Day 16: Even a rented mule has its limits

Day 16 miles to/from work: 23.0
Total miles for S4S: 407.3

I missed swim this morning. Again. That's two out of three classes bagged for this week's new session. In yesterday's post I chortled about over-achiever Carrie telling me not to take on too much. Maybe my own system is giving me the same message and saying, "Enough!" I'm torn between viewing myself as a kick-ass dynamo who's breaking through the barriers of self-limitation, or a pathetic slacker lacking self-discipline and moral fortitude.

Sweating for Shelter is a project that fills me with a sense of purpose, and the personal benefits are immeasurable. It's also a big commitment physically, mentally, and time-wise. The cumulative time for biking to work and blogging is at least 3 hours/day. Some rational, kind part of myself says, "Congratulations! What a great thing to do, and a win-win all around. You're supporting DCHS and animal rescue, getting good exercise, minimizing fossil fuel use, consistently writing, pushing your boundaries and limitations, and enjoying the warm embrace and support of community. Wooohooo!"

There is another wickedly demanding part that beats me like a rented mule. "What? You missed swim again? You should have gotten to bed earlier. Your half-marathon training is half-hearted and slow; and you could at least run the dog more than you have been. You're burning 1500 calories every day you bike, but eating 2000 extra. Don't you have any self control? You haven't decluttered your office, closets, drawers yet? What is that you're doing—dawdling on email? Is that FreeCell you're playing? You could be doing something productive with the time you're wasting. Do you really need that glass of wine? Hello? Hello? Are you listening to me?" By the time that bitch gets through with me, the "need" for a glass of wine is no longer a relative term. (Note: none of this is commentary on my commitment to S4S. That is unflagging. Even with its demands, the payoffs of so much personal joy, supporting animal rescue, and the sense of community I've experienced—not to mention the glute workout!—far outweigh any cost.)

Scott just got the book on CD, Willpower, after hearing the authors interviewed on NPR. I've been listening to it, and they present some interesting findings, such as that just as you can exhaust a muscle, you can get willpower fatigue. I'm there. I have used the full bandwidth of my self-discipline, and it's going to take me some time to build more willpower muscle. Stay tuned. Until then, I think I'll listen to the kind, rational voice, and have a glass of wine, followed by a nap.

This morning the temps were back down to the low 40s. I layered up, buffered against the cold and wind chill. It's all relative. As autumn starts handing out temperatures in the 30s in Wisconsin, we start bundling up. In March or April when the temps start getting to the mid- to high-30s after a winter of sub-zero dips, it's a heat wave; and we'll be wearing shorts. Today was overcast and chilly, but I was dressed for it;  and the ride was pleasant. Near Lake Monona I had to share the bike path with some foreigners passing through, but they were congenial enough.

The bike ride home wasn't to home. I met my friend Linda Linssen for drinks at Genna's just off Capitol Square (this is getting to be a Friday pattern), and later Scott joined us. Then as the evening wore on Linda's beau, Matt, came to participate in the revelry as well. We had a wonderful time.

Thank you for making it a great week of great rides. It's so nice to have you along. Have a wonderful weekend!