and miles to go before i leave

I finally found the common cure for insomnia: blogging.  


With less than two weeks to go (13 days to be exact), I find that I have been in a bit of a slump.  Not quite able to leave yet, but not quite ready to go either, I am stuck in limbo.  I have been spending some great time with friends, but I finally decided to assuage my guilt from the past year of not riding much (read: hardly at all) and took BetCi, my 2005 Specialized Allez that I got in Alphabet City (hence the name) a few years ago, out for what I hope will be a series of closing rides in Tucson.  


Really, I am quite fortunate to have picked up cycling in Tucson, which is consistently rated as one of the best cities for the sport in the country.  However, between my class in the fall and my travel this past spring, it took all I had just to keep my head screwed on straight.  But long gone are the days of excuses; no longer will I get dirty side glances from BetCi as she stands in the corner of my apartment; no more will I feel like a poser amongst other cyclists.  Nope.  Not again.  My training to become a valued part of the Miami University Cycling Team begins now.  


Well, okay - it started Tuesday.  


I went on a short, albeit satisfying, ride of around 19 miles after work.  Although it felt as hot as how I imagine the River Styx to be, it was so gratifying to turn my iPod to my favorite mix albums, clip in, and ride with enough pace to fill my lungs with desert air.  Romantic imagine, huh?


The plan is to ride again on Friday (30+ miles with hills) and then go out a third time on Sunday (mileage TBD).  Not bad for the first week back in almost a full year.  I am also planning to take at least one ride in each state that I stop in on my trek back to the Northeast...and then a lot of rides in beautiful scenic New Hampshire.  I have been daydreaming of riding around my hometown again, which I used to do when I was a little kid.  Only now I will be on a better bike, in spandex, and hopefully going just a touch faster.  


And although I love BetCi and we have been through a lot together, I have also been daydreaming of this piece of eye candy below...if you or someone you know has about 10 large and they want to become my personal benefactor, this would be my first purchase...

je friggin t'aime.  i want me one (or three)