Since I started riding my bike in June I've ridden almost 500 miles. Let that sink in. 500 miles. I don't even like to sit in a car for 500 miles. The app I use says I've burned 36,000 calories. It seems a little inflated, but whatever the number is, it is more than sitting on a couch. I fell once. I tried to stop too fast and the bike stopped, but I didn't. The best part of it was a car across the road that got to see the whole thing! I've stopped getting lost. Admittedly, I take almost the same route every ride, but at least I'm not taking the same route and getting lost!
During the week I'll ride 10-25 miles after work a couple days a week. Saturday mornings are for the l-o-n-g rides. A couple Saturday's ago I did just a little bit over 50 miles. It is crazy. I never would have thought this would be something I could do. I still get a little panicked thinking about the weekend of the event I have to do 75 miles the first day....and get up the next day (after camping for the night!) and do it again. There is still time though and my body has stepped up to the task by giving a little bit more with each ride.
I no longer take it personally when the wind blows and slows me down! In the beginning I was certain the wind was following me personally, changing directions as I changed directions with the sole intent to slow me down.
I see so much more around me and the area I live. Experiencing the world on two wheels gives you time to see, feel, smell and absorb what is around you. I notice streams, and barns, and the smells of farms, and swamps and flowers I never paid attention to before. The absolute worst is being at the end of a long ride. Tired. Thirsty. Hungry. And driving by a house that is grilling meat. Is always smells so good. I wonder how amused the homeowners would be if I rode in and asked for one of whatever they are grilling.
And I'm fast. So fast. So very fast that I worry every time I see one of these,
I wonder what happens if I exceed that speed and there happens to be a cop in the area? I worry a lot that I'll get a speeding ticket on my bike. I'm kidding of course. I'm not fast. Going up hills I almost manage negative speed ;-)
The very best though is to struggle up a hill and think you do not have one more pedal stroke in you, and cross the top to the point where you can coast for a bit. Every time it is magic. You settle into you bike, feel your tired muscles recover and enjoy the reward of the hard work getting up the hill. It never gets old.
The joys of the ride though are not the point. Raising funds for cancer research is. Thanks to all who have read so far. Thanks to those who have generously donated. Please keep reading and if you are comfortably able, please consider donating to cancer research. Copy and paste the link below. It feeds right into my page for the event.
http://dc14.ridetovictory.org/site/TR/Events/2014WashingtonDC?px=1214699&pg=personal&fr_id=1070
