BACK ON THE BIKE

I was out riding on today, the first time in a while. Everyone's babying me, saying I should rest because of the fatigue and side effects of my meds but I just had to go out. In some ways they were right, it was harder than I anticipated and I had to cut short my normal loop.

At one point in the ride, fighting fatigue, I asked myself, "why am I doing this again?" The answer inevitably comes back, "because I can." Cycling has become so enjoyable to me. I love the way the world looks on a bike, the way it moves by. Distractions of life disappear, and I get to experience the sense of silence that's so important in this fast-paced life. Even the suffering aspect of cycling--my labored breath, the fatigue in my legs, the sense of my pounding heartbeat--reminds me that I'm alive and I'm so thankful for that.

Part of my route includes a portion of road that has a beautiful view of the water but also a "No Bicycling Allowed" sign, but with no explanation added. So I did my civic duty and ignored the sign, thinking it would be no big deal. A few minutes later a security guard behind a fence yelled "no biking." I smiled and just kept riding, albeit I picked up the pace a little bit, (okay, a lot). I was waiting for him to catch me with his car but to no avail. Even in my tired state he was no match for me. Just kidding, he probably thought I wasn't worth the effort. I can't wait to go by there again.