The Bike Ride

After reading about hiking the Appalachian Trail, I keep feeling the need to get outside every time the weather is nice. Into the woods, preferably, but I'd settle for anywhere with a piece of grass.

Today it was beautiful - mid 60s, sunny and with just a slight breeze. I started my day with a panic attack because of all our unfinished projects; I didn't feel like completing any of them, I didn't even know where to start. Albie finally suggested I go ride my bike.

I've been saying I'm going to do it for over a year. Actually, I think I said it since before we moved to our condo. "I'm going to ride my bike to the farm," I clearly remember saying last September. But that never happened.

Today - as if there weren't enough challenges in my life - I decided to get on that rarely used bicycle and rise to the occasion.

What I need to explain at this point is that the trip to the farm is 2.6 miles (4 km), and all of it is uphill. And the only way to go is on the road with all the cars.

I haven't ridden a bike like this since I was 15, when I would ride my bike to the next town over, also uphill all the way, just so I could see what it would be like to zoom back down. See, the downhill part is what makes it all worthwhile.

Today, I pedalled, walked and sometimes dragged that bike behind me up the hill (one woman in an SUV even pulled over to ask me if I was OK). After 45 long minutes, I was finally at the farm where I used to live. I hugged some puppies (and a pig), had a glass of water, got a to-go portion of vegetarian chili, then zoomed back down the hill for 2.6 miles.

And it was all worthwhile. The wind ripping at my T-shirt, the rustling of the leaves and the smell of fall made it seem like this is the only place to be on a sunny Sunday afternoon.