Back!

First ride in 9 weeks.

Time: 1 hours 12 minutes
Distance: 16.8 miles
Average speed: 13.2 MPH
Weather: Gorgeous
Ride Rating: 5/5

Maxed out at 22.9 miles/hour, climbed a hill, set the pace for the whole ride, wore a new Twin Six jersey courtesy of my friend (and chiropractor!) Tara, and feeling fine.

Also, saw some deer, got a bit skittish around kids and dogs, and got hit by a bat that was diving for a mosquito. My bike has now rolled over to 381 miles! Watched the sun set, rode in the dark, and got a bug in my eye.

Now I’m at home, about to do some homework, and prep for my long day tomorrow. Next ride: Thursday morning, maybe? Then Friday night? And then, my goal: The Buff Bicycle Classic. I’m telling myself that it’s ok to take it easy going back. When we start the ride, there’s a hell of a hill at the beginning, which just might annihilate my lungs. But, the 35 mile and 50 mile routes follow the same path,  with the 50 turning left at 75th street to head up to Loveland and back before meeting back up at the turn south on 75th back to Boulder. If I am feeling it, I’ll go ahead and do the 50, but if I don’t, no big deal. It’s been 9 weeks since I last rode, and I had a broken shoulder. I think anything I do is good. Like riding a horse, it takes time to get back on when you fall off, especially when you fall like I did. And, like my best friend (who is an equestrienne) when you find the thing you love – nothing can keep you off it. So here I go.

I’m back on.

Tour de Beer

I haven’t been on my bike in over a week. This makes me sad. However, part of the reason is because I went back to my hometown this weekend so the boyfriend could meet the family, and we could snuggle with my new baby niece, who is an adorable 5 pounds and 3 weeks old! She’s in that stage where she just curls up in your arms like “Ok, I’m here, along for the ride. Where are we going? Oh, here’s your arm. I’m going to suck on it because I like food.” TOTALLY ADORABLE.

We also got to spend time doing things in town, like visiting one of the best art museums in the country that’s not in New York or LA. We also got to see, while at that museum, my absolute favorite painting, Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi, a female painter of the Italian Renaissance. 

This Week in Books

What I’m scheduled to read:

1. Places of Public Memory – Dickinson, Blair and Ott, eds

2. Methods & Theories of Art History – Anne D’Alleva

3. Meaning in the Visual Arts – Erwin Panofsky

The first one is geared toward my major area for comps, and the other two are for my minor area. Oddly enough, I’ve got an equal number of books on each reading list. Also, that number of books is a pretty large number, considering I need to get them all read in 8 weeks or so.