Graffit of Gil Scott-Heron, New York City
The song that keeps going around in my head for this week is by Gil Scott Heron and it goes like this:
“ This ain’t really life, ain’t really life, ain’t really . . . nothin’ but a movie.” Because we went from extraordinary to surreal in just a matter of hours.
Gil Scott Heron also sings “Push come to shove–you find exactly what you’re made of” and that also seems appropriate for this week.
I’ve spent so much time being rather graphic about my aches and pains in certain places, and so I thought I’d focus this week on the mental battle that each rider overcomes in order to, day in and day out, ride as much as 85 and 90 miles, starting out at dawn each morning. You can imagine the kind of mental fortitude that takes. In my last ride, I did only 21 miles and into the 3rd mile I felt my shoes too tight, my seat too hard, my bun too hurt, my brain on the fry as the sun’s heat sizzled inside my helmet. My arms and my legs soak up the sun’s rays and turn as black as my gloves. And then, turn brown again a few hours later. But, amazingly, not once on this ride have I felt my legs too sore and give out. Clearly, for the core riders who are in much better shape than me, this is a game of wits: how to stay on the case minute after minute, rotation after rotation, spin after spin, and remain alert–because the cars are unforgiving–and reach the goal of the next city. Read more »
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By Kate Sheppard Mother Jones In addition to efforts to convince us that the oil is all gone in the Gulf (it's not), the government has been promoting the idea that seafood from the region is totally safe. Obama himself has been banging this drum, noshing on plenty of seafood during his trip to the region last week, serving it up at his birthday bash, and of course, taking a dip in the Gulf with his daughter. But how safe is it really? A study pu … Read More
