Cold Weather, New Friends

So today it was about 10 degrees when I woke up, so riding outside seemed like a terrible idea, considering I didn't know if anyone was even meeting to ride. My stationary trainer in the basement seemed like a really smart idea, so that's what I did... for two hours. Stopped in the middle to make a pharmacy run and meet Robbie between his classes, and finish a Powerbar that Blake gave me. Watching Frasier helped pass the time, but riding is getting just a bit painful (in a girl way). I really need to get my bike properly fitted and quickly!

Hopefully in a couple weeks I can make a trip to NY, see some friends, get some shoes, and get my bike fitted better. We'll see.

Anyway, after that, had lunch with Robbie and biked him up to class and went to the gym for some weight set stuff and speedwork. The speedwork was simultaneously worse and better than I expected. I wanted to be up to the speeds I was at a few weeks ago, but with my knee I didn't want to push it. I survived for the thirty minutes, but it was rough. Even mentally I just wasn't as "in it" as I usually am. I don't know. I think I'm just getting bummed about my legs being so weird. It seems like the slightest thing will set my leg off- I bumped part of my thigh on my steering wheel lightly the other day, and now my other hip hurts. So if it isn't one thing, it's another. I don't get it! At least I have my appointment with Dr. Cohen tomorrow so I can talk to him about it and see what he says.

Then, I went swimming with Don from the bike team. It was a lot of fun, having someone to swim with. Swimming with Dad is fun, obviously, but it's neat getting to swim with someone my own age. So I did that for an hour at a pretty moderate pace and was feeling really good! It was definitely significantly better than swimming alone, which gets dull occasionally. I like thinking of it as I'm in a fishbowl just hanging out. That helps a little, sometimes...

Anyway, I'm just glad I'm meeting people from the team on a smaller level instead of as a huge group, since I get so nervous around masses of people. I don't understand it, but now that I'm making friends, I feel a lot more confident about it. Hopefully, Sunday I can do part of the Century, and bring Dad along for part of it too! I just wish I had a Cycling sweatshirt!

Now I'm just relaxing after chili from a can with homemade corn muffins (what a contradiction!)
I am starting to eat what I think is the right amount of food, or at least close to it. Nutrition is definitely one of my main weaknesses. Blake and I talked a lot about it: it's really hard for me to eat while exercising or right after, because a) I'm not hungry and b) I'm not used to the concept of eating while working out- I'm still struggling to get past girly notions of burning calories, not putting any in. So I really need to add more good calories if I'm going to lose that last little extra bit of fat that I'd like to get rid of. I've started to accept that I'm not naturally "thin" by normal standards-I have very little body fat and you can see muscles sticking out of my legs, but at the same time, I have wide swimmer shoulders and really muscular arms that are never going to be super skinny. I have a hard time getting used to it, and naturally, I have an "ideal" image in my head, but at least now it's a triathlete chick, not some skinny anorexic girl. So that's pretty cool.

Anyway, speaking of relaxing, I'm going to do so, but not before catching up on homework. Already. Yeesh.