who am I to blow against the wind...

My latest work. This was a tough shot to get. Had to work hard with the photographer to get just the right angle. Very difficult day...You know what they say about working with kids and animals. yup it' great... Life as a male model. tough work... I'll be in my trailer...

So I recently started reporting to a new manager. She's pretty awesome, and I'm pretty stoked about it, but I digress. So we have our first meeting of her direct reports scheduled for 1:15pm yesterday. It's 12:00, I'm gonna slip out on the bike and try to get a quick 45 minutes or so on the road. Should be no sweat to get out, get back and make my meeting. I get out on to the bike, and I'm flying. I think to myself, damn man, the winter miles are paying off. Again thinking to myself, "finally, the work I have been putting in is paying off."

This particular lunch time loop, is only a 45 minute ride, at my peak of fitness last year, I made it in 42 minutes. Basically it's an out and back that flirts it's way around rural Oxford, PA. Once I finished the out, I made the turn to come back home and made a horrible realization. Tailwind, which makes you feel fast, is a headwind when you have to pedal back into it. So from the half way back, I struggle in my lowest gear, down in the drops, slaying as low as I can, grinding my way back to the office. The road I am on has a huge shoulder, good thing too as I am blown from one side to another. I could have been pulled over for drunk riding. I know there have been times when I did ride drunk and didn't weave as much. The wind was relentless the entire time. Finally, after great struggles, I get back to the office and notice my watch :58 minutes. "are you kidding me?" I say to myself. I was totally bummed that a loop that took me 42 minutes in December, just took me basically an entire hour... dude, I suck.

Just as I walk into the building, windblown and exhausted I hear my name over the building wide intercom, "FATMARC TO THE SHOWROOM" you see, not only was my ride longer than intended, but my meeting was at 1:00 not 1:15. "great, first meeting new manager, and I'm late, more than late I'm walking through the building in my lycra super suit." I think to myself. Fantastic. Quickly I dive into the lockeroom, start throwing off my jersey and shorts, I throw my street clothes on without removing my leg warmers or my craft base layer. I sprint through the building like OJ Simpson through an airport. Finally, I make the meeting. I smile and say to my new manager, "funny thing about a tailwind, when you turn around, it's a headwind..." Luckily, she laughed. The meeting went very well, afterwards in my office I finally peeled off my leg warmes from under my pants...

respect
fm