4 January 2025

 :::blows dust off the blog again:::

I swear, I never intend to not write something, but I sit down and nothing comes out. My brain has been pulling me in 42 different directions lately--for no good reason. And it's not just the blog; I'm only halfway through a book I began writing a year ago, which is super slow for me. Still, I'm having a blast with it, I know where the story is going, and I'll get it done sooner or later.

In the meantime, I'm trying to get into a shape that is less...round. And to accomplish this, I ordered a new-to-me kind of indoor cycling, and have joined Zwift in the hopes that the increased difficulty level (I live in a flat city; this sucker has hills) will help a bit more.

This is the Zwift Ride mounted on a Wahoo Kickr Core, with an iPad (already had that) to access the Zwift app. I could have mounted a bike to the trainer and played that way, but I really didn't want to have to take off the back tire, get the frame set on the trainer, then do everything in reverse when I want to take the bike outside.

Yes, I am that lazy.

This thing is kicking my ass. Like I said, I live where it's flat and I don't have to struggle too much when I ride. But the first day I had this, just a couple minutes into it, I hit a baby hill and holy fark I could barely pedal. I used all my weight on the pedals and my little avatar would not budge. I tried so hard I nearly barfed all over everything, and after 20 minutes or so cried Uncle.

That was 3 weeks ago. Now I can make my avatar move, and sometimes even getting up to 20-22 mph, but the hills are my bane. And I'm using the easy routes. Yesterday I zoomed up a hill at a grand 3 mph (you read that right...THREE. Just three) but I made the pedals go round and round and eventually got to the top of this very-much-a-baby-hill.

We won't discuss the riders who blew past me doing 25 mph. On a hill. 

It's just difficult enough that I added a decal to the frame:

I think I've invented a few new swear words while riding on Zwift.

One day I will conquer the Alpe du Zwift (think BIG HONKIN' MOUNTAIN.) I might die at the top, but at least I'll go out on a major win.

More importantly, one day I'll be in shape. I am determined this time around. A year from now I want to be at my goal weight, be close to having the ability to hit those hills at a speed other than slow, and not be a pre-diabetic with high cholesterol.