The Saddle

Morning weigh-in: 176.5#, 10.5% BF

 

Rest week ends today, with basement intervals on tonight's agenda -- tomorrow is the gym, more plyometrics. (This week the bike volume is low, just tonight and the weekend's rides, but starting next week the crosstraining will be phased out, at least partially. It's really starting like the end of winter out there.)

 

I don't have much to say otherwise, not much has happened since my last post.

 

Some Music: We met Sally and Joe at Porter's for dinner Saturday night, but we all left when the band (southern rockers, complete with Confederate flag and "this is not a racist symbol, you should learn your history" spiel) was so bad we left. We all went down to Pearly Baker's for the reggae stylings of the Trouble City All-Stars, a major improvement in terms of both taste and general musicianship.

 

Anne and I went up to Jim Thorpe on Sunday morning and tried to ride the Broad Mountain Loop. It was beautiful out, with a light snow falling, but the trail (under the 3" or so of new snow) was all ice and we bailed after only a few miles.

 

Some More Music: We went out to the Tally Ho to see what looked like a local supergroup (really, stars from every Bethlehem band) playing a night of Talking Heads covers. Very fun, and apparently that's where the old Which Brew girls hang out, at least on Sunday: local hipsters take the place over when the frat boys are out of town, and I'd guess that half their boyfriends were in the band. There was a neat vibe despite the smoke, like Jabberwocky on Sunday nights, when the disco was shut down and Joe and I would go to play pool. Good to see some of the old faces too -- I haven't seen Andrea since WB closed in May. Her hair was alternately long/pink and buzzcut/leopard-print, but other than that she hasn't changed a bit...

 

Except for us (and Lee, and also Kelly-Jo), the scene was mostly younger and leaned toward the bartender crowd, as in "we always stay up late, and besides we all have off tomorrow," so Anne and I left long before the show was over, but they'll be playing Pearly's and the Funhouse in March, and I think they'll be worth catching.