Tour de France excitement

I have to say I'm enjoying this year's Tour greatly. It's been tough to see Lance struggle so, but for a guy who has been out of cycling for a while he is actually doing remarkably well. To see those flashes of brilliance is as exciting as when he dominated the event. And he has been pretty gentlemanly about his role as "merely" a podium contender. The Schlecks and Contador and Wiggins have provided plenty of fireworks so even without Lance it would be an exciting Tour. I don't know what is going on with Evans and Sastre though. If Levi wasn't injured, I bet he would be in second or third place. I spied this Euskatel rider ready to tackle the high mountains a couple of weeks ago.

My own comeback has been delayed temporarily. Montana was great fun. I ran a couple of times and rode bikes with Molly the rest of the week. And we swam a bunch. Though I resolved to jump right back into things on my return, a nagging tendon injury has caused me to rest. I did have nice workout last weekend, 20 miles of biking and a brisk 6-mile run. The night before, I sprinted around Forest park with Bob on our fast bikes - so maybe I overdid it. But I'll be back into the swing of things soon.

Work has been super busy. If our press is to be believed, the Missouri Public Defender System is the most overworked in the country. And my office is the most overloaded (on a case-weighted basis) in the System. And I have the most cases in the office. Which means I'm the most overworked public defender in the country! Let's see if Lance can cap a grueling stage in the Haute Savoie with a motion for declaratory judgment.

Going Backwards

Excuse-making is the most important weapon in the distance athlete's arsenal. I suppose my schedule has finally caught up with me though. I've been slacking off big time. I rode 51 miles with Boz and Keith and assorted friends of Boz on Friday last. It was fun and, as expected, I barely hung on with 4200' climbing but I didn't embarrass myself. What has troubled me since is how all my friends are so serious about their training. Boz consults with a dietitian, Keith is doing two-a-day's, and Stepehen is running hill repeats. I have no focus. The members of my small fitness fraternity are going forward, I'm going backwards.
What keeps us striving is the quest to better ourselves; to set goals and achieve them and then seek out a new goals. My goal since last October has been: Don't Become a Total Sack of Crap. Sure, I have gotten some miles in. But when I reach for that extra beer or finish the last bratwurst, my conscience doesn't bother me at all. So what if I run a little slower tomorrow? Or if I run at all? I'm not training for anything.
I'm going to take the next two weeks in Montana to reassess, to get in some consistent miles, pick an event and build a schedule. I need something to get me out of bed and out the door: maybe it will be a 50-mile trail run or marathon with a time goal. Any suggestions?