last year's DCMTB Team Photo
pimp hat added electronically by RickyD
listening to my body or being lazy?
it is tough
am I listening to my body or am I being lazy?
right now a cast of characters from the DCMTB squad are hammering the hills and ripping through the rock gardens at Gambril State Park in Frederick Maryland
me... I slept late and am getting a late start after a late evening
but sleep is what I needed
the late night was not needed, but the sleep was most definitely needed
or so I must tell myself
a 7:30 am call from CityBikesMike rousted me from bed
after weaseling out of the last minute reminder of this epic group ride opportunity I crawled back into bed to hug the pillow for another hour
woke up three hours later
guess my brain did not get the memo that I wanted to leave out for Schaeffer Farms for a solo spin at nine am
this is all fine
yesterday I got out of work a few minutes early and battled the demons of malaise
thrusday after work I tried to ride from downtown to the Fort Dupont/Fort Circle Trails
turned around at the Anacostia bridge
was not feeling it
when Friday came along and I saw my departure time was coming close I let some liquid alter my mood
I slammed a power drink... not sure what it was... it was some free hand out I got on the corner some days earlier
sure enough... the energy that this drink gave me helped me to push through all the voices telling me not to ride
once out of work in my ancient DCMTB City Bikes Orange and Red kit with my oversized backpack on my back I rode through Georgetown to mile zero of the C&O Canal
spinning at a good pace but not sprinting I rode the geared Karate Monkey on the tow path alongside the canal
no effort to get hypoxic
I spent most of the ride moving fast in an upright no handed position
the camera was in my bag
my attention was on turtle counting
lost track of my total, but I did count 13 turtles on one long
a number of people on bikes coming the opposite way
a few of these bikes were loaded down with panniers
as I zipped past I asked... are you riding the whole canal?
a grabbled answer which I took as a yes chased me as the distance between us increased
to my right on the man made waters of the C&O Canal were a variety of casual boaters
some in rentals from Fletcher's boat house
while more aggressive kayakers and canoers were on the Potomac
out of view behind the trees is a slalom course where olympic hopefuls train
no time to slow and watch
fisherman of sport and fisherman of sustanance inched closer to the water or parted like the red sea as I passed
runners with leashless dogs seemed confident that their pets would not step infront of my front wheel
for obstacles that may demand braking I slowed my pace and took my thumbs out of the thoracic region of my backpack
the bird activity was slight
some hissing geeze with their gozlings on the packed gravel pack
and some malard families with packs of little ducklings
no winged migration moments with great blue heron
with little time and almost no effort I was at the foot bridge that would take me over the canal to a wide path that would climb up an unrideable set of terraced stairs up to the hsitoric One Lane Bridge at MacArthur Boulevard
the sidewalk was clear so I spared the cars on the road
as with everyday on this section of road the cars were misbehaving because of the back up
after the bridge I took the bike path so I could pass the long line of bumper to bumper cars
then took to the street after the all way stop that creates the blockage
in the short distance between the line of stopped cars and Seven Locks Road and I was passed in an obnoxious fashion by nearly every car
some making eye contact and gesturing a message that I could not decipher
I day dreamed about a post... THE WAY OF THE PEACEFUL CYCLIST
as I recalled my post from a few weeks back about a ride on this stretch of road where I hammered at a good pace out to Great Falls on the Maryland side and back
as I turned up Seven Locks I debated about the wooded trails to my right
but figured I could dip into the woods on the left before River Road
when I got to the short section of trail along side of River Road before the light I could not find the trailhead
nothing by honey suckle
well... honey suckle, poison ivy, and thorny branches of assorted varieties
so I got on the shoulder and rode the final half mile of road before the trailhead of the Cabin John trails on River Road
warmed up and ready to ride I dipped into the woods
the body felt good
the bike felt okay
the brakes have never been that great on this bike
hard to go super fast when the braking is a sluggish and slow
but these trails are not designed for an excess of speed
the sight lines are short
lots of twists and turns between overgrown vines and tight trees
hikers and dog walkers are common on these suburban trails in the woods
the trail is well worn
wider and more beaten than the last time I had ridden here
most of my approaches to the Cabin John trails are at night with lights
the area is not that asctetic or that technical
and the night ride decreases the risk of collidiing with a dog or a dog walker
the Cabin John trails involve a linkage of patches of woods with requisite street crossing
it is what it is
I live in Washington DC.... not California
this area of Potomac Maryland is suburban DC
the builders and designers have done well squeezing in as much development as they can around here
gwadzilla mention of Cabin John Trails
with one eye on the watch I rode out and did a few loops behind the locust center
sorry never got to finish this...