I’ve dusted off my bike and am finally getting out there and riding more. This has simply been an exceedingly busy Summer (and Spring…), and I’ve allowed other priorities to overtake physical exercise. But, better late than never…
I rode to work yesterday, and while it was long and quite hot and windy, it was a great ride. I’m certainly not in great shape at the moment, but I had enough to get me to Beaverton and back (with some help from MAX). I tried a longer route, riding from Pioneer Square to Sunset Transit Center down to Cornell and on to work. The hills are quite long and steep - a delicious downhill. Out towards the hills there are many groves of trees, orchards, and wildflowers lining the route. The wild smells, hoovered through my nostrils, took me back to riding in the Colorado backcountry. Whenever I smell pine and hot air I think of Horsetooth Mtn. near Fort Collins. Good times.
I knew it would be hot and hilly on the way home, so I tried to dole out my energy evenly. It’s so hard for me to hold back - I always want to race the lights and other commuters, like some dog chasing cars. Like they care! It’s just my own competitiveness coming out, having few outlets these days.
I’m setting an internal goal to be fit enough to ride all the way to work from home, sans train. I may not be able to do this as a regular workday ride - it would take perhaps 2 or more hours - but it’s a great fitness goal. It’s not just the distance, either - my route would likely go up through NW Portland over Lovejoy/Cornell, which goes through the very hilly Forest Park. Traffic can be dicey there, too, so I may need to go off-rush-hour, unlike the few brave souls who do ride it to work. I could also go through the Japanese Gardens, up the switchbacks to the Zoo - steep but with less traffic.
I also need to be deliberate about encouraging my kids to ride more, too. The Olders both need bigger bikes; we’ve been looking at some on Craigslist. I need to fix up Kristi’s bike and get her a helmet so we can do family rides. The kids need to be liberated from training wheels; Trinity is quite ready, and Connor could be close behind if he works at it.
Posted in Life
