The one-week wind-down (Euro-style)

It's been almost exactly a week since arriving here in C-U, and it wasn't until today that I really felt wound down. The exact moment? Riding onto/through campus, taking a left onto Green St. past Loomis Lab, when I noticed that I was more relaxed than when I arrived a week ago. Of course I've been "on vacation" now for more than a week, but I guess it's kind of like the European version of vacation - you get 6 weeks of vacation from work (2 weeks to wind down, then 4 weeks to spend going somewhere). There's an oblique reference to be made here - to Filip Meirhaeghe (Belgian mountain biking pro who retired/was booted from the sport after testing positive for EPO in 2005) and something he said in Off Road To Athens

"It's not just the training, its... resting is such a big part of it. And... resting doesn't mean walking around in a little village and sitting on a terrace drinking a coffee - that's not resting. Resting is laying in bed. If possible with your legs up. That's resting. Falling asleep. A National coach once said to me: 'as long as you are racing, there is nothing else that matters, besides racing', which is really harsh, but this is practically how it is... the level is so high that there is nothing else that can matter... it is is as simple as that."

Now I'm not saying that Filip's drive to win justified the EPO, but he makes a good point about both the resting and the single-minded focus being necessary for success at the highest levels. Interesting pseudo-contrarian rant about the doping in cycling - sure, everyone has to put a roof over their head and food on the table, and I'm sure that the pressure is huge, but when you roll the dice sticking a needle in your arm, you take your chances. If you get found out later and either get fired or get cancer, those are the risks you take. Own up to 'em.