And the Madness Continues

It may come as some surprise to those who know how long I've been racing/riding but in all that time, I've never once taken a ride on Skyline Drive. I've heard about it. Former teammates used to make the trip. I know it's literally right across a valley from Old Rag, where I love to hike. The trouble is that I live in Baltimore and Skyline is over 2 hours away. I have amazing roads outside my door and can hit all the ups and downs I want on my Howard County ride, a mere 20mins away. So, I never went. Until this past weekend.

Wow. It's absolutely beautiful out there. Noticeably cooler as you gain altitude, which is a blessing this time of year. There were some pretty nice climbs followed by fast downhills - the trouble was that we were doing an out-and-back so I knew every downhill meant an UPHILL when we came back so I couldn't completely enjoy those on the way out. Luckily, I had a cute boy pacing me up the climbs (and stealing sign sprints when I wasn't paying attention) - that always helps the mood and keeps it interesting. It was a really nice day on the bike ... now I understand what the fuss is all about. Maybe next time we won't have time constraints and can do the full loop. Maybe I should be careful what I ask for!

After that ride, I was happy to know I had a scheduled massage coming up. I have been making a habit of treating myself to a massage once a month. The accountant in me can rationalize it since I'm not currently paying for coaching or a gym membership. Anyway, I found an awesome guy in Columbia that does a fantastic job and appreciates my sense of humor/sarcasm (this is a requirement). If you're looking for a good masseuse in the Columbia area, look up Well Being Massage Studios. Yuri is awesome.

So, this past Monday I had my monthly massage. We chatted a little before he got started but I normally enjoy peace and quiet during the actual massage. At one point, Yuri asked me if I was going anywhere on vacation this year - odd, but okay. I gave a non-committal answer (because I honestly don't know) and went silent.

A minute later he awkwardly explained that he was just wondering if I was going to even out my (self described) ridiculous bike-tan lines.

There are certain moments that bring the bike-madness into focus for me. This was one of them.

Sigh.