spinnning

Yellow, green and pink polka-dotted cycling jerseys blur past a rain-splashed lens on the TV. Out with one major sports competition (Euro 2004 where the Greeks surprised everyone), in with another (the Tour de France, Go Lance!).

I'm not a big sports fan in general. I don't follow anything with too much vigour. But something about pinnacle events like Euro 2004, the Olympics and the Tour de France peak my interest for a bit. I have been watching the Tour every year since we moved to Europe (so that’s three years now) and it never fails to inspire me. And it couldn't have come at a better time because for the past few weeks my running schedule has gone down the tubes. With moving and being in a less than scenic spot to run in, I just haven't felt very inspired. With the bike race going on now, someone mentioned to me that Lance Armstrong's resting heart rate is 30 beats per minute (!). It got me thinking, and the other day at work I took my own resting heart rate. (That's how exciting working at a museum can be: so boring you have to check to see if your heart is still beating). I was surprised to discover that my resting heart rate is under 60, which is still very good. I thought since I have been slacking with my exercise that my overall fitness would have suffered as well, but I guess all that hard work hasn't been for nothing. So it's been much easier to get back into the swing of things, knowing that I haven't lost everything I have worked for.