The pleasant weather lent itself to plenty of outdoor activity and proved to be most ideal for getting out on a bike. I wish I could tell you that I rode a "century" each day and I COULD, but that would be lying! As a matter of fact, I found myself having the worst attitude I believe I've ever had for getting on my bike and I very nearly didn't do it at all. Believe me, I wasn't really scheduling it on my "to do list". I would have stuck with my original "gonna be lazy about it" plan had it not been for reading what one of my friends posted to her page on Facebook. Shelley Rodriguez, you don't know it but it was YOU that prompted me to get off of my lazy behind and get going.
Shelley and I have been friends for some time now. She was my riding partner, along with her husband Clint, for the Bike Across Kansas during the summer of 2011. Shelley, a teacher for USD 308 just like me, is not only a cyclist but a runner as well. While I have all the admiration for her in the world as a runner, there is NO way that I would ever try to take up that form of exercise. I don't run ANYWHERE unless it would be on those occasions when it's a fast trip to the bathroom for one reason or another :) Rest assured, Peggy Miller will never be on a "first name basis" with jogging attire or the Boston Marathon. It just ain't happening friends. LOL
Well, Saturday morning I was sitting there in my pjs, reading the Hutch News and thankful to not find myself listed on the obituary page. In my head, I was making my plans for the day and trust me, for some weird reason riding my bike wasn't a part of "the plan". I almost wondered if I was sick or coming down with "something". Wasn't like me to not even consider going. Then, I happened to log on Facebook and it was there that I saw Shelley's greeting...she had just come back from running 9 miles.... Her words "stung" a little bit and I realized what she had already done for the day while I was sitting around trying to decide what to do in the first place. I was inspired by her ambition and decided, what the heck? If Shelley could run 9 miles and feel good when it was over then I SURELY could get my unambitious carcass out the door and on my bike. And friends, that's just what I did.
I think for the first time in my whole life, I hated riding a bike on Saturday morning. I had a million excuses in my bike bag as to why it was a horrible idea to be doing it yesterday morning~the sky was cloudy, there was a chance of rain, I wasn't sure if my tires were aired up enough, I was already running late...and a thousand more pathetic reasons why I was trying to talk myself out of going. Thankfully, MOST thankfully, none of them worked. By the time I was 4 miles into the ride, I knew it was way too late to turn back. So up the path I went because my "new plan" for the day was to ride the same amount of miles on my bike that Shelley had run that day. And I was determined, I mean REALLY determined to not stop until I had.
By the time I got to the end of the path and realized that I was only a couple of miles from home, I began to feel better. My legs didn't ache, my mind was clearer, heart beating faster and breathing pretty deeply. But I was alive and doing it and that's all that mattered. And when I got back home to 14th Street, I had gone 11.5 miles.
This morning I decided that if I could survive yesterday then I dang sure could make it once more today. A few things were different than yesterday though, my attitude being at the top of the "what's so different about today list?". I was ready and even rolled out of bed early with the thought of repeating yesterday's ride only this time it would be with a more positive way of thinking. But the moment I stepped outside the door, I found out a huge difference from yesterday morning, one that even "topped" my change in stinky attitude...it was cold out there! The temperature sat at 59 degrees, not a horrible place, but when it was coupled with winds out of the north, north west at up to 20 mph, well you begin to get the picture. I decided to head south first, going towards South Hutch and then make a u-turn and head back home once I crossed the Frank Hart Crossing. My "old faithful" sweatshirt, identifying me as an alumni of the class of '73, Haven High School, sure felt good on my arms and upper body. I can't remember the last time I needed a sweatshirt in order to ride.
You know, since my accident in August last year, I've done a lot of talking with God as I pedal down the road. I never leave my house now without uttering a prayer of safety to Him as I cycle along. I always end it the same way, "Let's do it God, it's just you and me now.", and off I go. Only this morning, our conversation carried along for a couple of blocks more and it went something like this.....
Me: (as the north wind blew me south along Main Street) "You know God, somehow something tells me that THIS is going to be the only enjoyable part of this ride today."
God: (always listening and I'm sure smiling at me)
Me: "But I can do it as long as you stay with me. Let's go."
Five miles into the south wind was one of those proverbial "breezes". Five miles back home straight into the north wind was a real pain in the behind. Only I'm afraid that my "sailor talk" took over along the way and I may have accidentally referred to it as something different. I'm working on that, trying to do better. It was rough and there were a couple of times that I thought about phoning someone, saying "come get me!" but it was 7:00 on a Sunday morning and I don't think anyone would have been too thrilled to hop out of bed to come bail me out. So I "sucked it up" and just went on. I've had rides that were much more fun, no kidding!
For the next what seemed to be an hour when in reality was only about 30 minutes, I pushed on towards home. I was definitely feeling the effects of being out of shape and most certainly had forgotten what it was like to ride into a cold north wind. There was nothing to do but just keep going but while I was doing so, I thought about a lot of things in life that seem to be pretty tough these days.
I thought I had it bad going head first into that Kansas wind but I don't think I have it near as trying as the families of two friends that I have who are dying of cancer at the local hospice house. "Old lefty" was aching from the cold and the stress of riding but just a couple of days ago I passed a man at our local Dillons' who not only had NO left arm but had a tank of oxygen attached to his wheelchair. My bike chain was "crying" out for some type of lubrication so that it could do its job more efficiently yet many families I know do not even have a vehicle that runs to transport their children to school each day. And for all of the belly aching that I do sometimes about not having the time to ride much any more now that it's back to work for me, there are an equal amount of folks here in Reno County who would be glad to have a job to go to, even two of them. You know it kind of puts things in their proper perspective. LIFE'S ride gets a little rough too.
Well, it's day's end now and time to call it a night soon. Oh dear friends, I think of you all in different ways throughout the day. You may not know it, but prayers are uttered up on your behalf by me. Actually, come to think of it, sometimes I wish that Facebook was just like the Walton's used to be...and you little kids that are trying to figure out what in the heck I'm talking about...well, that's a grown up question. Find one and they'll explain it to you. :) So for now, just suffice it to say...
Good night Dennis, Good night Anita, Good night Craig, Good night Mike, Good night Joyce, Good night Shelley, Good night Brian, Good night Heather, Good night LeRoy and Anne, Good ni zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
My good friend, teaching cohort, and Bicycling Across Kansas buddy~Shelley Rodriguez. This was our very first ride together in preparing for the BAK last summer. It was colder than the dickens and I'm not kidding! But we made it and we did it TOGETHER. Shelley I am proud of you for taking up running and equally proud of our good friend Melissa for doing so as well. We girls are not going to "rust out".
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