Waiting for a train

I took the running jacket out again a week ago.  This time there were no problems.  Maybe it was my choice of undershirt for my first use that created the chafing issue.  It was a large T-shirt, and the jacket is a medium, so there would have been some bunching up.  This time the undershirt was also medium. 

So how does the running jacket perform?  Couldn’t tell that night;  the undershirt was a regular cotton t-shirt which was therefore soaking wet after 20 minutes. 

It was an exceptionally light winter for cold and snow.  Hardly any of either.  This week it rained, turning into ice pellets on the way home.  That sure stings the face.  If it was winter, I would be on the cruiser, with full face gear, or perhaps my rain coat.  The road bike isn’t so good for that.  Since it wasn’t raining in the morning, I didn’t wear the rain coat and got a good soaking on the home trip, plus the ice pellets to the face. 

Here I am ready to take the jacket out for trip #3.  It’s night time.  The reflectors were a requirement when buying the jacket.  Can’t go out wearing all black and no reflectors.  Spouse commented that I’m looking like a professional.  I considered that I look more like a hoodlum about to break into your back porch.  The black beanie is especially good for that effect.  It’s about 5C out, so it’s a one-bottle run. 

I was feeling strong, and opted for the longer course out behind the auto plant, where I got stuck behind this train. 

Okay, so the camera in the phone doesn't work at night.  It was 3-4 minutes for it to pass.  I did some stretches,  drank my water.  At the top is a daytime pic of the rail line there. 

PostSecret Show

Went to the PostSecret show at Western this week.  I love the website and was so happy to be able to see his travelling show.  It isn’t even that the show was that good.  It was being able to feel the resonance of all the other followers there, and let Frank know how much we appreciate what he is doing.  I liked his talk.  It’s some great background on how the site got started and what it’s like for him to run it.  Kind of like listening to the director’s commentary for a movie that you adore. 

One of the locals shared that she was afraid to get test lest her condition turn out to be cancer.  She said she would rather not know.  I felt that this represented the point of view of a young person.  After 40, like me, it’s clear with the slowing down of functions, longer recovery, and general gathering decrepitness, that you have a distinct time limit already, whether or not you have a specific condition like that.  It’s why I bought the racing bike last summer.  What am I waiting for?  You never become financially rock-solid do you?  I put in a ton of hours on the bike, and wanted to make the most of it. 

On the secrets front, there are some things that I don’t tell some people, but not much that I haven’t told someone.  The thing that came foremost to mind is my Mobitz I heart block aka Type I Second-degree atrioventricular block.  Since my normal ECG is fine, it’s a benign condition that I don’t worry about.  I see it as one of the fascinating things about me, like my pointed head and four nipples. It’s like having one of those fuel-conserving cars where it shuts down a cylinder when you don’t need it.  Okay, maybe it’s more like having headphones with a broken wire that you have to wiggle sometimes when the left earbud cuts out. 

Seeing the odd blue wallcovering at the back of the auditorium reminded me that I have been here once before.  Back in grade 10, around 1982, I was here on a class trip for a performance of the Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces. 

Oh Drat, Got A Flat

Got up Wednesday, and the Townie had a flat on the rear wheel.  Pressed for time, I pumped it up and carried on. It was flat again when I got off work, so I called for a ride home.  The weather was nice enough, so I got my road bike out of the shed.  That worked on Thursday, but Friday had snow and was so cold that with the thinner gloves my fingers were numb by the time I was home.   I don’t wear the lobster claws or the downy coat on the road bike.

New gear!  Nike running jacket

Sunday was warm enough to get outdoors for a run or bike! I chose the run, with my typical 20k route.  It was my first chance to use the Nike running jacket which I bought on a whim last month.  It was great for blocking the headwind on the fourth leg.  It transitioned easily to tie-around-the-waist when the wind was at my back.  Arriving home, I found red slash marks underneath each armpit.  If that’s what happens for wearing it a total of about 10km, the purchase is a total disaster.  This thin nylon jacket cost more than my downy coat that keeps me so warm in the winter.  Maybe it was my choice of the two shirts I had on underneath.  I will try again some upcoming weekend.  I got this strictly for the long runs, so I need it to be able to go for hours.  Perhaps I should have the large instead of the snug medium, but at this price point, I’m not likely to take the risk, at least for a few years.