Canada Day Ride

Well it wasn't in Banff or even particularly long, heck it wasn't even on Canada Day but it was an eye opener.

I haven't done anything longer than 20km all year. The long layoff has admittedly taken away some of the motivation to go for a ride. I planned to at least take a longish ride on Cananda Day but the weather was less than ideal. When today started off sunny my mind was made up. With my normal long distance ride (Sophia) up for sale, I decided on Lisbeth. Initially I thought an hour and 20km would be more than enough and have me back home before the day heated up.

Big tires make things more comfy for all of your contact points. Feet, hands and especially butt enjoy the time on the road a whole lot more. I got up through the college and university campuses and then deviated from the plan and headed west on Oliver Road. Things got a little tough as my calves started threatening to cramp and my hands were tingling. Uphill and into the wind on a 30+ pound bike didn't help. 

I turned off on Mapleward and after climbing a small hill enjoyed a couple of kms of gliding downhill. That seemed to rejuvenate me. When I got to Arthur St., Lisbeth made another right turn and then kept going on 20th Side Road. I came back on Rosslyn Road with a beautiful tailwind. It's not often I can get Lisbeth into top gear but she flew in with only a few cars to deal with. All told 40km under the tires.

I've been tired on a bike. Exhausted, winded, sore and even bleeding. Hot, sweaty, cold and shivering. But I don't feel fat and I don't feel old on a bike. That's worth suffering through all the rest.