A letter to my neighbor

Dear Neighbor,

I noticed you have a road bike on your balcony. I'm not one to judge, but guessing by the overall condition of the bike, I'd guess you're not an avid cyclist. I would appreciate you not looking at me like I am OCD or crazy, just because I use a vibrating toothbrush to clean the chain on my bike. It's perfectly normal, if you really want to keep your bike in good shape. I can loan it to you, along with my red bucket, and you too can have a sparkling clean bike. I suggest topping it off with a little pledge on the frame (spray it onto a rag, not onto the bike! Overcast onto the rims would be a disaster.)... it will give your frame a gleaming shine.

Seriously. Stop staring at me while you play with your little yippy dog. I'm not crazy... I just like my bike.

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I went out riding with the team today, just a 90 minute very flat ride. The weather was awesome. It felt great to be on the bike. There were a few bumps and ruts in the road that sent my heartrate skyrocketing from fear, but overall, I enjoyed myself. I can tell the strength workouts are helping - I could hold aero with back issues, though I sat up half the way to enjoy the scenery. I might look into having my bike re-fit in another month or so... between weight loss and increased lower back strength, I may be on my way to a more aggressive fit.

Ironman, here I come. :)