its mornings like today when i find myself longing for the days when i don’t have to rely on a certain sized paycheck to pay my bills … driving to work on days like today helps to solidify my plan to check out of this crazy society and become better friends with mother nature and personal relaxation ..
yesterday morning, i left the house at 6:40 am … i pulled in to the office parking lot at 7:30 am (for the mathmatically challenged, that’s a 50 minute drive) .. today, i had a little trouble getting out of bed and therefore left the house a mere 10 minutes later and i didn’t make it to the parking lot until 8am (for those of you following along at home, that would make today’s drive 70 minutes). One hour and ten minutes to move only 38 miles.
i ride a mountain bike in the woods for many reasons, not the least of which is because it helps me deal with suburban life by allowing me to romp in nature on a regular basis. mountain biking is supposed to release me from the chaos of consumerism and allow me zen relaxation. while this is true for the duration of the ride itself, the events leading up to, and follwing the ride often leave much to be desired.
here’s the scenario …
i wake up very very early in the morning to try and beat traffic and hit the office early. theoretically, if i make it to the office early enough, i can leave the office earlier in the afternoon to beat traffic on my way home. so, i get home, and start rushing around to grab all of my gear and get it into the truck (shorts, jersey, sports bra, socks, shoes, gloves, helmet, bike, hydration – plus, the extras for fall/cooler weather – arm warmers, leg warmers/tights, vest/jacket, helmet light and battery .. and don’t forget warm dry clothes to throw on after the ride)…
if i’m lucky, i have all of this stuff clean and handy .. more often than not tho, its scattered about the house from the ride before.
after running around the house like a crazy person for awhile, its back in the truck to fight traffic for another ridiculously long period of time, because now its rush hour … finally, we reach our destination and run around some more getting ready and situated for the ride — hoping that you’ve remembered all the parts and pieces, and that you’re light is charged and working.
then we ride, which is generally fabulous, fun, relaxing, social, and exhilirating.
when the ride is over, there’s often a good amount of socialization, sometimes we go for food and drink, sometimes, we just head home … either way, its generally well after 8pm, sometimes closer to 9 .. going out with the group is a fun and easy answer to dinner .. bringing us home just in time to go to bed, because, you know .. i have to get up super early the next day to get to work ..
often, we head home ourselves and are left to figure out what to do for dinner. generally, there’s enough food at home that i could cook something up. but, its late and dark, and most likely, there’s so many dirty dishes that i’d have to wash a bunch just to cook with and eat on. so, we drive through some fast-food restaurant and buy something full of processed chemicals and preservatives, not to mention fat and cholesterol. we take it home, sit on the couch and watch some silly TV while eating our fast food. last night, i actually cooked after a ride .. and it was nice, but it didn’t change the scenario much ..
but, before i knew it, it was 11:00 and i was falling asleep on the couch. and so, it was time to go to bed — not a single stitch knitted. not a single style sheet edited. my sweaty bike clothes are in a ball on the dining room floor — because, you know, i have to get up super early the next day to get to work ..
someday, i’ll be able to ride to my favorite trail, whenever i want, right out my front door. that’s the thought that keeps me going.
