Mistaken Identity

Scrawny guys with shaved legs, girls with tats, guys turned girls. I wasn't aware that one of my responsibilities as a cyclist is identifying the gender of others riders based on the appearance of their backsides, but according to the officials, it is. Today I went to a race and got disqualified for drafting behind a man. In the other races I been in, it is very clear when the guys are coming to pass because of numerous audible warnings from their pace car. As was no audible warning today, I was completely not expecting a guy to come up from behind. I assumed that it was a woman and jumped on his wheel. The lean physique and uniform seemed to match with a woman I saw on the start line and I didn't have any reason to think too hard about it. Apparently we had been silently passed by the men's pace car some time before which could have been a warning to me to try a quick gender check on any backsides which appeared in my peripheral vision. Unfortunately, I was too concerned with the business of pedaling, chasing down attacks, and thinking about the finish than to notice the pace car. Sorry to turn this day sour for my team, who did an excellent job today with winning primes and taking 3rd.

Best 100 miles in the state

Cycling is fun! Woke up at 3:30 (Thank you, devoted husband) for a trip out to Western Mass for a wonderful ride through 90 miles of ups, downs, and turns though the lush green Berkshires. Bonus 6 miles of flat on a scenic and smooth bike trail and 3 miles along a busy highway (blahh but I guess that's the only way back to the car).

Highlights were:

Meeting John, Ryan, and Peter. Two local riders and visiting brother who were kind enough to let me tag along with their group and even wait up at the top of the hills. Good pacing and fellowship.

Smooth pavement on Mount Greylock. Wow!!!! This is really a dream come true. Anyone game to head out and climb up the steep side later this year.

Reaching the bottom of the descent off Greylock and shaking out the wrists. Considering my recent crash and the weather (raining almost the entire ride), caution was in order coming down Greylock. The road is pretty steep and has quite a few tight turns. Pretty sure I've never spent so much time on the brakes before.

Realizing my shoulder was holding up after the descent and a few short sections out of the saddle. I may be ready for sprinting next weekend.

Sights:

Green, green, green sections of road on route 2 and countryside.
Cow crossing
wedding on a cloudy day
emu
sheep
campground by river
foggy top of Greylock
tub of fruit salad and homemade cookies at the feed stops

pilgrimage to see butterflies

I enjoyed the following passage in the novel Malinche by Laura Esquivel. The scene involves Malinche as a girl of four taking a pilgrimage with her grandmother. They are going to the site where the monarch butterflies gather following their migration from the north. Malinche and her grandmother must walk for days from their home to see the butterflies. My apologies for the quality of (my) translation from the Spanish.

Malinche asks her grandmother why they must walk so much to see the butterflies.
Your job is to walk, responded the grandmother. An immobile body is limited to itself, a body in motion expands itself, it becomes part of everything, but one must learn to walk lightly, without heavy loads. Walking fills us with energy and transforms us to that we can see the secret of things. Walking changes us into butterflies that raise up and see the truth of the world. This is what life is. This is what our body is. It is the eternity of consciousness. It is understanding of all things. This is God in us, but if you like, you can stay seated and turn into a rock.