Just Ride It Out

Have you ever had one of 'those days', where everything you touch turns to shit in the palms of your hands, and you can't seem to do anything but piss people off unintentionally?  Of course you haven't, neither have I.

Kidding.

Today was my day.  It started out blissful upon waking up, but 20 minutes later things started to go wrong, and it all just went straight down the crapper from there.  Having been pent up by recent rainy weather and being a physically high-maintenance individual, I was reaching that last straw.

So, I decided to ride it out.

Work is good for me.  Body, mind and spirit.  As an added bonus, I got to tour a longer route than I normally take.

I haven't ridden on this street since I was a child:

Heading out, I had a stiff headwind blowing in my face.  I had to work extra hard to go the speed that I was pissed enough to want to go.  But it was good for me.

By the time I got to about this point, I wasn't so pissed/frustrated/hurt anymore:

Then I started to enjoy the view.  

Wouldn't it be something if more people took a time-out to go beat the crap out of themselves on rolling hills in a beautiful landscape when having a bad day, rather than lashing out at loved ones and use the bad day as an excuse to make it alright?

Honestly, who can stay in a bad mood when they're sweating, muscles burning, heart pounding, breathing heavily and looking at something like THIS?!:

Maybe our country's leaders should make some time for a bike ride daily.  It certainly quells my douche-like tendencies.  Food for thought.

Today's Ride:

Time:  34 minutes

Distance:  8 miles

Average Speed:  13.91 mph

Fastest Mile Time:  3 minutes 11 seconds

Not only did this ride put me in a better frame of mind overall, this ride is the best average speed I've been able to carry over a halfway decent distance.  I can't seem to break that 14 mph average, but by golly I'm getting closer.

~The RoadQueen

Bicycles Rock

I may be a veteran motorcyclist, but I'm a fledgeling bicyclist.  I had no idea when I purchased my bike, how much I would enjoy moving under my own steam, faster than a walk or jog can accomplish.  

While my first love and greatest passion is Equestrian Sports, Bicycling is quickly becoming a close second.  

This is my first bike as an adult:

It's nothing fancy.  It's a Giant hybrid/commuter type of bike that I had outfitted with a stuff-carrying-bag on the front, and a water bottle holder, of course.  It's got fancy Shimano shifters that I never would have even dreamed could exist (especially as a kid on my Walmart 5-speed special whose shifters sometimes worked, and sometimes didn't) that shift with the simple click of a lever, a whole bunch of gears with three in the front and eight in the back, and those neat fat-butt handlebar pads to keep the palms of your hands comfortable.  (IKNOWRIGHT?!)  

Before you say it, yes, I know.  I know squat about bike parts terminology and I'm ok with that.  Besides, I like my made-up words better.

Let me tell you, I freaking LOVE this bike.  On this bike, I can go faster than a walk, but I'm forced to go slower than on a motorcycle.  My default setting is FAST, FASTER, FASTEST!  GO, GO, GO!  I'm working on that, trying to make myself slow down and enjoy the scenery...and my bike is perfect for that.

See what I mean?!  Look at all that scenery I would have missed if I had been going Mack 2 with my hair on fire, as usual.  These photos were taken on the Kokosing Gap trail near Central Ohio.  My friend Recumbent Conspiracy Theorist took me there last Saturday, and it was a gorgeous ride.

RCT, looking the picture of comfort.  I'm starting to seriously consider getting one of those recumbent contraptions.

I was so relaxed and aware of my surroundings, I was able to stop and smell the flowers for once.  Literally:

You know what else?  Wooden bridges are FUN to ride over on a bicycle.  As your wheels turn over the wooden boards, it makes a satisfying "thump-a-thump-a-bump" sound that for some reason really tickles my fancy.  There were a few small wooden bridges, but I immensely enjoyed these two big ones.  

The bridge below was on the Kokosing Gap trail near our starting point:

(I got to ride over this one TWICE!)

Then there was the Bridge of Dreams at our turnaround point.  The slanted boards and rubber mat don't give as much satisfaction, but fun nonetheless.

During one of my rest stops, I even noticed the pretty bark on this tree:

This ride was the longest I've ever been on at just a hair over 36 miles, lasting for 2 hours and 44 minutes.  For the first time I seriously considered how much fun a recumbent would be.  Everything's more fun when your ass isn't sore, amiright?!

~ The RoadQueen