Jiminy Cricket Rides Again
Damn conscience!
So here’s the problem. Yesterday I went public with my “I’m going to join 60% of the high mileage club” goal, and went as far as breaking it down into nice manageable chunks. Hey - it’s only 125 miles a fortnight. That’s easy!
Except that we’re now almost at the end of the first fortnight of 2007 - only five days to go. And I’d done ZERO bike miles this year. So I spent the night dreaming about what this means, and then woke up at 6 a.m. knowing exactly what I had to do.
Five days. 125 miles. That’s 25 miles a day. If I put it off a day, it’d be 31 miles. If I did nothing ’till Friday, it’s 42 miles.
You get the picture.
The trouble is, I wasn’t sure if it was my conscience that woke me up, or the rain beating on the windows. And here in the North East of England, the rain doesn’t have the decency to fall on you from above - it always seems to come at you from under the chin.
And then as I lay in bed, I started to get Jimney Cricket’s song from Pinoccio going through my head:
“When you get in trouble and you don’t know right from wrong
Give a little whistle!”
So I put on my natty tri suit as a base layer (whatever I had on top, I was in for a soaking, so I might as well wear something that’s designed to get wet) topped off with a micro-fleece, Altura Nevis Jacket and Endura Humvee Trousers, (I don’t have waterproof over-trousers - dry legs are for cissies) and off I went.
With that damned song going through my head for the whole 25 miles.
The funny thing is that it stopped raining almost as soon as I set off. And the whole thing was rather enjoyable. So there you go.
Sounds like a good ride! Btw, they’re predicting another ice storm here in Seattle, so I won’t be riding out there until it’s nice and thawed. I figure I’ve got a whole year to ride crazy long rides.
But I like your approach to consistently put out the miles. So don’t take my advice.
-Brad
Mild telling-off coming here . . . Seattle… it’s 2 in the morning where you are! As you said last week (http://zappoman.wordpress.com/2007/01/05/i-already-blew-it-now-that-real-test-comes/), all work and no sleep makes Brad a tired boy. Heck - it’s even backed up by Joe Friel (”Losin’? May need more Snoozin”). Go to bed!
But thanks also for the encouragement. It *was a good ride*, and particularly to be out before the traffic got too busy for a change. We tend not to get too much rain or snow here (we’re in the rain shadow of the Penines, and right next to the sea to keep the temperature up), so regular ice storms sound like a real pain. If it does get icy, I stay off the bike - the suddenness of sliding on ice just ain’t the fun it was when I was youger (and my bones were more flexible).
Karl.
Sounds like you’re pretty good at time zone math.
Yep… I’ve been staying up a lot lately with “work”… but I am having fun with all of it. The good thing is that I am my own boss right now, so I can come and go as I please.
Worked till 2am again, slept five and a half hours (about my typical)… plus since there is a threatened ice storm supposedly coming I don’t want to get stuck in the house… so I think I deserve a break… I think I’ll go for a bike ride right now! Yeah… in the middle of the day. Ahh, the freedom!
-Brad
high mileage club?
Mile high sounds like much more fun…..