Pedaling Cubes

When things go south they call it pedaling squares; today things went further south, Antarctic south, I was pedaling cubes - Rubics Cubes.

Multiple media types, cycling broadcaster and others have picked up on the pedaling squares phrase, but I think it was from Paul Sherwin on a particularly vertical stretch of the Pyrenees in the Tour de France when the the utterance came tripping off his tongue and was the death sentence to the poor lad to which he was referring.

Since then we have joked loosely with the phrase on club rides and weekend mountainous adventures - ah, careful what we mock, it might be moi.

Today I was out trying desperately to get back in some shape resembling race ready. I have no illusion about what race ready shape feels like - especially when you 'pop' off the back in a race. Today I watched stage 2 of Paris-Nice and rolled off the porch with an illusion of getting into shape. This has been a pathetic winter for building base. More time in a window seat on a 757 than saddle time on a Super Six. I hope to race Banana Belt next Sunday - but god will I be slow - likely dropped. Oh, but that won't stop me ripping this old body to shreds trying to keep up and then limp home exhausted still clinging stubbornly to the illusion that I can race a bike in March with no training.

So as I plowed up a 9-10% gradient Sherwin's words continued to throb in my brain in counters-throb to that in my chest. No squares today, I was pedaling cubes.

Nearly three hours later I rolled back on the porch remembering with workouts, you're never disappointed you did, just disappointed you didn't. Equally - any day on your bike - cubes or square - is a great day to be alive.