Arrival

Spring has finally begun to show it self. Seemed like it would never arrive. Which is funny.

This time last year I was gearing up for a 40 mile backcountry ski race, climbing ice, and looking forwards to stable snow conditions that would allow access to the many big, steep, don't think about falling ski lines that would be on offer for months to come. Who needed warmth, put on another jacket! Getting on the bike wasn't high on the priority list.

Somewhere around mile 30 and hour 9

Now, I'm a sissy. 40 is too cold. The snow has been around far too long. It's time to work on my mid-calf knee pad and Chaco tan. I spent one day ice climbing and didn't touch my skis. Okay, I touched my skis. To move them out of the way to lean my bike against the wall! How things change.

Honestly, I haven't really felt any desire to get out and ski or climb this winter. Partly because one of my favorite, primary partners moved out of state and partly because I just made a decision to really focus on one thing.

"Live the lifestyle instead of paying lip service to the lifestyle. Live with commitment. With emotional content. Live whatever life you choose honestly. Give up this renaissance man, dilettante bullshit of doing a lot of different things (and none of them very well by real standards). Get to the guts of one thing; accept, without reservation or rationalization, the responsibility of making a choice. When you live honestly, you can not separate your mind from your body, or your thoughts from your actions."

Mark Twight's Twitching with Twight essay was written to be too coarse. Too extreme. The point stands, though.

Spring Training-60 and sun to 35 and snow

Outside of maybe three other times in my life, I've never truly been focused on a single activity/task. Those times that I was singularly focused, I did well. So now, I've made the choice to seek what I'm capable of on a mountain bike. I've been happily content with that choice all winter. Having spring show itself has made me more content. Sunshine, warmth, trails. More please.

Signs of Spring I

Rewards of Spring Training-the cool down