Breathing With My Eyes...

Dear Reader,

This morning was dawn patrol ride for me.

It was pretty warm, and I felt good on the bike. I had some efforts on the agenda, and  headed out to one of my favorite trails: 5 bridges. I charged up the trail feeling good.  Near the first little peak, I came around the corner and there was a tree down. It  was about 8 inches off the ground, and the log itself was may another 8 inches in diameter. This is exactly the kind of log that I enjoy trying to ride. But not this morning. Without any thought, when I came around the corner, I unclipped my right leg and swung it around the back of the bike seat, dismounted cyclocross style, jumped over the log, and then was back on the bike, out of the saddle moving at what felt like the an instant. Damn that felt good. Smooth...

As I finished my effort, wiped the spit and droll off of my chin and thought about that trail, and specifically that log. Part of me wanted to go back and ride the log, but another part of me was so stoked about how that corner unfolded. I didn't expect the log, but there wasn't any hesitation, and as far as I can tell, no loss of speed or momentum. What if the log had been on the ground? What was the decision process in my head to dismount and run it, versus trying to ride it. In mid-effort oxygen debt, at speed it just happened. No thought, just action. It was weird.   The entire thing unfolded in a few seconds, I don’t remember thinking through the process, just jumping off the bike, running and speeding away. It just happened. It was automatic. It was rad. Deception and guile? 20 years of hacking around these trails? Muscle Memory? Mad Jedi Skills? nah... I was just lucky...

anyway, thanks for reading.

respect

Fatmarc