this has been a tough week
a combination of factors
sick/the kids are sick, the kids are not sleeping/we are not sleeping
and well
the job can be a swift kick in the groin sometimes
today I was able to get out of work early
guess I can not complain too much
got out of work early and got on the bike
did not feel like riding at all
but... just like a kid going to school
I got to do it
there just is no choice
rode the my six year old cross bike to work thinking I would be able to fit in some loops in the hills of rock creek park
although I do not use heart rate monitors or power taps
I know that I suck at climbing and well... if I am going to want to ride my bike up the hill on dirt I need to ride my bike up the hills on pavement
so I left work and headed for the nature center in rock creek park
I had left early enough that I thought that I would have time for some ups and backs on Ross Drive and still be able to intercept my babysitter and snag my younger son and pick up my older son from school
well... as my 45minutes of hills was growing to be more of an hour I recognized a familar form
although I had never seen this man on a bike before we had talked that he was a cyclist
he fancies himself a former commuter
so rather than floating down the hill and continuing straight towards home
I turned it around and started to reel him in
this was a classic humbling moment
so I am doing this hill one more time after a handful of times
I pass on man snailing along in his lotto peacock suit
just as I am feeling smug I feel that I am being passed
a rider moving effortlessly moves past at twice my speed
this rider drifts into the distance and passes the person I was seeking to catch
this pass of the faster rider alters the pace of my rolling destination
so I need to pick up my pace
as my reel him in pace was no longer fast enough
without the passing of too much road I am approaching the rear wheel of my destination
with an upbeat tone I ask the rhetorical question.... is that jack lastname?
sure enough it was
I moved along side of him and we paced with each other
he was on a newer fresher jamis nova
we talked about bikes then I reintroduced myself
I am that guy sending you emails about the traffic on blah blah blah street
the man I have just reeled in is a representative of our neighborhood on some level
we chat about the "study" that is going to happen
I am pleased to hear that there is some sort of consideration
although a "study" could be a discussion
and well... then the next day there could be some action
we ride along side of each other
the topic changes
we talk bikes
I kid him about the guy who he had passed us both
and how his pace changed after the pass
it was a good ride
I altered my route and rode for maybe 30 minutes with him
his fitness impressed me
apparently he was even faster and stronger prior to a spinal injury that occured in a bike to car incident
an incident where he was on the bike
that incident had kept off the bike for a few years
it was a good ride
with some pleasant conversation about life and gears
cycling gear and the state of the the world and how it views bicycles
our final blocks into the neighborhood cause us to split
he is going a few block longer to avoid traffic and the steep climb
I roll back to a lump of trash under the bridge
someone has dumped some trash under the bridge
a rusty adult bike of no interest has already been tucked aside by someone who will more than likely return for it later
there is a 12 inch children's bike that I can not resist taking home
I ride the last mile or so home with a pink and white kids bike on my handlebars
I get home and walk the dogs
then I join lisa and the boys for a trip across the alley for a friday night bbq fest
it is a friday night alley thing
no bikes for the kids on this night
it is all about swords
lots of swords
lots of sword play
lots of kids crying from having their knuckles cracked by a friendly whack of a sword
a great start to a long weekend
the idea of the "study" has me excited
maybe they will actually do something
but I am sure that there will have to be all sort of bureacracy before they can sweep the leaves off the sidewalk
too much talk....
not enough action...
I hope this study takes into account the major cycling traffic on this road
guess I will still draw up some of my ideas for correcting these speed problems
as it can not hurt