According to plan

Here it is, the second weekend of my training plan, and I'm still sticking to the schedule. The weather is taking a turn for the worse this weekend. It's been cold, clear and windy, and Bellingham had some light snow fall, though it's missed Ferndale eight miles northwest. But now it's clouding up here too, and we may get our turn next week, or at least some very nasty, cold rain. The grocery stores have brought their potted primroses and spring bulbs back indoors - a better predictor than the groundhog.

Last week I took my bike in for a spring tune-up. Next week I'm going to have a check-up on the fit, probably not the most elaborate professional fit you can get, but I expect to replace a few components to bring the handlebars back to an easier reach.

 Also, thanks to the Affordable Care Act and my mother's money, I now have medical coverage, and will be having some preventive-care testing done in the next couple of weeks. At my check-up last week, when the doctor checked my blood pressure, pulse and heart-rate, she said, "Yep, you're an athlete." Shucks. My weight has gone up by about 15 pounds since I stopped working and commuting 65 miles a week by bicycle, and it's about 25 pounds more than the summer I rode the Seattle-to-Portland in 2007. At a bit less than 145lbs it still isn't enough to be a health problem, but it's getting to the point that my old clothes don't fit, and it's hard to find things that fit comfortably and look good. Actually, my stretchy yoga and bicycling tights are the only pants that feel comfortable, but they're not looking so good any more.

I couldn't resist a couple of shots of the new woodpile developing at the base of the auto bridge across the Nooksack River (the old pile was at the base of the railroad bridge).