Take the long way home (TTLWH)


Tonight was my chance to have a cycling happy hour. My version of the TGIF party at the bar is where I ride a little further than I do during my normal weekday ride home. Since it is still winter and the days are short, I knew that this would be another ride in the dark, but I did not care. The main reason I ride so much is that I eventually will get so bored with riding short distances that I will start to push myself into longer distances just to stay interested in riding. Yes this may seem crazy to some but any hard core cyclist knows what I am talking about. For me it is not a matter of getting the inspiration to ride everyday it is a matter of getting the inspiration to stop riding when I get to work or home.

So tonight I started riding home on the same route that I typically ride to work. I was low on water in my back pack bladder so I stopped by the Quick Stop to grab a Gatorade and a double Almond Snickers bar. This is the cocktail and appetizer part of my TGIF. I had plenty of company at the Lily Pond HYW 91 store as there was a dad rushing in to get a beer and locked his small son in the truck while he ran into the store.

I started riding into the twilight and decided to ride down a road that I have never been on, Mud Creek Road. I get an adrenalin rush riding in the dark especially on a road that I have never been on. Part of the rush is that I am excited to discover a new road to ride on. Then there is the part that is adrenalin rush of fear. The fear comes from thinking about farm yard dogs or deer or getting a flat. All of these thoughts plus thinking about what it will be like to ride down this road in the day helped me pass the time as I rode home.

Taking the long way home (TTLWH) is a way of being for me on my bike. For starters if I was in a hurry I would drive my truck to work. Since I am on my bike I can take my time and enjoy the ride and take any route home that I want. When I start riding it is very hard for me to stop so figuring out longer routes home is a game that I like to play. I am really excited about being able to get in shape so that I can accomplish my plans to ride to the Georgia coast this summer.

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