Zen Ride...

This morning started off with an 800 yard swim, quick and painless...

I got home and loaded up Luna and my Nikon D80 to take some shots of Kristina while she was on her run. It was about 19 degrees outside, so I decided to get a tall Americano to warm my chilly bones after just getting out of the pool...plus I LOVE my caffiene. I also picked up some eggs and sausage patties to complement the english muffins in the refrigerator.

Well, I saw Kristina, after driving around for an hour...right in front of our development. No cool pics this time. unfortunately...This was the path my day was on.

After doing a few things around the house, I decided to set out for my 43 miles. By that time it had warmed up to a balmy 25 degrees. The plan was to ride the Dean, because it is a little more stable than the Cervelo, since the roads still had a few patchy spots of ice and snow. Well, the Dean had a flat, and I would have had to take the comuter off the P2C and sync it...too much bother. P2C it is. I was ready to go....if only I could find my cold weather riding glove. Nowhere to be found.

Finally, I saddled up and was on my way...before I got out of Willow Run, the computer crapped out...reading zero (I wondered if these things were temperature rated, maybe its too cold for it to work....it works perfect in the basement...???) Still fumbling with the cyclocomputer, trying to push the buttons with my fat-fingered everyday gloves, I hit a hole in the road and my aero-bottle goes flying...spilling everywhere. I turn around to get the bottle and think...maybe I would be better of to just keep going..HOME.

I collect my bottle (and myself) and continue on...thinking, OK, I'll just use my heart rate monitor to gauge my percieved output...not all is lost. It would have helped if I put on the freakin' EKG strap...that was still in my gym bag from the swim, earlier this morning. UGH!

Then I thought of this article I recently read...about these Zen Runners...who run for the experience, the spirtituality, who chuck the watch, the Ipod, the heart rate monitor and all that cool techie shit for the Zen. My OCD doesn't allow it...I love my stats. At any rate, today I am a zen cyclist... with an Ipod. I didn't see many riders out there, very few...each time we passed one another we'd give the nod or two finger salute, as to say "hey mate, I see you're crazy and frozen too".

Knowing that the Longmont Rez is 20 miles from the house, I passed it and pedalled on for one more song. Michael Franti got me over the hump and I turned around for home. Settling into the aerobars, I just kept the making circles...toes, fingers, nose, frozen...I occassionally pulled up to enjoy a sip of my Perpeteum slushy...small white flakes wizzing by, I was home before I knew it.

Days like these should really help June 22...Its not easy being zen...

Sidenote:
That fat, little rodent bastard Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today...6 more weeks of cold, long rides and bricks...shite!