#20) Nothing Compares to...

#19) Just One More Time

I really thought I would be able to get in a few more spins before the elements would make it too difficult and uncomfortable to ride, but as is typical in Chicago, the seasons have changed rather abruptly. These rapid changes are especially true with the spring/summer & the fall/winter transition. Winters are cold and too long while summers are too hot and not long enough. But your picture perfect spring and fall days are few and far between. There never seems to be a gradual progression as the seasons change. If you're lucky there will one week of your stereotypical spring or fall days. This fall we didn't even get that. The week when the fall foliage was peaking the skies were clouded over so I wasn't able to take the pictures that I had hoped to.
During my rides this summer I had scouted out some great locations for fall pictures at both the arboretum and the forest preserve but the sun never seemed to cooperate.
I am still hoping to get out for a ride but it is difficult with shorter daylight hours and falling temperatures.

So once again I am back to the gym routine.

I will try to alternate between strength training and aerobics, doing weights 3 days a week and ride the bike for 2 days, and switch it up the next week doing 3 cardio and 2 strength. And this off-season I have a better idea of which muscle groups need extra work.

But I really want to get out
 Just One More Time
by The Derailers

#18) What I write about when I write.. (with apologies to Haruki Murakami)

 

"Summer of 42" grass-scape Nantucket, MA

Way back in August, more specifically, way back on August 5^th, I found the inspirational crutch I needed to help me with my writing of “The Handcycle Diaries.” That was the day I began reading Haruki Murakami’s “What I Write About When I Write About Running.” The book is a memoir of Murakami’s running experiences woven around his growth and development as a writer. I was anxious to gain some insight on how someone develops as a writer. What really struck me on that hot August 5^th day as I was sitting on a beach in Lake Forest, Illinois (yes, there are beaches in Illinois) were the very first words I read from his book: August 5^th… Was it Karma, serendipity or just a plain old “shit happens” event, I don’t know. But the irony of the August 5^th occurrence fired up my creative process. I could use “What I Write About…” as a template for Handcycle Diaries.

The karma/serendipity/shit happens theme was still in play of when I placed a bookmark to save my spot in the book. The bookmark itself was a rather innocuous marker that one sees near the cash register at bookstores. This particular marker had been inserted into a collection of short stories that my mother had given me for my birthday. 

One side of the paper bookmark was an advertisement for the bookstore where the book was purchased; on the flipside, a quotation that read, “One informed reader is worth a thousand boneheads.” Handwritten in ink below that quotation was a note from my mother that simply said “A thought for today. Love Mother.” I know that was a pretty standard quote to extol the virtues of reading but what grabbed me was the relevance of these quotations to the discussion that took place with my family on the car-ride to the beach.

 

B&W Milkweed Herrick Lake Forest Preserve

As we drove to the beach we listened to an AM station so we could get updated traffic and weather reports. The headline story of the day was the ever-growing NSA scandal and I voiced my worries about the invasion of privacy that was occurring. The family was nonplussed by the news and opined that I “spend too much time reading the New York Times and watching MSNBC.” That bookmark, with the quotation and note from my mother, helped ease my anxiety over my families’ reaction to the NSA scandal but it increased my bewilderment over the karma/serendipity/shit happens time-warp that I found myself in.

But I digress, back to “What I Write About”. My first realization was that a memoir is a looking back, best of highlight piece where the writer has the luxury picking and choosing what to include, whereas a journal is a real-time log of events. Other than that, I can see some similarities in our writing styles and Murakami even includes the titles of the music that he uses for motivation while running just like I had been doing at the ending of my blog posts.

So for the next couple of months I will post writings about the various trails I have taken and also how this new-found passion has effected me, both physically and mentally.

With that I leave you with two songs: (Don’t read anything into these selections, other than, I really like the sound.)

Excitable Boy by Warren evon

and

Country Death Song by The Violent Femmes

#17) Seasons come and seasons go

Damn, it wasn’t that long ago that I was worrying about staying cool and keeping my system properly hydrated on my rides…Through trail and error I finally came up with a cooling system that provided me enough relief from the heat but that didn’t make look like a suicide bomber with an explosive vest. I found that placing a frozen gel pack on the seatback worked the best. It is uncomfortable at first until the rockhard pack begins to thaw.

I knew enough to avoid the hottest part of the day and forgo riding if the heat index was too high. I placed a water-soaked bandana under my helmet and wore a cooling band around my neck. On top of that I kept a wet rag in my tool bag to wash off my face if I became overheated. Using a commonsense approach of paying close attention to weather conditions and utilizing cooling tools I wasn’t as effected by the summer weather as I feared.

But now it is a whole new ballgame as I try to find the proper mix of clothing to keep warm but not overheat .

For me, the ideal temperature band ranges from 55f to 75f. My big decision when temps fall within that range is whether to wear a short-sleeved or long-sleeved t-shirt.

When temperatures drop below the mid-50’s I wear a long-sleeved jersey as a base and then a short sleeved t-shirt on my torso. I also have a pair arm sleeves to keep my arms warm, which I can peel off once I get warmed-up. My only issue with the drop in

temperatures is that hands are extremely sensitive to cold, turning white and numb when temps are below 50. (Raynaud’s Syndrome caused by MS?) and I haven’t found the optimal glove combination that prevents calluses while keeping my hands warm. I am certain I will find a solution to this problem so I can continue to get out as long as the trails are clear of ice and snow.

The only other thing that has changed is the subject matter of my pictures...From this....

Sconset Fisherman's Shack

Two ladies on a log Nantucket, MA

On the trail near Provincetown, MA

 To this....

Milkweeds Herrick Lake Forest Preserve

Two Ducks Herrick Lake Forest Preserve

Two ducks Reverse Image Herrick Lake Forest Preserve