Will it ever end?

Three days of excessive abnormal heat. Three days of above-100 degree heat indexes. And I had to run a space heater under my desk this morning because the A/C ran amok last night and my room was a nippy 61 degrees this morning. Yikes! No wonder I can't get healthy.

In spit of this, I've actually run pretty well. Perhaps it's the motivation of the runners who are preparing for their respective races (Persimmon, Columbus, Indy), or maybe it's because we've dropped the dead weight (Jimmy), but we've run some pretty fast 5's the last few times I've been out. Today we even capped the 38-minute run with a Scott acceleration, which I'm afraid I foolishly encouraged by noting it hadn't yet happened. As they say, it's perfectly okay to have an unspoken thought.

I hate that we missed the ride last night. I believe it's fate, because riding time is going to get diminished anyway, but dangit, I hate thinking I'm going to get something I want and then not getting it. Better to believe I never had a shot. Like my Nicole Kidman deal. (Just kidding!) No, really, I don't have a shot.

I may try to slip in tomorrow for a ride after practice. It will likely be an around-town deal. I need to try out my new aerobar pads anyway - I'm sure there'll be an adjustment necessary.

Lord of the Segments Pt. 3

Inasmuch as it was mid-summer, the day dawned with a heavy dew across green fields, and the early morning mist hung heavily in the valley, obscuring most of the small dwellings from view. The windows were all clasped tight to keep out the unhealthy dampness, so Normdalph’s approach was neither seen nor heard as he wound his way through the empty streets to Jimmy’s home.

The home was a sight to behold. It was hollowed out of the hillside in proper Bedfordtonian fashion – in fact, the house itself was the pride of the village, and had been handed down, along with the surrounding property, from Baggins to Baggins for countless decades. Around the exterior there were two external structures to house equipment necessary to maintain the spacious property, and though not large were in fairly good repair. Next there was a small pond, with clear blue water that invited Bedfordtonians to cool themselves on warm days (such as this day promised to be). Finally there was the tall pole, and affixed to its top was a slab of flat wood and a ring, about the size of a peach basket, set perpendicular to the board. It was the central piece of equipment to the one sporting event all Bedfordtonians prized…”hoops”.

The inside of the home was warm, cozy, and filled with the many treasures such a home would collect as it passed from family member to family member. The furniture reflected the varying tastes of previous owners, and the fact they were all still in residence is a testament to the frugality of Bedfordtonian nature. Area rugs covered hard cherry floors, and the walls were of fine mahogany, though they were difficult to see through picture frames scattered over their entire length and breadth. The smell was of wood, smoke, and summer tea sunning on the back porch.