With the previously pictured knee still unhappy and taking far longer than hoped or expected to recover, my off season has started a bit sooner than expected.  I’m still on for one criterium in DC on the 21st, and then a few days at interbike, but otherwise it’s time to chill.  A few days off the bike right now to let this thing heal up completely and then time for some long mountain bike rides in the hills, hiking, lifting, and all of the fun that’s been on the backburner for the season.  I hit the pool for the first time yesterday, flapping at the water like a drowning gerbil, but getting some quality work in at the same time.  After a few days without any hard exercise it felt great to breathe hard for a bit and feel like I did something.  Amazing how accustomed the body gets to that feeling, and how unhappy it is without it.   It was hard to watch the nationals this past week on the net, peeking at my phone every few minutes to see the latest update.  The guys rode a great race and just barely missed the top spot on the podium.  Wish I could have been there to help.  Congrats to Tyler on a solid win and the jersey he’ll wear for the coming season.   Time to attack the yard and yank some of the weeds that have been trying to take over everything in sight…