The Joys and Toils of a Week of Biking ~ Thankful

After my surgery my health has improved. I really did not think that I would be able ever go biking again, but I tried ...

• Friday 16, i went for a small, easy ride, 1½ milometers out and then back again. It was not that hard, and even though I rode a glorious 80 kilometres in all of 2023 my speed was in the better half. I was happy.
      ◦ Thankful that riding my bike once again feels doable, even good!
  
  
• Saturday 17, I rode the same trip, only making it a bit longer. On my way I had to stop three times.
    The first time I saw some strange cows in a field, I looked again and realized that it was not cows. It was a herd of red deer on their way to their resting place, they slowly ambled along the fence, coming from the woods and disappearing over a small hill. There was a lot of them.
    Riding back I saw some highland cattle silhouetted by the very blue skies, almost glowing golden in the rays of the setting sun.
    On the last stretch homewards - into the sun like a poor, lonesome cowboy - I heard wings overhead, stopped and looked up to see four swans flying low towards the east.
      ◦ Thankful for the beauty around me.
  
  
• Monday 19, I rode to town, a nice and quiet ride on small byways and through the woods. All in all almost 6 kilometres, slower, but then again biking through the woods on the gravelled roads is always slower.
    When I came out from my errands it had been raining, and I remembered the bad thing about my bike. The saddle! It is over 20 years old, and the plastic is no more in one piece - it soaks up the rain, only to release it when I sit upon it. I went to the bike shop and brought home a new saddle - not a luxury, I think. Then I and the bike made our way home by bus, The bike rides along for free when you pay.
      ◦ Thankful for professional bike shop people and buses.
  
  
• Tuesday 20 was the day of the obstacle race. I left home in time, only just. But our quiet byways were not quiet today. The water company has dug holes since last autumn and works there from time to time, but today was the day. Tubes were rolled out, cars and lorries were parked haphazardly here and there. I carefully wound my way through, thinking: I can still make it on time.
    Into the woods, a turn and then onto the first hill. At the foot of the hill was an elderly man with a dog on a leash - one of those retractable ones, rolled all the way out. I rang my bell, but nothing happened, I slowed down, rang the bell once more, and the dog ran to the left, blocking the road. I had to stop, and finally the man rolled in the leash, letting me pass - and start up a steep hill from zero. I looked at the cyclocomputer (basic one) If I hurried, I could still make it in time, so I sped onwards.
    Next hill in sight and two giggling girls with a dog on a retractable leash - same thing as on that first hill repeated!
    I left the woods, now sweaty and a bit late. As I reached the trains crossing the bell sounded and the barriers went down! Now I was sure to be quite late.
    The home stretch was a path through houses and along a park with a small hill, and of course yet a deaf gentleman walking his dog. I arrived at the PE appointment more than five minutes late, drenched and out of breath.
    After the appointment I drank all the water in my bottle and ate some biscuits. Then I went shopping, piling all the heavy stuff in the saddle bags - after all I was going home by bus, just like yesterday. Shopping almost done -- last shop -- a long line of schoolchildren buying one soda-pop and one bag of candy or a bun each. It took forever, and through the shop window I saw the back end of the bus I had planned to catch. Well, today is a workday, thankfully, there's a new bus in half an hour. I went shopping for some small items I had decided to postpone. The lines were short, but -- you guessed it -- the cashier was inept, people complained ... and I raced to the bus stop, only to once again see the back end of the bus going over the hill.
    I then packed everything nicely in the saddlebags and pedalled home. In all a bit shy of 17 milometers. I was sore all over when I got up from a late lunch.
      ◦ Thankful for forgiving trainers and that I could bike all the way after all!
  
  
• Wednesday we put on the new saddle, and I only went for a short test ride. Thursday I did not go for a bike ride either, not because I was sore, but lots of other things just happened.
      ◦ Thankful for the always supportive Writer and a family keeping me busy.
  
  
• Friday I had a dentist's appointment in another town all of five kilometres away. The bus ride there is of the "take a short ride and wait"-variety lasting an hour - I can walk there faster for Heaven's sake. So despite the tail of Rolf the storm still sweeping over the land, I pulled out the bike and according to the cyclocomputer covered the 5,7 km in 21,43 minutes. Not half bad with a storm, not against, but not behind either.
    I took the slow bus ride home, because the rain had started, and I did not fancy a ride mostly into the storm with lashing rain too.
      ◦ Thankful for a good dentist and buses where I can bring my bike.

I am as always logging distance and time and I hope to improve in the coming months. Already I have more than half of last years distance behind me 😃