Finally…A Ride

After getting over the 2011 Death Virus, I managed to drag my ass out on the trail for some bike time. I didn’t have high expectations for a great ride though. I just wanted to get out and pedal in the woods. In lieu of a visit to the doctor, it was just the kind of medicine I needed.




I was still kind of feeling the effects of my sickness, but I knew I needed to get out. I headed over to Poplar Tent, which is really close to the house. With several different loops off of the main trail, it was the perfect place to ride. I could skip the sections I didn’t feel up to, and if I got tired I could cut the ride short and bail. I decided to do a little sightseeing while I was out there, since I wasn’t breaking any personal best records for lap times.

The scenery was good.



There’s lots of danger out there though, including this dead tree:



On the man-made front, there are plenty of obstacles that can be dangerous too (or just plain fun.)

Some I rode:






And some I just didn’t have the energy to do:











I was having some balance issues fresh off my sickness, but I did hit one more thing out there:



And then there was more danger:





One of the best parts about that trail for sure.


There are even non-cycling things to see out there:




Overall, it was good to get back on the bike. I felt like shit though, being hampered by the residual affects of being sick. I took a few short cuts here and there, but still got in a decent amount of mileage. My previously fluid-filled lungs felt fine, but I didn’t really have any power in my legs. That sucked when it came to climbing, and I even ended up walking a few times. It actually felt like I hadn’t been on a bike in months, as opposed to a little over a week. I hope to never be off the bike for any extended period of time.


The only way to go from here is up. Now that I’m on the way to being fully healthy, I can start getting in some good rides this offseason. My knees feel better from the break, and my wrist is even close to being fully healed. I don’t want to take any more time away from riding my bike, so I’ll have to live with what little bit of recovery I had. I guess that means I won’t be visiting a doctor anytime soon. Good call? Only time will tell.