On Tap...

Just Ride...
It's officially been 3 weeks since I last rode my bicycle. For those of you who haven't been following along, I partially tore my gastrocnemius (one of the bifurcations of the calf muscle) while running a race.

So what do you do with a partial tear? Short of immobilization, which I lobbied against, nothing. And that's exactly what I've done since, nothing. I've gone from fit to fat (although I'm the type of person where you can't really tell just by looking at me) and sadly enough kind of enjoyed it.

It allowed me the time to tune up all my rides (mountain, road, and track) and make plans for when the doctors give me the green light.

Well, yesterday was the day. I officially stowed away the crutches. I say officially because I grew tired of using them 10 days ago. Although I haven't been fully released out into the wild, pending three weeks of physical therapy (why doesn't our IronGal in-training, Katie, live closer?), they listed cycling as one of the activities I can now do.

So look out SE Michigan, here comes Oude Granny!

Floyd-ed and Giro-ed Out
Just as both, the Landis hearing and the Giro d'Italia, seemed to be getting interesting, they've both hit a lull in the action and are now relegated in my thought processes.

How can I say that with all the sensationalistic happenings with Landis and Lemond, and with the mountain stages pending in the Giro?

For me, the most compelling aspect of the Floyd Landis hearing were the arguments Team Landis put forth against the LNDD and the WADA/USADA arbitration system. Finally, after months of barnstorming and railing against the actual science, the methodologies behind it, and the one-sided arbitration process faced by athletes in this predicament, he, they would be able to systematically level the playing field.

Enter: Will Geoghegan

The hearings have now been debased to a Beavis and Butthead mentality. Don't believe me? Check out every single news outlet following the hearing and tell me if anyone is still writing about inequities in the system, the inaccuracy of the laboratory methodology, or the mishandling of Landis' samples. Can't find any, can you?

And by the way, Beavis and Butthead wasn't a reference to the mentality of the audience that may now tune into the hearing to see what other skeleton may pop out, but rather to Patrice Brunet and Richard McLaren. I know both have to maintain a certain decorum, but how can either of the deciding majority in this hearing not look in Team Landis's direction and keep a straight face? They're probably up there muttering to each other,

"That dude just said mishandled my urine. Heh heh heh eh he heh heh heh!"

So someone nudge me awake when this hearing means something again!

As far as the Giro is concerned, it started off with a bang! I can't recall a time when a Grand Tour started with a Team Time Trial. If this were back in the day when the Big Blue US Postal train was running (when they took the teams' actual time, rather than sequentially giving teams a metered out deficit) the Giro would be over. All done!

But this weekend leaves little to the imagination as the terrain is relatively flat. The only ones champing at the bit are the sprinters, who after this weekend will meet their demise in one form or another, either through missing time allotments, leaving for greener pastures or relegating themselves down the classification board.

So the same goes for the Giro, someone throw something at my head when the mountains arrive.

Cranky?...Yes. Surly?...as Burly as Surly can get!