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| January 16, 2014 |
The snow is receding and we're in the midst of a stretch of reasonably mild weather. The temperature almost hit 40 (4 C) today which doesn't sound so warm but the humidity was high and the air lacked bite. I'd thought it was supposed to rain but it didn't. Instead, the afternoon unfolded in sepia tone glow and by 2:00 o'clock the thick cloud cover had thinned noticeably.
It was time to ride. I had about 2 hours of good light and then an hour of fading light. Unfortunately, I do not have a well-lit bike; no headlight and, do'h!, a taillight that's running low on batteries (so it blinked rather feebly and probably wasn't very visible). Road conditions were better than expected, not that wet but really sandy. Nonetheless, these haphazard rides on gloomy afternoons in poor light are challenging and demand complete mindfulness. This is part of the allure.
One of the great appeals of cycling for me is the necessity of paying attention, of being completely present. When you are riding a bicycle, especially in inclement conditions, you are, first and foremost, RIDING A BICYCLE. It's like sitting meditation only faster and with more visceral stimuli. But it's freeing. You are free from having to do anything but pay attention and pedal, you are relieved of the burden of burdens. You are one being on two revolving circles with your legs (and lungs and heart and fiber ...) carrying you ever forward.
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| The Same Road is New Every Ride |
And each ride is different. Even when you've ridden the same road fifty times, the fifty first time might as well be the first. You may know where the road leads but you do not know what the trip will be like getting there nor what you'll see or feel or think along the way. This is how riding the same roads time and time again never becomes boring. Boredom is a weakness of imagination.
It's half way through January and the calendar is marked. There's a big red hammer & cycle inside a chain ring stamped onto Saturday, April 19. Three months and three days from today. The Rasputitsa. Already I'm feeling both anxious and excited, nervous yet pumped. Today's ride was good. I felt great in the saddle. The bike felt like a comfortable extension of myself. I relished the damp, the cold, the raw immediacy of the sand and ice and roadside gunk. Everything looked like punishment but the ride was total joy.
Ride #2 Stats: 26.45 miles (42.5 km), 14.5 mph, about 1 hour and 49 minutes in the saddle. Lemonstar to Lancaster to Shirley and back. No fresh roadkill! Weight this morning: 145 lbs even (65 kg).
Wow! An explosion of riding and writing - wonderful diving catch in words of the riding experience. Inspiring plan! Set the goal and ride for it! It helped me last year, was dare I say the key to everything. I really need to say, "this is more than going out for some exercise whenever I get a chance". I want to get to someplace that is far away but reachable. My history as an athelete has been to deny the need for training, and to instead think that I can improvise fitness, and I hope that I am relatively late in life kind of getting smart. Watch out for the sand! I got on a stationary bike yesterday for an hour, today am going for it again. I need daily workouts with some real intensity - I don't think I'm going to get my leg muscles back if I take the Mr Natural approach of thinking that daily life, walking to the toilet, emptying the dishwasher, humping for the bus, will get me there. I think I have recovered from the stupid bike ride a week ago. My date is May 1.
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