I commuted to work by bike for the first time this year (50-mile round trip). A bit nippy on the way in this morning, and a killer headwind on the way back. Felt good to ride the bike into work, but the way home is always a suffer-fest. Here are some of the things that went through my mind:
1) No matter how inspiring Fabian Cancellera's win at Paris-Roubaix was yesterday, I am not and never will be that good.
2) I have a sticker on my front fender that Teal sent me. I usually notice it when I'm suffering; head down, tongue a-waggin'. It reads, "Question Internal Combustion". At those times, internal combustion seems like a pretty good idea.
3) The song "O, Death" by Ralph Stanley kept going through my head. "Oooooooh, Death. Woooooooooooooah, Death. Won't you spare me over for another year?" Subliminal message?
4) The Bicycle version of my route in Google maps says it should take me 2 hours, 37 minutes. The way in took 1 hour, 20 minutes. So at least I'm twice as fast as Google thinks I ought to be! The way back (much more uphill) is always a bit slower...
5) I think I might actually like headwinds less than hills.
6) It's nice that people in Vermont don't swerve at you or throw trash.
7) Bikes are awesome, even if they make me suffer a bit.
4 comments:
some people pay good money to get that kind of exercise and you got it for free and saved on gas, double bonus.
I admire anyone that can commute 25 miles each way on a bike in the morning and evening. I don't really remember you whining about "monster laps" around the Starkville soccer complex either.
You ran our asses off Keith. I remember doing 8 laps around 2 soccer fields as a warm up. I've never been a natural runner, but those days were my prime as far as that goes. That was the best damn soccer team I was ever on too. I still have the Team Green mug. I even ran out at southfarm in the offseason to stay in shape for that team. Don't know if I've ever said this, but you were by far the best coach I ever had, and despite working us hard, I was actually inspired to work harder. It helped that you did most of the running with us. Those were fun times, I ought to get back into soccer. We need to meet up sometime too!
Get a nanopod
Put on Flight of the Valkeries (theme from the air calvary attack in Apocolypse Now)then follow with Ode to Joy. Stay away form Pacobell's Canon
It helps really!!!
The old man
Ride of the Valkyries is indeed a badass song. Tchaikovsky's March Slav is another one. Unfortunately though, I don't have an ipod, and I want to be able to hear the cars when they go by. Even when I know trucks are coming, they still sometimes scare the crap out of me.
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