Monday

Yoga, 1hr

Spin, 1hr

Tuesday

Yoga, 1hr

The 6am alarm to get on the bike for the 9 degree F commute was a little unwelcome, but I’m glad I went. The more I go to yoga, the more I realize how stiff and tense I am – how much work really is needed. I have become much like a marble sculpture chiseled out by Michelangelo himself: rippling with muscles, but unable to leave the solid, immovable form they’re enslaved in.

With each slight degree of reclaimed mobility, I’ve found climbing to become just a little easier. I’ll move my foot up in a new way and promptly fall of – I just didn’t know my body was able to move in that direction and the sensation is new. The second time, I don’t fall off, and a little bit of the boulder problem is decrypted. I hope by this summer to make some measurable changes to my mobility.

Bouldering @ Movement 1hr

Worked on a V6 – as the poetic paragraph above professes, I found some new ways to move these old bones, but couldn’t actually put it all together. I’m strong and muscular, but only in a limited range of motion and any mobility I gain needs to be filled in with muscular might. There’s a delay to fill those new blank spaces in. In one sense, it’s a little frustrating; but I’ve found a way to progress in a way that’s essentially free (don’t need to get bigger!).

Spin, 1hr

The race date looms!

Wednesday

Bouldering @ Movement, 1hr

Spin, 1hr

Yoga, 1hr

Thursday

Bouldering @ Movement, 2hr

Small progress on two tough V6’s, and a V7. I should get one of these three next sess.

Spin, 1hr

Friday

REST!

Saturday

Bouldering @ Movement, 1hr

Quick-ish session after doing some light stretching and my hip mobility routine (I don’t usually note that in my journal). Good times for me though, as I finally topped a V7 I’ve been working on. Struggled with this one and really pissed off my elbow/bicep enough to have to put it down and do some PT stuff to make the elbow/bicep feel better. Happy to have gotten my arm healthy, and figure out a better way to do the problem without hurting myself again.

Speaking of hip mobility,

Sunday

Old Man Winter Rally! 100k Bike

Rode to Lyons and took my place in the back of the group to ride around the local roads and hills of Boulder. I haven’t ridden my bike this distance in a very, very long time, so it was something of a experiment: is this a good idea?

Obviously, I haven’t been resting on my laurels this whole time, but one usually wouldn’t suggest doing almost 100 miles without working up that mileage. Anyways! Went well: cracked a bit on Linden going up (steep!) with a little less power than I would have liked, as well as some cramps on my inner thighs which I’ve only had once – at the last gravel grinder I did.

Rode home to round out the day. I lost about 5 pounds, so dinner was a very salty chicken soup I had waiting for me, and lots of tea afterwards to regain the lost water weight – given I was cramping, it seemed like a good idea. If I can carve out the time, I’ll try to write up a proper report. Thanks for UD for sponsoring me to do the race!