riding clears the mind
Didn't get my full night mtb ride in on Wednesday this past week. Rain set in so we only rode for 45mins. I was jonesn' for some ride time.
Friday morning I took Omega for his walk. It was warm, pseudo dry and humid. "I'm going to ride into work today."
I've been trying not to really ride the fixie that much since my left knee is bothering me again. Gym time and staying off the fixie should remedy that. Since I went to the gym on Thursday I figured it was 'safe' to ride the fixie on Friday.
Partway through West Hartford I decided I needed a challenge. As if riding in Hartford rush-hour traffic was not enough... Try doing it fixed, brakeless and with one hand. I stopped to get some coffee and then rode across town to work. Made it to the office 30mins later without spilling anything. I rode slow and actually felt more aware of my surroundings than I normally do. Stoked!
What I really needed was one of these (thanks Andy).
Riding to work on Friday got me thinking.. Riding is an outlet for me. I don't care where I'm riding or what I'm riding or the terrain but it is an outlet. My mind escapes the daily grind and I feel cleansed. It is my way of disappearing from society for a few hours.
Take last Wednesday's weekly ride for example (Oct 29th): It was wet in the woods so we ventured out on the road with our road bikes. I left work with a splitting headache and no direction to overcome the latest hurdle I was faced with. After easing into the ride and overcoming the first big climb my body started feeling great and I was up front with LaPierre. I never once thought about my headache and never really thought about the frustrations at work. I felt strong and rode hard. The sun was setting and I opted to leave my HID headlamp off until I absolutely needed it. Everyone else seemed to have them on so I'd use their light. With the lights on behind me I continuously saw my shadow and had enough light to see the road. My blinkie lights were in full effect so I was visible to cars. It was fairly chilly (booties, insulated jersey, insulated vest, insulated knickers). After 2hrs and around 35miles we were back at Bob's house. I felt awesome! The next day I figured out how to overcome that hurdle at work.
This is one of the many reasons why I ride my bicycle(s).
Friday morning I took Omega for his walk. It was warm, pseudo dry and humid. "I'm going to ride into work today."
I've been trying not to really ride the fixie that much since my left knee is bothering me again. Gym time and staying off the fixie should remedy that. Since I went to the gym on Thursday I figured it was 'safe' to ride the fixie on Friday.
Partway through West Hartford I decided I needed a challenge. As if riding in Hartford rush-hour traffic was not enough... Try doing it fixed, brakeless and with one hand. I stopped to get some coffee and then rode across town to work. Made it to the office 30mins later without spilling anything. I rode slow and actually felt more aware of my surroundings than I normally do. Stoked!
What I really needed was one of these (thanks Andy).
Riding to work on Friday got me thinking.. Riding is an outlet for me. I don't care where I'm riding or what I'm riding or the terrain but it is an outlet. My mind escapes the daily grind and I feel cleansed. It is my way of disappearing from society for a few hours.
Take last Wednesday's weekly ride for example (Oct 29th): It was wet in the woods so we ventured out on the road with our road bikes. I left work with a splitting headache and no direction to overcome the latest hurdle I was faced with. After easing into the ride and overcoming the first big climb my body started feeling great and I was up front with LaPierre. I never once thought about my headache and never really thought about the frustrations at work. I felt strong and rode hard. The sun was setting and I opted to leave my HID headlamp off until I absolutely needed it. Everyone else seemed to have them on so I'd use their light. With the lights on behind me I continuously saw my shadow and had enough light to see the road. My blinkie lights were in full effect so I was visible to cars. It was fairly chilly (booties, insulated jersey, insulated vest, insulated knickers). After 2hrs and around 35miles we were back at Bob's house. I felt awesome! The next day I figured out how to overcome that hurdle at work.
This is one of the many reasons why I ride my bicycle(s).
posted by dougyfresh at 9:12 PM
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