Zzzzzzzzzzzzz........

OK we've all done it haven't we - set the alarm for an early wake up & then after silencing the bugger at O-2-early, went back to bed (please Mom just 10 more minutes). Which is exactly what happened when the alarm went off at 7:15 this morning. I told myself that if I just lay down for another 10-15 minutes I'd get going - kinda softly waking up is how I refer it.

I was in the Windy City after all - and I was voluntarily getting up early (5:15 body clock time) to get ready for one more treat. One last season ending race (a local Crit) that I found on the web the night before taking place late Saturday morning (11:05 start). Only I needed to get going no later than 8:30 to allow myself to navigate the 30-ish miles to the start, allowing 2 hours to get there, registering, affixing my number, and allowing the competition to get overly confident sizing up me on my clown bike, etc.

So when I finally did get out bed indeed the minutes on the clock said :30 and I went about getting my front derailleur straightened, dressed in my kit, while downing my vitamins & a couple of homemade extra cinnamon bagels (that I bought down from the Silverbow Bakery in Juneau the day prior) lazily checking weather.com to see what indeed I should plan for & a few other sites for good measure as well. I left the room 45 minutes later, in what I assumed was about 8:15-ish, so as not to feel rushed.

I navigated sort of along the route suggested by googlemaps.com (by bike) and was happy about my progress arriving 1:45 later on the top-of-the-hour; presumably 10AM, plenty of time. Legs warmed up & raring to go.

So what are all the 30 or so old guys doing rushing to line up? It still didn't register in my pea brain that this was my group until I waltzed over to the registration table, filled out the USAC release, finagled my license & two $20's out of my jersey pocket and went up the the lady - who upon examining my release & license without missing a beat said - "Did you sleep in or something?"

It still wasn't clear what she was referring to. No, I explained, that I was actually up early to come out and race, something about time zones & body clock and yada yada rambled on when - DOH! - the light bulb came on.

Was that my group that just started, I asked meekly; but I already knew before she nodded yes. She asked if I wanted to do the CAT 1/2 race later that afternoon & I disappointingly explained that I barely had time for "that race" (pointing off to the bunched group going by on lap 2) as I've got a 3:30 departure back to the Jet City. She handed me back my license + the two $20's, and I watched for a few laps as a break of 4 went off the front. They were away pulling almost half a lap lead by the time I left 10 minutes later, getting a head start on my 30-ish mile ride back to the Hot L.

So I gather that while I thought I was just laying there with my eyes closed telling myself that I'm going to get up at any minute - that minute was an hour later than I thought it was. I got out of bed when I should've been on my way. I've got to take some advice from - OK I never thought I'd mention this person's name on this blog (or anywhere else for that matter) - Lady Gaga, when she said, "I'll sleep when I'm dead"(why do I even know she said this?); and just get going when the alarm goes off.

I still got in a very nice ride in comfortable weather along a mix of limestone trails & roads - some decent & some not so decent (too many deep cuts & ruts, not enough of a shoulder, with too much traffic).

Not too many days like that left in the year - so get up, get out and enjoy.