Twenty five

No, 25 miles isn't a big deal. I used to ride that everyday...at least. Now, considering I haven't been riding in a year or two, the distance means a little more. Today, I added in the first hill. Not a hard hill, but when your out of shape, pushing a 42x15 fixed gear, with 700x35 tires at 80psi, you feel it. My route (more or less) was from the house to 141, then north to Dougherty Ferry, to Geyer (the hill was there, not steep, but a long trudge), to Rott, to Minne Ha Ha, to Old Gravois, to the road along the Meramec in Fenton, to the north outer road of 44, to Maritz, to Valley Park road and home. It's a nice little loop. I've done it a bunch of times on fixed gears in the past. When I was in shape, Marshall road would be the general route and I rode in a 48x16, with 700x23's at 115psi. Big difference.

Today, was the first time I craved more speed. Then I thought of this. The fixed gear at a slower pace will keep my mind in a better state, more close to the Zen type I want to be in. Agressive, balls to the walls riding no longer interests me. I want to be steady and strong. 160 more kilometers (about 95 miles) longer, and I'll be at brevet distance. That's the goal. Not that distance is my master. I'm riding for fun. Doing a brevet is more of a challenge, not set in stone, but something to aim for. As Bruce Lee said, "sometimes goals are not meant to be reached, merely something to strive for." Having typed that, don't think I'm wussing out already. I WANT to do the brevet. I'm just not sure if riding long distance one day a week will get me into the proper condition to do it. Right now, I ride to work and back 5 days, which is around 4 miles or so, maybe a 15 miler on Thursday, then Sunday morning for a distance ride. We'll see how it goes. I do know I'm feeling better physically. Knee ache (no LC, not from the bike, but stiffness that crept in in my time away fron the bike) is a thing of the past, upper body strength is improving and I'm not really tired or spent after a Sunday ride. Good stuff.