it's been 3 months...

...since I looked at you
Clipped my cleats to the pedal and said "I'm cycling"
Three months since I rode you singing
"Get that together come back and see me"

-apologies to the Bare Naked Ladies.

Thanks to a confluence of events I haven't bicycled in 3 months. Not even
my customary winter commute - been working from home.

The high today was an optimistic + 4 C, sunny and a slight breeze with just
a bit of an edge to it.

Mountains of snow in the parking lots - a cold winter's worth - are melting
like a wicked witch of the north. Rivulets of water run away from a pile
that consists of an ever-greater [proportion of salt/sand gunk.

I set off on my bike, dormant muscles protesting, ligaments stretching in
unfamiliar ways.First I thread through parking lots and busy streets to
reach the first trail. Spring is in the air but the recreational greenspace
is a patchwork of sodden grass, old crusted snow and pools of water blocked
from draining.

Further north past the school grounds I cut through a wooded copse and find
the path a muddy trail. Should I go for it?

*****
'His father was a mudder. His mother was a mudder.' -apologies to Cosmo
Kramer
*****

Having splashed in the mud long enough I take to the residential street
going East through the university. I'm not the only cyclist taking
advantage. But it is an uphill slog. Not any sort of major hill but my legs
protest from the inactivity.

At the I wend south through campus. It's paths are brick and cleared and
auto-free. As well in the direction I'm travelling it's a gentle down slope.

I check the time. Twenty minutes. It took twenty minutes to find the
groove again. Not bad after a three month layoff.

The campus ends but I continue south through residential streets, curving
one direction then another until I am going west now to meet up with another
expanse of greenspace. More patchwork of snow and sodden trail. I take
pleasure in splashing through the puddles.

The trail winds north to take me back to my starting point, a quick couple
circuits around the mall and my first ride of the year is done.

~40 minutes, 15 km.. Not bad for a warm up.

--
'Keep on riding north and west
Then circle south and east
Show me beauty
but there is no peace.' -Rush

In article ,
"1oki" writes:

Thanks to a confluence of events I haven't bicycled in 3 months. Not even
my customary winter commute - been working from home.

Yeah, I find working from home really cuts deeply into
riding time, too. Especially when on-call; the work
comes right when there's some event to ride to or
participate in. Glad to hear you're finally getting
your bike legs back.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca