So this is a small effort for a rare Friday entry.
I've discovered that one of the things that I miss about my warm weather outdoor bike rides is the thinking time afforded to me as I crank along the roads. There is no indoor substitute for the mental gymnastics that abound when you're in the middle of a 30-mile ride. Running offers some of the same opportunities, but when I'm running, I'm usually just calculating how much farther I have to go, and how long it will take to cover that distance.
Doing training on my bike indoors is a brutal exercise. After 10 minutes, I'm trying to justify stepping off the bike and going to the weight machine. Even when I'm ok while on the trainer, I'm watching a game or other mindless TV show, so there's no creative thinking taking place.
Contrast that with gliding along a county road, even when heckled by red-winged blackbirds, and the conclusion that my quality of life suffers in the Winter is easy to make. As I sit here at the blog, I'm actually looking forward to getting out in March and doing some hills. That is sick.
Doing the blog is somewhat similar to being out on a ride. With little chance of being side-swiped or otherwise harassed by cars or birds. But with the blog, while the mind is being exercised, the body is on it's ass.
Shifting gears...
Aunt Martha asked at some point a few entries back about just when someone might be considered as becoming old. I've got a new definitive sign of such. For many years, my standard Winter attire in the office has been a sweater over a somewhat matched Polo shirt, so that the shirt's collar would compliment the sweater. This year, that ensemble is still there, but I have added a t-shirt (occasionally, even long-sleeved t-shirts!) under the Polo for more warmth. That reminds me of something Daddy might have done. And he was old.
Uncle Phil advises me that we have relatives on Mother's side of the family out in West Virginia that have traced genealogy to literally thousands of known individuals. If this were Arkansas, we'd need to be careful, or we could find ourselves dating our own relatives.
And finally, we got the call yesterday for the first 2007 Form 1040 preparation. It warms my heart. Not!
Have a great evening.
BCOT
Philosophy, History and Commentary from Lt. PC
2 comments:
i also get a lot of good thinking time done while running. i've come up with great teaching strategies on my afternoon runs. i've got a really neat way i'm going to organize my next semester; i'm going to set it up to parallel my marathon training. i can teach them a little about marathoning and taking care of their body, work on planning for an "event" (passing the class), and being accountable. we'll see how it works, but i think it will help keep me organized and hopefully help keep them interested.
another loss for the rhs girls tonight. the season can't be done fast enough. tomorrow i'm running the winter carnival 1/2 marathon. last year was one of the coldest days of the year, but this weekend looks pretty good. 30's for the high.
today and monday were 'teacher work days'. i actually had a student come in to see how she did on the final yesterday and she didn't really expect teachers to be there. she thought we all just said that. i wish. i spent hours working on final grades. over 20% of my students ended up failing. mostly all because they didn't do the work. not that they weren't capable. there is a ton of paperwork that goes with failing students. it sinks. monday will be spent planning for the start of semester 2. one of the classes i've taught, but the other is new. it's with my ell learners, so it will be challenging.
i'm off for a za and some celtics basketball.
from Martha:
For better or for worse today: on what is "old":
http://www.fborfw.com/strip_fix/
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