… seriously, what am I doing still awake?

What this doesn’t show is the humidity we currently also have, which contributes to keeping me from going outside, let alone riding the bike. We rode briefly on Sunday morning, but I didn’t feel good about it afterwards. I’ll have to visit the fitness room instead this week.

Someday I’d like to live somewhere I can comfortably ride year-round, but in the meantime, I can be found inside, with the AC cranked.

My bike received a significant upgrade this weekend after a torn spoke led to a full wheelset replacement. Kevin from Big Shark was incredibly helpful and made sure my bike was back in riding condition with new wheels faster than it took us to get lunch and walk back to the shop - great service.

Seeking a set of Strong Wheels since I abuse my bike, I now ride on a Mavic Ksyrium SL wheelset instead of the stock wheels I settled for when I purchased the bike. I’m eager to spend some time on the road and trails to find out how they hold up. They certainly look good! (I’m such a poser.)

The most recognizable team in international cycling is the first to sign on for the inaugural Tour of Missouri.

The Discovery Channel cycling team, for which Lance Armstrong rode to seven consecutive victories in the Tour de France, will participate in the race, which begins Sept. 11 in Kansas City and ends Sept. 16 in St. Louis.

Full Article

This race starts shortly after our 2007 two-day MS-150 ride, so I’ll enjoy some spectating while they speed through the state over the next week; I’m already curious to hear where the specific course route will go, but at least I know I’ll be able to cheer from the finish line in St. Louis.

Tour of Missouri

It started slowly as we took our time climbing out of bed, enabling each other to be late taking turns hitting snooze. Walking to the office behind schedule, we missed the group walk to Starbucks, but Kelly and I found our way over shortly after, passing those returning. I treated myself to a larger than normal iced chai that pleased taste-buds and chased some lingering sleep away.

At the office, Angela kindly delivered me delicious oatmeal-butterscotch cookies baked in trade for a “Fire Extinguisher” sign I earlier liberated from an abandoned space. Work today had me off a critical path, so stress was lighter, though I’m becoming harder to phase with work anyway.

I love my job, but I’m experiencing a life-perspective adjustment since spending a week with Kelly’s family surrounding her father’s recent death, and we’re also anxious about our parenting prospects as Kelly continues to grow with our first child. Those events have contributed to an awareness for the first time that I can remember: I feel older on my birthday.

Which likely encouraged the desire to break from the office around 3 with Hans today to ride the nearby Riverfront Trail. We pushed each other pretty hard, and the physical exertion was a welcome burn. I’ve got plenty of weight to lose before I truly feel healthy, but regularly exhausting myself on the bike does wonders for the brain. The physical benefits are of course a plus, and improvement just means I’ll get/have to go faster and farther.

After the ride comes the hunger. Kelly asked me to pick dinner, so I selected comfort food at North St. Louis’ Crown Candy Kitchen for a simple egg salad sandwich and an amazing butterscotch malt. I comfortably found my fill, which unfortunately required leaving some malt behind, but my happy belly thanked me for the food and for not overdoing it like last time. We grabbed up a couple dark chocolate covered Oreo for dessert later at Hans and Kristan’s during some TV and laptop browsing.

And now I sit in our apartment, in bed with the laptop writing this. Throughout the day I was wished a happy day from family and friends (Mom even sang Happy Birthday over voicemail while I was riding), and it looks like one came through.

Next year, everything will be different. I’m not talking about the “big three oh,” because that means nothing to me, but instead of the apartment we’ll have been in our downtown condo for about a year, and we’ll be parents to a 6 month old! I cannot even imagine what the next birthday holds.