"ers"

painters... paint
writers... write

bikers... bike


today I road my bike...


scheduled to work the late shift today freed my morning up for some activities that are usually set for the evening

there was time for a solid ride

but instead I took a longer than normal hike with the dog

it turned out that the duration of the hike was longer than the distance

the distance was also longer
while not as long as it could have been

took a trip into the woods of Rock Creek Park and stalled for some repairs on some natural stairs that I have been working on over the past many years
the heavy rains of the night prior really pushed some stuff around

there were two stairs that needed to be fortified
and a few others that needed a little love
this was all done by grabbing some fallen limbs and some rotting logs


small efforts that all build up into something

nothing grand
but something better than nothing

after the hike with the dog a glance at the watch had me realizing I was crunched for time

like superman leaping into a telephone booth I jumped down into my basement
in seconds I was out the door in head to toe DCMTB-City Bikes gear

dressing for the occasion can aid in rising to the occasion

with a feeling of how long I had to ride and how long it would take me to take the loop I had intended I shifted things into the big ring and put the hammer down

when riding alone there is the benefit of being the fastest rider in the pack

the wind was in my face the whole way
which allowed me to work even harder to go even slower
feeling like a SUPERSTAR I managed to knock out the 90 minute ride in the 95 minutes I had before my set in time


had there been no wind I would have arrived at work with enough time to take a pre-work shower


but no...
it was more important to be at my desk on time than to be fresh and clean for my co-workers
a quick wipe down with a clean a towel and a
splash of Gold Bond
there
into some clean dry clothes
the wet gear was hung with the wishful thinking that it would dry before the day's end

the clothing never dries before the day's end


good to get on the bike

it felt good
I felt good
I have been feeling good all day


bikers bike


today I am a biker

usually... I am a commuter

sometimes I am a post work rider

the level of intensity and the duration allows me to call myself a biker

yes... I was on the road

no... that does not make me a roadie


roadies are car drivers on bikes