Gravity Lies

It’s been a frustrating summer. I haven’t really lost any weight. I’ve stuck around 170 pounds all summer. It’s frustrating in the sense that one of my plans for speedier climbing was to lose weight. It’s a great way to get faster!

While I haven’t gotten any lighter, I have gotten faster. You should see my legs. They’re pretty spiffy. Not only do they look muscular, but they managed to get me up Woodchip Hill in the Ore to Shore (I can’t mention this enough!). Sure, they burned like crazy and I had to do a recovery spin before I could make my final attack on the last few miles, but I made it without putting a foot down.

Maintaining my weight isn’t an accurate representation of what my body has been doing, though. I am noticeably stronger and faster than earlier in the season. The realization of what’s been going on came about when I bought some size 14 shorts at JC Penny. Clearance, baby! They fit fine in the store, but the necessity of a belt came about rather abruptly. They kept sagging down around my hips and I had to hold them up with my hand as I walked when I couldn’t find my belt. It was irritating to say the least. At one point, I pulled my shorts down to go to the bathroom (we all do it, people!), and I quickly realized that I didn’t unbutton or unzip them. They just pulled down! Hmmm.

Yesterday, I decided that my extended Marquettian stay required another set of clothing, so I returned to JC Penny to shop clearance, again. On a whim, I decided to try on some size 12 shorts. People, I haven’t worn size 12 since 1998, or something like that. Size 12 is my high school size. I was also 150 pounds in high school and a brief spell in 1998, or something like that.

Let’s compare:
• High school: 150 pounds, size 12
• Now: 170 pounds, size 12ish

Well, this is exciting. It’s also irritating. The wanna-be-skinny-girl in me is very excited. The cyclist chic is not excited. Skinny does not help with climbing unless lighter is included. Ha ha. Ok, you can’t have it all. At least I can’t – not now.

I am currently in between sizes. Size 13 is probably best for me, but Junior clothing isn’t exactly designed for a 31-year-old woman. In the meantime, I will continue working my way towards a size 12 and, hopefully, the weight will begin to come off to give me an edge in the power-to-weight ratio. In the meantime, it is important that we all understand that gravity isn’t exactly being honest at this point in time.