205: soul food

I pulled the bastard son out of the back of the toaster and looked to the skies. The sun had just set, and I was surrounded by darkness, and silence. To the west I could see her coming. A dark black bellowing cloud loomed. I jumped on the saddle of my bike and began to think to myself. "am I gonna make it or am I gonna get rained on?"

While many of my peers and friends have been able to enjoy the unseasonable warm weather, I have not. Tuesday was a comedy of errors as i took my lights to work to charge them and as I rushed out the door to make the ride, proceeded to leave my helmet and light on my desk.

Wednesday monkey and I went to dinner with Jan. Today, Today I was determined to ride.

I headed out the trail, a quick out and back, that's known for it's meandering and small undulations. I mean this was the trail I cut my teeth on, that I did my first mountain biking on, that hell as a twelve year old I'd ride my ten speed on to get to the convenience store on route 896.

Tonight, I was reminded that I am a crosser learning to mountain bike again. I'd have a section where I start to feel good, leaning in and out of corners, only to run into one of the many quick climbs. "I was way over-geared for that one.." I'd think to myself, "I'll have to do better next time..." "Oops, I did it again, still over-geared... gotta figure this out..." Any semblance of flow for me is a distant memory, but still I plowed, and mashed my way through the trail, that was hard packed and fast. So freaking sweet. I remember doing an 18 minute run down one of these passes. I think that was a world record. Tonight, I can barely make it in 28 minutes.

Really, it doesn't matter, I am not a racer anymore, well at least not really, or at least not this spring, I don't have to be here, I'm here because I love this, because I have been like a rat in a cage waiting to get out and ride, and tonight, regardless of my flailing, I am loving this...

I cross cashio mill road and feel the rain drops begin to come down, one short out and back and it's over, should I call it a night and head to the car, or do I push my luck and go for broke? What would you do?

Yup, me too- Go for broke... I push the last section maybe a little harder than I should, I skip a heart beat as I almost put myself in the Christiana river. I make it to the turn around, the rain is starting to pick up the pace, so do I.... I feel the flow coming, I carve the corner, I know there's a quick up coming soon- "FUCK- I'M IN TOO BIG OF A GEAR!!!" I laugh at myself, "sooner of later I'm gonna have to figure out this shifting thing again..."

I finish up the section, finish up my ride, and mother nature starts to really piss down on me. She let me get my ride in, but no way is she letting me walk out of this one totally dry...

That's all right, love reign o'er me. My soul is nourished, life is good.

couple of finishing thoughts:

hot chicks (?) with total douche bag. you know if you are into the stripper/hooker look.

I took this political quiz. You'd never guess who I was most aligned with. where do you fall?

got a really nice note from these guys today. The kind of message that makes your whole month seem good, and reminds you why you do this stuff. I am glad to apart of that family. And if you read their year end report you know who inspired this blog entry. There are some people I am just super happy to be associated with...

donut ride from my house Saturday, I'll get donuts before the ride...

respect
faticus.