still have not pulled out the trainer...

it is not like I am riding that much
although I am riding
my daily commute does not count for much
when I can I try to extend my post work ride
if possible I will go for an hour after work
sometimes I try to sneak in some something a little longer
with the colder shorter days my rides are less frequent
as the weather gets warmer the riding picks up
the colder the weather more likely I am to recite the mantra that days off are often as important as days on
which has me dangerously finding too many days off and not enough days on

the holiday monday came and left without any time on the bike
there had been a run the day prior and a road assualt on saturday
but I had really thought that Monday would have me on dirt
that dirt ride never happend
leaving my zip code on Monday did not happen
this missed ride had me feeling as if tuesday's post work ride was mandatory
the afternoon earl gray did nothing to inspire me
the long weekend had not refreshed me
the one day of work had me fatigued
was out of work and on the bike and rolling down M Street by five after five
trying to point the bike in a direction other than straight home
nothing about me had me wanting to ride
I just was not feeling it

I fought it by pointing it

a few rotations into the ride and I realized that I had spaced on a layer
the gortex shell was over my bib knickers
I was lacking the tights I had worn in the morning
it was cold... I thought I was fine... it seemed as if that coverage would be enough
it did not make sense to back track and lose the time suiting up that I could spend riding

I did not know how long I planned to ride or where I was going to go
all I knew is that I was rolling down M Street a direction other than home
it was a few minutes after five... even though I had a light in my pack I did not plan on being out past dark
by the time I was in Georgetown it was decided that I would take the Mount Vernon Trail to the airport and back
by the time I was on Key Bridge over the Potomac I had convinced myself that I would take the bike path to the edge of Old Town Alexandria

the cold afternoon work day had the trail moderately vacant
most of the traffic was bicycle commuter traffic
most of that traffic was headed the opposite way

the miles rolled
the miles were not fast
the miles were not easy
but I was riding
in some ways I was punishing myself for being lazy and for trying not to ride
I was punishing myself by riding through the malaise

the ride went without consequence
I passed a few cyclists
a few cyclists passed me
there were no altercations or near misses
the wind was neither at my back or in my face
there was wind... just a few gusts at the predictable places

out and back
back across the key bridge then across town
down M Street the opposite direction then through the park Towards P Street towards Dupont and then on into Adams Morgan
after I crested the hill just passed the Hinkley Hilton that I saw the blocked traffic on Columbia Road
police cars were blocking through traffic and an ambulance was on the scene
it was there where I saw the bicycle on the ground and the blood
curious and concerned I glanced in on the action in the ambulance
it was not morbid
it did not look like death
it did look like injury and pain
people in blue crowded around a shirtless man on a stretcher with a neck brace

his face of the injured man looked conscious
he looked as if he was in pain
the face was not familiar
he looked young... beared but young

I spoke with the police officer
there was no word on the severity of the injury
I did not ask about the accident
but I did ask about the bike
making sure that they would take care of the bike
the bike did not look as if it had been damaged

wrecked cars are left at the scene
I was not sure if they would think to take his unlocked bicycle with them
the officer assured me that they would take care of the bike

yesterday I left out of work early
thinking that wednesday was thursday I left early to pick up the boys
lisa was scheduled for a meeting which would have her late at work on thursday
so I was all set to pick up the kids from school
I rushed out of work and jumped on my bike and raced straight home
did not slow for even a photography
when I got home I jumped off my bike and into some street clothes
just as I grabbed my keys and went for the door I saw that Lisa and the boys were already home
but.... but... but...
but I thought it was Thursday... it was Wednesday
I emailed my boss the confusion in preparation that I would have to leave early on Thursday as I had emailed him a few weeks prior

today is thursday
lisa's meeting was pushed to friday which meant that I did not have to leave early to pick up the kids
so I decided that I would go for a ride
I thought about the ride I had done on Tuesday and thought I would repeat it with some variation
estimating the time on the bike minus the time at the accident
estimating the time I needed to be home to take Dean to basketball practice after walking the dog

a ride similar but shorter than tuesday's ride

early in the ride my feet grew cold and my toes began to get numb
I thought about how I was underdressed footwise just two days prior
I thought about all the gear I have... all the socks... the gortex socks... and even the winter mountain biking boots
none of them here... shoes like swiss cheese

as I crossed Key Bridge from Georgetown into Rosylnn I fought wind
a vicious cross wind pushed me towards the fence that keeps people from splashing into the Potomac
then onto the Mount Vernon trail past Roosevelt Island I was pleased that the wind was not so bad
all the way to the same turn around point with only a few battles with the wind

then on the way back it happened
the wind kicked in
I laughed as I wondered if the wind had been that strong at my back the whole way up
but no... my legs hurt too much for that to be the case
my upright body with my riser bars on my cyclocross bike had my upper body catching the wind like a sail
the flat trail felt like a never ending climb
without grace I fought to break through a wall of wind
like a mime on rollers I worked hard to ride in place

the battle with the wind
the numb toes
and the need to get home to walk the dog and then take my son to basketball practice had me cross back into the District on the 14th Street Bridge rather than Key Bridge
the wind continued but I got home with enough time to take a few bites of a Chipolte burrito before walking the dog
then left off for basketball practice with Dean

while at practice my toes were still cold and numb
my body was almost shaking because those few bites of a burrito were not enough
maybe those few bites were a painful tease to my hungry body
luckily I had grabbed a bottled water while stepping out the door
once back from Dean's practice I devoured my burrito and all of the remaining chips

two halfway decent post work rides that had me on the bike for a bit past an hour
no stop watch on the riding which can have elements of stop and go
but definitely a better workout than I would get if I were riding in the basement on the trainer
that said
there are some movies I have been meaning to watch that may not be merit my full attention
and I have the first season of LOST on DVD which I have not seen and have been told I would like