That Which Does Not Kill You

Amazing what happens when you combine two relatively innocent words. Space . . . there are so many things that can be said. It can relate to the scientific, the physical, the mental and emotional. Who doesn't love a good crawl, be it a stroke in swimming or a trip from bar to bar to bar?

I spent some quality time in the crawlspace on Sunday and if I didn't contract the Hanta Virus or somehow shorten my lifespan significantly, I'll be amazed. It was dark, dusty, cramped, and the presence of crunchy, old mouse carcasses should have served as a deterrent. If they couldn't survive down there, what makes me think I could? There were two purposes to my visit to the no man's land beneath the back addition; to brace the floor so it wouldn't feel like a diving board anymore and to insulate to regulate the temperature inside the back room. I came up with a couple other tasks to be completed while I was wedged in there, helmet mounted light on, legs hanging out . . . There were some places I could see daylight. Silly mice could have walked out the way they came in, instead of up and dying. I also removed the random light bulb and can of fruit punch, unfortunately neither had a date.

You know it is bad when you feel like you have to shower after the experience, using undiluted bleach for soap. I guess I am exaggerating slightly, but when it is all said and done, I hope to never enter that space again, walking, crawling, or otherwise. The floor is now well supported and the rush of cold air is nowhere near as strong as it once was. I managed to insulate the remainder of the ceiling and walls without killing myself. I should hurry up and get to the drywalling part since I'm sure the 1/2" drywall will significantly improve the structural integrity and more importantly prevent me from finding something else I really want to fix.

I made the mistake of violating my 40 degree rule when it comes to riding. I joined the group ride down at Chatfield on Saturday morning despite the temperature. I only briefly lost feeling in fingers, it all came back eventually, but there was a stretch where I couldn't shift because I didn't have enough sensation to distinguish between the parts of the lever. After a pretty big week on the trainer, riding out in the real world didn't feel spectacular, but I knew that might be the case. This week is going to be relatively light and I have my next fitness test on Friday to see what's what and where I'm going. The ACA calendar has been released, I know what I am doing every weekend through the end of August now.