some QT with DebbieB

so i was planning on going to this may day rally/march this afternoon regarding immigration rights-- but i was pretty strained walking from my bedroom to the kitchen, so walking 3.5 miles down international from fruitvale to downtown oakland wasn't going to happen. for future reference, an insane amount of jumps probably isn't what you should do before planning on going to a march.

i had the day off work today, and desperately needed to work on my jump/hang out with my favorite demographic (xoxomarkpatton). as any of you can attest who have seen this pathetic attempt during a race, i certainly needed some practice to get a bit more coordinated, as me getting out my saddle attempting to jump on my track bike is usually a pretty ugly site.

i practice jumps on my road bike and things are great...however, things are different on my track bike--DebbieB-- and i just can seem to put it together. i always feel all clutsy and fumbly jumping out of the saddle down the bank-- so i usually only do it half-assed.

me and DebbieB needed some good quality time together, apart from other distractions (e.g. races), so i could iron out my position and figure out how to put some ooom-pa into her. jumps have been kinda like this: it's as if me and DebbieB have been holding hands for a year, with an occasional peck, and when i would go in for the kiss, it was always kinda awkward.... things just needed to change.

hit up the thursday morning training session. at the beginning of the session i was doing some 100m jumps behind the guys. on one, i was right behind this guy alan... the jump happened and it was like, insta-gap, just add water. after four jumps, the dudes rolled off the track into the infield, doing who the hell knows what.... i just kept jumping and jumping and jumping-- 1 to 2 laps rest, jump....lather, rinse, repeat.... how many did i do? well, the first set, i kinda stopped counting after i hit around 20-- and just kept jumping away, at all different parts of the track. i think around number 23, me and DebbieB finally hit stride and got acclimated to each other. then i did a bunch more and was finally feeling like i was getting into it. then i took a little break and had some water and finished set one. then i went out there and did a lot more jumps....although i was pretty pooped at this point, they felt better and better, and i think i was finally done fumbling around. i kept jumping, pretty much until peter bohl told me stop.... but such an insane amount of repetition is really what i needed to feel things better. (---- next step is actually being able to do this next time i go out---and then, actually be able to do this in race situation--- but one step at a time for now.)

then i did seven standing starts. i guess that is a lot of standing starts... especially considering i did dozens upon dozens upon dozens of jumps beforehand..... just as expected the first couple sucked balls...and let's be honest, the last couple probably sucked balls too. but after about four or five, some things felt better, and i do think my coordination improved a bit...but i really think for those standing starts to get dialed in, me and DebbieB are going to have to do thirty in a row...kinda just like today and the jumps.

that didn't really seem like an insane amount of jumps until i walked in my house. If my legs feel like this after a couple of hours, I think tomorrow is going to be interesting. But, it was all worth it, cause me and DebbieB finally made it to first base. ooo la la.

all this talk about jumps, really makes me want to measure my quads..... 60.0cm?!?! wtf?! no fair! now i am mad.