Procrastination

My daughter has her first cold. It is heartbreaking.

She has been in daycare of about three weeks now, so really it was just a matter of time. She already had what is likely a permanent runny nose, so it was really just a matter of time. She has a really goopy eye, her nose is like a leaky faucet, and she has the cough of a three pack a day smoker.

She hasn’t been eating too much, and has been quite content cuddling with us on the couch, both of which are highly out of character for my little girl. Like her old man, she eats a ton, and she usually much prefers the company of her stuffed giraffe.

My birthday was this past Tuesday. I depressingly turned 33 years old. Corrie and Sofia took me out for a lovely dinner, after which I hit the mother load in cycling accessories for gifts. Sofia got me a much needed speedometer, and front and rear lights for my bike. My in-law’s got me a new jersey and cycling socks. But it was my lovely wife got me the two items that I have been living in fear of.

Clipless pedals and cycling shoes.

For those of you who don’t know, clipless pedals with cycling shoes basically means that you snap your foot into your pedals. The only way to unlock your foot from your bike is to twist your foot out and “unclip” from the pedal. Every cyclist I have spoken to in the last year has told me how stupid I am for not using them before. They allow you to not only have a more efficient pedaling technique, but allows you to generate much more power, as in addition to pushing down when you pedal, you can also pull up, which you can’t do if you are not locked in.

I am petrified of clipless pedals. If you don’t unclip in time, you essentially fall over and break your wrist, or worse, you skull. Stitches. Blood. All bad things. Ask my friend Heather. She and Aaron were just finishing a big climb once, and just as they reached the peak and were stopping, she couldn’t unclip in time, and fell right over onto her arm. Not pretty. She hasn’t been the same since. Stopped eating meat, married Aaron…it is all a very sad story.

I was at a Ride to Conquer Cancer orientation session for my KPMG team, and cycling coach has there giving tips about training and equipment. He provided a good solution. Mountain bike clips. They are handy because the shoes are a little more comfortable to walk in, and if you get a little antsy about being in traffic, or coming to a stop light or something, you can unclip, flip the pedal over, and they become regular pedals. Good for a beginner.

I took my bike into Gears Bike Shop in Mississauga this weekend to have proper fitting done, and got them to install the pedals. That experience in itself was pretty uncomfortable. Me, walking around the store in my spandex, on display in the middle of the store. Very unsightly. I am really going to have to spend the next two months getting used to clipping in and out indoors before I take the bike outside. Hopefully, I will keep all my skin attached to me.

You didn’t notice the fact that I said nothing in this post about ACTUALLY getting on the bike and working out yet, right? Excellent. Carry on then, as you were.


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