2021 mileage: 2007.4
I set off today at 1:00 to ride in great conditions -- 66° sunshine (climbing to 69° during the ride), with a significant but not ferocious wind of 14 mph coming out of the south-southwest, so that I was riding into it during the first quarter of my ride, but had it at my back as I was finishing up. The weather led to a quick realization of an error in judgment regarding my wardrobe - I wore a hoodie, which was needed early this morning, but was much too warm for my ride, and I'd have been infinitely better off in a t-shirt.
As I rode, I experienced warring emotional states. On one hand, I was swamped by a bitter disappointment in being unable to ride the longer ride (20 miles) that I had originally planned, prevented by the knee tenderness I've felt lately (which has now spread from the right knee to include also the left), which has been joined by significant lower back pain the last couple of days, so that I can barely hobble around our home. It's as though, having turned 64 last week, my body just decided, "OK, that's it ... we're through now."
But even stronger than this disappointment was an overwhelming sense of gratitude to God that I felt for being able to ride at all. The combination of good weather, a working trike, and health sufficient to allow me to ride (albeit slowly) allowed this.
Finally, as I was finishing up, about two miles from home, I was happy to see my friend Jim Alvey, who came up behind me on the trail and called out a greeting. However confirming my physical condition, he blew by me like I was standing still.
So I changed my plans from my long round trip to Baker Rd. and settled for a single round trip to Marsh Park (10.2 miles in a glacial time of 1:18.
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