Minnesota has had its share of “weather” this year – with various extremes and even records being felt. Thus, when a day like Sunday appears, it is something to be cherished and honored with a good bike ride.
As I mentioned in the last cycling-related post, I’ve finally got some decent riding over the past few weeks and have had a pair of 100+ miles with a week’s riding. The mileage is not that big of a deal for me – but it does make me stronger when I go out again.
It is one of the things I appreciate most about cycling. When you put in the work, there is immediate rewards that can be felt on the following rides. It means that I am now able to produce a significant ride averaging 19mph – which is about the best that I can achieve given the amount of time I have available for riding. It’s an average speed that makes me “proud” while I ride, as I am going fast enough to feel that I am working hard and keeping up. There are only a few other cyclists on the road that can out-perform these averages, so I feel like I am part of a small group of committed cyclists.
The only unfortunate element of my recent rides is my lack of iPod. I have looked all around the house over the past few days and have not yet found it. Although the iPod Nano is a marvel of engineering, it is actually too damn small and I keep misplacing it – as it finds a hiding place due to its small size.
Without an iPod to force some music into my ear, I am left to my own devices. This means that my mind plays wonderful tricks on me and finds all sorts of ways to provide torment. It’s choice over the last two rides have been various songs by James Taylor.
Now – don’t get me wrong – I’m as big a fan of James Taylor as any other child of the 1970′s, but it is not music for exercise-related motivation. His gentle melodies can relax you and provide a quite escape from the busy world. But when your goal is to suffer and power over the next hill – feeling the burn in your legs – James Taylor doesn’t provide much support.
But, that is how it goes. Any committed cyclist knows that the biggest challenges on a bike are often mental. If you ride for more than a typical 30 minute stroll around the neighborhood, you need something to occupy your thoughts because there is little brainpower needed to turn over the pedals. My iPod typically provides this distraction and gives me something to chase around in my brain.
I now just need to find the dumb thing. It’s got to be laying around here somewhere.
