What was white now is brown
A few posts ago I mentioned I planned on riding through the winter as much as possible. Well I have been doing pretty good. I do have to admit that I have chosen to take a couple rides from friends here and there for various reasons. Usually not because I don’t want to ride (I do want to ride. I swear!). I won’t give excuses. That is silly. I have reached low temperatures ( 10 degrees actually temp, feels like 3 deg) I have ridden in snow and sleet. Ridden on unplowed roads that would be walked easier. I have yet to feel the need for my DH goggles. But that is the only piece of equipment that I haven’t felt the need to use. I hope I won’t but if needed I am ready with my tare-offs. That brown Sh*t that flings up from your tire and smack your eye….burns. This only happens in the really slushy stuff.
Soon it will be 2009. I have dubbed ” The Year of Exploration and Change”. Well this may not be a good title for your ’09 but it will be for me. I have done things the same way for the last 10years. My relationships the same, my riding…the same, my work…the same, my life has been the same. The same cycle of moving forward to only step back. The same cycle that has also gotten me where I am today. A place I a pretty damn proud of. I have accomplished all that I set out to do 5 years ago. But I am not as happy as I could be. I am not as accomplished as I would like to be. If I was I would be devastated…with nothing to live for. That would be depressing.
My riding through the winter is a precursor to what I want. I want to be stronger, faster, and more willing to push myself past my limits. Want to feel the pain of freezing skin and numb limbs. I want to feel the grip of winter in my lungs and the love of freedom in my heart. The steel box with 4 wheels has limited me. Not for exploring the world but exploring my mind. We are slaves to the auto industry. Even more our minds are slaves to the mindless stop, go, shift, park, honk, yell, curse life that is the current state of humankind. We rely on these machines so much that we never think of what out mind might do if we actually exercise…in the outdoors. If we actually stimulate ourselves past the rear-view mirror.
I sit here at the computer. Every few minutes looking out to the street were there are little pawns. Lined up waiting at the lights. Some people come into the shop saying that they have been there for more than 30minutes. Normally traveling form the highway to the next set of lights can only take 2 minutes…literally. I really can’t wait until I get out there and ride past all of them. Yeah they are in their warm cars listening to music. Oh wait…I am warm( I love technical fabrics) and I am listening to my Ipod. I guess I am better than them huh? HAHAHAHA I have beaten you!
Cheers to you all! I hope you all have great Holidays. Get out and enjoy the outdoors.
Cars are Coffins!
