Lance Armstrong's Poison Ivy during Huricane Ike.

I have poison ivy BAD around my ankles, so haven't had the courage to strap on cycling or running shoes for over a week. The timing is actually pretty good, since my racing season was winding down and the days are too short to get any real weekly mileage in anyway. Otherwise I would be going out of my mind not being able to train.

I had a notion to gain 40 pounds to give some sort of a goal to work towards, as I have opted to aspire to other hobbies this fall other than cyclocross. I figure that if I become overweight, I can begin a 12 week diet plan, striving to lose 3 pounds a week. Without a goal, my motivation is low.

That is sort of retarded (similar to the story of how I got poison ivy), so perhaps I will come to my senses once I begin wearing shoes again (I have worn sandals to work the last few days to avoid irritating the weeping and oozing of the poisonous welts that are speckled across my body like boiling kernels of puss filled toxic bubbles).

I had planned to strap on my recreational riding sandles and ride the 100 mile heartland century with my mom, but hurricane Ike is seems to be creating a moist weekend forecast in the midwest, so we backed out.

Lance Armstrong is planning on competing in the 2009 tour de france? That is sort of inspirational. I liked that he has been quoted as saying that 'age is a myth' regarding the fact that he will 37 in 2009. Also, that when he prepares for a race, he 'lives a monk-like existence'. I can relate to this, for prior to serious goal events I abstain from many pleasurable activities. Unfortunately, he has his pick of chics (olsen twin, sheryl crow, etc.) whereas, I just sit at home by myself like a loser wishing (gasp!) that I was married or something so I had a partner to share in my self-imposed prison during the last two days before the event.

I remember he said he would never race again... well, I guess I am glad he lied about that. He also said he would ride all 7 days of RAGBRAI, 2007... well, he almost made it but left on saturday to see his team win the tour. He's still my hero, and will probably owe my winter indoor training success to his comeback.