Got the grumps

Probably shouldn't write today - my cold is taking over. Work is like a hills ride when you're overweight and have flat tyres.

grump mumble mumble


early to bed me thinks!

Maybe i can ride next week!

Looking forward to getting my hands on the latest RIDE magazine as I even managed to get a grumble posted in their. And - they sent me a shirt for writing in!

Look who keeps me company though - can't complain!

Jeb - after rampaging my garden

Why writing a thesis is like racing a 6 week tour

Thesis writing has many things in common with racing

The preparation - endless hours and it never feels like enough hours. Both include several pre-*big*race mini-races; (presentations and publications would be like club/state races)

The food - race time is when you get to eat all the high cal stuff and guess what happens when you work on a computer 10 hours a day.

The stress. Almost impossible to think or talk about anything else. *Beware* this can get you in trouble if it appears you aren't listening to those around you.

The daily rituals are very similar come race time wake up, dawdle, eat, dress, dawdle, check equipment, dawdle, warm up, get going, sprint, worry you aren't going to make it, slug it out, cross the finish line, shower, eat, relax, sleep. Then you repeat * 42

The major difference between the two being fitness - one goes up, the other goes down.

Better cross the line soon so I can get back out there!

Photo courtesy of Peter Mah

Am I ready to come back?

It dawned on me (in the shower) that my health has improved hugely in the last two weeks. We'll never know exactly what it was that helped with the improvement. Was it simply time, or the handfuls of multi-vitamins, probiotics, good food, fish oil, good rest, sleep herbs, chinese herbs, oil tinctures and catnip, caffeine or riding my bike. Maybe the latest Ride will have some answers - I posed a question to them and am looking forward to seeing how they respond!

Then I realised that even if I wanted to train 20 hours a week I simply don't have those 20 hours to spare! Phew ! Coz I'm enjoying 'life' at the moment and am not ready to go back into race mode.

Back to why I *can't* train 20 hours a week -I'm in a different race, not on the road, on paper. yikes! I've got less than 2 months to finish the dreaded thesis. We're getting there! Progress has been made. Looking forward to sending it off though. Better get back to it then.

Ticy Ticky Boom

Perth band Boys Boys Boys! launched their video clip for Ticky Ticky Boom last Friday. I love it.

Great for a sidetrack or boost early morning...

What the others say about GF

There really isn't much scientific literature out there about glandular fever or mononucleosis. I've gotten a bit disheartened by this and by the length of my recovery - when so many others have taken a few weeks not 4 months.

There is light! I'm managing full-time work now (just) and I'm hoping to start doing some cycling soon. It'll be short and with lots of reflection as to how my body is coping. The food elimination may be helping, but it's really hard to say.

I'm on the hunt for some evidence - and not really having much luck.

I did find a couple of things interesting about the mono article from Peak Performance. Firstly, stress is a very recurrent theme when talking about illness and immunity. I guess the PhD isn't really helping there - but now it seems like the stress of the PhD is larger because I don't get to go for a ride before/after work. It *will* be finished soon.

The other part of the article that caught my eye were the 'smoke signals'. Did I have any smoke signals? Maybe. I was running around like a headless chook last year. I had some other stressors and I definitely struggled for a lot of the time. and after returning from a productive work trip overseas had my training cut short one day when I truly just couldn't get on the bike.

Maybe I should go meditate now...

Is it working?

Not cycling is not all bad.