Lissa picked up Chris Carmichael’s latest book for me, How I Made Lance Such a Stud, Vol II. Luckily, it was just at the library – not a book I need to own. It’s got some interesting information about exercise physiology, and I’d probably be a faster cyclist if I followed the CTS Pyramid for Success and all, but some days ya just wanna ride the bike, not do Carmichael’s TempoHillRepeatIntervals or some such.

Today a case in point, in which I was just sorta rolling along when I decided on an unplanned right at the Montaño bridge. I just wanted to cross the river to get a look at the fall colors from the bridge. But then I saw a nice hill up ahead on the other side and decided to climb it. Before I knew it, I was climbing Boca Negra Canyon toward the volcanoes. Now if this was a carefully planned Carmichael Training Systems day, I would have been off program and jeopardizing my careful training schedule. There’s pretty much no way to climb Boca Negra without going anaerobic. But hell, I just wanted to climb a hill. I need to be able to change my mind, frequently, to train on a whim. Guess I’ll never be a Pyramid of Success True Champion. Whatever.

Of course, my whim ended up being a very bad decision, on account of the howling headwind that enveloped me most of the way home, but whatever. It was still a fun ride, and the fall dressing on the cottonwoods along the river are a delight.