It's Saturday and I wore three layers of clothing to try and face the five degree chill outside for my early morning run.  Only two us us were stupid enough to give it a go.  Thursday was bad enough with a balmy eight degrees and three of us went out.  Needless to say, we ran 15 strides and went home and changed and hit the gym.  My husband scheduled a ride at 9 a.m. in the canyon, another brilliant call.  The streets are clear of snow, but his computer read -2 and he rode alone.  My husband loves to refer to the Velominati Rules.  I would compare these rules to kind of a Ten Commandments, but there are 91 rules and the authors call themselves "keepers" not exactly comparable to Moses.  In this case, my husband cited Rule #9 When Your Riding In Bad Weather, You're A Bad Ass. 

Interesting to note that Rule #4 It's All About the Bike and Rule # 11 Family Does Not Come First, the Bike Does.  I love and hate many of these rules and there are so many to choose from!  But at least they are honest.  They don't make excuses and hide a bike at friends houses and say they have a business lunch during a soccer game when in reality they are going on a mountain bike ride with a buddy.  Or say that bike cost $2,000 when you find out it really cost two times that amount and that was just the frame?  But yes, there is always room for an amendment.

By way of introduction, let me explain the title of my blog.  Lance Armstrong wrote a book entitled "It's Not About The Bike."  The book was about his struggle with overcoming Cancer and still being competitive in the world of cycling -- with some help from injections, to be sure, but successful nonetheless.  I am obviously not married to Lance Armstrong.  I am however, married to an avid, how should I say....recreational and competitive cyclist who works a day job.  And believe me when I say, it's always about the bike.  I run on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 5:30 a.m. with my friends, many of whom are also married to cyclists.  I've listened to similar stories and we've laughed and cried together.  So this blog is for you sisters out there where ever you are!  It's not meant to bash our better half, but to find humor and perhaps some understanding along the trail.

I often compare my husband's bike to the "other woman."  He spends much of his extra time on her.  He certainly spends a large amount of money on her.  He brings her into our home.  He rubs her down daily with a special towel right in the middle of the family room as if she was a European sports car.  He even watches his diet for her!  And wow the tight clothing he parades around when he goes out with her.  My husband puts on all sorts of body lotions and lubricants that he insists are for chaffing before he goes out on on that bike, but it seems pretty odd to me.  Now you might know someone in a similar situation but their partner is having an affair with (fill in the blank) golf, for example.  My neighbor is having a fling with hunting.  I also have a cousin  who just had an ugly breakup with motorcycling.  Whatever the obsession may be, I am glad that cycling happens to be my husband's extra-marital involvement.