off-season musings, part II

The off-season is a period of time during the year where an athlete takes a less structured approach to exercise and training. This week I’m writing about the two sides of the off-season for me: the serious (yesterday) and light (today). Both posts are illustrated with photos of what’s been keeping me busy lately.

If I were to write a love letter to the off-season, I’d only need two weeks to fill it. As much as I love striving towards a goal, these past few weeks have seen the end of a year-long cycle of swim-bike-run (not to mention eat-sleep-laundry). Things are a little less repetitive these days, and a little more spontaneous.

In short, it’s the time of year where I let the hippie take the wheel from the control freak.

Birthday cortados at Lofty Roasting Works on the warmest, sunniest birthday I've ever had.

Birthday cortados at Lofty Roasting Works on the warmest, sunniest birthday I’ve ever had.

If I were to give today’s post a theme song, like yesterday’s, I’d pick Metric’s “Live It Out,” fitting for this more cheerful round-up of how I’ve been filling my time…

Thanksgiving with friends, smoked turkey, boots, and a fire.

Cups overflowing with…

  • Cortados: A new favorite, at Lofty (Encinitas) and Blacktop (L.A.)
  • Beer: Various goodies at Nickel Beer Co. (Julian), Alpine Beer Company (Alpine), Angel City Brewery (L.A.), Priority Public House for a ‘lil birthday gathering.
  • Wine: with friends at home and at Thanksgiving and while making pie
  • Eggnog lattes: one at Starbucks (we didn’t have eggnog yet!) and at least four at home. And I’m just getting started.

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Stuffing my belly with…

We made a pie!

trainride_15755286398_o

Filling my time with…

  • Hiking: in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Area near Julian (peak #1), and the Cuyamaca Mountains (peak #2)
  • Camping: at William Heise County Park near Julian
  • Taking the train to L.A. to visit B&A, something I’ve been wanting to do for long time
  • Exercising: when I feel like it, with Masters swimming, riding (and listening to Serial from start to almost-finish on one single bike ride!), and taking two full weeks off of running
  • New activities: thanks to FitN, a cool new startup that gives you access to hundreds of different fitness and yoga studios for one price. My arms are still hurting from that TRX class…
  • Reading: “Appetites: Why Women Want” by Caroline Knapp. I didn’t realize it was about eating disorders when I first picked it up, but I’ve been enjoying her look at female desire and how that encompasses food, among other things. Her summary: “Appetite is about eating, certainly … but it’s also about a much broader constellation of hungers and longings and needs. It’s about the deeper wish … to partake of the world, to feel a sense of abundance and possibility about life, to experience pleasure.” YES.
Exploring the Arts District with my cousin.

Exploring the Arts District with my cousin.

Eating and drinking (Angel City Brewing) in L.A.

Eating and drinking (Angel City Brewing) in L.A.

The best part is, I have four more sweet weeks of off-season freedom (at least, maybe more) until structure will come banging down the door again. I think I’ll be best served with a more Sinatra-esque approach, as in this quote I saw years ago:

“To do is to be.” -Nietzsche
“To be is to do.” -Kant
“Do be do be do be.” -Sinatra

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