Biking heavy weekend

This was a bike-filled weekend. I helped with a track class on Saturday, which actually happened despite potentially unhappy-looking weather. It was a bit cold, but it was great to be on the track again, and I exploited this to its fullest by doing some intervals after the class. My legs were definitely not used to the fixed gear, but it wasn't too bad. I have to add that I was very glad to be running a pretty easy gear. After that I went to pick up a new saddle for my track bike. It's bubble gum pink and perfectly matches the bar tape and rims on my bike. Since, you know, track is really 80% style.
Sunday, I biked around Lake Washington, north first. I really thought I was going to just go over I-90, instead of doing the whole loop. But I figured I might as well completely wreck myself, and I made it back fine. There were certainly some moments where I thought I would just fall over, such as when I was we met some guys who were hammering and road with them from Coulin Park to turning off Rainer onto Seward Park. The women I was with just let them ride away from us, as even though we were now going uphill, they didn't seem to be slowing down. This is the first ride where I wasn't the last one up the climbs, in fact was soundly in the middle, and I noticed that the moments I was hurting most were when other people were actually breathing visibly heavier too. I feel a bit trashed now, but at least I know I'm not as bad, fitness-wise, as I had expected to be.
After getting home, we actually tried a new recipe using our new crock pot. We had a huge, 8-quart one that we got for our wedding, but it was way too big for two people, and the controls were quite sparse: there was no timer or anything. So, we use a Bed, Bath, & Beyond gift card to get a smaller, better one (a Rival SmartPot, if it matters). With this new toy, we made French onion soup using a combination of a recipe from the Joy of Cooking and one from the booklet that came with the crock pot. It turned out good, though I re-discovered that I absolutely detest soggy bread. After scooping out the nastiness, I just used some nice, dry toast with Gruyere melted on, which worked well. Unfortunately, I wasn't really in the mood for it, though it certainly smelled amazing, as it wasn't really a great post-ride meal. Normally, I prefer things a bit more caloric rich, starchy, and protein heavy. We'll probably make it again, though, so I can try it when I'm in a better mood to eat it.